If like me you like the idea of controlling all of Studio One from a central point but also can't be bothered to set it all up with mapping of parameters then Nektar may just be your new best friend.
Nektar MIDI Controllers
I already own a Nektar Panorama P4 but wanted 88 notes, partly because I keep falling off the end of the keyboard when playing. Nektar have become famous for their tight DAW integration but when I acquired the Panorama I was using Pro Tools, which sadly is almost the only DAW on the planet that does not play nice with Nektar hardware.
However as I'm making most of my music in Studio One these days I thought I would give the 88 note Impact LX88 controller a spin, after all it seems like a bargain at around £150/$300. It offers all the usual features of a decent MIDI controller.
- 88 note, semi-weighted velocity sensitive keyboard
- Layer and split; dedicated transpose buttons
- Pitch bend and Modulation wheels
- 9 faders, 8 pots; 13 MIDI buttons
- 8 velocity sensitive performance pads
- 6 transport buttons
- 5 user-configurable presets and 4 pad maps
- Null mode; MIDI out; Foot switch jack
- USB bus powered; input for optional DC power supply input
- Tight integration with Studio One
Getting Started
I like to try and make things work without a manual, it's part of my test of how well a product has been designed, once I'd registered my Impact LX88 I went to the downloads page and got the latest drivers for working in Studio One 3, downloaded them, followed the instructions on the web page and then fired up Studio One. As if by magic the whole keyboard had been set-up and mapped both as a MIDI keyboard and a hardware controller. If you're an idiot then the way Nektar do it is for you, although experience has shown me that when a manufacturer makes something idiot proof then up pops an even better idiot. Joking apart setting up the Nektar is a joy, it took me longer to prize it from the UPS guy and open the box than it did to get it set up.