Nektar or another controller?

Want to talk about music hardware or software that doesn't include Reason?
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Maxim
Posts: 19
Joined: 06 Aug 2022

06 Aug 2022

Hi. I wanted to ask some help for deciding which controller I should buy. Everywhere Nektar is being lauded as the first option among midi controllers when it comes to Reason. And I have been thinking about buying the Nektar Panorama P4. But before I go ahead with this purchase, I still wanted to ask for opinions from those of you who have more experience on this matter.

So far I have been using M-audio Oxygen 49 but I notice it has become insufficient in terms of not having enough knobs etc. and also I find the integration with Reason being very poor to my current needs.

Here is how I work in Reason: the instruments and effects which I use are 99% third-party plugins (Serum, Omnisphere, Soundtoys, Fabfilter etc.) but I usually like to put them all in a combinator. In mixing I use the Reason mixer. What I really want to get is that "hardware feel" such that I have to use the mouse as little as possible when synthesizing sounds, tweaking effects or mixing.

I'm happy to receive any opinions on this matter. Thanks!

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QVprod
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06 Aug 2022

I’ll give you a fully honest take. No controller is going completely satisfy you for a “hardware feel” The Nektar Panorama P is the best available for overall control in Reason but since you’re mostly using 3rd party VST instruments, you won’t get much control of many of those out the box. There’s is a thread on here where people submit mappings if you’re fine with editing remote files. However controlling devices that are mapped required a lot of menu diving for different sections of the device. Combinator 2 is broken as far as control right now. First 4 knobs and buttons only (like the old combinator). If your plugins are NKS compatible you may get more value here out of a Komplete Kontrol S keyboard.

As far as DAW control, the Panorama shines here. Nothing else integrates with Reason’s mixer as well as it does.

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gkillmaster
Posts: 280
Joined: 09 May 2018

06 Aug 2022

I was looking in a way for several years and once I got the P1, I've stopped looking. For me, its the perfect solution for the price, especially being able to also use Nektarine with it.

Maxim
Posts: 19
Joined: 06 Aug 2022

07 Aug 2022

Thanks! Appreciate the help.

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joeyluck
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Posts: 11029
Joined: 15 Jan 2015

07 Aug 2022

This had just popped up in my news feed:
https://keyboardkraze.com/best-midi-key ... or-reason/

It mentioned Nektar and the T series, which I wasn't familiar with. I haven't used any Nektar keyboards.

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MrFigg
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Joined: 20 Apr 2018

07 Aug 2022

joeyluck wrote:
07 Aug 2022
This had just popped up in my news feed:
https://keyboardkraze.com/best-midi-key ... or-reason/

It mentioned Nektar and the T series, which I wasn't familiar with. I haven't used any Nektar keyboards.
Yeah, I’ve got a T4. It’s good.
🗲 2ॐ ᛉ

Maxim
Posts: 19
Joined: 06 Aug 2022

10 Aug 2022

Thanks for the opinions. In the end I went for Nektar Panorama P4. Found it quite cheap as B-stock. An unused customer return, full warranty. Next up is learning to edit remote files.

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mimidancer
Posts: 636
Joined: 30 Sep 2021

10 Aug 2022

I use several controllers with Reason. My primary controller is the Arturia Keylab Mk 2. I have the pads mapped out to their own channel. I also use a Roland octapad also mapped to an empty combinator so I can load in what I want to play with just a drag and drop without having to map every time. Next, I have an intelijel metroplix and a beatstep pro. Also remapped. setting up the initial template took me some time and tweaking to get everything to play nice together. My setup is a hybrid (hardware and software). The best thing about reason is its ability to be configured and worked around. The only thing i had to sacrifice with the keylab 2 is its midi out. When in MCU mode that port is no longer available to use. I have no idea why. I don't think reason has a good out-of-the-box controller. But with a little time, the system is quite flexible and powerful. Have fun setting up your system the best thing about reason is you. Make it yours. You can message me when you are setting up if you hit a roadblock. I have covid and am stuck at home all week.

Maxim
Posts: 19
Joined: 06 Aug 2022

11 Aug 2022

Thanks! Let's see how it goes. I'm still waiting to get it. Might go until monday. That is exactly how I also feel about reason, that it lets you make it your own. And that is exactly what I'm really looking forward to, configuring and setting everything up so that it works the way that is best for my workflow and way of doing things. Hope you get better really soon!

polysix
Posts: 83
Joined: 09 Sep 2015
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23 Aug 2022

I love the p4 for his keyboard, display, and the faders and knobs. But I have sold him. I thing nektar do not update there driver. The last one is from 2020. And the lost of this support makes problems in bitwig (my second daw) too.. If nektar start supporting the p series I'm be back but today I have the feeling if I buy one that more and more was unsupported in further readon versions...

carvingcode
Posts: 39
Joined: 14 Jan 2019

23 Aug 2022

I landed on a Nektar T4 after trying the Novation Launchkey MKIII. The T4 has much better support for Reason. Other than needing to lock the keyboard to the mixer on new projects (I could save a template), it has great control options built in.

One standout feature is the soft control of the faders. The Launchkey's faders could cause spikes in volume or other parameter control. The T4 is smooth.

For a revenue increase, a dedicated controller or two officially supported by ReasonStudios would be a big hit I imagine.

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