NAMM had plenty of new goodies, but what do we actually want to buy? Here’s Liz’s top pick (high on my list, as well). -PK

No, it’s not an advertising campaign for Ableton Live if that’s what you’re wondering. The Live-like logos that pop up onto your screen when you start using the Novation Nocturn controller actually represent the Nocturn’s various knobs, automatically mapped to whatever software you’re using at the time. It’s a heads-up, intuitive display that extends both the mouse and the controller itself. You can see the knob settings on screen, then use the mouse to navigate between the controller’s touch-sensitive knobs. If the Automap feature isn’t doing it for you, you can reassign any parameter or create a new MIDI map from scratch. Ed.: Novation says this functionality will soon be available on other Novation Automap gear, too, like my beloved ReMOTE SL keyboard. -PK

In terms of blinky appeal, each of the knobs are surrounded by LEDs that make it easier to see the knob’s position in a dark club.

What will it cost? A mere $100. On my wishlist, for sure.

Nocturn - The world’s first compact intelligent plug-in controller [Novation Music News -- and by "first", I think they mean the first of theirs, of course, or "intelligent" defined as their particular Automap feature]

Stay tuned for hands-on video with the Nocturn. And yes, the crossfader feels fantastic, especially for the price.

It’s no secret: I’m a huge fan of Novation’s ReMOTE SL line, and they’re becoming very popular with live laptop users, soft synth lovers, and users of software like Ableton Live and Reason. Put aside for a moment the whiz-bang Automap features, which automatically assign controllers to software (both plug-ins and hosts), and the physical keyboard itself is very good. The semi-weighted action feels terrific, and there’s a nice selection of controls.

Novation has expanded the SL line this week with the ReMOTE SL “Compact”, apparently keeping with their Goldilocks-friendly marketing strategy. (What, that’s a little too big for you? How about this…)

The SL Compact features:

• 25- or 49-key semi-weighted keyboards with aftertouch
• Assignable pitch and mod wheels
• USB bus power (as on the previous SL)
• Full Automap support (as on the SL)
• Eight encoders and buttons with LEDs
• Eight velocity-sensitive triggers
• Single, large display
• Group select switches allow 64 parameters in manual template mode or unlimited controls in Automap mode

In fact, it’s so close to the SL that you may wonder what’s different on the Compact. As the name implies, the layout has been adjusted to take up less space; the SL’s footprint is a bit deep. Standard pitch and mod wheels replace the pitch/mod joystick and X/Y touchpad on the full SL. There’s one screen for the controls, as on the SL, but minus the SL’s menu screen. And on an up note, the trigger pads are larger; I hope this improves upon the stiff, tiny triggers on the SL.

One of the caveats on the SL was the higher price, relative to some of its competitors; I think it’s worth the premium but the SL COMPACT does appear to be a “budget” model. Novation hasn’t yet announced pricing or availability. I’ll send an update if I hear.

What’s nice here, though, is that as opposed to keyboards like Novation’s previous Remote LE, they’re not dumbing down the feature set by removing aftertouch or changing to an unweighted action. I like that trend a lot. The 49-key model could be a great touring keyboard; Novation, if you’re listening, I hope we’ll get a 49-key keyboard backpack as on your previous models.

ReMOTE SL COMPACT [Novation News]

By now you’ve all probably seen that excellent video of Kid Beyond illustrating his usage of Ableton Live. Pretty cool, right? If one had such a system, you could loop yourself playing guitar, beatboxing, etc., all perfectly in sync with programmed drum/MIDI tracks and other performers.

Here’s how to set up your own system in a similar hands-free operation style, for about US$10, without having to solder anything. It’ll take you about an hour once you gather the parts required, or less. No joke.

You will need:

• A QWERTY keyboard, preferably with a USB connector. Otherwise, you’ll have to buy an adapter to fit your laptop, which costs extra. You can get one for $7.50 at AllElectronics.com, but you can find them even cheaper at your local thrift store’s “technology pile.” I got mine for $2.
• A flathead screwdriver.
• Ableton Live. Ed.: Live is a perfect choice here, but you may find this useful with other music apps, as well — or even in a VJ set. -PK
• A free keyboard-mapping utility called Autohotkey (if you’re running Windows). If you’re running Mac, the program to use is calledIKey.

  That’s it. Here’s how to make it go:

  
  

  Above: Steps 1-2. Simple enough.
  

Automapping, the ability to automatically assign controls on hardware to software parameters, is a big draw for a lot of users, and a new upgrade to the ReMOTE SL keyboard brings this feature to Pro Tools for the first time — while smoothing out the rough edges in support for other software.

The ReMOTE SL is a fantastic keyboard in terms of hardware, but the software when released was a work-in-progress, at least when it came to the much-publicized “Automap” capabilities. Fortunately, Novation’s been making steady progress on its SL keyboard software over the past months, as have some of its partners. When I first fired up Ableton Live 6, for instance, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that many things “just worked”, thanks to new features on the Live end.

This week, Novation has released its new version 2 of its SL operating system, with some major new features:

1. Mackie HUI support
2. Automatically maps to Pro Tools tracks, sends, panning, record arming, plug-ins, effects, and even window navigation
3. Use manual and automatic templates simultaneously in software like Pro Tools and Live

Live 6 isn’t even out yet, but here’s a “secret” feature Ableton developers were able to sneak into a recent beta. Sources at Ableton say this won’t ever be documented, but they do plan to put it on the forums. I’m most interested to see what Live hackers and hard-core users do with this. The idea is this: you can script your own automatic mappings for control surfaces. (DIY hardware builders, take note — but that’s only the beginning.)

Scripting your own controller mappings? Now that’s exciting — and something Propellerhead didn’t do with their own Automap feature in Reason. Here’s my bet: even if you don’t modify the scripts yourself, you may soon be downloading hacks from fellow Live users. And my personal hope is that Ableton will follow-up on this in a future version. (Hear that, Abletonheads?)

Here’s the message that broke the news. Sorry for the lousy formatting; later this fall I’ll try to post some examples and tutorials — I won’t just keep copying and pasting from emails.

Hi everyone,

we are sooo disappointed in you guys
A few weeks ago, Alex mentioned that we were working on an unofficial feature that would let you customise the automatic mappings (or Instant Mappings, as we call them). This feature was actually introduced in Beta 13… and nobody found it!

My review of the Novation ReMOTE SL keyboard/control surface is in the current issue of Keyboard and free online. Here’s a taste at how I approached the review:

Music stores and closets alike are full of controller keyboards aimed for use with software. Most seem identical save for a set of drum pads here and a free plug-in there. The variety of options and generally low cost is great, but the keyboards themselves (you know, the black and white bits) often seem like afterthoughts. And adding and subtracting knobs and controllers seems to miss the point: What we really want isn’t just more or different controls, but ones that are better integrated with our favorite music software.

Novation’s ReMote SL line aims to be different on both points, with hardware that feels like an instrument, and intelligent “Automap� capabilities to save us from the drudgery of programming MIDI assignments one-by-one. So, is this finally the MIDI keyboard you’ll keep for years into the future?

I may have to stop writing about new items, because as soon as I do, they disappear for a few months. (Okay, maybe it’s not me, specifically.) The reality is, shipping music products takes a long time, so a six month or more lag between when products are introduced (often at the massive NAMM trade show in January) and when they actually ship. Here are two products you can now finally get your mitts on:

I

First up, Moogulator.com has details on the Korg RADIAS synth: apparently a last-minute redesign delayed shipment, but the RADIAS is now available. It seems that brilliant folding rack design we loved so much might mash someone’s fingers. (Hey, Moogulator, why did you have to point out it was someone in the US who mashed his fingers? You saying we’re more prone to acc– OW! I just sprained a finger typing.) No word on how Korg will deal with the danger of dropping this synth on your toes. Moving on …

In other news, Novation is shipping the ReMOTE SL ZeRO, the compact, keyboardless version of their ReMOTE SL keyboards. It ain’t cheap for a small controller at GBP229, but then again, Novation’s build quality is superb and the ability to automatically map controls and onboard LCDs to your favorite software could be worth it. That completes Novation’s SL line; 25-, 37-, and 61-key versions are all shipping, though 61-key models are in short supply. (Message to manufacturers: most of us still like lots of octaves.) More on this gear soon, once I can bear to deal with NoVAtiOn’s ARBItrarY CAPitalIZation oF THEir PROduCT namES.

Novation’s SL series seeks to finally liberate us from manually assigning MIDI controllers to software, by automatically assigning its generous set of controls and displaying parameters on a lovely high-contrast onboard display. It could be just the thing for laptop-based performers, but a lot of us already have more keyboards than we need.

If it’s just more control you want, the ZeRO SL, announced today, might appeal. It has the LED displays, transport controls, faders, knobs, rotary encoders, and trigger pads from the SL series, but it’s ultra-compact — no keyboard attached. That means it fits nicely by your computer, as pictured here, or serves as a controller for your favorite MIDI keyboard. (Apparently there’s a stand included for angling it up — sounds brilliant, and why don’t other makers do that?) The lack of X/Y pad might seem an obstacle at first, but that keeps the size small and focuses the hardware on the basic controls.

Oh, boy! It’s my favorite topic: whether hardware or software instruments are “better.” Ugh. Anyway, another month, another trade show, another round of new products that attempt to blur the lines. Let’s see how they’re doing:

Shown: Mystery synthesist from Synthfool

The Novation Remote SL keyboard has been intriguing since it was first announced way back in October: imagine a keyboard/control surface that automatically displayed what you were doing on LCDs, and assigned its copious knobs and faders to useful functions. Now, it finally seems to be shipping, and while CDM broke the story that it would support Ableton Live last fall, Novation has made that information official.

So, what exactly does the Remote SL control?