I’m sure the pads will get less stiff with time. But I’m less concerned with the feel than with actual playability. Can you guys reliably trigger a low velocity hit? I can’t. It’s not that I’m such a finger drummer, more that I want to be able to program in parts without having to constantly edit velocity.
it got much easier for me to trigger lower velocity values after a month of regular use and practice, but the light hits that were registering with some pads did not register with the others.
Had friends test it too, but no doubt my CP pad did not register light hits but my other pads did.
Could this be an error/misalignment in the installation of the pads/sensors?
Maybe something moved around while shipping? Not sure… but either way I’m hoping that this squeaky/uneven pad pressure issue is isolated or just in a small percentage of units.
Hi everyone i was thinking of buying an AR but after all this pad comments i think i will wait for a hardware revision how does it compare to the maschine pads from 1 to 10?
Pads where just an extra on an amazing drum machine for me! I’m no pro finger drummer so haven’t noticed sounds not triggering in the way others have… There stiff and id prefer a more rubbery/bouncy feel if I had the choice but the the drum machine still rocks harder than any other IMO. If you ain’t a finger drummer and want a rytm I can’t imagine why stiff pads should change your mind too much.
EDIT - if you are an FD I’d imagine you’d prefer a dedicated pad controler anyway as the RYTM pads are small and IMO not aimed at competing with MPCs etc.
I of course agree that the pads are not enough responsive to velocity and not enough sensitive to any mid velocity.
But what I find very good with those pads is the sensitivity to pressure/aftertouch. In performance mode, it’s very well calibrated IMO.
I don’t give a damn about finger drumming.
I can’t even figure out anything more pathetic than a “Finger Drummer”.
I was just thinking that an high-end (is it, huh?) machine, with amazing possibilities and I must say really beautiful sound shouldn’t be equipped with (ok, almost an optional) rubber pads that make exactly THIS sound when pushed
hmm the silence from Elektron on this is deafening btw
Fascinating, I’ve had some probs triggering the CP pad myself sometimes… Anyone else?
What a respectful Point of view! So people like Jeremy Ellis are pathetic in your opinion? well, we will just agree to disagree on that…
The fact the you prefer to finger drum or not is not the point. The pads should work period. They take up a third of the front panel waisting valuable real estate if they are not going to work properly.
What a respectful Point of view! So people like Jeremy Ellis are pathetic in your opinion? well, we will just agree to disagree on that… [/quote]
I’m too old for this shit 
The maximum respect I am capable of now is NOT to google who the hell Jeremy Ellis is
Peace my friend, I was only kidding
Probably not if you e mail them!
MPC-1000 i[/i] shipped with a different pad style then other MPCs; individual pads rather then a single array.
There was third party aftermarket kits, and also a kit available from Akai (after lots of user complaints) to “upgrade” back to the pad array.
Somewhere during the production run, they changed back to the pad array like other MPC’s. AFAIK: All blue/red units, and some of the black still had the single pads, most of the black ones have the pad array.
I don’t mind that the pads are hard. I would prefer them to be softer, but they are okay enough as is.
It is the lack of velocity sensitivity that bothers me. They seem to either have low velocity or high but not much in the mid range.
I noticed this when demo’ing one and loved everything else about it so ordered one. Now I am wondering if I should cancel my order and wait and see if this gets sorted.
Would be helpful to hear from Elektron and whether there might be a software solution.
Meh…
I like the pads. Sure they’re stiff but various people have stated they loosen up. As for taking up space, I’d rather have these pads than an over-sized jog wheel, personally.
Now do I agree that they’re not great for finger drumming? So far, yes. But the whole of the machine is great and the pads compliment the form factor quite well.
Most people tweak the volume after they’ve entered in the pattern anyway, velo sensing or not.
Anyway, the op was the one that started this thread and now he’s bashing (pun intended) finger drumming. What’s the point?
NM it’s the squeak, huh? Well, I don’t listen for that because I’m having to much fun making sounds.
I did have the mpc 1000 though so I do hope individual pads don’t start losing velo
(^_−)−☆
I also wonder if the pads tray is more like the mpc which will bend in time or if it’s like the sp series which is super durable.
the last statement sure make sense! 
I’m not bashing nor laughing at finger drummers
There are real drummers for that
I was only asking if pads squeak like a condom in you fella’s machines too.
To me, it’s a somehow unpleasant tactile feeling in a unity this level
And I understand it’s a pretty lame and funny rant
And sure I will survive if I’ll have to keep this fantastic toy as is
the last statement sure make sense!
I’m not bashing nor laughing at finger drummers
There are real drummers for that
I was only asking if pads squeak like a condom in you fella’s machines too.
To me, it’s a somehow unpleasant tactile feeling in a unity this level
And I understand it’s a pretty lame and funny rant
And sure I will survive if I’ll have to keep this fantastic toy as is
[/quote]
Just because you give finger drummers the middle finger 
, it doesn’t mean that you wouldn’t enjoy the benefits of having these pads’ performance please a typical finger drummer. That’s because they would have the following qualities:
[ul]
[li]Nice pad material (like Maschine)[/li]
[li]Uniform feeling across all 12 (questionable on AR?)[/li]
[li]Uniform sensitivity across all 12 (questionable on AR)[/li]
[li]Smooth mapping of pad pressure to velocity (or any other parameter that is mapped to pad pressure) (very questionable on AR)[/li]
[/ul]
Size: well., it is what it is, and if someone really needs bigger sized pads they can attach a pad controller.
I think I’ll need to hop over to Moog Audio and see if they have a demo AR I can play with before I go with my purchase, or decide to use my middle finger…
Tbh, I can get decent mids. It’s not perfect but not so bad. Actually most things people have been complaining about have been non-issues (for me).
I do have some serious qualms though, I want better midi, sample chop, record before bpm is set (set start and end like looper), retrig live record, pattern part lock for part editing, etc…
But yah, I’m really enjoying it.
I get good results from the pads as well. Some additional software implementation to control the sensitivity and and curve would go a long way though.
I got a launch unit but haven’t spent too much time with it until now. After spending a full day with the pads yesterday, even though they seemed stiff as hell until now - they’ve definitely loosened up and there’s a certain ‘way’ they can be played where I found them really responsive. If I tap firmly (but not hard) they seem to respond and if I want good reliable velocity changes, I kind of have to ‘lean’ into the pad and it works really well.
If anyone’s thinking of getting an AR, I wouldn’t let the pads put you off. It’s a great machine and feels like way more of a musical instrument rather than just a drum computer.