MIDI controllers come in all shapes and sizes resembling pianos, guitars, saxophones, drums, foot pedals and mixing control consoles…

As you probably know, MIDI is short for Musical Instrument Digital Interface. As a communications protocol it has many uses including the control of VST Instruments, automating mixers and programming effects units. However, it’s still used by many musicians for it’s original purpose - capturing a musical performance as electronic data and passing it on to another device such as a synthesiser, sound module or sequencer. And to do that you need a MIDI controller of some kind.

Keyboard controllers

Keyboard controllers are modelled on a standard piano keyboard. When you press down a key a Note On/Note Off message is transmitted to a receiving device, a sampler maybe, telling it exactly which note to sound. At almost the same instant a velocity message is transmitted, relaying just how hard the key was struck.

Compared to a real piano, most keyboard controllers have small keys and provide a playing range of just a few octaves. For this reason professional players favour larger, fully weighted keyboards like the Kurzweil K2600 (below), to capture the full range and nuances of their performance.

To give musicians full control of their sequencing software, most professional keyboard controllers have a set of MIDI control sliders which can be assigned to any of the 127 CCs (Continuous Controllers) contained in the MIDI specification. For example, a slider could be assigned to CC#7, to control volume changes. Another might be assigned to CC#74 (Frequency Cut-off), to add a touch of brightness to the sound. In addition to a set of eight sliders, which can also be used as organ drawbars, the Kurzweil K2600 features a touch sensitive ribbon controller. This rather ingenious device enables the player to transmit Continuous Controller messages by simply moving a finger along the ribbon.

Of course you don’t have to be Rick Wakeman to use a keyboard controller and there are plenty of cheaper alternatives to the Kurzweil range on the market. Many musicians use small desktop controller keyboards for real-time control of their music software and hardware. M-Audio’s USB Oxygen8 (below) is perhaps the best known example.

However, for advanced MIDI control and a larger keyboard the Evolution MK range is a better bet with plenty of assignable knobs and sliders. Edirol also manufacture a range of compact MIDI controllers and their brand new PCR-1 model even features a built-in audio interface.

Guitar controllers

There are two recognised methods of transmitting MIDI data with a guitar. One is to use a specially manufactured MIDI instrument like the Ztar, manufactured by Starrlabs. On a conventional guitar you select notes with your left hand by pressing the strings on the fingerboard, against the frets. On the Ztar, you select notes using pressure sensitive keys instead. And with your right hand, you strike a string-like trigger on the body of the instrument. However, despite the lightning fast response and excellent control, the instruments are expensive and the player may need to learn a few new playing techniques.

Another much cheaper method uses pitch tracking. A special hexophonic pickup is mounted on the guitar which independently detects the pitch of all six strings and converts it into MIDI data. Blue Chip Music Technology manufacture these pickups for both guitar and bass along with the Axon AX-100, a rack-mountable guitar to MIDI convertor that’s capable of recognising the exact pitch of a note immediately it’s played. Being able to hear the conventional guitar along with the MIDI controlled sounds is a big advantage with this system.

Percussion controllers

Most early drum synths consisted of analogue drum pads with their own built in sounds. But the pads were prone to wear, the sensors were none too sensitive and many of the sounds were awful. In fact they were pretty crude devices compared to the percussion pads available now. Modern examples like the Roland SPD-20 have high quality drum pads capable of transmitting MIDI data from drum rolls and flams.

Roland also lead the way at the higher end of the market, with their V-Drums - full size kits featuring mesh pads, realistic cymbals and a drum sound module. The pads have a wide dynamic range and even include rim shot triggering. Roland also designed and now manufacture the first ever electronic hi-hat which operates exactly like its acoustic counterpart.

Tuned percussion controllers are an obvious choice for transmitting MIDI data. Kat Electronic Percussion manufacture the MalletKAT, an interesting device for the mallet players (musicians skilled at playing the vibes and glockenspiel). Like most high end percussion controllers it’s available with or without sounds, is a three-octave design (expandable to five) and features keyboard splitting and layering.

But the MalletKAT is more than just a musical performance controller and highlights not only the multitasking capabilities of modern MIDI controllers, but also, the general direction in which the major manufacturers appear to be heading. With software like Reason or Live DJs can also use MalletKAT, to access controller number events and trigger loops, tweak filters and control parameters like pitch bend. And because it functions as a real time controller (the black keys define which knob, and the white keys send out values), you can perform all these tasks while continuing to play the instrument in the normal way.

Wind controllers

Wind players, of course, blow their instruments and control the sound using the face muscles around their mouths. Wind controllers enable them to control a synthesiser or sound module in exactly the same way, by using sensors to convert their breath and lip pressure into MIDI data.

Like the early drum pad synths, the first ones made were not MIDI instruments at all but analogue controlled synthesisers. The best known and most successful model to appear in the seventies was the Lyricon. Based on the playing principles of the saxophone it was supplied in a case containing both the synthesiser and the controller.
When production of the Lyricon ceased Akai took over and reinvented it as the EWI (Electronic Wind Instrument) and the EVI (Electronic Valve Instrument). The EVI appears to have been dropped (bad news for experimental brass players) but the EWI lives on today and is still considered by many to be the most expressive way of controlling a synth. Why? Because unlike a digital controller, where the data is step-quantised in discrete steps, the EWI uses control voltages. Data transmission is completely smooth resulting in a more expressive and subtle performance.

Yamaha however, do manufacture a true MIDI wind controller. The WX5 (below) has two finger modes - saxophone or flute - and a choice of single reed (for sax or clarinet players) and recorder type mouthpieces. It’s not as subtle as the EWI but at least you can connect it directly to MIDI tone generators. It’s also very user friendly and suitable for pros and beginners alike.

Foot pedals

MIDI controllers are not restricted to transmitting just performance data. MIDI foot controllers for example are a godsend to guitarists with racks of gear to control. After all you can’t just stop in the middle of a blistering guitar solo to fiddle around selecting presets. Using MIDI foot pedal controllers instead makes stage performance much easier because you can store program changes and controller data in banks of presets ready to send at a moments notice. Expression pedals too can be used to control MIDI channels, control numbers and so on. Even MIDI note numbers can transmitted by foot switches on models like the Behringer FCB1010. This particular model even has two programmable, relay-controlled foot switch jacks for switching guitar amp channels via MIDI.

Control Consoles

Music software packages are wonderful things. But for many, fine tuning faders and knobs with a mouse is a tedious operation. The problem is easily solved by using a MIDI Control Console with real knobs and automated faders.
The two big names in the sequencing world, Steinberg and Emagic, both made their own proprietary hardware controllers for a while (Houston and Logic Control). However, these were discontinued leaving companies like JL Cooper and Mackie to get on with the job. The Mackie Universal is set up for Logic by default but also enables you to control Pro Tools, Cubase, Digital Performer, Sonar and other major audio software.

JL Cooper manufacture a similar product, the CS-102 (below) and an intriguing miniature control surface, the CS-32 Minidesk. It actually fits in the palm of your hand (great for mobile laptop recording) and can be used to control most popular audio software.

Light controllers

A Ten Minute Master on MIDI controllers wouldn’t be complete without mentioning the usefulness of MIDI for controlling stage lighting. For large productions console controllers can be used ‘front of house’ but for smaller gigs a member of the band can do it using much cheaper devices like the Ryger M2LPRO. It converts MIDI messages transmitted from a keyboard or sequencer into eight controlled mains outputs. Using a keyboard, a musician can assign an unused octave to change lighting scenes and control dimming and crossfade effects.

Tech Terms

Continuous Controller - channel specific messages (also known as MIDI Controllers and Control Changes) used to control synth parameters other than the notes themselves. Some commonly used controllers are Modulation (01), Breath Control (02), Volume (07), Pan (10), Expression (11) and Sustain Pedal (64).

Note On - messages used to convey which note is pressed on a musical keyboard along with velocity information (how hard the key was struck).

Note Off - messages used to convey when a note on a musical keyboard is released.

Program Change - message used to specify which sounds are played on a given Channel.

More information

The MMA (Midi Manufacturers Association) site is an absolute must for anybody interested in the latest MIDI technical developments.

Copyright 2006 Keith Gemmell

Bookmark to: