In the following workshop, Mark Cousins takes back control…. During our last two workshops — exploring Studio Strings and Studio Horns — we saw just how important MIDI CC continuous controller messages are in fully extracting the expressive range of many software instruments. The exact effect of the modulation wheel will depend on how the instrument has been configured, but the process of recording, editing and manipulating MIDI CC data is important to your work inside Logic Pro X.
Other controllers exist, although their effect will always depend on the software instrument that receives them. Here, the use of parallel track is useful as a means of distinguishing between note data and MIDI CC messages, allowing you to keep the two forms of information separate from one another.
Instead, studio speakers, also known as monitor speakers, accurately reproduce sounds without any additional information, so you can monitor any volume or tone changes in your mix. Some monitor speakers plug in via USB or the headphone jack on your computer, and others can connect to your audio and MIDI interface with quarter-inch or speaker cables.
Your audio interface typically includes a separate channel to plug your headphones in and adjust their volume separately from the volume of your monitor speakers. Logic Pro X has lots of really cool built-in software instruments of all types, from percussion and drum loops to vintage synthesizers and samplers. Thanks for the question! This is still a great controller.
It should work just fine with Logic as well. Your email address will not be published. MIDI Controllers. By Chris Senner March 15, 3 comments. View Price At Sweetwater. Which variant you buy and how you use it will vary a lot. A lot of producers I know use the 8 fader variant as a makeshift mixer. Others use the key variant as a highly portable keyboard. Given the price, you can even buy all three and change them around based on what you need at the moment.
There some obvious flaws on the Nanokey. The silicone buttons tend to get stuck. And the faders are plasticky. But it will complement one nicely. But it if you want something highly portable, or if you already have a full-sized keyboard and want something to complement it. Namely, have good and the right number of keys, have plenty of controls, and integrate well with Logic Pro. Keyboard controllers are great for composition.
You get full-sized piano keys that makes it easy to play chords and melodies. Pad controllers are great for launching clips and creating spontaneous compositions. If you want to hammer out a few drum patterns or take control of your music on the fly, you should choose this option.
There is no sessions view like in Ableton, which limits what you can do with pad controllers. Hybrid controllers offer the best compromise between controls and composition. A good hybrid controller would give you between pads as well as full-sized keyboards.
This way, you can launch clips, hammer out drum patterns, and compose entire tracks — all from the same controller. Unless you have extensive piano playing experience, I would recommend that you stick to hybrid controllers. Another option — which a lot of pro producers follow — is to get a regular keyboard controller and pair it up with a dedicated pad controller. Think of a setup like this:. This would give you the best of both worlds — a full-sized keyboard for composition, and a pad controller for controlling your DAW.
Your best option is to spring for semi-weighted keys. These tend to be on the expensive side but offer better playability and comfort. If your goal is to just enter MIDI notes and play out a few chords or melodies, synth-action keyboards will work perfectly fine.
MIDI keyboards come in a range of key sizes, going all the way from 25 keys to full-sized key keyboards. Anything beyond 32 keys makes it difficult to keep the keyboard size and weight low enough for lugging around. But portability comes with its own compromise — smaller keys. Most portable keyboards reduce the width and length of keys to fit them into a small form factor.
This greatly impacts their playability, especially if you have fat fingers as I do. I usually recommend people to get a regular 49 or key keyboard for their main studio use, and buy an additional mini keyboard for carrying around. If you have a smaller desk, it could completely ruin your setup. So before you spring for a larger keyboard, measure out your desk.
You should at least have 3 feet of extra space before you even think of getting anything beyond 49 keys. As much as the idea of a full-size key keyboard is appealing, it is just plain overkill for most musicians. Nor will the EDM or hip-hop pieces they produce ever involve complex melodies that require simultaneous bass and tenor keys.
Plus, larger keyboards are plain intimidating. On the flip side, anything below keys also impacts playability. For most people, keys represents the ideal size. It gives you access to four octaves of range. If you plan on playing slightly more complex pieces, you can upgrade to a key keyboard.
But otherwise, 49 keys is more than enough. Learn More. App Store Preview. Screenshots iPhone iPad. Oct 18, Version 1. Ratings and Reviews. App Privacy.
Most interfaces have XLR and quarter-inch inputs, so you can record vocals or instruments such as guitar or bass. You can easily layer different parts or even assign them to multiple instruments.
So what kind of speakers should you get? Home stereo speakers often color the sound slightly by adding more bass or boosting certain frequencies to make the music sound louder.
This would give you the best of both worlds — a full-sized keyboard for composition, and a pad controller for controlling your DAW. Your best option is to spring for semi-weighted keys. These tend to be on the expensive side but offer better playability and comfort. If your goal is to just enter MIDI notes and play out a few chords or melodies, synth-action keyboards will work perfectly fine. MIDI keyboards come in a range of key sizes, going all the way from 25 keys to full-sized key keyboards.
Anything beyond 32 keys makes it difficult to keep the keyboard size and weight low enough for lugging around. But portability comes with its own compromise — smaller keys. Most portable keyboards reduce the width and length of keys to fit them into a small form factor. This greatly impacts their playability, especially if you have fat fingers as I do. I usually recommend people to get a regular 49 or key keyboard for their main studio use, and buy an additional mini keyboard for carrying around.
If you have a smaller desk, it could completely ruin your setup. So before you spring for a larger keyboard, measure out your desk. You should at least have 3 feet of extra space before you even think of getting anything beyond 49 keys. As much as the idea of a full-size key keyboard is appealing, it is just plain overkill for most musicians. Nor will the EDM or hip-hop pieces they produce ever involve complex melodies that require simultaneous bass and tenor keys.
Plus, larger keyboards are plain intimidating. On the flip side, anything below keys also impacts playability. For most people, keys represents the ideal size. It gives you access to four octaves of range. If you plan on playing slightly more complex pieces, you can upgrade to a key keyboard.
But otherwise, 49 keys is more than enough. In my case, I rely minimally on keyboard controls. I use my desktop keyboard shortcuts for most things. The keyboard is used mostly for entering notes, practicing melodies, and playing chords. A MIDI controller with more than a handful of control options is just overkill for my taste.
Great for people who like a more intuitive approach to their music production. But production styles evolve. You might think that your style requires minimal use of controls, but that might change a year down the line.
If it has DAW control options built in, even better. This will give you enough room to adapt new playing styles. As a general rule, your budget will impact your choices as follows with respect to 49 key controllers :. Go for this range only if you want a secondary controller that emphasizes portability. Look for semi-weighted keys since this will improve the playing experience substantially. That said, there are some controllers that are designed for specific DAWs such as Ableton Push — designed for Ableton.
Just keep this in mind when you make a purchase. If the controller specifically says that it supports a specific DAW, it might be a good idea to pick something else. I can understand the confusion — MIDI isn't a specification you're likely to encounter if you're new to music. I'll answer some brief questions about MIDI controllers and keyboards below to help you figure out this product category better. The early s was exciting time for electronic music. The big names you know and recognize today — Roland, Akai, etc.
The major synths and devices that shaped music in the 80s and 90s were invented around this time, including the Roland TR drum machine, the Juno synth, etc. Think of the way Apple creates its proprietory connections and imagine an industry filled with dozens of such companies. Maybe if youre Microsoft, but not if youre Apple. This app is not backwards compatible with logic below So, my 24 3. So no new logic for me. And, since iOS does not allow managing versions of the installed apps - I get this, a useless companion app for software I cannot install.
Switch to a good multi platform package like Studio One, Ableton or Steinberg before it is too late. If you look at most touring bands and professional producers, you will notice that they have Macbooks or iPads for their backing tracks.
Note: I have 8 years playing with MIDI controllers and I also have toured the country under a major label alternative rock band. All of this goes into the experience that I have when recommending you choices. While there are a number of different controllers that work well, I did my best to breakdown the best MIDI controllers for Logic. It has an incredible overall build and it has basically every feature you would want in a MIDI controller.
This controller works great with logic Pro and it also comes in a few different sizes. You can get it in 49 keys, 61 keys or 88 keys. To get a better view of the recorded data, or edit elements of it, try opening the Piano Roll editor.
For precision work, the ability to draw the nodes in without having to enter the Piano Roll is a godsend! The result is a more musical transition. Another useful feature is the ability to scale the automation data using the box on the right-hand side of the track header. Clicking on the small arrow on left-hand side of the track lane will create a parallel track which can be assigned to different MIDI CC parameter.