Just ordered a controller, went on youtube to search if anyone talked about it and found this video. Great job talking about the marketplace. Also Im glad you shared about CCs, cause I did not know it was an option at ordering. I was about to spend $500 on the Monogram modular system and Im glad I found the simple fader controller that is exactly all I needed.
You just BLEW my mind with this. I was looking on getting the Touch mix for $500 bucks. I have just sent email to the etsy guy about me getting one to fit my needs for a HELL of a lot cheaper. I JUST NEED FADERS on midi for live shows. I hope this works out well for me and CHEERS to you for posting this video !
Count another one sold, thanks to your video! I ordered the three fader version in the middle of the night last night after watching this. I’m excited!
Thanks for the comment! AS per a studio tour, perhaps one day when I find a day or two to record a video. I have been swamped with life and projects and I am trying to focus on what matters most in my life (Family and work). But stay tuned, perhaps I do find the time to make a video about it within the next few months.
I have to say that I have purchase it today because of you clear explanation. Thank you very much I will be waiting to see when will arrive. I had been using korgNano for a Year now but I really need the 100mm faders and smooth midi cc.
Thanks to your video I got really into checking out this controller but... I don't seem to get much communication from them. They take days to reply to emails. It leads me to conclude that if the sales is this bad, then I can't expect much from support. How's your experience been with customer service so far?
Just ordered one. Someone nudge me in a couple months and i'll report back how it's working for me with Ableton 11. Would love to use the blue hand functionality in Ableton with this. You could move between racks and tracks. The faders would control whatever is selected. Perfect for the usual 8 macro setup but also switching to control volume on the fly. Without motorized faders, soft takeover in Ableton will be key.
It's a touchscreen monitor I bought off of amazon, and at the time of making this video, I had it hooked up to an Android box, which is essentially a dumbed down version of an Android phone, running TouchOSC software.
I was surprised of how precise and smooth the faders are when you show it! Any idea when the software will come out? It's kind of a pain when you have to contact the seller to change the fader numbers.
There is not a set date, however they assured me it is being worked on. So far I haven't had the need to remap my CCs at all so the lack of app hasn't bothered me. :) The faders are INCREDIBLE!
Thank you for the video. I an like you, I have everything, I just need the damn faders, no fluff or BS. Nothing comes up on Google. This IS the unit I need, will be placing an order this month! Tired of searching, the owner of this company…respect!
Thank you so much! Glad this was helpful. The 5, 9, 3 are extra controllers I keep for any and all modulations for Synths and virtual instruments that may be needed. They are not set to anything specific, but open in case I need any extra controller without sacrificing the CC1, 11 and 2. The CC7, on the other hand is hard set to be the Kontakt (or whichever sampler) volume control. The one at the top of the patch, to be exact. Hope this clarifies.
Hello. Thanks for your video and showcasing this product. I'm wondering how the unit is performing a year down the road, as I am tempted to grab one. Do you still feel it's a worthwhile investment? Tks again.
How's the fader quality? Is it smooth, loosey goosey? Not concerned so much about the 3D case quality, the fader function and feel is the crucial part. Thanks!
what are the essetial layouts a composer usually control with the faders? I'm beginning to compose and I often struggle with the controllers, and I'm also starting to buy gear to improve my setup (because only with the computer keyboard and the mouse is really difficult to do so many things hahaha)
That's a great question! I'd say, the most common MIDI CC controls you'll need are CC1 (modwheel) CC11 (overall volume) CC21 and CC2 (both control Vibrato in different libraries). I would also recommend using CC7 which acts as the actual library patch (either on Kontakt or others too) volume control. Useful to reset quickly the foundamental volume of the samples. My advice is to start getting familiar with CC1, CC11, CC21 - 2, as these will become almost essential in your composition for orchestral music (if that is what you want to get into). Other than that, you'll learn what you need ONLY 1 way: By doing it. Just like the rest of us. There is also a wealth of creators on RUclips with plenty of amazing videos where they explain in detail all there is to know about gear ad workflow. Rrgardless, the BEST way to learn what works FOR YOU, is by doing it, trying different things and learning slowly with time. Best of luck, my friend!
Hi Lorenzo. Thank you for the vid. Can you please explain how exactly does it integrate with ableton, for example? Via mcu? I couldn’t find specs on the website.
@@lorenzoemanuel2343 thank you man. i actually used some other devices and used some python or go language wraps to parse messages from device to DAW. it was enough for me. by the way i had a lot of fun with novation nocturn, it turned out enough for me
Hey Lorenzo. Thank you for this video. Can I ask if this controller is still going strong? Might be ordering one this weekend in a custom colour. I love that it’s travel friendly too!!! How do the faders feel??
Is it true that it doesn’t work with pro tools? I’m looking for something exactly like this, but product description mentions compatibility with a number of DAWs, but PT isn’t on the list, and unfortunately that’s what I use.
I have not heard anything regarding PT not being compatible with a simple MIDI CC signal being sent in. Since this is what this controller does, and nothing else (no third software running, no MCU, nothing), I don't see why PT would be excluded here. HOWEVER, I have not dealt with Avid in a long time....and honestly since I dropped Avid usage, my stress levels have gone down significantly. So, I don't have a definitive answer here, sorry :(
The touchscreen you see is a 21" touchscreen monitor from Viewsonic, which is attached to a Android TV box running android 10. The software is TouchOSC running a custom template made by yours truly.
The reason you have to rely on a smaller company to provide a proper fader box (without extra bells and whistles you weren't looking for), is because other companies sacrifice fader length to fit more buttons and knobs on the unit. Controllers with short and/or tiny faders (like my nanokontrol 2) are pretty garbage for automating anything with a sense of nuance. Even the faders on my Traktor S2 are half the size vs a cdj and it has a big effect on the sensitivity between each unit. To the degree where I have to compensate by adjusting the pitch range in Traktor to the minimum of 6. None of the faders I mentioned that I own can accomplish the nuance of your example. Give me just faders and make em long! Let me change the ccs to whatever I want and send me off to the races. It's pretty simple, but sometimes the larger the company, the more tone deaf to specialized consumer needs.
Hey Jake, thanks for the comment. This is not a DAW Controller. This is a MIDI controller. As far as I know, this is not built to control track levels in banks. This is to control solely your MIDI CC controlls.
i have a midi controler but for performance I control via 3 pedals at same time. When i am correcting i just need one fader on Logic Pro. IT is actually confusing if less or more is the best
Thank you friend. Just to be clear I never said that the price was $150 INCLUDING shipping. I said and quote "it's 150 dollars PLUS shipping", which means $150 NOT INCLUDING shipping. I was perfectly accurate in my description of the price. I'm sure shipping costs vary from country to country. Thanks again for the comment.
(RUclips is censoring this comment, so I removed what I believe to be the triggering factor, which for clarity was originally where this bit is now, and I will post it within this comment's thread to test this. Hopefully I can reword it so that the comment stays) I have my fingers crossed that maybe, one day, there will be a basic MIDI controller like this with just an XY pad, and that's it. Or perhaps even faders and an XY pad. Or just 2 XY pads. Both? I really want an XY pad to use with Biotek and Ableton Live lol, I'm tired of using my mouse but I don't want the extra space that a keyboard or a Nanopad takes up (I have keyboards in mind that don't have XY pads, so I don't want an extra). If anyone knows of any controllers like this, I would be eternally grateful if you share. Closest I could find was the Korg NanoPad. V2 has 16 pads which is simply extra space to me, as I already have a Launchpad X. Last thing I need is more pads lol. NanoPad V1 has 12 pads so it's better for my lack of desk space, but still not ideal like the fader controller shown in this video. I have no reason to use those pads so it would be quite a waste to me.
(and now the bit that I think got me censored) Much love and thanks for this video. I love stuff like this. I hope your hand pain gets better. There's an herb called Kratom that could potentially help if you're looking for natural, safe pain relief. I know people whose debilitating Sciatica was made manageable enough that they could walk and move around again for the first time since their injury thanks to this plant; maybe it could help (but do your own research of course, it's not for everyone). If you want a vetted high-quality source I can link you to a small-time vendor who has lots of knowledge and good connections within that "industry."
@@lorenzoemanuel2343 Yes, I've been interested in a simple hardware XY pad for a few years. There are currently some interesting modular MIDI controller formats on the market, so perhaps it's only a matter of time before one of those companies make one. I downloaded an app called LK, which is a free app that does Ableton Live control over Wi-Fi using a bridge program on a PC like TouchOSC. It has an XY pad in it, so we'll see how well it works. Hopefully there's not too much latency, whether it's connected wirelessly or through USB.
@@lorenzoemanuel2343 Thanks for reply. I always mess up my settings when the faders go out of sync with the plugin values. Do you use "latch" where you need to pass the value for it to pick-up or "relative" settings where it will move in relation to where you have your fader immediately but maybe move faster or slower depending on how much throw there is left?
First, let me say that the company is very reputable. I ordered for fader model. On my unit, one of the faders was showing a lot of jitter. The company took it back and refunded my purchase price with the option of getting another unit. To be honest, I was a little nervous about getting another one. This might’ve been a fluke, so I’ll probably order another one since it’s exactly what I need in theory didn’t work out in practice. Did anybody else experience jitter on their unit? It might have been a one off bad fader.
Not really. They are fine. I have worked on several films with iCon products without ever any issues. They are also built a lot better than most MIDI controllers out there of the same price range. They are not great. But they are definitely not trash also.
Does anyone have contact details for The Midimaker - a phone number? I bought the Sparrow 3x100 this week and it was not working out of the box. I have now sent 5 emails to support and they are being ignored.
![[Eng Sub] iCON iKeyboard 4X, iKeyboard 4 Nano, iKeyboard 4 Mini midi](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/xOEedQj7mOY/mqdefault.jpg)
Just ordered a controller, went on youtube to search if anyone talked about it and found this video. Great job talking about the marketplace. Also Im glad you shared about CCs, cause I did not know it was an option at ordering. I was about to spend $500 on the Monogram modular system and Im glad I found the simple fader controller that is exactly all I needed.
Awesome!! So glad I was able to help!
@@lorenzoemanuel2343 Yes, you helped me! Thanks for your video and informations!
You just BLEW my mind with this. I was looking on getting the Touch mix for $500 bucks. I have just sent email to the etsy guy about me getting one to fit my needs for a HELL of a lot cheaper. I JUST NEED FADERS on midi for live shows. I hope this works out well for me and CHEERS to you for posting this video !
Glad I could help in the blowing of your mind ahaha !!!
I ordered one today - brilliant. Hope these products make Jeff very rich - he's filled a mega hole in the pro music world!
I share your hopes as well! 100% in agreement.
@sebastian quintero collazos I love the faders a lot. They are smooth, precise and reliable. I absolutely do not have any issues whatsoever with them.
Been looking for something like this. Thank you!
me too
Count another one sold, thanks to your video! I ordered the three fader version in the middle of the night last night after watching this. I’m excited!
Thanks. Just ordered after looking at Icon but too much hassle on the MIDI CC side. 🎸
Great video. You are a natural this so keep up the great work. My faders are on their way!
thanks for the suggestion, Lorenzo. Do you consider making a studio tour or a presentation on your set up?
Thanks for the comment! AS per a studio tour, perhaps one day when I find a day or two to record a video. I have been swamped with life and projects and I am trying to focus on what matters most in my life (Family and work). But stay tuned, perhaps I do find the time to make a video about it within the next few months.
@@lorenzoemanuel2343 sounds good! Take care!
You have a lot of promise as a RUclipsr. Keep it up!
I appreciate you Peter!
I have to say that I have purchase it today because of you clear explanation. Thank you very much I will be waiting to see when will arrive. I had been using korgNano for a Year now but I really need the 100mm faders and smooth midi cc.
Awesome!! Thanks for the kind words. Let me know how you like it.
Thanks to your video I got really into checking out this controller but... I don't seem to get much communication from them. They take days to reply to emails. It leads me to conclude that if the sales is this bad, then I can't expect much from support. How's your experience been with customer service so far?
Just ordered one. Someone nudge me in a couple months and i'll report back how it's working for me with Ableton 11. Would love to use the blue hand functionality in Ableton with this. You could move between racks and tracks. The faders would control whatever is selected. Perfect for the usual 8 macro setup but also switching to control volume on the fly. Without motorized faders, soft takeover in Ableton will be key.
4 months later…how goes it dude?
Yo how is it
@@chrisstander9576 Longer Throw feels much better. Programming this thing is a breeze. Hope this helps✌🏾
@@Mr_A_Mia Awesome, thanks a ton!
Thanks brother! Ordered mine the other day!! 3 fader controller! Should be here tomorrow!! 😊
Thanks for this! Just ordered one, you need to get a cut of sales 😉 Thanks again, mate
May I ask what is running in the monitor in front t of you ( the slanting one )?
It's a touchscreen monitor I bought off of amazon, and at the time of making this video, I had it hooked up to an Android box, which is essentially a dumbed down version of an Android phone, running TouchOSC software.
I was surprised of how precise and smooth the faders are when you show it! Any idea when the software will come out? It's kind of a pain when you have to contact the seller to change the fader numbers.
There is not a set date, however they assured me it is being worked on. So far I haven't had the need to remap my CCs at all so the lack of app hasn't bothered me. :)
The faders are INCREDIBLE!
What is the touch screen dealio between your monitor and keyboard?
Thank you for the video. I an like you, I have everything, I just need the damn faders, no fluff or BS. Nothing comes up on Google. This IS the unit I need, will be placing an order this month! Tired of searching, the owner of this company…respect!
Glad you found this helpful! :D
Thank you! Getting one now.
Lorenzo, thanks for a great review! Would you mind sharing what you use your CC5 (portamento?), 9, 3 and 7 (channel volume?) for?
Thank you so much! Glad this was helpful.
The 5, 9, 3 are extra controllers I keep for any and all modulations for Synths and virtual instruments that may be needed. They are not set to anything specific, but open in case I need any extra controller without sacrificing the CC1, 11 and 2.
The CC7, on the other hand is hard set to be the Kontakt (or whichever sampler) volume control. The one at the top of the patch, to be exact.
Hope this clarifies.
Hello. Thanks for your video and showcasing this product. I'm wondering how the unit is performing a year down the road, as I am tempted to grab one. Do you still feel it's a worthwhile investment? Tks again.
How's the fader quality? Is it smooth, loosey goosey? Not concerned so much about the 3D case quality, the fader function and feel is the crucial part. Thanks!
the faders are smooth, responsive and sturdy. Haven't had any issues so far.
@@lorenzoemanuel2343 Yeah the 3D stuff doesn't bother me, as long as the faders are nice that's the important part. Thank you, I appreciate the info!
link is dead. been a while I guess. any idea where to find this? thx
They moved their store on Facebook.
facebook.com/TheMIDIMaker
Such a great video
My last name is Sparrow also lol
what are the essetial layouts a composer usually control with the faders? I'm beginning to compose and I often struggle with the controllers, and I'm also starting to buy gear to improve my setup (because only with the computer keyboard and the mouse is really difficult to do so many things hahaha)
That's a great question! I'd say, the most common MIDI CC controls you'll need are CC1 (modwheel) CC11 (overall volume) CC21 and CC2 (both control Vibrato in different libraries).
I would also recommend using CC7 which acts as the actual library patch (either on Kontakt or others too) volume control. Useful to reset quickly the foundamental volume of the samples.
My advice is to start getting familiar with CC1, CC11, CC21 - 2, as these will become almost essential in your composition for orchestral music (if that is what you want to get into).
Other than that, you'll learn what you need ONLY 1 way: By doing it. Just like the rest of us.
There is also a wealth of creators on RUclips with plenty of amazing videos where they explain in detail all there is to know about gear ad workflow.
Rrgardless, the BEST way to learn what works FOR YOU, is by doing it, trying different things and learning slowly with time.
Best of luck, my friend!
Hi Lorenzo.
Thank you for the vid. Can you please explain how exactly does it integrate with ableton, for example? Via mcu? I couldn’t find specs on the website.
yes pls
Hi Slav. It doesn't. This is not a MCU protocolled machine. This is an Arduino controlled, midi controller. This sends exclusively MIDI CC data.
@@lorenzoemanuel2343 thank you man. i actually used some other devices and used some python or go language wraps to parse messages from device to DAW.
it was enough for me.
by the way i had a lot of fun with novation nocturn, it turned out enough for me
I wish for something the same but with 16 faders and 6/8 rotaries above each fader. This is all.
They do custom orders.
Great Tutorial!
Thank you!
Hey Lorenzo. Thank you for this video. Can I ask if this controller is still going strong? Might be ordering one this weekend in a custom colour. I love that it’s travel friendly too!!! How do the faders feel??
Keep getting stronger. The faders feel smooth and precise.
Is it true that it doesn’t work with pro tools? I’m looking for something exactly like this, but product description mentions compatibility with a number of DAWs, but PT isn’t on the list, and unfortunately that’s what I use.
I have not heard anything regarding PT not being compatible with a simple MIDI CC signal being sent in. Since this is what this controller does, and nothing else (no third software running, no MCU, nothing), I don't see why PT would be excluded here. HOWEVER, I have not dealt with Avid in a long time....and honestly since I dropped Avid usage, my stress levels have gone down significantly. So, I don't have a definitive answer here, sorry :(
What is your other controlling equipment for your DAW in this video? Is this the "Raven"?
Please let me know.
The touchscreen you see is a 21" touchscreen monitor from Viewsonic, which is attached to a Android TV box running android 10. The software is TouchOSC running a custom template made by yours truly.
@@lorenzoemanuel2343 Great! Thanks for the information and your video!
The reason you have to rely on a smaller company to provide a proper fader box (without extra bells and whistles you weren't looking for), is because other companies sacrifice fader length to fit more buttons and knobs on the unit. Controllers with short and/or tiny faders (like my nanokontrol 2) are pretty garbage for automating anything with a sense of nuance. Even the faders on my Traktor S2 are half the size vs a cdj and it has a big effect on the sensitivity between each unit. To the degree where I have to compensate by adjusting the pitch range in Traktor to the minimum of 6. None of the faders I mentioned that I own can accomplish the nuance of your example. Give me just faders and make em long! Let me change the ccs to whatever I want and send me off to the races. It's pretty simple, but sometimes the larger the company, the more tone deaf to specialized consumer needs.
Hey where can I get these now? The Etsy listing is gone now for the Sparrow faders.
Hey sorry I just saw this comment!
Here:
facebook.com/search/top?q=the%20midi%20maker
Can you control more than 8 tracks? Like can you say initially control tracks 1-8 but then move over to tracks 8-16?
Hey Jake, thanks for the comment. This is not a DAW Controller. This is a MIDI controller. As far as I know, this is not built to control track levels in banks. This is to control solely your MIDI CC controlls.
i have a midi controler but for performance I control via 3 pedals at same time. When i am correcting i just need one fader on Logic Pro. IT is actually confusing if less or more is the best
You have three feet? 😯
on the thumbnail i saw already it is also what i wanted. Now lets find the best portable keyboard for film/orchestral music for me ;)
I see you got the point! ;)
Props to you, sir
cme xkey air?
Can you use multiple units?
yes!
Not compatible with Digital Performer or Pro Tools without a translation app.
where can i but it?? i don 't find anything online!!!
search for The MIDI Maker, on Facebook.
bet you get some gnarley spank sessions with that setup
all day everyday, twice on sunday
Are you still using this and how is it holding up?
Phenomenally well! I love it's precision and form factor! it's a winner.
Thanks for the video. There one thing... The price isn't 150,- including shipping. I have to pay 75 dollar for shipping. So it's 225 dollar for me.
Thank you friend. Just to be clear I never said that the price was $150 INCLUDING shipping. I said and quote "it's 150 dollars PLUS shipping", which means $150 NOT INCLUDING shipping. I was perfectly accurate in my description of the price. I'm sure shipping costs vary from country to country. Thanks again for the comment.
(RUclips is censoring this comment, so I removed what I believe to be the triggering factor, which for clarity was originally where this bit is now, and I will post it within this comment's thread to test this. Hopefully I can reword it so that the comment stays)
I have my fingers crossed that maybe, one day, there will be a basic MIDI controller like this with just an XY pad, and that's it. Or perhaps even faders and an XY pad. Or just 2 XY pads. Both? I really want an XY pad to use with Biotek and Ableton Live lol, I'm tired of using my mouse but I don't want the extra space that a keyboard or a Nanopad takes up (I have keyboards in mind that don't have XY pads, so I don't want an extra).
If anyone knows of any controllers like this, I would be eternally grateful if you share. Closest I could find was the Korg NanoPad. V2 has 16 pads which is simply extra space to me, as I already have a Launchpad X. Last thing I need is more pads lol. NanoPad V1 has 12 pads so it's better for my lack of desk space, but still not ideal like the fader controller shown in this video. I have no reason to use those pads so it would be quite a waste to me.
(and now the bit that I think got me censored)
Much love and thanks for this video. I love stuff like this. I hope your hand pain gets better. There's an herb called Kratom that could potentially help if you're looking for natural, safe pain relief. I know people whose debilitating Sciatica was made manageable enough that they could walk and move around again for the first time since their injury thanks to this plant; maybe it could help (but do your own research of course, it's not for everyone). If you want a vetted high-quality source I can link you to a small-time vendor who has lots of knowledge and good connections within that "industry."
@@mikeexits you can achieve the XY pad easily with a touchscreen running TouchOSC, btw. Are you reffering to an actual hardware XY controller?
@@lorenzoemanuel2343 Yes, I've been interested in a simple hardware XY pad for a few years. There are currently some interesting modular MIDI controller formats on the market, so perhaps it's only a matter of time before one of those companies make one.
I downloaded an app called LK, which is a free app that does Ableton Live control over Wi-Fi using a bridge program on a PC like TouchOSC. It has an XY pad in it, so we'll see how well it works. Hopefully there's not too much latency, whether it's connected wirelessly or through USB.
As of now 12/06/22 there is no link to products.
facebook.com/TheMIDIMaker
Is this thing motorised? I love the look of this
They are not. Which, in my opinion, makes them more appealing.
@@lorenzoemanuel2343 Thanks for reply. I always mess up my settings when the faders go out of sync with the plugin values. Do you use "latch" where you need to pass the value for it to pick-up or "relative" settings where it will move in relation to where you have your fader immediately but maybe move faster or slower depending on how much throw there is left?
First, let me say that the company is very reputable. I ordered for fader model. On my unit, one of the faders was showing a lot of jitter. The company took it back and refunded my purchase price with the option of getting another unit. To be honest, I was a little nervous about getting another one. This might’ve been a fluke, so I’ll probably order another one since it’s exactly what I need in theory didn’t work out in practice. Did anybody else experience jitter on their unit? It might have been a one off bad fader.
Motorized?
no
Lol all that money for a few un motorized plastic sliders 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
try nakedboards
Looks like it has frequent dropouts?
The drop outs are only visual. It's a Nuendo/Cubase thing. The faders register flawlessly.
doesnt exist anymore ....
Check The MIDI Maker on Facebook.
no
yes
iCON products are absolute trash
Not really. They are fine. I have worked on several films with iCon products without ever any issues. They are also built a lot better than most MIDI controllers out there of the same price range. They are not great. But they are definitely not trash also.
LOL this is so overpriced. $150 for 8 unmotorized faders + microcontroller. worst deal ever.
Does anyone have contact details for The Midimaker - a phone number? I bought the Sparrow 3x100 this week and it was not working out of the box. I have now sent 5 emails to support and they are being ignored.