I’m a reasonably new user of Renoise, and am considering investing in a rather pricey midi keyboard but as a user of Linux I’m a bit worried about compatibility. I’ve had the opportunity to plug in two somewhat basic midi controllers previously so far and they’ve both worked fine.
I’m most interested in the Akai MPK61 midi keyboard controller. Though the M-Audio Axiom is also a slightly cheaper alternative.
Anyone know the likelyhood this will work fine in Linux?
Does Renoise support the drum pads on these keyboards? I haven’t been able to track down any info on how they’re configured.
Should I be aware of any features on these keyboards that may not be compatible with Renosie? (beyond having to manually assign each knob/button)
I don’t know if Linux supports it but both of those devices should be USB MIDI-class compliant meaning they don’t need 3rd party drivers.
I suppose Linux will work fine in this day and age but i can’t be sure as I only use OSX and windows.
the drum pads and other controls on those controllers output standard MIDI notes/cc so they’ll work if everything else does.
I don’t know if Linux supports it but both of those devices should be USB MIDI-class compliant meaning they don’t need 3rd party drivers.
I can’t be sure as I only use OSX and windows but I suppose Linux will also include class compliant drivers in this day and age.
the drum pads and other controls on those controllers output standard MIDI notes/cc so they’ll work if everything else does.
Anything which is truly class compliant should work flawlessly in Linux. Usual problem is things aren’t class compliant and hence and specific drivers needs to be engineered for it.
I’ve got an Akai Pro MPK Mini here (25 keys) and it works like a charm on Linux just as it does on Windows. Exactly the same communication with Renoise as far as I can tell! Only thing I haven’t tested is the config program, simply named “MPKEdit” (which has a lot of options btw, it’s really good)… but I’ve read somewhere that even the config app should work fine with wine. Gotta tell you I’m really glad I got the AKAI pro. The pads & everything will work, I’m even working on a custom script that handles midi feedback to the keyboard (means you can light up the pads with functions, e.g. mine show whether the main is on pattern editor/mixer/sample keyzones/sample editor etc.)
in short: yes it’ll work, can’t guarantee about the config app but definitely can’t guarantee another company’s config app, wouldn’t know. just get the akai you won’t be disappointed
I’ve got an Akai MPK25 (little sister to the MPK61), and it works perfectly on Linux.
The drum pads work perfectly, although I applied the fix detailed on Youtube to make them more responsive - nothing to do with Linux, however.
As an aside, I use the keyboard with other apps outside our beloved Renoise - and have never had a problem. Even assigning buttons to keys in Windows VSTs under Wine works great.
I haven’t begun to explore the keyboard much beyond its ‘out of the box’ functionality, but everything I’ve played with so far has been fantastic.
Happy to try and help if you come across any problems.
My MPK61 works with Linux (Ubuntu variations) but the editor does not (not even using Wine).
I love the MPK61 (but replaced the pads immediately) http://www.mpcstuff.com/akmpc10exset2.html (love the red!) however some players don’t like the keyboard. When I replaced the pads, I had a good look at the mechanism for the extreme ‘springyness’ of the keys. They have thick black springs mounted vertically. When you press a key, the spring bends slightly. Very tight. Very firm. If you pound your keys or play one key really fast with two fingers, you will love this board. If you prefer a lighter touch, don’t buy it. The aftertouch words well, including the pads.
For me the combination of 5 octaves of keys, 8 mixer faders, 8 continuous pots, pitchbend, mod wheel and 16 drum pads made it the ultimate live controller. It’s also 100% bus powered (or if you buy the adapter will run stand-alone to power via ordinary MIDI cables any external MIDI device)
No way - there is so much power and flexability in Linux for music! And Renoise runs great here - there are probably a few tweaks the devs could make to totally fit into the linux landscape, but it is such an awesome tool and combination!
Anyway - MPK 61 editor software works fine for me under Wine on Ubuntu Studio 12.04 - allows easy editing of the presets, etc. All functions work just fine over MIDI. Nice board, and no linux issues.
