Akai’s new US$99.99 Midimix is built on a simple idea – so much so that you could easily miss it. But one button makes it much more useful than its nearest rivals.
First, the obvious: yes, it’s a MIDI controller with a mixer layout. So, there are eight line faders and a master fader, 3 knobs per channel (for EQ), and dedicated mute (switchable to solo) and record arm buttons, plus bank controls. That’s it – no extra functions, no confusing mappings.
And then there’s one very obvious but clever button: SEND ALL. Hit SEND ALL, and you fire off everything to the DAW in one button.
Some of you are slapping your foreheads already. If not, the basic notion is this: MIDI controllers with this sort of design by and large don’t send all their current knob and fader positions at once. So unless you have a motorized controller, that means you have to wiggle or move everything until the DAW works out where the physical controls are before the two are in sync.
Ah. SEND ALL.
Sure, there are fancier solutions (back to those motors – and Behringer’s latest motorized line is getting more expensive). But the Midimix looks absurdly compact and lightweight, and that’s a hundred dollars retail. Available in June.
For $99 this is something i might try with my live setup. Will first try in a shop as it looks really small that might be too small.
Send ALL is a nice feature.
For $99 this is something i might try with my live setup. Will first try in a shop as it looks really small that might be too small.
Send ALL is a nice feature.
For $99 this is something i might try with my live setup. Will first try in a shop as it looks really small that might be too small.
Send ALL is a nice feature.
🙁 no MIDI ports – could have been perfect companion for Octatrack, MPC or something like that.
Well, I’d like to see two things:
1. cheaper MIDI DIN/host hardware
2. minijack as the new MIDI format
I hear you, though, there’s a big hole in the market for a MIDI fader box with DIN or at least minijack, left by things like the former Doepfer kit.
Yeah some kind of 1-to-1 USB Midi Host to DIN Midi converter would be helpful to bridge all class compliant USB devices.
http://www.kentonuk.com/products/items/utilities/usb-host.shtml
True 🙂 but would be nice with something much smaller and cheaper 🙂
you asked for a usb midi host and you must pay a price for that. 😉
Find a cheap used iConnectMIDI (original), which hosts USB to DIN. This Akai kit looks awesome, and I’ll buy one if you can assign buttons with separate MIDI channels than the faders. Nice!!
This looks promising, but still in development, so no idea on price/availability yet: http://www.inspektorgadjet.com/cerebelusb/
Add this to the list of things you want James to cram into a new gizmo.
Behringer BCR and BCF boxes work just fine with DIN midi. You can pick both under $100 used so can’t complain. Only downside is size and weight. Not that they are big but not that small either.
I think the iConnectMIDI4+ could work as a great USB-MIDI hub for people with hardware they want to control using USB MIDI controllers. http://www.iconnectivity.com/iConnectMIDI4plus
Exactly my thoughts. The more I am trying to get away from computer, the less good MIDI controllers I am able to use. Until there is no cheaper MIDI host hardware, I am not interested.
Assuming that the Midimix is class compliant, you could use this Kenton box to midify it.
http://www.kentonuk.com/products/items/utilities/usb-host.shtml
I use multiple usb-only controllers with my Octatrack and a Raspberry PI. I did a comment about it here: http://createdigitalmusic.com/2014/12/two-rigs-let-play-live-hardware-videos/#comment-1757135498
🙁 no MIDI ports – could have been perfect companion for Octatrack, MPC or something like that.
Well, I’d like to see two things:
1. cheaper MIDI DIN/host hardware
2. minijack as the new MIDI format
I hear you, though, there’s a big hole in the market for a MIDI fader box with DIN or at least minijack, left by things like the former Doepfer kit.
Yeah some kind of 1-to-1 USB Midi Host to DIN Midi converter would be helpful to bridge all class compliant USB devices.
http://www.kentonuk.com/products/items/utilities/usb-host.shtml
True 🙂 but would be nice with something much smaller and cheaper 🙂
you asked for a usb midi host and you must pay a price for that. 😉
Find a cheap used iConnectMIDI (original), which hosts USB to DIN. This Akai kit looks awesome, and I’ll buy one if you can assign buttons with separate MIDI channels than the faders. Nice!!
This looks promising, but still in development, so no idea on price/availability yet: http://www.inspektorgadjet.com/cerebelusb/
Add this to the list of things you want James to cram into a new gizmo.
Behringer BCR and BCF boxes work just fine with DIN midi. You can pick both under $100 used so can’t complain. Only downside is size and weight. Not that they are big but not that small either.
I think the iConnectMIDI4+ could work as a great USB-MIDI hub for people with hardware they want to control using USB MIDI controllers. http://www.iconnectivity.com/iConnectMIDI4plus
Exactly my thoughts. The more I am trying to get away from computer, the less good MIDI controllers I am able to use. Until there is no cheaper MIDI host hardware, I am not interested.
Assuming that the Midimix is class compliant, you could use this Kenton box to midify it.
http://www.kentonuk.com/products/items/utilities/usb-host.shtml
I use multiple usb-only controllers with my Octatrack and a Raspberry PI. I did a comment about it here: http://createdigitalmusic.com/2014/12/two-rigs-let-play-live-hardware-videos/#comment-1757135498
🙁 no MIDI ports – could have been perfect companion for Octatrack, MPC or something like that.
Well, I’d like to see two things:
1. cheaper MIDI DIN/host hardware
2. minijack as the new MIDI format
I hear you, though, there’s a big hole in the market for a MIDI fader box with DIN or at least minijack, left by things like the former Doepfer kit.
Yeah some kind of 1-to-1 USB Midi Host to DIN Midi converter would be helpful to bridge all class compliant USB devices.
http://www.kentonuk.com/products/items/utilities/usb-host.shtml
True 🙂 but would be nice with something much smaller and cheaper 🙂
you asked for a usb midi host and you must pay a price for that. 😉
Find a cheap used iConnectMIDI (original), which hosts USB to DIN. This Akai kit looks awesome, and I’ll buy one if you can assign buttons with separate MIDI channels than the faders. Nice!!
This looks promising, but still in development, so no idea on price/availability yet: http://www.inspektorgadjet.com/cerebelusb/
Add this to the list of things you want James to cram into a new gizmo.
Behringer BCR and BCF boxes work just fine with DIN midi. You can pick both under $100 used so can’t complain. Only downside is size and weight. Not that they are big but not that small either.
I think the iConnectMIDI4+ could work as a great USB-MIDI hub for people with hardware they want to control using USB MIDI controllers. http://www.iconnectivity.com/iConnectMIDI4plus
Exactly my thoughts. The more I am trying to get away from computer, the less good MIDI controllers I am able to use. Until there is no cheaper MIDI host hardware, I am not interested.
Assuming that the Midimix is class compliant, you could use this Kenton box to midify it.
http://www.kentonuk.com/products/items/utilities/usb-host.shtml
I use multiple usb-only controllers with my Octatrack and a Raspberry PI. I did a comment about it here: http://createdigitalmusic.com/2014/12/two-rigs-let-play-live-hardware-videos/#comment-1757135498
What a brilliantly simple solution! Hopefully other controller designers are taking note! This looks very close to the APC mini which I currently use, and while it’s plastic it’s built like a brick shed. My only complaint is that there’s really not a great deal of travel in the faders, but that is purely down to the size.
What a brilliantly simple solution! Hopefully other controller designers are taking note! This looks very close to the APC mini which I currently use, and while it’s plastic it’s built like a brick shed. My only complaint is that there’s really not a great deal of travel in the faders, but that is purely down to the size.
What a brilliantly simple solution! Hopefully other controller designers are taking note! This looks very close to the APC mini which I currently use, and while it’s plastic it’s built like a brick shed. My only complaint is that there’s really not a great deal of travel in the faders, but that is purely down to the size.
The “SEND ALL” button seems like the LAST thing I’d like to accidentally bump during a live set!
If on a different bank so when the controls aren’t sync’d? Certainly. Could be catastrophic.
Or on a part-mixed project if the controls aren’t aligned… Work ruined.
I alwas remap the stop all clips, transport stop and record buttons on my APC40 for playing live. If a button does something you never want to do accidentally, you need to stop it from doing that.
Absolutely and good advice. Work in safety measures where possible.
The “SEND ALL” button seems like the LAST thing I’d like to accidentally bump during a live set!
If on a different bank so when the controls aren’t sync’d? Certainly. Could be catastrophic.
Or on a part-mixed project if the controls aren’t aligned… Work ruined.
I alwas remap the stop all clips, transport stop and record buttons on my APC40 for playing live. If a button does something you never want to do accidentally, you need to stop it from doing that.
Absolutely and good advice. Work in safety measures where possible.
The “SEND ALL” button seems like the LAST thing I’d like to accidentally bump during a live set!
If on a different bank so when the controls aren’t sync’d? Certainly. Could be catastrophic.
Or on a part-mixed project if the controls aren’t aligned… Work ruined.
I alwas remap the stop all clips, transport stop and record buttons on my APC40 for playing live. If a button does something you never want to do accidentally, you need to stop it from doing that.
Absolutely and good advice. Work in safety measures where possible.
What’s up with “Behringer’s latest motorized line is getting more expensive” – did they indicate increase in pricing (if it ever comes out – currently estimated for Q2…)
What’s up with “Behringer’s latest motorized line is getting more expensive” – did they indicate increase in pricing (if it ever comes out – currently estimated for Q2…)
What’s up with “Behringer’s latest motorized line is getting more expensive” – did they indicate increase in pricing (if it ever comes out – currently estimated for Q2…)
If the SEND ALL button transmits all MIDI values from all controls and this updates the respective mappings in the software, how/when will this actually be useful?
If I load a project to mix with the MIDIMIX, it will have all the mapped parameters (volumes, filters, whatever) all saved as I saved and want them. If I now pressed SEND ALL and the physical controls are not at the same values as the parameters (very likely – moving the device around, working on a different project previously), all my saved/wanted values will be gone. Obviously best to avoid using this button in that situation then…
Switching between banks sees the same issue to me.
It’s not the device-to-computer communication that’s needed, but the computer-to-device, as per motorised controls, but that is not applicable here due to type of controls.
Live, however, using a template of loaded instruments/effects with custom mappings, the SEND ALL could be used at the beginning to “sync” the parameters, though if you’ve prepared a live set/project/template, all the controls will be where you want them to be to start and to this is where you have to have your physical controls. So the SEND ALL function can be useful if you essentially just want to start from scratch or wherever the physical controls are. But is that it?
I feel like I’m being stupid and just missing something obvious or perhaps basing my thinking on a faulty assumption of what the button does, so please, someone, enlighten me as to how this will work and be useful (particularly for “mixing” and studio type work, which is how Akai have framed it). 🙂
You’re not missing anything but hit the nail on the head.I also can’t see a real use for the “send all” button as the problem is not to have the DAW settings match the current hardware setting but exactly the other way around.What would have been useful in this regard are endless encoders comined with LED rings like the Novation Nocturn or the Behringer BCR2000.It’s the one key feature missing from the otherwise very awesome Launchcontrol XL (of which this Midimix is an obvious blatant ripoff).
At this price, I can appreciate the lack of LED rings, but even just endless encoders instead of pots would have been more useful to my mind. Of course, you wouldn’t be able to tell from the controller what value your parameter was on and that would be an issue for some users, but for others, just being able to move parameters relative to their software position would be very useful and would encourage tweaking/editing by ear instead of parameter value.
I, for one, would be very interested in a budget mixer-style controller with endless encoders.
I believe the Send All is because it *doesn’t* have endless encoders, no?
Kind of. But for most practical purposes, the Send All button will be of little to no use.
If the SEND ALL button transmits all MIDI values from all controls and this updates the respective mappings in the software, how/when will this actually be useful?
If I load a project to mix with the MIDIMIX, it will have all the mapped parameters (volumes, filters, whatever) all saved as I saved and want them. If I now pressed SEND ALL and the physical controls are not at the same values as the parameters (very likely – moving the device around, working on a different project previously), all my saved/wanted values will be gone. Obviously best to avoid using this button in that situation then…
Switching between banks sees the same issue to me.
It’s not the device-to-computer communication that’s needed, but the computer-to-device, as per motorised controls, but that is not applicable here due to type of controls.
Live, however, using a template of loaded instruments/effects with custom mappings, the SEND ALL could be used at the beginning to “sync” the parameters, though if you’ve prepared a live set/project/template, all the controls will be where you want them to be to start and to this is where you have to have your physical controls. So the SEND ALL function can be useful if you essentially just want to start from scratch or wherever the physical controls are. But is that it?
I feel like I’m being stupid and just missing something obvious or perhaps basing my thinking on a faulty assumption of what the button does, so please, someone, enlighten me as to how this will work and be useful (particularly for “mixing” and studio type work, which is how Akai have framed it). 🙂
You’re not missing anything but hit the nail on the head.I also can’t see a real use for the “send all” button as the problem is not to have the DAW settings match the current hardware setting but exactly the other way around.What would have been useful in this regard are endless encoders comined with LED rings like the Novation Nocturn or the Behringer BCR2000.It’s the one key feature missing from the otherwise very awesome Launchcontrol XL (of which this Midimix is an obvious blatant ripoff).
At this price, I can appreciate the lack of LED rings, but even just endless encoders instead of pots would have been more useful to my mind. Of course, you wouldn’t be able to tell from the controller what value your parameter was on and that would be an issue for some users, but for others, just being able to move parameters relative to their software position would be very useful and would encourage tweaking/editing by ear instead of parameter value.
I, for one, would be very interested in a budget mixer-style controller with endless encoders.
I believe the Send All is because it *doesn’t* have endless encoders, no?
Kind of. But for most practical purposes, the Send All button will be of little to no use.
If the SEND ALL button transmits all MIDI values from all controls and this updates the respective mappings in the software, how/when will this actually be useful?
If I load a project to mix with the MIDIMIX, it will have all the mapped parameters (volumes, filters, whatever) all saved as I saved and want them. If I now pressed SEND ALL and the physical controls are not at the same values as the parameters (very likely – moving the device around, working on a different project previously), all my saved/wanted values will be gone. Obviously best to avoid using this button in that situation then…
Switching between banks sees the same issue to me.
It’s not the device-to-computer communication that’s needed, but the computer-to-device, as per motorised controls, but that is not applicable here due to type of controls.
Live, however, using a template of loaded instruments/effects with custom mappings, the SEND ALL could be used at the beginning to “sync” the parameters, though if you’ve prepared a live set/project/template, all the controls will be where you want them to be to start and to this is where you have to have your physical controls. So the SEND ALL function can be useful if you essentially just want to start from scratch or wherever the physical controls are. But is that it?
I feel like I’m being stupid and just missing something obvious or perhaps basing my thinking on a faulty assumption of what the button does, so please, someone, enlighten me as to how this will work and be useful (particularly for “mixing” and studio type work, which is how Akai have framed it). 🙂
You’re not missing anything but hit the nail on the head.I also can’t see a real use for the “send all” button as the problem is not to have the DAW settings match the current hardware setting but exactly the other way around.What would have been useful in this regard are endless encoders comined with LED rings like the Novation Nocturn or the Behringer BCR2000.It’s the one key feature missing from the otherwise very awesome Launchcontrol XL (of which this Midimix is an obvious blatant ripoff).
At this price, I can appreciate the lack of LED rings, but even just endless encoders instead of pots would have been more useful to my mind. Of course, you wouldn’t be able to tell from the controller what value your parameter was on and that would be an issue for some users, but for others, just being able to move parameters relative to their software position would be very useful and would encourage tweaking/editing by ear instead of parameter value.
I, for one, would be very interested in a budget mixer-style controller with endless encoders.
I believe the Send All is because it *doesn’t* have endless encoders, no?
Kind of. But for most practical purposes, the Send All button will be of little to no use.
Knobs look awful, though 🙁
Knobs look awful, though 🙁
Knobs look awful, though 🙁
It looks almost the same as Livid Instruments’ DS1
It looks almost the same as Livid Instruments’ DS1
It looks almost the same as Livid Instruments’ DS1
Years ago before I got into Lemur / TouchOSC I impulse bought a NovationSLzero. It was nice but the midi pickup issue was as limiting as it was with any other controller. A send all button like this is a game changer, but only if each parameter is dedicated… the SL series allowed you to have several templates within it (the knobs and encoders could be shifted to control an entirely different set of software params)… I always found this idea neat in concept but spare the encoders and buttons, it was largely useless as per the issue this button tries to solve hence my taste for touch screen midi control. However, I feel like most applications of hardware midi control don’t attempt to use hardware parameters more than once, at which point this function has been sorely missed for the better part of a decade!
Years ago before I got into Lemur / TouchOSC I impulse bought a NovationSLzero. It was nice but the midi pickup issue was as limiting as it was with any other controller. A send all button like this is a game changer, but only if each parameter is dedicated… the SL series allowed you to have several templates within it (the knobs and encoders could be shifted to control an entirely different set of software params)… I always found this idea neat in concept but spare the encoders and buttons, it was largely useless as per the issue this button tries to solve hence my taste for touch screen midi control. However, I feel like most applications of hardware midi control don’t attempt to use hardware parameters more than once, at which point this function has been sorely missed for the better part of a decade!
Years ago before I got into Lemur / TouchOSC I impulse bought a NovationSLzero. It was nice but the midi pickup issue was as limiting as it was with any other controller. A send all button like this is a game changer, but only if each parameter is dedicated… the SL series allowed you to have several templates within it (the knobs and encoders could be shifted to control an entirely different set of software params)… I always found this idea neat in concept but spare the encoders and buttons, it was largely useless as per the issue this button tries to solve hence my taste for touch screen midi control. However, I feel like most applications of hardware midi control don’t attempt to use hardware parameters more than once, at which point this function has been sorely missed for the better part of a decade!
I tried to get Doepfer to add this to their Pocket Fader box some years back as a sysex dump- button push – but the model was discontinued before the engineer ad a chance to implement it :
I tried to get Doepfer to add this to their Pocket Fader box some years back as a sysex dump- button push – but the model was discontinued before the engineer ad a chance to implement it :
I tried to get Doepfer to add this to their Pocket Fader box some years back as a sysex dump- button push – but the model was discontinued before the engineer ad a chance to implement it :
Finally something cheap and looking good to replace my old KORG nano Kontrol.
Finally something cheap and looking good to replace my old KORG nano Kontrol.
Finally something cheap and looking good to replace my old KORG nano Kontrol.
Midi controller with no midi out?
Midi controller with no midi out?
Midi controller with no midi out?
they should have put play-controls on it! this would be nice for tracking but at least you need play,stop,rewind, loop on/off. mmm. weird.
they should have put play-controls on it! this would be nice for tracking but at least you need play,stop,rewind, loop on/off. mmm. weird.
they should have put play-controls on it! this would be nice for tracking but at least you need play,stop,rewind, loop on/off. mmm. weird.
MIDIMIX without MIDI IO epic fail again akai
MIDIMIX without MIDI IO epic fail again akai
MIDIMIX without MIDI IO epic fail again akai
Yawn.Lately Akai seems to copy everything Novation does, just
worse.The Launchcontrol XL beats this thing anytime, just as the
Launchpad is soo much better that its poor Akai copy, the APC Mini.
Besides,i totally don’t see how that “send all” button is of much use – if at
all, the problem most times is to have your hardware knobs match the
current DAW setting, no the other way around.A good way to solve this
would have been to use *endless* encoders with LED rings..
Yawn.Lately Akai seems to copy everything Novation does, just
worse.The Launchcontrol XL beats this thing anytime, just as the
Launchpad is soo much better than its poor Akai copy, the APC Mini.
Besides,i totally don’t see how that “send all” button is of much use – if at
all, the problem most times is to have your hardware knobs match the
current DAW setting, not the other way around.A good way to solve this
would have been to use *endless* encoders with LED rings..
Yawn.Lately Akai seems to copy everything Novation does, just
worse.The Launchcontrol XL beats this thing anytime, just as the
Launchpad is soo much better than its poor Akai copy, the APC Mini.
Besides,i totally don’t see how that “send all” button is of much use – if at
all, the problem most times is to have your hardware knobs match the
current DAW setting, not the other way around.A good way to solve this
would have been to use *endless* encoders with LED rings..
kinda makes you wonder why all previous akai products dont have the same function
kinda makes you wonder why all previous akai products dont have the same function
kinda makes you wonder why all previous akai products dont have the same function
“Send ALL is a nice feature.” A feature that is of no actual real life use whatsoever.Try to come up with one, please.I’m listening.
If manufacturers would just use encoders instead of pots, you can use relative modes and it just works. 270 degrees sucks.