I have an iPad Pro (USB-C) which I’m starting to use Drambo on as my travel music making setup. I’m currently using the Apple 3.5mm headphone to USB-C audio adapter plugged directly into the iPad and a Korg Nanokey Studio as my controller over Bluetooth MIDI. It’s working pretty well, but I’m not that enamoured by the Nanokey’s build and lack of rotary encoders.
Can you help me find the ideal portable controller keyboard that fits the following criteria please?
Portable - needs to fit in a backpack and ideally not make me worried that encoders are going to fall off, etc.
Battery powered or able to be powered directly from the iPad Pro’s USB-C port.
Class-compliant USB MIDI
Class-compliant USB audio in and out - this is the tricky one. I want to be able to plug one cable between the keyboard and the iPad then plug my headphones into the keyboard device and be able to monitor the iPad through it.
At least 4, but preferably 8, rotary encoders
Something approximating a keyboard layout, the Nanokey is fine, 2 octaves is preferable, but could put up with less if I can switch between octaves.
Because I want to use this on the train, I need to be able to keep things simple to wire up. Device plugs into iPad, headphones plug into device, would work well. I really want to avoid messing around with USB hubs if I can avoid it.
I don’t think there are many devices that fit this bill, thinking about portable controller keyboards I know there are some which have a built-in class-compliant USB audio interface, but I don’t think I’ve seen any that would actually fit in a backpack. But when I started thinking more broadly about synthesisers, some devices came up that might fit the bill:
TE OP-Z - I’m pretty sure this will do both class-compliant MIDI and audio over USB, so you can monitor the iPad through its headphone out. It has 4 encoders. Battery powered. I know there are some quality issues and it’s quite an expensive option to be thinking about as a controller keyboard. Obviously the buttons are a bit of a retrograde step for a keyboard compared to the Nanokeys, but I think I could make it work for travel. I’m interested in the OP-Z in its own right too though.
Microfreak - looks like it can be powered by the iPad. Definitely has class-compliant MIDI, but I can’t tell if it’s got class-compliant audio too, with the ability to route iPad audio out of its headphone jack. I’m definitely interested in this as a synth too.
Model:Cycles/Samples - Would need a separate battery bank and power cable? Does class-compliant audio, so I’m pretty confident it would allow iPad audio over its headphone jack. Keyboard isn’t the ideal layout. Lots of rotary encodes is a big plus. Elektron build quality. A Model:Cycles would be a welcome addition to my synth arsenal. Price is pretty keen these days.
Can anyone offer any more options that would work and views on the ones I’m already thinking of? The answer might be to stick with the Nanokey and the headphones directly into the iPad, but hopefully I can find something better that brings rotary encoders.
In theory, the OP-Z might fit the bill from an audio interface and form factor perspective. A single usb-c cable for power, audio and midi is very unique especially for such a small device. In practice though, you’ll need decide whether it or Drambo will act as the sequencer where all of your patterns and parameter automation is stored. For this reason you’d be underutilizing both.
It can be incredibly frustrating to make parameter changes on one sequencer (iPad), then have another sequencer (OP-Z) overwrite them because you’re on an unrelated pattern with some recorded CC automation.
To be honest though you could probably get a lot farther (and have more options) having the controller and audio interface as separate devices. Any of the new budget arturia interfaces have usb-c and an additional regular usb for a controller which is killer if you’re limited on ports. For smaller budget controllers with knobs, you’re likely to end up choosing between akai’s mpk mini, novation launchkey, or arturia mini lab.
Can confirm that doesn’t work, MF has no usb over audio and would need an audio interface to get audio into the iPad.
I use a LaunchKey Mini Mk3 with iPad and a small usb hub, mapping to Drambo works great, and while you say you want to avoid USB hubs, a camera-connect-style dongle with 1 USB-A and a 1/8” jack would work just fine to power the LaunchKey and hear audio.
My plan for my iPad Pro is to use a Faderfox UC4 and a QuNexus Red. But not on a train. I couldn’t even manage the Model:Cycles by itself on a train. If I were going to try to make music under those circumstances, it would be just the iPad.
My recommendation Is to settle on your host 1st. Controller world on iOS is quite disappointing until your figure out what works for you. For example, you can count on 1 hand the apps that support relative encoders/midi pickup. So most of the time 8 encoders are going to behave like 8 pots, and not 8 banks of 8 encoders that remember their values when switch em (unless the controller is remembering this itself)
Yep, that’s where I’ve started from with the Nanokeys. My search began with “what’s a better device that can replace the Nanokeys to do Bluetooth MIDI” Other than the NanoKONTROL Studio and the CME XKey Air, I’m struggling to find many Bluetooth MIDI controllers and nothing really that fits the bill with the rotary encoders.
Sorry, I realise I may not have been as clear as I could have been saying “rotary encoders” I mean “endless rotary encoders” as in the ones that go round and round.
You were clear and that what I am referring to. Endless encoders don’t send out values, but (turn) directional data, and software needs to keep track of that. Drambo does this, but there probably only a handful of other apps that support this. Controllerland in iOS is far trickier than desktop, unless you’re just going to work in absolute values only.
I’m keeping a hawk eye out for the return of APC40 MK2s, as this appears to me (naively, I’m new to iOS) to be an ideal performance controller for Drambo.
I’ve been doing this with my Magic Keyboard case, but I’ve run into a few problems: I can’t work out how to switch octaves. When I open an Auv3 instrument‘s UI the keyboard stops playing it, which is presumably so you can use the keyboard for things like naming presets. Occasionally something happens and the keyboard stops working for one track.
It definitely does the job in a pinch, but I’m definitely happier with a controller, even if it’s just the Korg Nanokey studio.
