A warm hello,
Is it still worth it to buy a nektar p4? What exactly does nectarine do today? Do you know comparable alternatives with keyboard? Feedback on a display is important to me. What are you using?
Thanks a lot for your support
Nektar p4 worth it or others?
Nothing integrates with Reason like it does, however I think most of the functionality is overkill. Haven't used my P6 in months. Using a Komplete Kontrol A 61 instead because of the significantly better keys.
- stratatonic
- Posts: 1507
- Joined: 15 Jan 2015
- Location: CANADA
How are you finding the A61 after all this time? Still great? Anything you hate about it?
Do you NEED to download the NI software to run the controller or is that just for Komplete software integration? ( I really hate those big central installers... )
I don't play a lot of piano, but I play a bit. I guess the a61 is synth/semi weighted, how's the velocity response? how does it feel with Pianoteq? Does sustain work as expected?
Is it true there are no note transpose buttons on the a61??
Thanks for your help!
Still think it has the best feeling keys of any inexpensive controller price range. Velocity response is decent. Good enough for most things. I can play piano on it if I want to but I have a weighted controller so I prefer not to. You'll need to download the Komplete Kontrol software though. The firmware is handled from that app. It's not bad though. All the other software installers are handled from a separate app, so you can just download Komplete Kontrol and be done with it. Don't have Pianoteq but works well with Arturia Piano V2 which is also modeled. Just used it at a friends studio last night actually (he has one too). I used to gig with it before I bought a Yamaha MODX. Sustain works as expected. No transpose button, just octave but I think that normal for midi controllers in general. Through the software however, you can set it to play in any key or scale you want. It works in Mackie Control mode with Reason which gives you general transport and navigation through the sequencer.stratatonic wrote: ↑01 Dec 2020
How are you finding the A61 after all this time? Still great? Anything you hate about it?
Do you NEED to download the NI software to run the controller or is that just for Komplete software integration? ( I really hate those big central installers... )
I don't play a lot of piano, but I play a bit. I guess the a61 is synth/semi weighted, how's the velocity response? how does it feel with Pianoteq? Does sustain work as expected?
Is it true there are no note transpose buttons on the a61??
Thanks for your help!
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- Posts: 115
- Joined: 15 Aug 2016
You can use Nektarine with the Panorama P series but for Reason it's only needed if you use lots of VSTs. All the native Reason devices (including most REs) are already mapped out for you, Nektarine is not involved at all.
Nektarine is just a plugin that hosts other plugins, similar to NI's Komplete Kontrol/NKS. It lets you quickly map controls of plugins to the Nektar interface. A large number of popular plugins are supported already (you can edit the control assignments to taste, of course) including the factory patch lists. The patch browsing feature does NOT work in P series, only in T series which was designed with Nektarine in mind..
As a controller, the P series remains the best out of the box solution for Reason users. Nektar's less expensive Panorama T and LX+ series are also good, but with reduced features. I find the P keyboard feels OK but it's "clicky" and that may drive you nuts (the T keys are supposedly better). The motorized fader (always mapped to volume on the currently selected track) and endless encoders make writing automation a doddle since they are always at the current value of the parameter...no "catching up" or jumping.
If you want the feel of playing a hardware workstation, there is simply no competition with Nektar for any of the DAWs it supports. If all you care about is transport control and basic mixing (volume and pan) there are plenty of other options. Buying the NI boards if you don't use NI plugins is kind of ridiculous in my opinion, although the keybeds are very nice.
P.S. Nektar doesn't support the RRP.
Nektarine is just a plugin that hosts other plugins, similar to NI's Komplete Kontrol/NKS. It lets you quickly map controls of plugins to the Nektar interface. A large number of popular plugins are supported already (you can edit the control assignments to taste, of course) including the factory patch lists. The patch browsing feature does NOT work in P series, only in T series which was designed with Nektarine in mind..
As a controller, the P series remains the best out of the box solution for Reason users. Nektar's less expensive Panorama T and LX+ series are also good, but with reduced features. I find the P keyboard feels OK but it's "clicky" and that may drive you nuts (the T keys are supposedly better). The motorized fader (always mapped to volume on the currently selected track) and endless encoders make writing automation a doddle since they are always at the current value of the parameter...no "catching up" or jumping.
If you want the feel of playing a hardware workstation, there is simply no competition with Nektar for any of the DAWs it supports. If all you care about is transport control and basic mixing (volume and pan) there are plenty of other options. Buying the NI boards if you don't use NI plugins is kind of ridiculous in my opinion, although the keybeds are very nice.
P.S. Nektar doesn't support the RRP.
I went for the T4 earlier this year, and nothing I have used before integrates better with Reason. The reviews I had read said that the T4 had slightly less features than the P4, but the keys were better.
I chose it because of the price, keys, after touch, pads and pots.
I chose it because of the price, keys, after touch, pads and pots.
Same.
🗲 2ॐ ᛉ
- stratatonic
- Posts: 1507
- Joined: 15 Jan 2015
- Location: CANADA
Thanks QV for your insights! I appreciate it! A couple questions...QVprod wrote: ↑05 Dec 2020Still think it has the best feeling keys of any inexpensive controller price range. Velocity response is decent. Good enough for most things. I can play piano on it if I want to but I have a weighted controller so I prefer not to. You'll need to download the Komplete Kontrol software though. The firmware is handled from that app. It's not bad though. All the other software installers are handled from a separate app, so you can just download Komplete Kontrol and be done with it. Don't have Pianoteq but works well with Arturia Piano V2 which is also modeled. Just used it at a friends studio last night actually (he has one too). I used to gig with it before I bought a Yamaha MODX. Sustain works as expected. No transpose button, just octave but I think that normal for midi controllers in general. Through the software however, you can set it to play in any key or scale you want. It works in Mackie Control mode with Reason which gives you general transport and navigation through the sequencer.stratatonic wrote: ↑01 Dec 2020
How are you finding the A61 after all this time? Still great? Anything you hate about it?
Do you NEED to download the NI software to run the controller or is that just for Komplete software integration? ( I really hate those big central installers... )
I don't play a lot of piano, but I play a bit. I guess the a61 is synth/semi weighted, how's the velocity response? how does it feel with Pianoteq? Does sustain work as expected?
Is it true there are no note transpose buttons on the a61??
Thanks for your help!
Is the sustain input a simple on/off or could I plug in a Roland dp-10 or Yamaha FC3 - the kind with stereo jack for continuous sustain?
If i need to install the software just to use the controller, does this mean I can't plug it into my iPad?
(and just curious...what weighted controller do you have?)
Thanks!
I'm using Komplete Kontrol S49 MKII. Like QVprod said, better keys are better keys. I got it as well because NI did an all black keys version (which is amazing btw) and the integration with the Komplete Bundle. Now S1 has a mixer integration with the onboard screens. Wouldn't dare switch MIDI keyboards at this point
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No problem. Actually didn’t know regarding sustain, so I had to look it up. It seems it supports half pedaling. The pedal jack can be configured to work for either sustain or expression. https://support.native-instruments.com/ ... L-Keyboardstratatonic wrote: ↑06 Dec 2020Thanks QV for your insights! I appreciate it! A couple questions...QVprod wrote: ↑05 Dec 2020
Still think it has the best feeling keys of any inexpensive controller price range. Velocity response is decent. Good enough for most things. I can play piano on it if I want to but I have a weighted controller so I prefer not to. You'll need to download the Komplete Kontrol software though. The firmware is handled from that app. It's not bad though. All the other software installers are handled from a separate app, so you can just download Komplete Kontrol and be done with it. Don't have Pianoteq but works well with Arturia Piano V2 which is also modeled. Just used it at a friends studio last night actually (he has one too). I used to gig with it before I bought a Yamaha MODX. Sustain works as expected. No transpose button, just octave but I think that normal for midi controllers in general. Through the software however, you can set it to play in any key or scale you want. It works in Mackie Control mode with Reason which gives you general transport and navigation through the sequencer.
Is the sustain input a simple on/off or could I plug in a Roland dp-10 or Yamaha FC3 - the kind with stereo jack for continuous sustain?
If i need to install the software just to use the controller, does this mean I can't plug it into my iPad?
(and just curious...what weighted controller do you have?)
Thanks!
I’m currently using an Arturia Keylab 88. The original version. The feel is pretty decent but leans a little on the heavier side but not as heavy as Yamaha key actions can be. It was a bit stiff when it was new but breaks on over time. I had to really dig in to get the velocity response I wanted out of it though. Not sure how the MK 2 compares
I love my P6 but could probably have gotten away with P4 and used the octave up/down I'm thinking about getting some pedals for it as it supports both types (sustain & expression) but hadn't used nectarine up until recently which lasted all of about 30 minutes just to see what I was missing and it didn't really add any functionality for me. I guess vst mapping was enhanced but I'm really only running izotope and spire as vst's most of the time.
I love my p4. The keyboard is a little bit clunky but I love it too for the feeling and aftertouch. Nektar gives a good friendly and verry fast support.
I use a lot the different encoder settings between fast, line. That gives a good feeling if you tweek the knobs.
I take a jump from reason and p4 to bitwig with push. But after a year I'm back to Reason and nektar. Yes, some points I miss (why we can't move up and down to the tracks and can jump in to recording clips? If this able in the future into reason we can control so much more from the nektars)
Nothing is so deep like the p4 / P6..
I use a lot the different encoder settings between fast, line. That gives a good feeling if you tweek the knobs.
I take a jump from reason and p4 to bitwig with push. But after a year I'm back to Reason and nektar. Yes, some points I miss (why we can't move up and down to the tracks and can jump in to recording clips? If this able in the future into reason we can control so much more from the nektars)
Nothing is so deep like the p4 / P6..
Things I like:
the integration is like nothing else, the fact you get visual information over what parameter you are editing is very helpful.
I do like the keyboard touch it's heavier than most synthesizer keyboards and I like that
Things I don't like:
USB cable connection became a little wobbly over time
The rotors and sliders rubber became sticky. I got in touch with support and they will send me a replacement kit (free of charge) - so good user support might be another plus.
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