Recomended Midi Controllers
Anyone have favorite midi controllers they're using with BM3?
For me the dream specs would be:
- Wireless/Bluetooth MIDI
- 4x4 or 8x8 pads to line up with the BM layout (2x4 seems like such a miss but I see those around)
- 8 knobs to line up with the BM layout
- Battery powered
I've seen things like the above but nothing that's all of them 
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KORG nano kontrol
Ha, just replied to a thread with woes on getting that set up propperly. I have the Nano Kontrol Studio and it works fine for plugins/pitched instruments but is a mess for trying to trigger drum pads.
Absolutely need wireless or velocity pressure?
http://www.musicradar.com/news/tech/10-of-the-best-midi-pad-controllers-566293
Or build your own. Pad based performance/production controllers still kinda new
https://www.gearank.com/guides/midi-pad-controllers
https://blog.landr.com/50-best-midi-controllers/
I reckon you’ll struggle to find exactly what you want. For a while I used an akai LPD8, there’s a wireless,version of that now. You mentioned 2x4 pads, so you’ve probably seen it.
I couldn’t find something for sale that did what I wanted. I had specific size requirements.
I just wanted a small portable thing with 4x4 pads (velocity sensitivity not required) and 4 knobs.
As mefisme suggests, building something is a lot more straightforward these days than ever before. As well as good fun.
So I built one of these https://learn.adafruit.com/mini-untztrument-3d-printed-midi-controller/overview
I just made the small one described:
Not sure how you would go about making it bluetooth Midi. Or if that is even possible.
I’m planning to upscale to 8x8 with 8 knobs soon.
Just need to figure out the case.
Wireless is the main thing I'm after, velocity isn't a big deal to me.
There are bluetooth midi ready arduinos now: https://create.arduino.cc/projecthub/doncoleman/arduino-101-bluetooth-midi-544b21
If nothing has popped up by next year, after weeklybeats is done, I'll carve out the time required for a DIY build
I've searched for that specification myself lately...
But, with no success...
Although I love my newly bought Novation Launchpad Pro, it's not that mobile (even with a build batterypack hooked up)...
It must be many customers longing for this kind of controller - wireless & internal battery driven with a good amount of nice playable velocity sensitive pad & knobs...
Why not manufacture this to us mr Korg or mr Akai or ms Novation? We have our wallets ready!
And, I really looking forward to that day that we have almost a zero latency driven bluetooth/wifi MIDI and at the same time wireless headphones with the same superlow latency between our iPads and our beloved external equipments...
I don’t know of any controllers that have everything you’re looking for built in. I’m currently using the Novation Launchkey Mini which has 16 pads, 8 knobs and a few other buttons. It can be powered by the iPad itself but it’s not battery powered or wireless
This thread mystifies me. I’ve used many controllers over the years but my dream was always a touchscreen controller. Now we have a production environment and touchscreen controller in one - no controller lag, no extra boxes nor cables to lug around, no extra cognitive load to remember what that generic encoder, slider or pad controls.
Is it more that the iPad is not all that it could be (eg no haptic feedback), or do you all crave for a more analogue feel, and if that is the case then what is the appeal of Beatmaker 3?
@panoramica I use both simultaneously. The iPad is now my audio workstation and one of my instruments at the same time. It is impossible to perform certain things without both. Plus, tacktile feel handles sweat better. Pads/keys have better velocity control. Etc.
And if you set things up right you don’t have to remember which controls go to what.
No velocity
Piano keys that fit my finger and give more than an octave
A dial you can turn and see the value (Serioysly if you can do that with all of BMs parameters, you have invisible fingers)
There is just three to keep you going
my favorite reasons for a physical controller:
-you can control things you can't see on the screen, if you're in another page of the app adjusting something else or referencing something as you play
-knobs and sliders are way easier to control on a physical controller. you can't usually get consistent and smooth action when adjusting a knob by sliding your finger on glass like you can when turning a real knob, and of course a lot of values on the screen are difficult to adjust by a small amount because you cover up the value, as has been said
-velocity, as others have said
you can definitely use bm3 without a controller, and it works really well, but using a controller can just make things better.
Yeah lets be clear, ipad + headphones is a revolution, and BM3 is good on its own, but controllers offer a sheen
I agree to 90%. For 10% like i want to play a melody with keys, then i take my Launchkey Mini. What is great there that you have also 16 Pads and can control BM3 with a little custom mapping (Switch Pad/Key-Mode, Rec, Play, Switch Banks,etc). So for 90% Ipad, my fingers + the Pencil do the job. ;-)