Midi keyboard with launchpads

[scontrer]

Hey guys,

I want to upgrade my Novation Remote 25 to a 49 keys keyboard with launchpads, and knobs + faders.
I'm currently on Pro Tools 10 with no serious plans to upgrade to v11 or v12 so far, but maybe to v13 if new cool features will be included.

The keyboard will be mainly to create notes, beats and to control/automate virtual instruments such as Transfuser, Absynth, Hybrid, etc

In my short list so far I have:
1/ Novation Impulse 49 (but if I decide to upgrade to AAX plugins, it seems that Novation has issues to support AAX format)
2/ M-Audio Axiom 49
3/ Akai MPK 49

Any suggestion based on your knowledge and usage?
Which one would provide the best integration with plugins?

If you have another keyboard in mind, please let me know.

Cheers

[musicman691]

If any of these use Automap that's been problematical in PT.

You mention about skipping PT12 and possibly waiting for PT13 or later. There is a HUGE problem with that and that's money. If you skip getting on the support plan which gets you PT12 you end up having to buy a whole complete PT license asset again. IOW you can't skip a major revision like in the past and pay a discounted upgrade charge when something hits your fancy.

[scontrer]

Thanks for your feedback musicman691.

Novation uses Automap, but I don't know about M-Audio and Akai MPK, however I guess that M-Audio would provide the highest level of integration with Pro Tools and plugins since they are much closer to Avid than Akai and Novation.

Right, skipping 2 versions may result in buying a new Pro Tools license.
I don't know what is the price to upgrade to v11 then V12 then v13, and if the price of the 3 updates is cheaper than a new Pro Tools license.
The thing is that the new features in v11, to me, don't outweight the move to AAX format, for which some plugins will still require some time to be available in AAX format.
And checking the new features in V12, it seems to be almost only orientated toward collaboration, which I don't need so far.

[musicman691]

Originally Posted by scontrer

Thanks for your feedback musicman691.

Novation uses Automap, but I don't know about M-Audio and Akai MPK, however I guess that M-Audio would provide the highest level of integration with Pro Tools and plugins since they are much closer to Avid than Akai and Novation.

Right, skipping 2 versions may result in buying a new Pro Tools license.
I don't know what is the price to upgrade to v11 then V12 then v13, and if the price of the 3 updates is cheaper than a new Pro Tools license.
The thing is that the new features in v11, to me, don't outweight the move to AAX format, for which some plugins will still require some time to be available in AAX format.
And checking the new features in V12, it seems to be almost only orientated toward collaboration, which I don't need so far.

Upgrade to PT11 is $199 US; as to what the price will be in the future no one knows. Right now a new PT10/11 license with support is $899 US. And there are options to run non-aax plugins in PT11. If they have 64 bit vst or au versions then you can use either Blue Cat Audio MB7-2 in single band mode or Patchwork to host the vst or au version. If they're not 64 bit you need some kind of bit-bridge. For Windows there's jbridge. ON a Mac you have a choice of jbridgeMac to wrap vst plugins or 32 Lives to wrap au plugins. I believe Blue Cat has a combo purchase of Patchwork and 32 Lives.

Nice thing with PT11 is you don't have the memory limit issues like you have with PT10.

Now the Avid prices I quote are for non-HD PT; HD prices have yet to be totally sorted out but I believe the first year support/upgrade is $599 US. And if you are on PT HD the price for missing that is outrageous.

[scontrer]

But does PT 11 still supports RTAS?

I guess that if I wait for PT13, I will probably buy the MBOX 3 Pro (or MBOX 4 if already released) to replace by MBOX 2, and in this case, the PT license is included for cheap.

[JFreak]

Originally Posted by scontrer

But does PT 11 still supports RTAS?

No.

[scontrer]

Thanks for your confirmation JFreak, that was also my understanding and the reason to stay with PT 10 for the time being :)

To come back to the initial topic of this thread, I ordered the M-Audio Axiom 49 which seems to be the best choice in terms of price, quality, and integration with PT and instruments.