I've recently been eyeing this one up for hands on control of my plugins, both audio and synth plugins (mainly producing electronic genres like techno and tech house). The current version is the Model 2A.

In April 2024, they just released a software upgrade for it that now expands to 512 mappable parameters per plugin, being 32 rotary dials across 16 pages, and now teasing me to take the punt.

Anybody own one? Got any experience, opinions, thoughts, reviews?!

 

Nobody? I'm in UK and contemplating buying one as it looks like it could be absolutely amazing for my use case, but was looking for some real World feedback on it first.

 

I have one what would you want to know...it all works as described you can even control things with it other controller cannot like unison detune at the Odyssey by Korg

All in all very good but I have sometimes Problems with the layout of the knobs so I make templates on my own not using the presents

 

Just wondering things like is it worth the money, is it reliable, does it have bugs/crashes, does it integrate well with DAW, does it truly allow full control of virtually all plugins, does it truly enhance workflow, and so on?

I mainly make techno music and use Ableton primarily. I am contemplating it to ha hands on control of my VSTs primarily, to make things like Serum feel more like hardware synths as I'm more of a hands on inspired person, as well as to try and move more towards using hand control and ears when tweaking EQs, compression, and so on instead of looking at screen to move things with mouse.

 

I use it with Ableton so no bugs I can see so far...yes it feels then like Hardware cause you can even change the resolution of the knobs.you can use it with every plugin
For me the only problem is the layout cause the knobs are around the screen I programmed my presets all the same way ...knobs doing everything the same on different vst

You can even control Ableton with it either m4l

I don't regret my buy even it was expensive

Also they are very responsive when you got problems

 

On a side note me restrict with these contoller to install every available plugin cause I see then how good some Vst are be with the right programming...it's a joy to programm an osc with a high resolution knob...one thing I never see on other Controller and I have a lot of them in the past

 

so it loads every plugin inside it's own wrapper? Like putting every plugin you want to control with it, inside BlueCat's Patchwork?

The live performance uses are pretty obvious, but why would you do this in your production... Don't you still have to go back to each CC lane to correct your automation ramps and curves? Does the plugin still need to run inside a DAW, or can it run and host a Midi editor/librarian software via usb connection directly to the synth/device? Could it be used to interact with a DSP Satellite like UAD etc?

If NI cannot get Komplete Kontrol even close to right, I would be very wary of this thing.

 

i found a few reviews on Youtube

 

Because it gives you a more live and natural-like control over VSTs. Whether you go in and 'fix' automation is your choice. Sometimes less perfect ramps and movements sound more natural and realisticdue to being more human, like timing slightly off etc. For synths, controlling parameters like filters and resonance for 303 plugins, LFO rates for synths like Serum, filters on a synth like Diva and so on would allow allow for a more live instrument like input. You can even use to patch cables etc in things like VCV for playing modular soft synths live away from the computer screen too.

Whether that's what you want or not is a personal preference, and for me I like the idea of being able to play my soft synths live or be able to ride my effect plugins live.

 

It's not midi it's automation lane ..yes it's a wrapper but something different than NKI...yes I had this either before and was bad for my work

The wrapper is a vst Plugin open it and you have all your fav Plugs on the MP Screen

 

I've also been watching this product pretty closely over the last couple years. It's very appealing. I mostly use my DAW (Reaper) as a live VST host and use it mostly for live performance. I still feel like I'd get benefit from having tactile control over all my synth plugins for live performance. How does it play with software provided from sister site? Any issues with k'd software?

 

But by "live" you mean directly recording automation into your DAW? I'm not concerned with what you can do with it at a club. I am asking about what I would do with it connected to my DAW. And even from a purist DAW-less modular rig, if it has to be connected to a DAW then it is not DAW-less.
It is still controlling synths running on a computer or a tablet if that is the case. Which was what I was asking.

 

Last edited: May 5, 2024

And I answered. I am not talking about DAWless. I am talking about using my VSTs as live instruments when producing. Happy accidents happen when using tactile controls that can almost never happen when programming with mouse. I can easily see me recording clips and overdubbing over and over in Ableton and jamming live with VSTs using this controller until something sounds good and 'live' which can never happen when programming with a mouse.

 

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See, I guess the thread is about a device when the title says it's about a device. Why would my questions be about your setup?

I didn't even accidentally quote you. And I am certainly not going to argue about something you are just waxing poetic about buying.

When you actually buy one, cannot figure out how to use it, and come ask for someone else to fix it for you, I won't even hold it against you or anything. You know, like always.

 

I own the first iteration of the mp midi, its sittin in the cabinet for like a year or more now, its cool but the hardware in the first gen was causing troubles with my system. Its connected via hdmi and 2 usb-c's. The usb c ports have some issues, same as the screen itself. Took a lot of troubleshooting to get it to work.
Otherwise its a cool product. But the actual "appeal" of using knobs instead of mouse seems very good and ideal on paper, but in reality its way more efficient for me, to just use the mouse. It could take some time, to get really used to it and build some muscle memory, but for me it was a pretty underwhelming expierience, wish I perceived it a bit better and also wished to gave it more time.
But maybe dialing in some subtile compression or distortion, maybe to adjust the time settings on a compressor in realtime, all of the settings at once..
Will probably revive this old dusty diamond again tomorrow, thank you for remembering me.
Probably have to update firmware and the vst suite itself. Maybe they fixed some issues.

 

would you be interested in selling it at all?

 

I owned model 1A and now i have model 2A and I am very happy with it (but i was also happy with model 1A). As far as i know the software updates apply to all of their models so even if you have the older version it will work. The first model had a matte screen (which is nice) but the brightness is not as high as the model 2A which has a glossy screen and a flat design. The brightness in model 2A is very high. The reason it matters is that the controller has a flat orientation. But i use it on a laptop stand because i like it more vertical.

The controller works using a plugin host and it controls the automatable parameters of plugins. These are the parameters that a plugin reports to the DAW and can be automated. This method is different than controlling with MIDI CCs because it's bidirectional and a lot more accurate. This allows for perfect sync with the hardware. The hardware controller has a direct link with the host plugin and it's like it is bypassing the DAW. In other words, the hardware and host plugin communicate directly with each other.

In general, very solid piece of gear, for me it's all about getting into more depth with plugins, it changed the way i do EQ, compression and interact with VST synths.
One more thing, there have been many many updates over the last couple of years with new features. It's important because it keeps evolving and you get things that were not expected. For example, controlling Ableton devices.

 

This all sounds perfect and exactly why I am looking at it as a potential purchase! It's good to see that it's continuously evolving too!

It's definitely the hands-on playability of VSTs that is the main thing I'm seeing as what will work for me. Perhaps younger people won't realise, but as someone who started recording in the mid-90s, I learner everything using console desks, recording to reel-to-reel tape, splicing edit on physical tape, and, most importantly, recording everything as live takes, be it synths, guitars, drums, vocals, and so on. One thing I've noticed with today's processes is that clicking and programming with a mouse is nowhere near as inspirational as playing and recording live, and it's therefore a bit of a creativity blocker for me personally, who lives to play things live, tweak EQs, compressors, etc with physical knobs and so on. Therefore, this is why the MP MIDI Controller has got me excited as it seems to be the closest thing I've seen to date that facilitates that hardware-like hands-on control of software plugins and instruments, harnessing the best of both worlds, giving the option to program with a mouse if preferred, or playing lie with the controller if preferred.

 

Thanks a bunch for your user review. I'm planning to buy the device one day, so every first-hand opinion matters.

 

I was in a a search for the best "hands-on"/hardware-like experience possible when it comes to using plugins with a controller a couple of years ago. I was quite surprised to figure that the level of control I had in mind for granted (i.e attaching plugin parameters to knobs/faders with instant visual feedback for any given plugin in focus) wasn't really. The options are still pretty limited and I really don't get that, I really think there's a demand for something like that in the market.
I was considering Novation's SL mkIII until I figured what I wanted wasn't possible unless you use Ableton Live (there are also some user scripts for Bitwig I think). Next, you have Native Instruments controllers and Komplete Kontrol which comes with its own shortcomings.
As people in this thread say, it has its own problems, it is still a wrapper (and I hate wrappers/plugin hosts for a number of reasons you are aware of if you ever had to deal with one) and while their screens are sweet, paying what they ask for a controller so poor in actual controls (just 8 knobs? no faders and pads? come on now NI...) was not going to happen, in my case at least...

I saw MP MIDI but it was out of my budget anyway, and while it certainly looks like a better option that those I've already mentioned, I'd still want things different for the money they ask. Namely, more intuitive knob placement, having them around the surface doesn't look ideal to me, I think the optimal way would be having them where they usually are in controllers with tiny led screen strips with the parameter name and amount leds, a bit like SL mkII. And forcing plugin hosts/wrappers needs to stop, its fucking 2024.

So after extensive search (including this forum) I ended up with a Nektar Panorama P6 which does many of the things I expected it to, in what I consider a reasonable price. I can personally say it works great with Studio One and I think the integration with Cubase and Bitwig is up there too. So I'd suggest checking their controllers, namely the Panorama P and T series, each having its own benefits and drawbacks (T are only keyboards, P also got a controller-only version), if you got questions let me know. I am not sure what's your DAW of choice (check if its supported beforehand) but I suppose your best bet if going the Nektar route would be their fresh CS12 controller (Panorama P is 12 years old with everything that means, they are still supporting it for the time being but...), when they start supporting your DAW. https://nektartech.com/panorama-cs12/

It launched marketed as a Logic controller as it only supports Logic at the moment, but they've said Cubase is next and then probably Studio One, aiming for a 2024 release I think. When that happens, my understanding is that it will probably replicate much of the MP MIDI functionality, for about half the price adding a few perks such as colour coding and a really useful motorized fader (love mine on my P6). Logic community seems to like it a lot already.
I am not saying that everything about their products is a dream come true (what is?) but I love many things about them.
Their support is top notch and of course the star of the show is the fantastic DAW integration they offer for the DAWs they support (most of them), it really is extraordinary. I respect the fact that unlike the big dogs such as the Novations and NIs of this world, the Nektar guys actually sit and write their own stuff (scripts? protocols? I am not a dev....) for dedicated DAW integration, one for each. Which means they provide the function we are looking for when controlling plugins without a wrapper/plugin host. It just works!
They do have a plugin host which adds more features (parameter renaming, patch library and combining patches from different plugins into one across DAWS) but if you don't care about these features, it's totally optional, which AFAIK it's something no other controller in the market is able/actually cares to provide.
So yeah, just letting you know about a potential alternative....

 

Last edited: May 7, 2024