One of the most debated topics by far on music production forums is the medium to use for drum sequence input. On one side are the advocates of using standard MIDI keyboard controllers – the keys on which can be used to input control messages for drum samples – or dedicated equipment like the drum machines from Akai and other manufacturers that have flooded the market as of late.
In recent times, some of the companies who have been putting out drum pad units have made available a cheaper range for people that may just be on the fence, and to lure advocates of the opposite side. Manufacturers like Akai have made a lot of changes to their own equipment, with the said company now offering devices like the MPD32 (their flagship input device) and several lower-cost option. The only processing these devices do concerns the velocity levels; the rest is up to the computer or keyboard workstation.
On the keyboard side, we can see the advantages quite clearly. A lot of people already have great skills on the keyboard, making the transition to drum samples sequencing quite an easy choice. One of the major complains is that when hitting the keys, there is always that delay between strike and sound, something which doesn’t play a major role for most people – and it is indeed minimal – but this is where the pad solutions have an advantage: the pads are right above the sensor bed, not like with keyboards where the key needs to be pressed quite far down.
So, the trigger response is pretty much the major drawback when it comes to keyboards. On one hand we have the instantaneous impact of the pad hitting the sensor, and on the other, the keyboard needs to have its keys pushed down and release to be able to transmit the sound. A lack of rhythm on the keyboard can be devastating, and it’s generally better to learn and hone rhythmic skills on firm pads.
The pads aren’t immune from criticism, though. People complain of poor quality even in the highest end products, with many pads not being able to withstand 50 hours of use required by a regular music producer. In fact, manufacturers make a lot on the backend with sales of replacement drum pads!
More recently, there has been a trend towards integrating the two technologies and create something for both parties to meet in the middle and sort this out. The result is a hybrid product that integrates both a keyboard and pads. The pads are usually located above the keyboard for easy access, and the keyboard is in some cases even weighted or semi-weighted, but 90% of the time is just sensitive to velocity and nothing more. A major complaint regarding this merge is the quality of components. Some people have pointed out that the pads and actual keys are both lower quality than stand-alone products. So with neither the pads nor keys being really good, it’s simply a gimmick. This view is share by a lot of professional reviewers.
Do you want to know how to make beats? Start with some good hip hop drum samples, then look for a basic tutorial on the topic and get started!
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