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MIDI Controllers

MIDI Controllers come in many different shapes and sizes and colours. They have a large and varied range of uses in sound and a/v [audio/visual]. Theyare found everywhere - on stages, inside studios, on the go, at homes, clubs, bars, with live shows' crews, everywhere.

MIDI controllers are used in various areas:

Djs use them, in many different ways.

Live PA acts use them (Daft Punk and their setup).

Audio and Video studios use them (DAW control mainly).

Vjs use them (somebody get me pics of Ohm being used live!).

Musicians use them on stage for live performances, this includes Solo artists, bands, projects etc.

Composers and producers use them at work, at home, everywhere they possibly can.

Live A/V acts use them for live manipulation of video and audio.

It pretty much covers every area where there is music and many areas of video and a/v as well. So what are the different types that we are talking abouthere?

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MIDI Controllers can be classified in many different ways. It can be based on the softwares that are used, people who use them, areas in which they aremainly used, etc. But I am going to talk about them in terms of form factor or physcial design.

This sort of classification will be immensely helpful for studying the purpose of each of these devices. It will also help us to judge their usefulness to specificpeople. Now, remember, each of these types can have entire pages devoted to each of them.

Keyboard MIDI Controllers - Keyboards are originally responsible for starting the entire MIDI revolution. In their MIDI Controller form, they can be

anything from simple and focussed to complex and versatile. They can range from the simplest ones with just the keys, two wheels and a few

controls to really large and expensive ones with pots, faders, clocks and much more. The simple ones are usually used for playing virtual instruments

during songwriting, composing, etc. The really complex ones are usually for studio environments, which need a lot controls. And for live use, it really

depends on the artist.

DJ Controllers - These have really become popular in recent times. Most of these controllers are in their 2nd or 3rd product cycle at max. Some are

brand new offerings. The general rule is simple - just throw in twin jogs, up and pitch faders, a crossfader, mixer controls and some buttons. Most of

the compact controllers go for what is often referred to as the [Vestax] VCI layout. There are also controllers that are 'single deck', ones that

emulate just the dj-mixer. There are also bigger format controllers like the XONEseries from Allen & Heath. These also have audio interfaces built

into them. The VCI series doesn't though. The latest crop is now trying to emulate a tuntable, complete with spinning platters and real torque. These

mainly used by, ahem, Djs. But people always fine myriad uses for almost any MIDI Controller out there.

Pad Controllers - These are constituted mainly of pads and may and a few other controls. Most of these instantly remind you of Akai's legendary

MPC products. But there are also those that bend the genre and redefine it. TakeZendrum for instance! They are an amazing work of craftsmanship,

each and everyone of them. These are commmonly used to trigger samples, cues or play drums. They are commonly designed to be used with

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fingers.

Foot Pedals and switches - These are usually used in conjunction with other devices to gain extra functionality. This can be a sustain or an

expression pedal on keyboard controllers or an entire board full of foot switches to be assigned anyway necessary.

Faders or Knobs only boxes - Exactly what the category says, these are just boxes with loads and loads of Faders or Knobs on them. Best (and in

some cases the only) examples are from Behringer. Even Daft Punk uses a few of these. They do have a few other types of controls, mostly buttons.

Hybrid Machines - These are machine that seek to converge, bring together the features of multiple devices into one, much like some advanced

mobile communications devices. For example, the XONE 4D. It it is a high quality audio interface and mixer with MIDI Control surfaces. Or this similar

but different purposed tascam product. One if for Dj booths and the other is for studios. And then there is the DN-HS5500 and DN-S3700 from Denon.

Boutique controllers - These are Controllers that are produced on a small scale and usually sel out quite fast. There is usually a order queue.

They are preferred by highly professional artists or people who can afford it and have a specialised use for it. But some of these are really versatile,

so they can be used in many different places. So the choice lies with the end user - how much effort you want to spend to get a custom setup with

unconventional controllers. Examples would Jazzmutant's dexter and lemur, the monome project, modular controllers, etc.

Matrix Controllers - These contain button matrices and are very useful for on the fly sequencing. These would include the Lemur again (it actually

does everything you want, so it will basically be everywhere), monome, tenori-on, etc.

DIY Controllers - These are home-brewed projects that are made by enthusiasts and inventors. there are many famous projects around. And they

are bascially anything you can imagine and have the know-how to create. Some are meant to be general purpose, some are meant for DJs, some

are just plain experimental. A very famous project is the MonoDeck.

Experimental controllers - This is really a relative term. So the definition will change from person to person. But it generally means that it is a

highly conceptual controller that is still in the stage of development and hasn't had much of adoption, and that is probably because only one exist.

Examples are - the scratch controller, touchscreen turntables [a design student's project], siftables [these do many things, only one is controlling]

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