Alright folks, it is that time again to for every music geek and gadget aficionado to head to Frankfurt for some nice sausages and some good gear ogling.

This annual trade show is the melting pot where international small folks and big wigs all come together to show case their latest and greatest offerings in the music industry.

And that means of course that controllers and related things can't be far behind. But of course, all the recent big releases - Stanton SC system, NS7, APC40, etc. have already been unveiled. So it remains to be seen if there are more controllers that everyone simply forgot about. Even the Otus is out from EKS.

Anyway, that is no reason for everyone to give this thing a miss. You are all forgetting the software giants of the music industry.

Serato has called a press conference for a big announcement. Well, that of course might sound like - "yeah yeah what ever...." but let me tell you that Serato doesn't usually call press conferences unless it is really important. So expect something big from them.

Also, Abletong has something to unveil and everyone is almost sure that it is the new Live 8. Of course, that might not be it at all.

If you have been following the industry recently, you would know that Serato made an announcement in the last quarter of last year, saying that it had teamed up with Ableton. While they did not reveal any other detail, it had the whole scene sitting up and taking notice.

So this might be something to do with that as well. What ever it is, you are sure to have more software to go with your latest MIDI Controller real estate.

Stay tuned to receive updates as more info comes my direction. This could be a yummy end to the first quarter of this year. Man, I'm getting hungry already!

As always, come back for more, right here on ControlMIDI. And do subscribe to the feed to stay updated! Later!

So now that we know a bit more about MIDI and MIDI controllers, it is time to discuss the different types of MIDI Controllers that are available (and those that are not).

As I have mentioned before, MIDI Controllers come in many different shapes and sizes and colours. They have a large and varied range of uses in sound and a/v [audio/visual]. They are found everywhere - on stages, inside studios, on the go, at homes, clubs, bars, with live shows' crews, everywhere.

MIDI controllers are used in various areas: -

• Djs use them, in many different ways
• Live PA acts use them (Daft Punk and their setup!!!)
• Audio and Video studios use them (DAW control mainly)
• Vjs use them (somebody get me pics of Ohm being used live!)
• Musicians use them on stage for live performances, this includes Solo artists, bands, projects etc.
• Composers and producers use them at work, at home, everywhere they possibly can.
• Live A/V acts use them for live manipulation of video and audio (Max/MSP and a crazy guy using hand gestures anyone?)
• I am not entirely certain, but I think live lighting control is controllable via MIDI. Correct me if i am wrong though.

So as you can see, it pretty much covers every area where there is music and many areas of video and a/v as well. So what are the different types that we are talking about here?

Well, MIDI Controllers can be classified in many different ways. It can be based on the softwares that are used, people who use them, areas in which they are mainly used, etc. But I am going to talk about them in terms of form factor or physcial design.

This sort of classification will be immensely helpful for studying the purpose of each of these devices. It will also help us to judge their usefulness to specific people. Now, remember, each of these types can have entire pages devoted to each of them. So I am just trying to be concise and specific here.

Of course, that doesn't mean that I won't be making full posts on the more common types ;-); so keep this site bookmarked, get the feed or check back frequently. Just make sure you keep on coming back for daily posts and updates.

Okay, so let's start. I realised that this will be a long post, so i divided it in two parts (hopefully, I won't need more). I will post the more common ones in this post. And tomorrow, I am going to post on the more uncommon ones. There is another problem that I would like to mention before i start. Some devices make appearances in more that one category. But usually, they have one main purpose. So I might categorise it differently than some expect.

Ready now? Here we go:-

• Keyboard MIDI Controllers - Keyboards are originally responsible for starting the entire MIDI revolution. In their MIDI Controller form, they can be anything from simple and focussed to complex and versatile. They can range from the simplest ones with just the keys, two wheels and a few controls to really large and expensive ones with pots, faders, clocks and much more. The simple ones are usually used for playing virtual instruments during songwriting, composing, etc. The really complex ones are usually for studio environments, which need a lot controls. And for live use, it really depends on the artist.
• DJ Controllers - These have really become popular in recent times. Most of these controllers are in their 2nd or 3rd product cycle at max. Some are brand new offerings. The general rule is simple - just throw in twin jogs, up and pitch faders, a crossfader, mixer controls and some buttons. Most of the compact controllers go for what is often referred to as the [Vestax] VCI layout. There are also controllers that are 'single deck', ones that emulate just the dj-mixer. There are also bigger format controllers like the XONE series from Allen & Heath. These also have audio interfaces built into them. The VCI series doesn't though. The latest crop is now trying to emulate a tuntable, complete with spinning platters and real torque. These mainly used by, ahem, Djs. But people always fine myriad uses for almost any MIDI Controller out there.
• Pad Controllers - These are constituted mainly of pads and may and a few other controls. Most of these instantly remind you of Akai's legendary MPC products. But there are also those that bend the genre and redefine it. Take Zendrum for instance! They are an amazing work of craftsmanship, each and everyone of them. These are commmonly used to trigger samples, cues or play drums. They are commonly designed to be used with fingers.
• Foot Pedals and switches - These are usually used in conjunction with other devices to gain extra functionality. This can be a sustain or an expression pedal on keyboard controllers or an entire board full of foot switches to be assigned anyway necessary.
• Faders or Knobs only boxes - Exactly what the category says, these are just boxes with loads and loads of Faders or Knobs on them. Best (and in some cases the only) examples are from Behringer. Even Daft Punk uses a few of these. They do have a few other types of controls, mostly buttons.
• Hybrid Machines - These are machine that seek to converge, bring together the features of multiple devices into one, much like some advanced mobile communications devices. For example, the XONE 4D. It it is a high quality audio interface and mixer with MIDI Control surfaces. Or this similar but different purposed tascam product. One if for Dj booths and the other is for studios. And then there is the DN-HS5500 and DN-S3700 from Denon.

That will end this part of my post. Come back tomorrow for more :) and don't forget to subscribe for regular updates from ControlMIDI! Available both Atom and RSS, two delicious flavors for feeding your apetite!

Up on top there, is my prized possession - The AKAI MPK49 MIDI Keyboard Controller. It is my prized possession not because it cost me a fortune to buy (that will go to my MacBook, which I equally love) but because it lets me do exactly what I want to do, without a mouse or a keyboard (the computer k/b of course :p ).

So now that there is a real interface that corresponds to the functions on the software, the user is no longer tied to a keyboard and a mouse. He/she is free to operate these softwares (which are usually programs meant for audio/video live performance, recording and/or editing).

I have already talked about why MIDI was chosen and how it works. I will just repeat myself briefly to make more sense in this post.

MIDI as a protocol for such controlling was chosen because it was already there in musical instruments. And they were already controlling each other, in a way, via MIDI. That is what MIDI was designed for in the first place. So it made sense to use MIDI. Now, of course, here in controllers, the protocol doesn't trigger musical notes (okay, sometimes it does). The same data is now interpreted by the software as control data.

A button on the controller can be sending a C5 to the software and the software is using it to toggle a button that is mapped to that C5. And MIDI channels here are used to separate control channels. Like - in the MPK49 above (review coming soon!), I use channel 1 for the actual keyboard. I use channel 2 and 3 for drum pads, 4 for the faders and their buttons. This way, I can play drums that are, say c1-a2 and play the piano c1-a2 all at the same time. This is in Ableton Live, where i have setup my tracks to receive the signals according to what they have (drums or piano, for example).

That is one practical example how the 16 channels of the MIDI protocol can be used. There are many more out there and I am sure that those of you who are using controllers have already started using different channels to avoid triggering the wrong control. Imagine a barrage of drum sounds that happen along with your playing the piano on a computer. That is what can happen if the same MIDI device is set to play both drums and piano and they are both sitting on the same channel.

So now you are that much richer in knowledge about what a MIDI controller really is. Some points to keep in mind are these: -

• MIDI controllers do not necessarily have a sound-card/audio interface, but some controllers are coming out with sound-cards (some DJ controllers specifically). There are also hybrid machines that have the ability to act as a MIDI controller ( E.g. - a studio mixer type device with motorised faders, Digital I/Os, a built in firewire interface and MIDI control capability)
• MIDI controllers can be made, ordered or purchased off the rack. It all depends on what you can spend and what you are looking for. For Controllers that you can make, you need know-how on electronics.
• MIDI controllers come in all different shapes and sizes - from keyboards to dj controllers, fader boxes, boxes with only knobs, wind controllers, foot controllers, controllers that you can wear (yes! info coming soon, right here!) experimental and conceptual designs and now even touch - thanks to JazzMutant and the iPhone. (more on that soon) and many, many more.

So basically, when it comes to these controllers, all you need is money, know-how and contacts and you can get almost anything you can imagine! If you want more food for fuelling your thoughts and imaginations, check back for more. ControlMIDI is updated daily with the best and latest in MIDI controllers. This current series is sort of a base building exercise for beginners. The reviews and updates are coming real soon. So don't you worry.

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Now, I know that many of you out there are completely confused about what MIDI really is. And with today's technology using MIDI everywhere, it is easy for beginners to get confused.