School me on Midi Controller Keyboards

[bongoben]

Alright, I recently picked up a Voicelive 2 because, well, it's insanely awesome. I'm wondering about Midi Controller Keyboards to control the harmonies for it. I have a cheap Casio LK-43 that my wife had before we met and, well, it is like it almost wants to control the harmonies but it doesn't really do the trick. Sometimes you can hear a harmony note shift when I hit a new key on the keyboard but most of the time it does nothing. The VL2 recognizes that a key is being pressed as the "Midi" indicator lights up each time I hit a key but that's about all I get. So, teach me about this stuff. I've never worked with Midi before this so I don't know if something cheap (i.e. Alesis Q-25) would work or if I need to be looking for something else. Or if I'm just doing something wrong with the Casio I have.

[GardenoftheDead]

M-Audio or Alesis generally make affordable midi keyboards that aren't total crap.

[sonidero]

I've had a bunch and this is my favorite small one...

[space6oy]

i've had several, korg microkontrol's the one i've hung onto. but i don't mind minikeys. do hate two octave keyboards though, for me gotta be at least three.

[spacelordmother]

The 2 questions are whether the VL2 has pre-mapped midi values assigned to certain parameters and/or changes, and whether the Casio allows you to change the messages it sends. I am guess your situation is a combination of both and that's why it's not controlling what you want it to control.

[bongoben]

The 2 questions are whether the VL2 has pre-mapped midi values assigned to certain parameters and/or changes, and whether the Casio allows you to change the messages it sends. I am guess your situation is a combination of both and that's why it's not controlling what you want it to control.

Can I do a google search for everything you just said? Yeah, I have some research to do.

[kaeth]

I will second the M-Audio Axiom. Build quality is not the most rugged, but for the price I love it. The semi-weighted keybed is actually the nicest I've ever owned.

They're now on the third incarnation of it, so you can get the old version used for very cheap. Plays just as nice.

[psychedelicrelic]

Honestly, korg nanokey2 is really decent and can be had on eBay for like $30. Simple and basic.

Edit: I just looked up what a voicelive was...I thought it was a program. Nanokey is usb. So I'd go with a cheap m-audio. I wouldn't suggest any thing with microkeys. I like them okay, but 90% of keys players that played my korg micropiano got all pissy.

[spacelordmother]

The 2 questions are whether the VL2 has pre-mapped midi values assigned to certain parameters and/or changes, and whether the Casio allows you to change the messages it sends. I am guess your situation is a combination of both and that's why it's not controlling what you want it to control.

Can I do a google search for everything you just said? Yeah, I have some research to do.

I read a little bit about the VL2 - I was thinking in terms of pure MIDI parameter control, but now I see that the unit is supposed to react to the actual notes you're playing. Since you said it recognizes the MIDI signal coming in it seems you have it on the right channel. (MIDI can send over 1 of 16 channels, useful for making sure the right messages go to the right units) Did you do the MIDI setup procedure in the manual?

Let us know what you find out! I have never had good luck getting harmonizer type effects to work/track properly...

[CBA]

Just don't get anything BIG by M-Audio. We had THREE of the 88 key workstation totally fall apart.


C