pad lights

DJ Hellfire wrote:I don't really care about being able to see my note velocity reflected in pad light color.

Yeah, I thought the same. Seems pointless to me.

Hey, I personally love the idea of light-up pads...Remember that music game called "SIMON" from back in the seventies? If not, I feel sorry for ya...This was the coolest, dopest musical memory game ever invented, and was one of my first music toys. Those light up pads helped you memorize the tones, so you could progress through the levels of dificulty...The MASCHINE has light up pads, as well as the Korg padkontrol, and that adds to its playability in the DARK, where most music is played and written...when you guys take the Renny to the stage and those knobs and pads light up, youre gunna be glad they do...

strugglebuggiemusic wrote:music toys

We're talking about pro music gear, not toys.

People have been playing live with MPCs for 25 years with zero problems, so I don't see why velocity sensitive lights are suddenly going to be the saviour of live performance?

Coz wrote:

strugglebuggiemusic wrote:music toys

We're talking about pro music gear, not toys.

People have been playing live with MPCs for 25 years with zero problems, so I don't see why velocity sensitive lights are suddenly going to be the saviour of live performance?

I write programs for my MPC 2000xl so as to play diatonic chords with it, just like a synth, and usually I record/compose in the dark...not in a darkened room, but with NO lights on at all...when it comes to remembering the order of the notes and chords that I played, light up pads will be a blessing...
When we talk about music, we PLAY music, so yes, all gear are TOYS on a certain level

strugglebuggiemusic wrote:and usually I record/compose in the dark...not in a darkened room, but with NO lights on at all.

This is what you need...




I've just saved you $1275.

I'd be interested to hear from someone who's used both an MPC & a Maschine.

I can actually see the coloured lights being useful on setting up drum racks and initial beat layout, but could get pretty distracting on some of the more complex glitch/fast tempo beats. If there were some way to dial down the intensity of the lights or turn them off altogether that would be ideal.

tenpan wrote:I'd be interested to hear from someone who's used both an MPC & a Maschine.

I use both.

Maschine's pads work well because you can see at a glance what pads have sounds on them, plus the intensity of the lights increases slightly when a pad is used in a pattern.

I have an MPD32 and used a Maschine (only in store) and was quite surprised at how much feedback the pad lights give you. I reckon that the visual feedback 'on the box' will be welcome from the guys who prefer standalone once they actually get a chance to use it.

The only thing I'm not keen on with the MPC Ren is that the lights are on the rim of the pads. I kinda like the sub-surface scattering jelly look to the Maschine pads. The have depth.

Yeah, Maschine's light up pads are very useful - they don't just show which pad is playing but also show which pads have sounds loaded on them, which scene is currently playing, which pattern etc. The other lit buttons show various modes, functions, active fx, etc.
So the pad lights are very functional and not just a gimmick to make it look good.

boogaloo wrote:Yeah, Maschine's light up pads are very useful - they don't just show which pad is playing but also show which pads have sounds loaded on them, which scene is currently playing, which pattern etc. The other lit buttons show various modes, functions, active fx, etc.
So the pad lights are very functional and not just a gimmick to make it look good.

Exactly! And all these functions of the lit pads are enough. Velocity monitoring through the pad lights is not a necessity IMO! So a single color LED will be just fine!

Yeah I have a feeling it might be a bit overkill having different colours for the velocity levels, but who knows; it might feel more natural and useful in practice. I reckon this is very much a hands on thing. The maschine varies the light intensity in relation to the hit velocity which to my mind seems a more subtle way of displaying it.

Anyway it won't interfere with my beat making as I tend to zone out and stare into the middle distance or eyes shut when I'm feeling the rhythm.

DJ Hellfire wrote:

sirparksalot wrote:I personally don't like them, but I'm not throwing a fit about it(mainly because I don't plan on buying one for a while). One of the major draws for me to the MPC in the first place was to move away from a computer screen. I can look at an MPC screen for hours and not feel any discomfort at all....same cannot be said about a computer screen. I feel that these pads would contribute to headaches/discomfort for me like a computer screen would. But, my case is rare, because my whole point to this paragraph is because I am prone to epileptic seizures and heavy migraines. Most people aren't, they just like to **** about anything different. I'm sure MPCstuff will come out with pads for it too, and since the stock pads are translucent, a solid color pad should take care of the light up "issue" I would think.

Dude, I don't think the lights are gonna flash enough to trip a seizure! Might as well be worried about riding down any given street during Christmas time!

Sorry, I think my point was kind of vague. I wasn't saying it would trigger seizures, I was just explaining why I don't think that I could use it unless it had different pads due to sensitivity of light. Hell, even stepping outside at noon gives me a headache, but 99% of people are just fine, hence my point about complaining for no reason relating to usability.
If this was the case(those lights giving me a seizure), I would just post a ustream channel of me staring at a Christmas tree so you all could watch me bug out.

Coz wrote:

tenpan wrote:I'd be interested to hear from someone who's used both an MPC & a Maschine.

I use both.

Maschine's pads work well because you can see at a glance what pads have sounds on them, plus the intensity of the lights increases slightly when a pad is used in a pattern.

Yeah, what he said

When I first started using Maschine I didn't think the light up pads were a big deal. I still don't think they are a big deal but I'd rather have them then not. So I'm glad the Ren will have them.

Think they got the pad light idea for the simon says game