which midi contoller for sonar 8.5 PE, learning soft synths

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rcorbett
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2011/07/05 12:55:08 (permalink)

which midi contoller for sonar 8.5 PE, learning soft synths

Hi all,
I'm new to this area of music, and I have myself setup with a dedicated Windows 7 machine running Sonar 8.5 Producer, which an MAudio USB interface.

I'm struggling through all the online tutorials etc trying to learn as much as I can.

Question 1:    I'm a little sick of having to manually type in my MIDI notes to get melody to test all of the soft synths (which I'm a little overwhelmed with at this point).   Which MIDI controller is recommended for a Noob that I won't regret getting after a couple months?   If there are any that will work with Sonar 8.5 right out of the box that would be ideal.

Question 2:  There are so many soft synths that I know nothing about.    Is there a resource that lists the synths and explains what each is best suited for?

thanks for any guidance.

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    RobertB
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    Re:which midi contoller for sonar 8.5 PE, learning soft synths 2011/07/05 20:32:05 (permalink)
    A controller will make the whole experience vastly more pleasant.
    I have been using an Edirol PCR-M50 for the past few years. The Cakewalk A-500 Pro is a direct descendant, and I can recommend that.
    Get at least 49 keys. Smaller units are somewhat claustrophobic.
    I would avoid super cheap units, as they can be functionally limited. 
    Velocity sensitivity is an absolute must.
    Channel select and aftertouch run a close second.
    Once you have the controller connected, auditioning patches is very easy, and determining what is appropriate for a given song will be a matter of hitting a few keys.
    Don't worry about being overwhelmed. Most of us were at first.
    Asa for question #2, just play with the synths. You'll know what is right when you hear it.

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    Shimozu-Kushiari or Bob
    #2
    rcorbett
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    Re:which midi contoller for sonar 8.5 PE, learning soft synths 2011/07/07 13:17:30 (permalink)
    Thanks for the tips.

    Unfortunately, I don't have the space for the A500,  but with your recommendation I might consider the A300.
    That was great info explaining which features are most important.   

    Q: Would you mind elaborating on channel select for me?   Does that mean I could select the patches from the controller instead of with mouse/keyboard?

    So the Apro series comes recommended,  does anyone else have a recommendation?



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    rcorbett
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    Re:which midi contoller for sonar 8.5 PE, learning soft synths 2011/07/13 13:07:09 (permalink)
    So, I've read that the A300Pro and the Edirol 300S (or something similar) are supposed to integrate well with Sonar.
    I was hoping not to spend that much,  but I don't want to regret buying something less capable.   Does anyone have any more advice?

    Requirements:
    1. Must be small 39 keys or smaller.  I'm not a piano player, I just want to control synths.  
    2. I'd like to use it to control Dimension Pro and Rapture, as well as SD3.
    3. ***Must play well with Sonar 8.5***.    I don't want to shell out cash, and then spend the next few months having to fight with the new controller

    Does anyone have good/bad experience with the controllers above?   Or perhaps can recommend something more appropriate for a first midi controller for someone who just wants to noodle around?

    Windows 7 64bit build 7600, Intel Core i7 cpu 870, 4 Gb Ram
    Sonar Producer 8.5, FastTrack Pro
    Learning from scratch.


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    Owen
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    Re:which midi contoller for sonar 8.5 PE, learning soft synths 2011/07/13 14:06:27 (permalink)
    rcorbett


    So, I've read that the A300Pro and the Edirol 300S (or something similar) are supposed to integrate well with Sonar.
    I was hoping not to spend that much,  but I don't want to regret buying something less capable.   Does anyone have any more advice?

    Requirements:
    1. Must be small 39 keys or smaller.  I'm not a piano player, I just want to control synths.  
    2. I'd like to use it to control Dimension Pro and Rapture, as well as SD3.
    3. ***Must play well with Sonar 8.5***.    I don't want to shell out cash, and then spend the next few months having to fight with the new controller

    Does anyone have good/bad experience with the controllers above?   Or perhaps can recommend something more appropriate for a first midi controller for someone who just wants to noodle around?

    The A300Pro is made by Roland who also partly owns Cakewalk. If anything should play nice and easy, it should be this combo.
    #5
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