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Troublefree/small hardware controller for use with Berlin Strings/Spitfire/Logic?

Vik

Vi-k
Can anyone recommend a good/small hardware controller for use with Berlin Strings/Spitfire/Logic, which works with the latest Logic version and OS X 10.5.5 (and, ideally El Capitan as well)?
 
For controlling CC data?
I'd just get a Korg NanoKontrol if I were you. Been using mine for about a year and haven't really felt the urge to upgrade yet.
 
When you say "hardware controller", are you talking about an actual keyboard, or just a control surface for parameters?

For the former I use a pair of Novation Impulse keyboards (49 and 61 key versions, I have one of each ... it's a long story). Both of them work quite well, albeit it should be noted that I use them sans Automap, which I don't want to gum up the works of my DAW with. They have been much, MUCH more reliable than the flaky M-Audio Axiom 61 I was saddled with before. I think there are other good options out there, although not necessarily any GREAT options (it seems like the market for high-end MIDI controllers was eaten up by the less expensive controllers in recent years, unfortunately).

I use them with Logic, Albion and (just added) the Berlin Percussion Exp A (timpani), under Yosemite (haven't upgraded to El Capitan, but I doubt there would be any keyboard issues as a result of that upgrade). So I guess that's pretty close to your list of requirements.

My main advice to you would be to avoid M-Audio, based just upon personal experience. Over the couple of decades that I've been building up my studio, I've had exactly three pieces of MIDI or audio gear that have actually stopped functioning within the first couple of years that I have owned them, and not due to any sort of mistreatment or accident. During that period of time I've also purchased a total of three pieces of M-Audio gear. And I'll give you one guess as to whether or not those two lists are identical.
 
I just picked up a Behringer BCN44 on Ebay for half what the nanoKontrol costs, and it's served my purposes beautifully so far for what you're describing...
 
How do you define what each of the faders should send out in each of these controllers?
 
while you can't buy them new, don't be afraid of the NI Kore2 controller.
 
Screen Shot 2016-02-23 at 18.28.34.png Btw, I already have a couple of hardware controllers. The one I currently try to rely on is Nektar Panorama P1, but I have some problems with it. Not sure if they are caused by Logic, by the P1 or by Kontakt.

I try to use the advice given by Blake Ewing in this thread:
https://vi-control.net/community/threads/problems-using-kontakt-spitfire-with-logic-pro-x.40940/

...and while that method worked at some point, I seem to have some kind of bug in the system somewhere which results in automation "curves" looking like they do in this image.
 
Vik, you'll find that setting the CC channel for each fader is a pretty simple exercise regardless of which controller you choose. (My BCN44 has 4 customizable presets to alternate between, for example.) Do you expect to be reprogramming your controller so frequently that this will be a game-changing feature area?
 
No, not when I have a template which allows me to use the same CCs across the libraries I use and will use. And that's the the main thing for me anyway - the main thing I want to do is to make sure that the controller I end up using doesn't trigger a lot of extra troubleshooting. Ideally, it would be great to just keep using the one I got not long ago, the Nektar P1. It's just that at the moment, either I don't know it well enough or it's just made in away which means a number of quite cumbersome processes.
 
I just picked up a Behringer BCN44 on Ebay for half what the nanoKontrol costs, and it's served my purposes beautifully so far for what you're describing...

Am I correct in saying that the BCN44 doesn't have any faders?? Not sure this is what the OP is looking for...
 
Prodigalison, I look for something which can be used as an allround controller, something with at least two faders - in case I can't get my current controller to behave properly.
 
Works fine here. I use it since a couple of weeks so I can't say anything about long time stability. It's preloaded with mackie control surface but I set it to custom configuration and set the faders to CC 1, 2, 11 and some others. There's a software for configuration downloadable from the website. The faders are all I use and with custom config the start/stop buttons are out of function. Funny: the joystick moves the computer cursor!
 
The Akai MPD range haven't been mentioned here. Very happy with the MPD232. Simple, easy editor software. 60mm faders. Good pads.
 
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