If you could only pack one controller in your backpack, and weight, size, and cost were at an absolute premium, the Akai MPK mini would be tough to beat. The latest salvo in the ultra-compact controller wars, Akai has taken the keyboard, pad controllers, and encoders from its LPK25 and LPD8 and packed them into one device. Specs:

• 25 velocity-sensitive keys
• 8 backlit, velocity-sensitive drum pads, which can access two banks for a total of 16 triggers (and also send CC, program change if you prefer)
• 8 assignable knobs
• MIDI Over USB, USB bus power
• Arpeggiator: tap tempo, adjustable resolution, range, and patterns
• Weight is “just over a pound” (specs list it as two pounds, shipping 2.5, but I believe the unit itself is lighter; confirming)

It’s driver-free, USB class-compliant, so should work not only with Mac, Windows, and Linux, but also iPad via the USB Camera Connection Kit. I’m verifying the compatibility of the latter, even if unofficial. (I’m also keeping my fingers crossed that eventually other tablets could follow suit.) Updated: at least one reader is using it with the iPad, whether that’s an officially-sanctioned combo or not.

Also nice, as on the other Akai units, is a built-in arpeggiator and a fair number of dedicated and assignable controls. Now, I’ll be honest; I’d still love to see someone make a high-end, ultra-compact unit for those who are willing to spend some extra cash (and weight) on feel. And you’ll want to look around at other options if you want MIDI DIN output for connecting to hardware. But as a bargain, this is quite a deal: street price is projected at just US$100.

Product page:
http://www.akaipro.com/mpkmini

If you haven’t spent every last penny you own on the latest playourwiibox, your strength hasn’t been taken away from coma-inducing leftovers and you’re in the mood for some jaw-dropping music tech bargains, well just read on dear CDMers because we have the best sales to help you start your new year of music-making off right.

Note: most items listed are either clearance or limited time only deals. CDM makes no promises about the availability of said bargains.

Wusik.com
THE ULTIMATE WUSIKSTATION VSTi GROUP BUY! – $50

Voxengo
Holiday Sale – 15-25% off selected products!

Synapse Audio
Holiday Sale – 50% off Orion Platinum & Synth Pack

Audiomidi.com
Quantum Leap Hardcore Bass – $145
Waldorf Edition – $79
z3ta+ – $100
Vapor – $46
Wizooverb Bundle – $130
Komplete 4 – $995
Minimonsta/Guru Combo – 350

Musiciansfriend:
Kinetic – $30

Sweetwater:
Guitar Combos – $70

Computers And Music
Kantos – $175
Finale Guitar – $65
Amplitube 2 – $150
Ampeg SVX – $235
Amplitube Live – $49

Platinum Records:
Vestax CDX-16 – $200

Scitscat:
Sonik Synth 2 – $219
Trigger Finger – 180

JRR Shop:
Bass Station VSTi – $50
Steinberg Warp VST – $50
Gigapulse – $200
Minimonsta – $125
Gigastudio 3 Solo – $79
Tracktion 2 – $99
Live 5/Trigger Finger Combo – $400
Moog Modular – $180
Arturia Vintage Collection – $600
Beatburner – $50
Oddity – $90
Creamware Noah Bundle – $999
FXpansion BFD Sonar Upgrade W/ Free 8-Bit Kit – $266

If you’ve got a deal that fell through the cracks, post it bellow so that we can catch it. Just remember to make your order before you do. Otherwise we may just buy it out from underneath you…

ATA

Matt writes: “I’m absolutely LOVIN the MPD24 so far, had it almost a week now ” and asks if we’re reading for some “gadget drooling.”

Akai MPD24 MIDI Pad Controller Review [MakeTunes]

The MPD24 looks terrific for someone wanting a real MPC-style experience from your controller, while still using your favorite software. I still like the Korg kontrolPAD for its X/Y touch controller, more compact design, and emphasis on drum performance, but the MPD24 looks good if you want additional controls. The big question for me, though, is how the pads compare to Akai’s MPD16, the Korg, and the M-Audio Trigger Finger. Hopefully I’ll get my hands on a unit soon.

Spooky Arduino Projects #4 – Musical Arduino [todbot blog]
Be sure to check out the full class notes and PDFs; they’r really helpful if you’re getting started with Arduino (in addition to what’s on the Arduino site, of course)

Now, before a bunch of CDM readers chime in, I know we have some true connoisseurs of drum triggers, so let’s assume this is a beginner DIY project rather than a way to make a full-featured drum project. (As such, though, it looks like a great way to get started.)

But what’s also nice here is that the tutorial explains how to use the Arduino as a MIDI interface, with links to further resources. You need physical MIDI DIN connectors, and you need to format your messages properly (remembering that MIDI really is a serial protocol):

… to implement a MIDI interface, all you really need is the ability to send serial data at 31,250 bps. This is easily done with â€Å“Serial.begin(31250)â€Å“. Once that is done, a complete three-byte MIDI note-on message can be sent with three â€Å“Serial.print(val,BYTE)â€Â? commands.

I still like the MIDIsense as a plug-and-play DIY MIDI solution, especially with new Windows software and more I/O on the way. But the Arduino works well for MIDI in situations when boards like the MIDIsense won’t do. (And if you’ve got a few projects going, you might wind up with both on your workbench.)

MIDI Over USB?

Andy Bennett, aka SteamSHIFT wonders if it’s possible to send MIDI messages over USB, as you would with another MIDI device. Certainly, you can send the messages; see the example above. The problem as I see it is that the current Arduino drivers map the board as a serial port, and most music software doesn’t recognize serial device inputs as MIDI devices without additional drivers. It seems like you might have to write a USB MIDI driver for the board. But I’m not sure; I haven’t done anything like this. Anyone with some insight? (Here is the point where I expect someone to correct me on something I said that turns out to be wrong.)

Drummer John Emrich loves the Zendrum, the unique, handcrafted MIDI drum controller featured on CDM previously. Here’s what he has to say about it:

“Without a doubt, this is the most dynamic MIDI unit available for percussionists. You’re not going to find another trigger unit for drummers that will give you this much control over dynamics.”

He isn’t kidding, either. I expect it’d take some practice with the Zendrum just as with any other controller or instrument, but close your eyes, and Emrich’s performance on the Zendrum using sampled sounds sounds like a real kit. Open your eyes, and you get to see a unique style of performance with finger-tapping on the mysterious-looking controller.

I got to witness this at person at NAMM in January, but the folks at fxpansion have posted a video with Emrich playing, using their BFD Jazz & Funk sample library and GURU drum machine:

fxpansion Zendrum video [Flash Player]

John Emrich shows what you can do with a set-up involving BFD, Receptor and Zen Drums in this impressive video.

What they said.

The Trigger iO is a trigger-to-MIDI percussion interface for drum triggers. It will go head to head with Roland’s TMC-6. There’s no predicting how good this will be until we see it, but from a marketing standpoint, it looks like a smart direction: whereas Roland modestly markets its MIDI trigger interface as a way of expanding a set of Roland V-Drum electronic drums, Alesis looks like it’s going after everyone. The package even includes the “lite” edition of the excellent BFD drum set from fxpansion. There’s an optional drum stand mount and lots of customization for presets, trigger settings and assignments, and so on. If the quality is there, the feature set looks great for performing digital drummers.

In the category of “things you hit,” Alesis has the ControlPad, a compact MIDI percussion pad. Note that you can really hit these with sticks, as opposed to the finger-trigger pads like M-Audio’s Trigger Finger. Again, Alesis’ strategy seems to be to remake Roland products so they’re less ugly, as Roland has an entire line of similar products. (Sorry, Roland, but you do have to admit, they are kind of ugly.) Other than offering a different color, though, I’ll be curious to see if Alesis can really diferentiate themselves here.

Updated from comments: these pieces have “was that a misprint?” low prices. US$199 for ControlPad and US$149 for Trigger iO (though you’ll of course need triggers to go with the latter). The low prices could definitely make these devices a player.

Hope you’ve been practicing your paradiddles. Synesthesia today unveiled a new digital drum pad called the Mandala. Compromising the drum trigger itself and a “brain” that handles MIDI configuration and produces sound, the Mandala lets you play either internal sound presets or external MIDI devices and soft synths on an 11″ circular playing area. Pick up some sticks, strike away, and you get 7 independent zones of MIDI data, so you can assemble a very sophisticated performance with this device alone. TOOL’s Danny Carey was involved in the instrument’s development, and the company Synesthesia has a background in building sensors for musical applications, including the D-Beam IR sensor found on many Roland products. This appears to be their first end user product.

Synesthesia’s site has some great video clips of the drum in action, plus complete specs and documentation:

Synesthesia Mandala Drum

Digital drums aren’t anything new, but this does look like it might be a top-flight instrument, particularly in terms of its performance specs (response time and sensitivity to velocity and position). The configuration options are unusually advanced. There are extensive options for people who want to use the Mandala as a standalone instrument (hence, lots of presets and even a full effects and modulation section), but there are also lots of options for creating zones and other settings for controlling other instruments via MIDI — I imagine some people will pick it up as a front end to their computer.

For an entirely different take on how to approach digital drum instruments, see the Zendrum covered here previously. (That instrument uses your hands instead of sticks. I’m sure some of you would love to have both in your studio. I hope to revisit the Zendrum soon, so stay tuned.)

The whole thing would fit easily in a bag (only a few pounds for both units). Price: US$995.

Shown here: John Emrich, drummer, Zendrummer, and creator of the new Jazz & Funk BFD sound library (more from him in comments).

All of the round protrusions on the Zendrum are touch-sensitive triggers. They don’t move; they simply respond to how hard you’re hitting them, and they do it really, really well. (They’re calibrated to filter out extraneous vibrations, like the roar of the NAMM show floor, so that even the slightest tap yields a responsive sound.) A masterful player can turn it into a phenomenal, handheld drum set. It’s eerie: I put on headphones and closed my eyes, and the combination of the Zendrum’s responsiveness, the skill of the player (i.e., not me), and the quality of the sound set made my mind wonder where the drum kit was hiding. And, of course, since it’s a MIDI controller you can make those sounds as alien as the Zendrum looks.

If you want to join the techno tribe of Zendrum players (and you’ll be in good company, both celebrity and oddball), prices range from about US$1200 to $1600. Not bad for a treasure of an instrument handcarved from wood. It makes me want to learn drumming. Or Zendrumming, I should say.

I was skeptical at first about the Korg padKONTROL pad trigger. Korg’s MicroKONTROL and KONTROL 49 keyboards, while they’re fantastic controllers with some great features, have fairly useless built-in 4×4 pad grids. They’re fun for triggering clips in Live or while VJing, but the pads aren’t sensitive enough to velocity to play musically.

The padKONTROL is different. The pads are the most reliable I’ve played yet: they’re extremely solid, responsive across their entire area (so if you don’t hit them dead-on, they still work perfectly), and extremely touch-sensitive. I’m even more aware of this as I come home to my M-Audio Trigger Finger, which, while a very good set of pads, isn’t nearly as reliably responsive by comparison.

Also in the padKONTROL’s favor:

Now, I’m not throwing away my Trigger Finger yet: I want to put the padKONTROL through its paces first. I was too dumb to check if it had the mounting hole on the bottom like the M-Audio hardware does, too. And one major advantage of the M-Audio is the Trigger Finger’s faders and knobs.

Previously:

NAMM Insider Analysis: New Music Product Trends, Toys, Under the Radar (CDM contributor James Grahame also singled out the padKONTROL)

One of the hottest pieces of hardware gear covered at CDM (at least according to our hit counts on CDM’s original report) is now shipping. M-Audio’s Trigger Finger, a USB/MIDI control surface with 16 pressure-sensitive drum pads, 4 faders, and 8 knobs, is in stock at major outlets. I’ve tried it, and it feels great. Add in templates for Reason and Live (among others), and I’m completely sold. This thing looks like too much fun. Music123.com has it for US$199; so does Musician’s Friend.

In other M-Audio news, Pro Tools now works with all M-Audio Delta PCI and FireWire interfaces. I was disappointed by the initial compatibility list for Digidesign’s Pro Tools M-Powered, a special version intended for use with M-Audio interfaces. (Previously, you couldn’t run Pro Tools without Digi’s hardware.) Friday, M-Audio announced it had expanded compatibility to the entire Delta PCI and FireWire lines. (Anything with FireWire on it now works with Pro Tools M-Powered.) If you’re a Pro Tools fan, this makes your choices a great deal more flexible. Presumably like Pro Tools 6.9, though, the M-Powered release shares current incompatibility with Mac OS X 10.3.9 and 10.4. (My own feeling — my primary work environment will remain Logic Pro and Ableton Live.)