Home › Forums › Music Production › Music Production Hardware

Join our Home Musicians community now!

Hello Guest - Register or Log-in now, to download the tunes, add your comments, ask questions or share advice with our home musicians community. You'll also be able to upload your original music, home studio photos, and post your own forum topics and blogs. [Login to hide note!]

Feedback: Korg kpc1 pad kontrol

26 March, 2008 - 04:18 — precise

Does any1 Know anything about or used the Korg Kpc1 pad kontrol. Looking for a new piece of equipment I came across it for an ok price. How compatable is it with production programs mainly reason?. Theres also a Korg Microkontrol 37-note controller keyboard that also has 16 pads that I was interested in, I like the idea of having the pads in one on the keyboard. again, is this compatible with reason. However for 1 or 2 bills more I could get an mpc500, would this just be the better option?. Any info at all would be appreciated.

‹ Thoughts on the Akai MPC range Hardstyle beat question ›

26 March, 2008 - 14:36 — matt
matt's picture

Hey Precise, haven't used the Korg padKontrol myself, but from all I've heard its not too bad a midi pad controller. It should work ok with Reason - you just have to configure the midi port, as I believe the padkontrol is set to midi port 10 by default. Most of the midi pad controllers are pretty usable with most software, as its predominatly basic midi data being sent, just as it is from midi keyboards etc. Though some software does have specific manufacturers gear pre-mapped out, so all the controls are already assigned to the commonly used stuff. I'd imagine Reason must support this for the big ones such as MPD24 and PadKontrol by now.

The pads in the keyboard controllers are usually smaller and packed closely together than on a dedicated pad controller. This may or may not bother you. There has been some debate as to how the keyboard pads are quality/feel wise compared to the pad controller ones also.

Personally I wouldn't go for the MPC500 if I were you, if you're already set up with a basic software studio. The MPC line are designed more as the core unit of a production setup - with built in sequencing/sampling etc. Though in saying that, they are often used alongside software in the studio these days. Still, if you're going the software studio route, and learning that style of production, I'd just grab a midi controller or two, and learn up on the software...

If its Akai pads you're after, you might like to check out the Akai MPD32, which is the new souped-up version of the MPD24... now with the exact same pads that the MPCs have. Which has got to be a good thing, considering how Akai have been doing pads for decades. However it does cost quite a bit more than the other pad controllers around at the moment, as its new and all...

26 March, 2008 - 15:18 — Frank Marquis
Frank Marquis's picture

matt im in the market for an mpd...that one has a pretty good price and in my budget...do know what it can do....how good is it....is there a forum or article on that machine....does it save sounds...i was talking to a guy at a music store this weekend and he was trying to talk me out of one (which i found to be odd)anyways....id like something compact that i can take anywhere and make tracks...it seems to be perfect in size and all

26 March, 2008 - 15:30 — Frank Marquis
Frank Marquis's picture

i found this video on the mpd 32....not really what im going for...hope it helps precise out like it did me

http://youtube.com/watch?v=vnAQT64NYoQ

26 March, 2008 - 16:04 — matt
matt's picture

Yeah the Akai MPD24, Akai MPD32, Korg padKontrol etc are all just midi controllers, that control your software studio with midi signals - just as a midi keyboard does. They don't save any sounds internally. They're great if you use a software studio, and you like bashing out sample based tracks such as drum loops, rather than always having to click the mouse to draw drum patterns etc.

To keep it this post on topic, I've created a separate forum post on the Akai MPC range...

Hello Guest - Register or Log-in now, to download the tunes, add your comments, ask questions or share advice with our home musicians community. You'll also be able to upload your original music, home studio photos, and post your own forum topics and blogs. [Login to hide note!]


Donations made to MakeTunes by the following members - check out their music to show your appreciation of their support of our community!
Amittai - Ed - Audiohead - Julian Angel - Giechi Dan Productions - Mike_S - Bill - JonnyLightning - Illusive Mind - DanstheTsar - IngridTornado - Geomatic - Almighty Pattern - m1ch431 - dammedifiknow - coolboy - DeletedTrack - heegs - MarCoast Beats.

To help support MakeTunes, please consider donating. Thanks.