Novation Impulse 61

Deze controller heb ik enige tijd in mijn thuisstudio gebruikt in combinatie met Ableton, een Waldorf Blofeld en een Access Virus Ti desktop.

Over de bediening was ik zeer tevreden alhoewel ik de pads wat hard en daardoor moeilijk te bespelen vond. De knoppen en faders werkten soepel en waren eenvoudig toe te wijzen aan parameters in Ableton en mijn hardware synthesizers. De semi-gewogen toetsen speelden goed, maar in vergelijking tot bijvoorbeeld een Virus TI keyboard voelen ze wel wat licht aan, maar daar zit ook een flink prijsverschil tussen.

Positieve punten:
- Het keyboard speelt fijn (split zones en aftertouch)
- Veel toewijsbare knoppen, encoders, pads en faders
- Arpeggiator
- 5-pin midi in/out aansluitingen

Minder positieve punten:
- Beperkte arpeggiator functie
- Zoals aangegeven vond ik de pads wat hard
- Met 61 toetsen wel erg groot, maar dat kun je vooraf uitmeten

Over het algemeen een hele fijne controller, flexibel en stevig gebouwd.
De enige reden dat ik deze controller heb verkocht is omdat ik naar een meer compacte setup ben overgegaan.

Als ik meer ruimte zou hebben zou ik deze midi controller zo weer aanschaffen.

If you're looking for a midi controller that can do pretty much everything but you don't want to go bankrupt this is your choice. I'm a beginner and i haven't had any troubles using it and if you're more interested in electronic music or any music that requires wacky sounds, synths or just a simple piano then you'll love it.
There are however some pros and cons
PROS:
So many features - There are so many features in this keyboard that I've had it for almost year and i haven't scratched the surface when it comes to the things it can do.
Build - It has an amazing build. Keys are semi-weighted, 8 knobs that are very intuitive and easy to use, faders, modulation and pitch wheel, 8 drum pads for all your drum needs (also weight sensitive)
Arpeggiator and beat Roll - at first i was sceptical about these because i had never used them before and they seemed complicated but they turned out to be the exact opposite. Fun to use and can create some real cool sounds.
Sound design - This kinda goes hand to hand with the build section but the keyboard interface makes it really easy to control whatever plug-in you might be using and Automap makes that even easier.

CONS:
Learning curve - It can be quite hard to learn all about the keyboard and it can be quite overwhelming, but with time you can get there.
DAW - It comes with Ableton Lite. If you have never used a DAW before this can be really tough to get into. It does have nice tutorials and there are plenty of YouTube videos on the matter but in the beginning you wont be able to take the most out of it. Of course when you do, it will be your most powerful tool. This means that the sounds and the potential of this controller is super dependant on your DAW using skills which can be both a con and a pro (one that comes with most MIDI controllers if not all)
Sound - It is dependent on your set up. If you have nice speakers or nice headphones you're fine but if you don't you might have to sink a bit more money to make it work for you. This can be said about most MIDI controllers if not all but still a con.

Overall if you're looking for a good, creative, music filled time this is an amazing and powerful instrument. If you can dream it it can probably do it (in partnership with your DAW).

I've got my hands on this after trying out Novation LaunchKey and this one definitely feels better. Half-weighted keys make a huge difference and the rotary encoders feel great.

The keyboard comes with AutoMap software that's supposed to improve the way you control your DAW and plugins but in my experience it causes lots of annoyance and useless fidgeting.

I've tested this keyboard with Ableton (my DAW of choice), Logic and iPhone running GarageBand. Unlike LaunchKey you can't power this one from an iPhone and you'll need a power-passing Apple USB to lightning connector. With it it works just fine.

The keyboard has some annoying design decisions in regards to Ableton, and I've found myself fighting with it more than playing it on some days ? multi-channel setups with kontakt were a huge pain.

Pros:
- great look & feel for the money
- one-button-switch between DAW and plugin encoder modes

Cons:
- issues with Ableton and multi-channel use
- automap (but you can use it without one; with few features missing)
- arpeggiator settings are really cumbersome to tune