Livid instruments DIY modular builder boards

At the start of March Livid instruments, creator of the livid block and ohm 64 controllers, released their new line of modular DIY build your own midi controller kits. The idea is to allow the user to create thier own custom midi controller using high quality parts and without the need to press your own PCB boards or have a high technical skill. The boards were designed to be user friendly and easy to build.

Livid instruments builder brain board

Brain board

The builder series of boards revolves around a central “brain” board with separate fader, knob, buttons, breakout and talkback LED boards.

On paper the brain loops quite flexible and open extensive expansion. The spec of the main brain board is as follows…

• USB Powered
• Class-compliant no drivers needed
• MIDI in and out jacks
• 16 direct wire digital button contacts (support up to 64 contacts with a diode matrix, and 179 with a diode matrix and support chips)
• 64 direct wire analog inputs
• 14 direct wire LED’s (support for 48 LED’s with a matrix)
• Programmable MIDI settings with a software editor via USB
• Dimensions 3.5″ x 4.5″
• OEM and quantity discounts available

Push board

Livid Push board

These push boards are for touch buttons similar to the ones on the OHM64, livid block, apc40 or launchpad. They also double up as an LED board, standalone or with buttons.

4×4 button board small

Dimensions: 3.25″(w) X 3.25″(w)

$12

4×4 button board medium

Dimensions: 4″(w) X 4″(w)

$12

Turn board

Turn board

The turn board is for pentometers or knobs for most people. They support .1″ pin spacing thru hole pentometers meaning they will work with most 9mm pentometers. Availible in 4×4 or single pot boards.
4×4 turn board

Dimensions: 4″(w) X 4″(h)

$12

Slide board

Slide board

The slide boards are for adding faders. They support most 60 mm faders and are availible in 1×4 boards. Livids own high quality faders will work with these boards.

1×4 slide board

Dimensions: 4″(w) X 4″(h)

$12

Breakout board

Breakout board

The breakout board is for connecting all the individual boards together and to the main brain board. Livid has included the abilty to add screw terminals so you can quickly remove and add connections.

Break out board

Dimensions: 6.5″(w) X 3.5″(h)

$12

Wiki, video tutorials and support

Livid have supplied quite a lot of support for the boards, so people who are new to the DIY thing can learn as they go along. Theres video tutorials, a wiki and schemetics.

Check it all out here at livids site

Midi controllers, hardware build your own, builder, buttons, DIY, faders, Livid, midi, Midi controllers, modular, pentometers, USB

Nice video showing the APC40 and Launchpad working together in harmony. Putting these two together could be a winning combination. Kind of an add on for APC40 users.

Midi controllers, Video, hardware Ableton live, Akai APC40, Launchpad, Novation, Video

Excerpt of Novation Launchpad programmers reference

Launchpad Programmers reference

Along with the first shipment of launchpads going out, Novation released the programmers reference, a document that shows exactly how the Launchpad works with midi.

12 pages of a programmers dream as the PDF really explains the detailed inner workings of the Launchpad. Not only that but they have gone out of their way to put it in easy to understand terms. The release of this document is sure to set developers a light with ideas of creating open source apps and software. You can download the PDF from their site. Some interesting notes are that the Launchpad uses a slightly slower USB connection to transfer data.

Learn from your competitors mistakes

I must admit I get the feeling Novation are learning from Akai’s mistakes as Akai didn’t release any midi documentation or give away any hints as to how the APC40 handles midi. Akai didn’t even release a driver, you don’t need one but the APC40 and windows users are having a few niggling problems that a dedicated driver would fix, the launchpad has it’s own driver

Akai holding back has not stopped open source apps such as the monomulatorbeing released but it does slow development down. So this is a call for Akai to release the midi information. That said they will only tell you to wait for Max for live to come out and then buy it to completely manipulate the APC40. These are luxuries not everyone can afford.

Conclusion

With this release I’m expecting to see some open source apps and software popping up very soon. Probably some max/msp patches too. Seems like Novation are trying to align themselves with the open source community and maybe  trying to make the launchpad a poor mans monome. For now it’s too early to tell but the future is looking bright for the launchpad and the button matrix controller as a whole.

Zander

Midi controllers, Software, hardware docs, download, Launchpad, matrix controller, Max/msp, Midi controllers, Novation, programmers, reference, released

Novation Launchpad

Well it’s official the first batch of the Novation Luanchpad shipped and it’s now available to buy. Good luck trying to find it though as I bet a lot of pre orders were taken. If you can find one they will set you back £150, very good price considering the APC40 is £370. It’s Christmas soon too, well played Novation.

Along with the officail release came a whole host of surprises.

Excited?

You should be.

Zander

Midi controllers, hardware Launchpad, Novation, released, ships

Just come across some more Akai APC40 videos. There was alot of buzz about the APC40 but its been kind of quiet for a while. It’s hard to know how many people have actually brought it since it was quite expensive when released, about £400+. Anyway check out these videos to see if makes you want to buy it, i know i would. Donations please, hahaha i wish.

Thats enough for now i think!

Zander

Live, Midi controllers, hardware Ableton live, Akai APC40, live performance, tips, tricks, Video

Novation Nocturn

Hello

I’ve just put up a review of Novation’s Nocturn midi controller. I’ve had one for about 6 months and i’ve been putting it through a vigerous work out both live and in the studio. It’s a great piece of kit, especially for controling Ableton Live, at a very good price so check out the review and see what you think.

Zander

Midi controllers, hardware, review Ableton live, Automap software, live performance, Midi controllers, Novation Nocturn, review

As the popularity of Korgs nano series of controllers grows, it was inevitable that someone else would jump on the band wagon but who would have thought Akai would be first. Akai have annouced the release of two new nano controllers, the LPD8 and the LPD25.

LPD8

Price = £49.99 /58.86 euros

The akai LPD8 is a drum/trigger controller with 8 velocity sensitive backlit pads and 8 Q link knobs. The pads have 4 banks of memory, similar to the nanopads. The price, size and wieght seems to be similar to the nanopads too, making it a viable choice for live performances. The knobs on the LPD8 and backlit pads might just make it more popular than the nanopad though, thats if you don’t care about losing two pads and an XY pad.

LPK25

Akai LPK25

Price = £49.99 / 58.86 euros

The LPK25 is a midi controller keyboard featuring 25 mini velocity sensitive keys capable of sending note and on/off/trigger messages. The LPK25 also boasts  an arpeggiator, sustain button, octave up and down, and tap tempo controls. With the LPK25 Akai seem to have taken Korgs nanoKey and vastly improving it with proper mini keys and improving the versitility with octave up and down functions. Overall the Akai LPK25 seems to be a winner and would suit any laptop performer wanting a portable function packed mini controller.

The LPD8 and LPK25 have not been released yet so we’ll have to wait and see what the response is and hopefully i’ll review them and probably do a comparaison test with Korgs nano series.

Zander

Live, Midi controllers, hardware Akai LPD8, Akai LPK25, laptop performers, live performance, Midi controllers, Nano controllers

Korg nanopad

I’ve just finished a review of Korgs nanopad. I’ve had one for about 6 months and there great pieces of kit and great value for money. Especially useful for live performance.

Enjoy

Zander

Live, Midi controllers, hardware, review budget, Korg, live performance, Midi controllers, nanoPAD, review

laptop performer pioneer Kieran Hebden aka Four tet talks about his roland Dr sample.

Four tet

Video, hardware Dr sample, Four tet, hardware, Hebden, kieran, sampler

Korg nano controllers

Korg have released a series of nano controllers the nanoPAD, nanoKEY and nanoKONTROL.  The controllers are designed to be small and compact for use in live performance.

Korg nanoPAD

The nanopad is a drum pad controller similar to an Akai MPD or korg padkontrol. it has 12 drum pads and an X Y touch pad. I must admit it looks like this could be very useful, especially the X Y pad for Ableton live.

Korg nanoKEY

The nanoKEY is a 25 note, velocity sensitive, 2 octave midi keyboard with mini, button like, keys. Not sure about this one although it could be useful in some situations but i would even attempt to play it.

Korg nanoKONTROL

 The nanoKONTROL is a control surface with nine faders, nine knobs, 18 switches and a full transport section. this could be very useful for a lightweight control surface whether it’s for live work or in the studio.

Bundled software

All the nano series come with bundled software, with the nanoKEY you get korgs M1 LE synth, with the nanoPAD you get  Toontrack’s EZDrummer Lite and with the nanoKONTROL you get a discount coupon for Ableton live LE software. All the nano series come with a parameter and midi CC editor/libary which would be useful for custom control setups.

Price

Perhaps the most attractive thing about these products is the price, the nanoPAD retails at about £40 ($60), the nanoKEY about £35 ($55) and the nanoKONTROL £40 ($60). In comparison with other midi controllers on the market these are very cheap, which makes me worry about the quality but i’ll find out very soon as at £40 for a lightweight drum pad controller, i couldn’t resist and ordered one.

Conclusion

The nano series looks to be a promising product due to the size and weight of it making it ideal for live performance. The price is also very attractive but i’ll wait and see whether Korg have skipped out on the quality of the product. I’ll be reviewing the nanoPAD very soon and probably the nanoKONTROL too. In the meantime heres a video review of the nanoPAD.

Merry Christmas

Computers, Midi controllers, Video, hardware Ableton live, Computers, hardware, Korg, laptop, live performance, Midi controllers, Nano controllers, nanoKEY, nanoKONTROL, nanoPAD, review