Best Midi Keyboard for Controlling Cubase

Cubase
1

I need to buy a new midi keyboard and would like to know from forum users- what would you say is the ABSOLUTE BEST keyboard to use with full integration of Cubase…?

2

I wouldn’t recommend to glue this. Kryboard feeling is very individual.

Regarding the “Controller” part, Yamaha has some nice integration on its synths (even the cheap ones), but I think, they have no MIDI Keyboard only.

Actually, it depends, what do you want to control from your new Keyboard/Controller.

3

Thanks for the reply Martin. Apart from the actual keyboard, I’d like to control the transport bar, mixer and have pads for triggering samples, as well as buttons that will assign to VST instruments. Basically something that functions similarly to what the Akai APC 40 does for Ableton.

4

Not the best key bed. But fully doable to work with.
The Nektar Panorama p4 or p6 will give you deep control over Cubase.

5

I bought a Nektar Impact LX88+ a few weeks ago, it integrates deeply with Cubase 8/9. Semi-weighted action, and quiet.

6

SO! I did not heed your advise and ended up buying a Novation Launchkey 49 (there’s no stock of the panoramas- new model coming out). Very happy with the Novation EXCEPT…
I have managed to map the controls to Cubase but now it seems to be sending a constant MIDI pulse. I recorded it and it’s a C2 that happens every second.
I have read about this somewhere on a blog before but cannot find it.
Anyone have any advice as to what the hell this is???
Thanks!

7

I just found the answer on the Novation webite- in case anybody else ever runs into this problem.

If you’re using your MIDI controller to control your DAW’s mixer via HUI, you may see a continuous C-2 note off message being sent by the controller.

Part of the HUI spec requires that the controller sends out a continuous C-2 note off message to let the software know that the controller is “online”. This is referred to as the HUI heartbeat message.

This should not interfere with your projects at all and if you find that you’re hearing the constant C-2 message, it’s likely that you have the ‘HUI’ port assigned to input into your DAW. If this is the case, make sure that you have your track input set to a standard MIDI port rather than a HUI port.

Novation HUI ports may be named:

Automap HUI
Launchkey InControl
Launchkey Mk 2 InControl
Launchkey Port 2
Launchkey Mk 2 Port 2
MIDIIN2