I finally updated the Aura's firmware and got everything to work on my laptop with Nektarine using Reason 12 and Reason Rack as my VST effects plugins. I'm HIGHLY pleased. This is my flagship piece of gear. If you've got patience, get this gem. What a superb piece of gear!!!
Haha, I'm glad you're happy with it. I like the thing as well, except for the fact it flickers when I film it, so that's why I never show it on camera anymore :-)
how is it as a controller using it in Reason and not in Nektarine? looking for a good pad controller that can do drums and control sequences to record in REason
Man, I’ve had this since the latter part of May, and it’s just now starting to make sense to me. The learning curve is a bit much, but once you get it, you got it!! Very good video by the way!!!
If I programed my P1 to be ritam Mashine turning buttons to midi notes than with Aura possibilities are much bigger and only obstacle is Nektarine wich is heavy on my CPU. My question is does Aura have build in scales and chords modes ?
Agreed...the learning curve can be dynamic and steep for some elements. But, once the user sees the light...the experience is a matrix of worm holes. I love the device.
I finally saved enough to get one while recovering from surgery. I'm following your super awesome tutorial now and a lot is making sense. But if I may offer one criticism, I wish that you'd shown us how to load a sound in the beginning because i'm following along with no sound. Oh well, time to share the love with an additional youtuber as I get tutorials until I figure this out. 😅
There are no sounds inside the device. It needs to be used as a midi controller plugged into a computer. I have not written a guide for this specific controller, but the installation lesson in my free beginner course does explain how to link sounds to pads. That might be worth checking out! questforgroove.com/course/beginnercourse/basic-setup/installation/
Thanks so much for covering this unit... it’s EXACTLY what I was looking for. I’m new to finger drumming, and your videos have been the perfect education. All I need now is practice, practice, practice. Keep up the great work!
Thank you! If you ever feel like step-by-step guidance into learning finger drumming is something you could use, check out my courses on questforgroove.com. . Beginner stuff is 100% free (and comes with a no spam guarantee) :-) glad to hear youre enjoying the vids.
Really nice review. Probably, this drumpad would be near-perfect for me. They should adjust the sensor size/software so the pads are sensitive for the whole pad area though.
I have Maschine mk3 and you have to know that Maschine is bad quality build, encoders are trash I couldn't believe and I replace my unit with new and it is same but it have arpeggio and chords and scales build in Hardware and it is perfect for fast composing but outside of Maschine software it is uslles. You will always turn to DAW and with Aura you already working in DAW. I have programed P1 to be ritam Mashine by making buttons to midi notes. T4 with Nektarine is heavy on my CPU but quality build is superb compared to NI hardware, it is big difference. You can turn knobs on Nektar live performance very quickly and hard but with Maschine you have to be gentle really gentle. I don't have Aura but I'm considering to buy it but I need chords and scales build in Sequencer and that is my question. Maschine is fantastic but reading throu forums and talking to friends it is bad quality build but very complicated device so it can be demaged only by using it on the other way Maschine+ is perfect build quality and more expensive version of MK3 . If you buy Maschine my advice is to be prepared to be gentle on how you use hardware with Nektar you can do all moves like live action situation. I'm still can't get specific answer on scales and chords in AURA.
@@igorbeuk6298 Absolutely wrong. All the Maschine models are high-quality builds, and at least with the mk3 (and plus), they have a MIDI mode for complete customizability outside of Maschine 2. Excellent choice as a pad controller.
Well, if you like the maschine ecosystem you want to go for the used maschine, but if you actually don't like the masxhine software and you're just getting it for the pads then you might like the aura more because its independent. I think at this point its more about the extra stuff and not about the pads as much. So the pads are more than good enough on all devices and your decision should be based on the other features. Which ones do you need the most? And then based on that you buy a device.
I produce beats using mobile apps and Aura worked best for me when connected to an ipad/iphone running the Gadget2 app over wireless Bluetooth MIDI. As a mobile beat producer I love portability, compactness and maximum app control. One very cool feature is that during Aura's internal mode playback active pad sequences can be modulated, muted, soloed, sped up/slowed down, truncated/re-elongated all independent of other tracks simultaneously playing. Or when play is initiated in Gadget2, I can manipulate the MIDI assigned Aura encoders to control Gadget2's effects within the app for realtime performance. Obviously, Nectarine does not work in the app but I don't need it.
Eu comprei. Tô curtindo pra caramba! Muito legal, e o dá hora tbm é que todos esses botões são possíveis de mapear dentro da DAW. Muito obrigado, Rob por ter me ajudado com a configuração antes mesmo de ter feito o vídeo. De fato tem que tocar no centro dos pads. Aquele Nectarina tem que ser racker pra usar... Mas de fato ele brilha muito na câmera...
What is your opinion on the Aruba/Aura two years later? I want a pad controller that I can use mainly for Ableton Drum Rack - I initially looked at the Maschine Mikro, however it doesn’t seem compatible for the drum rack. I currently have the Push 2 but I’m looking to sell it as it takes up way too much space on my desk and I only use 10% of its features. The aura looks amazing but there’s not many videos on how it’s held up since it launched
My device is still as good as it was when I made the video but since it's not my main unit (Maschine mk3 for everything) I cannot tell you how durable it is. I don't play it much. Pads are still good though because I set them up as described in this video. I heard from a couple of people who bought it. Some happy customers but also some disappointed ones. This seems to be the case for every pad controller on the market, but because the Aura does not sell that many units it's a smaller sample size and therefore even harder to ballpark how many good units vs how many bad units they produce.
Hi, i am looking also for a drumpad that is compatible with Ableton DrumRack. You say Maschine Mikro does not seem to be compatible with DrumRack, are you sure about this ?
Hey! Love your youtube channel just checking out your website. New to maschine. I know you and also jermey ellis like to use Midi Mode for maschine. just wondering about pad sensitivity. I have mine set to Soft 3, i'm kinda assuming this is the best scaling. but yeah just curious of your Velocity/Sensitivity settings to get the best performace!
I found that thats personal actually. I use linear but other folks like soft 3 better. You should make sure to set the sensitivity slider to the most sensitive setting!
I know this video is older, but most of this still applies. The latest firmware did a lot for this controller, for sure. I am not really happy with the lag input from it to Ableton Live, but I think that's more of a Live issue than anything else, maybe 50/50 between it's driver and ASIO. I've turned down my Buffer size to 64 samples and I still notice a bit of lag. I see better performance out of other devices, than from the Aura.
@@TheQuestforGroove Having only had a MIDI keyboard prior, I didn't really ever consider lag, as I was a heavy piano roll user. Turns out, there were lots of things on my master channel that were introducing lag. Got it all fixed up now and am loving it. This controller taught me the importance of timing, as I could only play in half time, until I fixed my DAW, due to audio feedback.
Have you tried the beatstep pro or know how it compares to this for sensitivity? I mean this seems abnormally customizable but I'm thinking sensitivity isn't a huge priority for the beatstep. idk tho
I have a Beatstep Pro. I’ve only used it as a sequencer, and only briefly to trigger samples with the pads. Pads are not overly sensitive, and there’s no way to adjust sensitivity or envelopes from the controller itself. But there is a software editor. I haven’t bothered to use it, but it’s possible there are more options there. Bottom line though, I’d only use a Beatstep Pro for sequencing, there are many better options for pure sample triggering
How does this handle sampling? I know the MPC Studio MK2 is roughly the same cost as this and it has "lazy chopping" and other features that make sampling easy, but if this has similar features to that as far as sampling goes plus the other quality of life changes in regards to work flow then for the same price this would be a no brainer!
I don't really use sampling for my music. I play "drum simulators" like Addictive drums to mimic real drum kits, so I don't think I can help you out with this. Sorry!
Hi!!! Great video and very instructive. I was wondering if the inbuilt sequencer has out of the grid programming options or microqusntization, to have sounds playing slightly out of sync, and if you can add swing or grooves to the patterns.
I can confirm live swing change and tempo change by just using a rotator knob. As for the micro shifts, it has a 'nudge' option which should do this: "Nudge play position of the current Pattern backwards/forwards by 1/96 for each press." So my guess is it does this per pattern and perhaps not per note?
Thanks for this great review! How does the Personus Atom compare in terms of flickering lights? I really like Nektar and their design philosophy but since I record TH-cam videos I'm unsure if I can live with the flickering.
You don't see the flickering that much. Only if you're filming the pads because of the camera shutter speed that does not sync up with the frequency of the LED's inside. I can film the Atom without any flickering, no problem.
Hey I'm a Push 2 users looking to get the same note repeat functionality in Logic Pro. Have you experimented with the time division of the Aura in Logic? I mean both the locking to Logic's clock and the smoothness of switching between difference time divisions. Push 2 has been so smooth and I have found nothing to compete yet.
Hey I haven't checked that out actually, also because I don't have Logic but mostly because I never use note repeat myself so it's hard to test it for the stuff people might need because I have no real clue as to what to look for. From what I hear other people say, it looks like the Push 2 is really good and the Aura is a bit of a hassle to work with. So other than the pads, I wouldn't buy it for the other functionality. Is it no longer possible to use Ableton for you?
Hi Robert, I would like to use the midi pad Controller the same way you do. Mainly as a tool for playing drum software. What would you think is the better choice? Aura (highly configurable, top sensitive Pads) or Maschine Mikro MK3 (cheaper, maybe limited?) Thanks for your help.....and merry christmas!
The pads of the mikro mk3 are just good withour tweaking and theyre bigger snd respond better along the edges. So you probably just want the mikro mk3. The aura is more for people who hate native instruments or people who tried the mikro and want something else.
Since I'm using Bitwig, I'm looking at either this or the Launchpad Mk3 with the drivenbymoss script. Which one would you recommend? I have no experience with using pads at all and want to get into finger drumming and no telling what else.
Thats a very personal decision. I think in both cases you'll get great, sensitive pads. So you can't go wrong really... I'd say 4x4 pads are better to start out with because its just easier and simpler to play. Less pads means more focus on what matters, which is keeping it simple and actually make things groove.
I have no idea... Is there a possibility for using an external midi keyboard together with the maschine software? My guess would be yes, because then you can play piano parts and stuff like that inside a Maschine project. If that is possible, using the aura should also be possible since it is the same as a midi keyboard but then with pads.
@@TheQuestforGroove I appreciate it. I am curious as to whether you might try using Aura as a controller with all of the library sounds of Maschine's software to find out how powerful of a combination they may be together... or whether they are just too disjointed to truly enjoy together from a "Pad Dynamics + Software Library" standpoint?
hey man im new to your channel thanks for finger drumming videos they’re really helping me keep doing what you’re doing! Something ive struggled with for a while is hand independence could you cover this in a future video ?
Hi Robert, Great review. The Aura looks very good to me. Class compliant, highly tweakable, good pads, compatibility to a lot of DAWs.....Great. I am looking for a drumpad that fits best for me. At the moment I am considering to buy Maschine MK3 or Nektar Aura. I am using: NI Komplete, Addictive drums 2 and Cubase.... So I am asking myself whether I could use: - NI Software with the Aura - Addictive drums with Maschine - Maschine with Cubase... Lots of questions, I know but I would appreciate and help here. Merry Christmas!
Hey man, I think the large maschine mk3 is a little better than the aura so if you can afford it that's the best controller to get. Together with addictive drums an unbeatable combo. Or did you mean the maschine mikro mk3?
Hi Robert, Wow. Very swift reply. Thank you very much. Indeed I am thinking about the big one as this is also the one you use. Meanwhile I found your video on Jazz drumming where you used Addictive drums with Maschine, so this seems a very strong combo also for other than electronic music.... Now I just have to get good on Finger drumming 🙈.... Best Regards!
@@fr4358 Just have in mind that MK3 is bad quality build, with encoders you have to be specialy gentle, with Nektar you will get exelent quality build for composing and live action quick moves music composing but with less options compared to Mk3 except the + ver. wich is more expensive but action quality build. I love Mk3 and I got amazing results but my encoders become very loose it feels like its going to fall a part and at the end you will end up with DAW for mix and master but also for some very simple automation and arrange. Maschine mk3 would be great if it was build for live action moves, but it's not and you have to work very careful and gentle. Nektar is very good quality build and with Nektarine and midi programing you can create very powerful workflow, unique to your taste on the other way Maschine have very robust workflow and as you use it quality is going down and I'm very sad because I switched two Maschines and second one is same as firs I also talked to many users and friends and quality is really cheap, becoming very bad after year of use and + version is one of the best quality build hardware on the market but it is a plus version, 1200 euro so maybe you can reasrch more about AURA and DAW integration and VST even NI software can be used better with Nektar than with Maschine. Maschine have arp, scales, chords, tempo and pitch on audio with software but compared to any popular DAW it's looks like a toy. You can make great quick results/ skeches and that can be something really original but you will have to export and arrange it in DAW...AURA or Maschine mk3 I would say Maschine + or AURA.
If you change the shutter speed on your camera, you should be able to stop the flickering. This is a common problem with a lot of LED lights. For example, turn your camera's settings off auto and adjust shutter speed, try 1/60 instead of 1/50.
Its all manual. But its a difficult one. The pad flicker at a pretty slow rate, I can even see it with my eyes. Not ideal for filming. The folks from the nektar aura did find a shutter speed that worked (i emailed them asking what camera settings they used) but it was a very weird one like 77 or something. My blackmagic pocket 4k cameras cannot be that specific.
The Quest for Groove ah yes, that’s why cinema cameras will let you dial in exact numbers. I do video for a living so I deal with this all the time now...so many led lighting fixtures these days causing flicker. Especially shooting in slow no it’s even worse.
Pretty silly that my "pocket 'cinema' camera" cannot do this but you know... it's ofcourse way too cheap to be actually pro :-) for my needs these cameras are great though.. except with this flicker.
@@TheQuestforGroove You can pick up a Canon EOS M on Ebay for dirt and load Magic Lantern on it for a fun very tweakable cinema camera. Kind of like the Nektar Aura's illegitimate cousin lol
Hey do you know how to fix this issue? So when i press 3 buttons when i am finger drumming they turn into white color and get stuck. I have to press them individual to play again.
Yeah so in that case you need to tweak the pad sensitivity of that pad and turn that down to be less sensitive. See the "pad sensitivity" chapter at 3:53.
Hello. You mentioned that pad sensitivity is not consistent across the pads. At the moment Mpd-226 is my favorite because it lets me do fast drum rolls (faster than Maschine mk3). I believe Maschine prevents super fast rolls in order to fix double triggering. Im wondering how the Auroa’s pads compare in dynamic range to Maschine and mpd226.
I do play some very fast stuff on the Maschine and the Aura, but I also have a layout with two snare pads, two kicks and two hihats so that might help with that limitation. I haven't really reached a noticeable limit so far on either device. The dynamic range on the aura can be adjusted as I mention in the video so my guess is it's the most tweakable of all of them and you can probably set it so that it fits your playing style.
Bought one after watching this video and love it thankyou! Do you know how to transpose the whole 16 pads together? I can't imagine the only way is to run through each individual pad and adjust the notes from there.
Oh man... I actually have no idea how to do that. Maybe you can do it faster through some sort of software app instead of doing it through the device itself?
Haven't found that specific feature but there's also a bunch of presets in there from the factory where each note is already set to something different.
It will need power but I think you can just plug in a midi cable and connect that to any hardware device and it should work! It does not seem to need a computer to function.
I you had to choose one between Aura and Mascine Mikro mk3, which one would it be? I use Ableton as my main daw, but I just want best pads possible for finger drumming in not too big and pricey package.
The mikro mk3 is a lot smaller than the aura actually. And $100 cheaper, with great pads. So... yeah in your case, with portability in mind the mikro mk3 has a slight edge over rhe aura.
Thanks for this review ! I love my Aura ! But coul'd you please make a demo for the note repeat ? I'm in trouble with that fonction and I would like to know if I do something wrong ... Thanks a lot !
@@TheQuestforGroove I have asked them before and their answer is not completely consistent. I can't find anything or anyone on the web that could help me better than the people of Nektar ...
Nektar Aura vs MPC Studio 2 vs Launchpad X for Motu DP11 user? Want to finger drum. Not really into live play and have a piano for melodics. Not sure I’d use the live stuff and clip triggers of Novation in DP11. More of a studio guy. Any recommendations would be appreciated.
I think I would personally pick the Nektar Aura. 64 pads is way too much for most use cases so I'd go with nice sensitive 4x4 pads and at this time I don't have any bad experiences with the nektar aura. Also not with the mpc studio 2, but I do have had quality control issues with Akai in the past which is why I don't fully trust them. If you can temporarily miss the mooney you could compare the aura and the mpc studio 2 and then send one back and get the money back. That way youll know for sure.
I really appreciate the reply. I was going to buy the nectar aura when it came out however I could not locate one nor were there many reviews. Also the MPC Studio 2 seemed interesting. Thanks again for your time.
Ok Mister... Now tell me about the MX Keys keyboard! haha... I've been checking it out online since it came out.. what's your thoughts? Best keyboard ever? Good enough?... compared to a mechanical, if you have experience.. ;)
I only know the MX keyboard from Logitech for typing... I own one and its an awesome keyboard. MX master mouse is also an awesome mouse. Highly recommend both! Don't get the keyboard with the turn wheel though. Thats bullshit.
No it's just a controller. There are no sounds inside the device. You control software with it on a computer. For example Addictive Drums 2 (which I always use). You will need a laptop or something similar to make that work.
Yeah the same setting, but threshold correspond to max pressure on the Aura.Also it can sequence Polyrythm! (check the namm demo from Nektar ). Maybe my next toy if the Launchpad don't fit my playing on finger drumming :p
Hum just received and finished my layout on the Launchpad pro MK3. The pads are very sensitive i have set them to 1 and it's playable but my mpc element allow me more controle over the maximum velocity but the sensibility on light touch is slighty better than my mpc element.I think i 'll stick to the Launchpad but i only sell my old mpd218 it works well but the feeling on the Element is better.Good advice: Found an old MPC element for 60 euros on ebay; i bet you 'll love her if you again in 16/16 pads ;) it's small smooth very solid and it's very quiet due to the design...
I adjust maximum velocity inside addictive drums 2 as well. There you can adjust the curve of each kit peliecw, making it harder or easier to reach max velocity.
@@TheQuestforGroove yup but with the element it seting up globaly so i am accutumed to have a linear curve (plug & play) Anyway am feel good on the launchpad with setting on 1. Also i like the little 3d dots on some of the pads! The only cons is the side buttons seems fragile compared to the element again... But what a great device with 64 pads i have almost all nuances for superior! Also i can see the benifits to play chromatic instruments with it. Also you have right very playable with the thumb and good for little or big hand!
You do need an interface if you don't have one. Alternatively you can use the aura with a hardware synth, in which case you dont even need a computer, but if you use a computer you need an audio interface as well for music making.
@@TheQuestforGroove Thanks! One more question: in terms of the pads sensitivity and playability, is the Aura at the same level as the Mikro MK3? Or is it slightly better or slightly inferior? Thanks in Advance.
It's not as much the frame rate as it is the shutter speed of the camera. I set it by selecting different options on the camera until the lights stop flickering :-D
I'm thinking buying Aura because Maschine mk3 is bad quality build, especially encoders. I have P1 and I easly set up it to work as ritam mashine and I also have T4 which is great but Nektarine is hard on CPU. My question is does Aura have presets for scales and chords ?
Depends on your daw. If you use ableton you could use a drumrack. If you use another daw you could use battery 4 vst from native instruments. If you use fl studio you could use fpc
buen día maestro, gracias por la información, tal vez el aura sea el controlador que necesito, ademas esta a buen precio, saludos desde Ibagué Colombia.
I'm reading bad things about the Nektarine software. Is it necessary to use it if I want to just drum on this in Ableton? I'm assuming for standalone there is no need to mess with Nektarine.
I actually did not touch the software. If you plug in the device it will immediately work as a midi controller and you can configure it inside the device itself. So that's very nice. No need to install nektarine. Just plug it in, assign the pads to your ableton drum kit and start playing and recording.
Haha, its actually a workflow thing. When shooting with my phone and one pro camera I spent too much time syncing up the footage because phones drop frames and stuff like that. With these two the shots are exactly matched, very easy to process as multicam which saves me a lot of time! :-)
The Quest for Groove it's not overkill at all, keep providing quality. People are never satisfied, 480p is meh, 4k is overkill. 🤷🏾♂️🤷🏾♂️🤷🏾♂️ go figure.
Thanks! As I said before, the most important thing about quality gear is that it improves workflow. Having 2 identical cameras make it easier to shoot multicam lessons and courses and keep everything nicely synced up and organized. To me thats the most important thing. 4k is also pretty handy because with the end goal of hd resolution you can do lots of lossless cropping of the footage :-) ill keep churning out the quality!
The mikro mk3 because it's $100 less and you'll get a great response out of it without having to go through all the stuff I explain in this video with the Aura.
But you also need to know that with Aura you will get a much better quality build hardware, with Maschine micro you will have some options of bigger MK3 and they are good without programing straight from the box like scales and chords everything else you'll have to use a mouse and the goal is to be more natural in making music. Maschine is fantastic for that but it has flaws like bad quality build wich can ruin the joy, + edition is perfect but more expensive. If Aura have build in scales and chords I will buy it but I can't get straight answer to that question. I programed easy my P1 to be ritam Mashine buy making buttons to midi notes. With Nektarine and T4 I have really fantastic possibilities but Nektarine is not stable and it it is heavy on CPU, in some cases Nektar controls VST's much better than NI and in others Maschine have better control but only in Maschine software, you have to know that , without Maschine software Hardware is uslles. I love Maschine but I'm also honest to real life situation and to my self and music making is not so ideal it is mess of mouse clicking and shiny devices with some level of integration. Buy Aura if you can't MK3 not micro.
@@TheQuestforGroove dude it would be awesome! I’ve been a finger drummer for years and I’m mind blown at beatmaker 3s sampler. I’d love to just plug in and have this level of control over the sensitivity/dynamics. I saw your new video talking about mobility and that is exactly what this new iPad (with BM3) has done for me and my workflow. Being able to sit outside and download splice samples or access my Dropbox and drag them directly in is wild.
My guess is that depends on where you are located. Here in Amsterdam I can just order it online at a bunch of music stores. That said, some other controllers are harder to get here and for example easy to get in the US. Here's one of the more common places: www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/AuraBeat--nektar-aura-beat-composer-and-daw-controller
Hi i just got 1 yesterday and im having trouble setting it up on my laptop, when im tapping it theres no sound coming out. Maybe there is wrong w/me setting this up. Im tapping it and light respond but there is no sound coming out. Please help me with this issue. Thank you in advance.
Hey, this could have many reasons. Obviously the nektar aura itself cannot produce sound, so I assume you mean the computer has no sound coming out. All I can say is that that probably has nothing to do with the nektar aura, but with how you configured your computer / DAW and audio interface.
@@TheQuestforGroove Hi. Im thankfull reading your response, maybe there is something wrong with my set up. Should i download a DAW to input some sounds like drums to load it to the aura? Because i thought there is already sound on the aura when i press the load button and choose drumkit on the preset options. Please help me with this is issue, my pardon im just new to this hardware. Thank you very much for your response. God bless
All the sound coms from your DAW and computer. The aura itself has no sounds inside of it at all, nor can it produce them. It's just a controller, like a keyboard or a mouse. All you can do with the Aura is send a midi note + velocity information of how hard you hit the pad to the computer. Everything else is then done by the computer. You'll need a virtual drumkit on there etc.
Can this be used as a midi only controller via usb, say to trigger drum sounds in GarageBand or Kong in Reason without having to load a VSTi? I have not found any definitive info on this.
I guess I mean can it be used like the MDP218, m-audio trigger finger, or the standard midi keyboards, as a usb midi controller. I don’t expect sound out of the device, I just was wondering if it can be just a midi controller you can select to trigger drum sounds in daws like GarageBand or Reason. I’m hoping not to be required to load a nectar VST to get it to work.
Hey could you do a video only about samples you use. - Whats important to check - Where do you get them - What Sample Packs are good or bad - Websites you can recommend - How you prepare the samples in your DAW I love your Sounds especially in the Jazz Jam and the Police cover. There is really a lot of content in the Internet and i as a beginner I feel a little lost because theres so much Bullshit. I'd like to do dub music btw. Greetings from Germany!
Hey Manu, The best thing to do is go through the videos in my (100% free) beginner course on questforgroove.com. I'll explain exactly how I set everything up. The thing about samples is that you need a 'drum simulator' instead of normal one shot samples. The drum simulator will play different samples based on how hard you hit the pads and will also play random variations of the samples to make no two hits sound exactly the same. Thats the sound that youre hearing in the police and jazz videos. Basically, you need something like addictive drums 2!
No its just different. The pads are very nice in both of these devices so now its more about what you prefer. 4x4 or 8x8. And what the use case is... I personally will always keep both devices around because they're both nice. You cannot really go wrong buying either one of these.
Well, you can set up your daw to trigger tracks based on what pads you hit, but there is no storage inside the controller, so no sounds or backing tracks or whatever can be stored inside the device. You can just trigger sounds with it, and those sounds have to be inside your computer, or inside a hardware synth or something.
I know this is totally off topic but i am looking to get a pad controller at 150$ budget and wanna suggestions between PreSonus ATOM or Novation Launchpad X?? Please help! @The Quest for Groove I didnt know how else to contact you!
Thank you so much for the response. Appreciate it. I will get a launchpad x. Also thank you for making all the good videos. I wanna start learning finger drumming. So I am going to take your classes as well!!
The Quest for Groove :) I can find a launchpad pro mk2 for 120$. Is it worth getting that over a launch padX? Sorry for too many questions. This is going to be my first board so am being cautious
Hi man am a beginning. Am trying to get one of them drum pad. Help me by telling me, what to get between maschine mk3, nektar or any other good pad. Thank you
Nektar aura, maschine mk3, maschine mikro mk3, launchpad pro mk3 are all great. You cannot really go wrong with any of those (unless you get a broken unit of course). So it depends in your other needs. If you just want 4x4 for the best price, get a mikro mk3. If you want more tweakeablilitt and a built in sampler, get the aura, if you want a built in audio interface get the big mke if you like 8x8 pads get the launchpad pro mk3.
This is an amazing sequencer with so much potential, exceptional midi control, 64 steps sequencer for each of the16 pads, tempo timing control for every midi channel, multi loop, gate, velocity swing and accent... Then this is all let down by the astonishing omission of No Midi Clock Out through the din. WTF would they do this... don’t wish to use this with a pc at all so finding this out has made it almost useless for me now.. just an expensive ornament on my desk...
@@TheQuestforGroove You made a great review of a great piece of kit.. Imo it’s just lacking the one thing I need I’m not sure if its simple enough it could be resolved in a firmware update or if It’s a fundamental restriction of the hardware either way thanks again for the review 👍
Hey, favor. Do you still have firmware v010004 still? V010008 on the website Is faulty and throws the aura into test mode and it will not restore. If you still have it can you email it?
Hey! Sorry I always throw away my downloads so I do not have any files, but... if this is a faulty firmware Nektar should be on top of this right? And if you email them telling its faulty they should apologize and send you the correct firmware right away!
@@BlessbyGBeats Hey, stop spreading false info, please! I have contacted them many times and their support is one of the best around. Just have a bit of patience.
@@MrWoofer it is not up to you to decide what is good service for everyone else. Your experience may be different than the next person. So for you to assume someone is giving false information when their experience is their experience is actually wrong on your part. So do not accuse anyone of false info when they are giving an ACTUAL ACCOUNT OF THEIR EXPERIENCE AND NOT YOURS! False info would mean I'm giving info based on lies or rumors and not facts. I gave a personal account and if that is my personal account you don't have the right to say I'm giving false info! You can only attest to your experience. In actuality, for you to say I'm giving false info is false info!
Well there are no sounds inside the device if that is what you mean. It's just a controller, but it will for example also work when you connect it to a hardware synth or something. So you dont need a pc per se, but you do need something that will produce sounds.
I plugged in, updated firmware, setup nektarine and logic, and I can't get a sound out of it. I can't get it to make a sound. Both programs are responding to me hitting the pads but nothing is coming out. I am missing something, can you help?
So midi data is received correctly but just no sound? Whenever that happens to me it ususally means the program cannot find the samples it needs to play. Usually when my external harddrive with samples changed drive letters or something. Either that or my speakers are turned off :-)
@@TheQuestforGroove Yes precisely. Just so you are aware, this is my first day ever using one of these and first one ive ever bought. Can it play sound from my macbook pro speakers through the usb power cable provided, or am I supposed to get separate speakers and set them up through the midi out cable. Thanks for the speedy response to my noob questions.
Yes if the macbook speakers are set inside the DAW as the audio interface used, the sound will come out your macbook pro speakers. You'll be dealing with some latency i think. That's why the best solution is to get a separate audio interface and hook up headphones or speakers to that. If you go through my free beginner course on questforgroove.com I'll explain it step by step!
@@TheQuestforGroove youre the goat buddy. Ill be all over your lessons as soon as I get some sounds happening. I Iove your videos and how extensive your range of styles are. Thanks again Be in touch 🤙
Daw sound 'routing' is always a bit of a hassle in the beginning. There's a couple of places in the 'chain' where things can go wrong. So its a process of elimination and/or asking questions online or to customer support. Once you know, you know and you're on your way to becoming a home studio wizard!
With the right cable and a power adapter for the Aura it should work yes. There a re a couple of ipad apps that work with midi controllers and those should work with the Aura as well. Biggest problem will be latency. In my experience you always hear it. I have a 2021 Macbook and if I use the onboard audio there is just a small latency.
No. At this time no standalone systems exist that can do what I need them to do, which is realistic drum emulation. This is just a midi controller with no on board sound at all.
My first guess would be that it's possible with the right plug and maybe a powered usb hub for sufficient power, but I have not tested this setup myself.
That can have so many reasons. Its a trial and error proces seeing for example if midi notes even get into the daw, then into the plugin and then if that's the case see if the plugin can find the samples on your harddrive
A for effort but without a musical skillset, it removes the desire and inspiration that could influence the possibility of purchase. At this point Nektar has literally dropped the ball and that's just not acceptable if they expect consumer support to somehow develop from a zero effort.
You mean the device is not intuitive to use? I agree. You have to really tweak this thing and then it's a great tool, but it's sort of like how the Linux operating system used to be :-)
Were Nektar Failed .They called it a beat composer gtfoh! It only has a step seqeuncer .Akai Mpd'seris has a step sequencer in their controllers but, there not calling it a composer! They called it a "midi controller" and it does everything Nektar can do..Akai even has real beat making software ..Nektar is a JOKE!
I finally updated the Aura's firmware and got everything to work on my laptop with Nektarine using Reason 12 and Reason Rack as my VST effects plugins. I'm HIGHLY pleased. This is my flagship piece of gear. If you've got patience, get this gem. What a superb piece of gear!!!
Haha, I'm glad you're happy with it. I like the thing as well, except for the fact it flickers when I film it, so that's why I never show it on camera anymore :-)
how is it as a controller using it in Reason and not in Nektarine?
looking for a good pad controller that can do drums and control sequences to record in REason
Man, I’ve had this since the latter part of May, and it’s just now starting to make sense to me.
The learning curve is a bit much, but once you get it, you got it!! Very good video by the way!!!
Thanks! Glad that its working for you now!
If I programed my P1 to be ritam Mashine turning buttons to midi notes than with Aura possibilities are much bigger and only obstacle is Nektarine wich is heavy on my CPU. My question is does Aura have build in scales and chords modes ?
Agreed...the learning curve can be dynamic and steep for some elements. But, once the user sees the light...the experience is a matrix of worm holes. I love the device.
A great, important, free lesson on how to set pads on top of a great review.
Thank you so much for your generosity !
We need a review to a nektarine 2.5
I finally saved enough to get one while recovering from surgery. I'm following your super awesome tutorial now and a lot is making sense. But if I may offer one criticism, I wish that you'd shown us how to load a sound in the beginning because i'm following along with no sound.
Oh well, time to share the love with an additional youtuber as I get tutorials until I figure this out.
😅
There are no sounds inside the device. It needs to be used as a midi controller plugged into a computer. I have not written a guide for this specific controller, but the installation lesson in my free beginner course does explain how to link sounds to pads. That might be worth checking out! questforgroove.com/course/beginnercourse/basic-setup/installation/
@@TheQuestforGroove Thank you
Thanks so much for covering this unit... it’s EXACTLY what I was looking for. I’m new to finger drumming, and your videos have been the perfect education. All I need now is practice, practice, practice. Keep up the great work!
Thank you! If you ever feel like step-by-step guidance into learning finger drumming is something you could use, check out my courses on questforgroove.com. . Beginner stuff is 100% free (and comes with a no spam guarantee) :-) glad to hear youre enjoying the vids.
Really nice review. Probably, this drumpad would be near-perfect for me. They should adjust the sensor size/software so the pads are sensitive for the whole pad area though.
Yup, some improvements can be made in the Nektar Aura 2 if they ever make one!
Timelinks ↴
0:00 - Nektar Aura introduction
1:00 - Class nompliance
1:26 - Setup 1: Pad notes
2:53 - Setup 2: Pad colors (and flickering)
3:53 - Setup 3: Pad sensitivity
8:13 - Setup 4: Velocity curves and range
11:51 - Step sequencer
14:15 - Which device to buy?
This and the mk3 mikro are the exactly the same price in my country, which one do you recommend? Which one is more sensitivity? Thank u very much
I have Maschine mk3 and you have to know that Maschine is bad quality build, encoders are trash I couldn't believe and I replace my unit with new and it is same but it have arpeggio and chords and scales build in Hardware and it is perfect for fast composing but outside of Maschine software it is uslles. You will always turn to DAW and with Aura you already working in DAW. I have programed P1 to be ritam Mashine by making buttons to midi notes. T4 with Nektarine is heavy on my CPU but quality build is superb compared to NI hardware, it is big difference. You can turn knobs on Nektar live performance very quickly and hard but with Maschine you have to be gentle really gentle. I don't have Aura but I'm considering to buy it but I need chords and scales build in Sequencer and that is my question. Maschine is fantastic but reading throu forums and talking to friends it is bad quality build but very complicated device so it can be demaged only by using it on the other way Maschine+ is perfect build quality and more expensive version of MK3 . If you buy Maschine my advice is to be prepared to be gentle on how you use hardware with Nektar you can do all moves like live action situation. I'm still can't get specific answer on scales and chords in AURA.
@@igorbeuk6298 Absolutely wrong. All the Maschine models are high-quality builds, and at least with the mk3 (and plus), they have a MIDI mode for complete customizability outside of Maschine 2. Excellent choice as a pad controller.
Tempting. I love my Maschine MK3 pads, as well MK3's screen and knobs placed close to the pads, but this is tempting for sure.
Well, if you like the maschine ecosystem you want to go for the used maschine, but if you actually don't like the masxhine software and you're just getting it for the pads then you might like the aura more because its independent. I think at this point its more about the extra stuff and not about the pads as much. So the pads are more than good enough on all devices and your decision should be based on the other features. Which ones do you need the most? And then based on that you buy a device.
I produce beats using mobile apps and Aura worked best for me when connected to an ipad/iphone running the Gadget2 app over wireless Bluetooth MIDI. As a mobile beat producer I love portability, compactness and maximum app control. One very cool feature is that during Aura's internal mode playback active pad sequences can be modulated, muted, soloed, sped up/slowed down, truncated/re-elongated all independent of other tracks simultaneously playing. Or when play is initiated in Gadget2, I can manipulate the MIDI assigned Aura encoders to control Gadget2's effects within the app for realtime performance. Obviously, Nectarine does not work in the app but I don't need it.
Eu comprei. Tô curtindo pra caramba! Muito legal, e o dá hora tbm é que todos esses botões são possíveis de mapear dentro da DAW. Muito obrigado, Rob por ter me ajudado com a configuração antes mesmo de ter feito o vídeo. De fato tem que tocar no centro dos pads. Aquele Nectarina tem que ser racker pra usar... Mas de fato ele brilha muito na câmera...
What is your opinion on the Aruba/Aura two years later? I want a pad controller that I can use mainly for Ableton Drum Rack - I initially looked at the Maschine Mikro, however it doesn’t seem compatible for the drum rack. I currently have the Push 2 but I’m looking to sell it as it takes up way too much space on my desk and I only use 10% of its features. The aura looks amazing but there’s not many videos on how it’s held up since it launched
My device is still as good as it was when I made the video but since it's not my main unit (Maschine mk3 for everything) I cannot tell you how durable it is. I don't play it much. Pads are still good though because I set them up as described in this video. I heard from a couple of people who bought it. Some happy customers but also some disappointed ones. This seems to be the case for every pad controller on the market, but because the Aura does not sell that many units it's a smaller sample size and therefore even harder to ballpark how many good units vs how many bad units they produce.
Hi, i am looking also for a drumpad that is compatible with Ableton DrumRack. You say Maschine Mikro does not seem to be compatible with DrumRack, are you sure about this ?
You saved me a great deal of time and I thank you.
Thanks for sharing! This was really informative and useful. 🙂👍🏿
Hey! Love your youtube channel just checking out your website. New to maschine. I know you and also jermey ellis like to use Midi Mode for maschine. just wondering about pad sensitivity. I have mine set to Soft 3, i'm kinda assuming this is the best scaling. but yeah just curious of your Velocity/Sensitivity settings to get the best performace!
I found that thats personal actually. I use linear but other folks like soft 3 better. You should make sure to set the sensitivity slider to the most sensitive setting!
The Quest for Groove ok thanks for the response!!
I know this video is older, but most of this still applies. The latest firmware did a lot for this controller, for sure. I am not really happy with the lag input from it to Ableton Live, but I think that's more of a Live issue than anything else, maybe 50/50 between it's driver and ASIO. I've turned down my Buffer size to 64 samples and I still notice a bit of lag. I see better performance out of other devices, than from the Aura.
I did not experience any lag, so it could be an Ableton specific issue.
@@TheQuestforGroove Having only had a MIDI keyboard prior, I didn't really ever consider lag, as I was a heavy piano roll user. Turns out, there were lots of things on my master channel that were introducing lag. Got it all fixed up now and am loving it. This controller taught me the importance of timing, as I could only play in half time, until I fixed my DAW, due to audio feedback.
Have you tried the beatstep pro or know how it compares to this for sensitivity? I mean this seems abnormally customizable but I'm thinking sensitivity isn't a huge priority for the beatstep. idk tho
I only played the normal beatstep and with that device the pads were really not that good.
I have a Beatstep Pro. I’ve only used it as a sequencer, and only briefly to trigger samples with the pads. Pads are not overly sensitive, and there’s no way to adjust sensitivity or envelopes from the controller itself. But there is a software editor. I haven’t bothered to use it, but it’s possible there are more options there. Bottom line though, I’d only use a Beatstep Pro for sequencing, there are many better options for pure sample triggering
How does this handle sampling? I know the MPC Studio MK2 is roughly the same cost as this and it has "lazy chopping" and other features that make sampling easy, but if this has similar features to that as far as sampling goes plus the other quality of life changes in regards to work flow then for the same price this would be a no brainer!
I don't really use sampling for my music. I play "drum simulators" like Addictive drums to mimic real drum kits, so I don't think I can help you out with this. Sorry!
Hi!!! Great video and very instructive. I was wondering if the inbuilt sequencer has out of the grid programming options or microqusntization, to have sounds playing slightly out of sync, and if you can add swing or grooves to the patterns.
I can confirm live swing change and tempo change by just using a rotator knob. As for the micro shifts, it has a 'nudge' option which should do this: "Nudge play position of the current Pattern backwards/forwards by 1/96 for each press."
So my guess is it does this per pattern and perhaps not per note?
@@TheQuestforGroove No per-note nudge is a strange choice …
Thanks for this great review!
How does the Personus Atom compare in terms of flickering lights? I really like Nektar and their design philosophy but since I record TH-cam videos I'm unsure if I can live with the flickering.
You don't see the flickering that much. Only if you're filming the pads because of the camera shutter speed that does not sync up with the frequency of the LED's inside. I can film the Atom without any flickering, no problem.
@@TheQuestforGroove thank you for the reply and knowledge, you're awesome 🖤
Oh snap! Skinny BoBeats back with anoother video!
This ones pretty old to be honest :-)
Hey I'm a Push 2 users looking to get the same note repeat functionality in Logic Pro. Have you experimented with the time division of the Aura in Logic? I mean both the locking to Logic's clock and the smoothness of switching between difference time divisions. Push 2 has been so smooth and I have found nothing to compete yet.
Hey I haven't checked that out actually, also because I don't have Logic but mostly because I never use note repeat myself so it's hard to test it for the stuff people might need because I have no real clue as to what to look for. From what I hear other people say, it looks like the Push 2 is really good and the Aura is a bit of a hassle to work with. So other than the pads, I wouldn't buy it for the other functionality. Is it no longer possible to use Ableton for you?
Hi Robert,
I would like to use the midi pad Controller the same way you do. Mainly as a tool for playing drum software.
What would you think is the better choice?
Aura (highly configurable, top sensitive Pads) or Maschine Mikro MK3 (cheaper, maybe limited?)
Thanks for your help.....and merry christmas!
The pads of the mikro mk3 are just good withour tweaking and theyre bigger snd respond better along the edges. So you probably just want the mikro mk3. The aura is more for people who hate native instruments or people who tried the mikro and want something else.
Hi Robert,
Thank you very much. Great to have someone on TH-cam who has this experience! Appreciate your help and your great work.👍
Since I'm using Bitwig, I'm looking at either this or the Launchpad Mk3 with the drivenbymoss script. Which one would you recommend? I have no experience with using pads at all and want to get into finger drumming and no telling what else.
Thats a very personal decision. I think in both cases you'll get great, sensitive pads. So you can't go wrong really... I'd say 4x4 pads are better to start out with because its just easier and simpler to play. Less pads means more focus on what matters, which is keeping it simple and actually make things groove.
@@TheQuestforGroove Do you have any cheaper suggestions for 4x4 pad controllers to start with ? The Aura is really expensive right now.
@@justsomeguy8385 Masxhine mikro mk3!
@@TheQuestforGroove Thanks, I'll check it out!
@Kwyjibo O_o so, did you try it with Bitwig?
Is it at all possible to use the Native Instruments Maschine Samples/Software to be controlled by the Aura?
I have no idea... Is there a possibility for using an external midi keyboard together with the maschine software? My guess would be yes, because then you can play piano parts and stuff like that inside a Maschine project. If that is possible, using the aura should also be possible since it is the same as a midi keyboard but then with pads.
@@TheQuestforGroove I appreciate it. I am curious as to whether you might try using Aura as a controller with all of the library sounds of Maschine's software to find out how powerful of a combination they may be together... or whether they are just too disjointed to truly enjoy together from a "Pad Dynamics + Software Library" standpoint?
hey man im new to your channel thanks for finger drumming videos they’re really helping me keep doing what you’re doing! Something ive struggled with for a while is hand independence could you cover this in a future video ?
Hey welcome aboard! Have you seen this video already?? th-cam.com/video/gPvxXh4TMqk/w-d-xo.html
Hi Robert,
Great review. The Aura looks very good to me. Class compliant, highly tweakable, good pads, compatibility to a lot of DAWs.....Great.
I am looking for a drumpad that fits best for me.
At the moment I am considering to buy Maschine MK3 or Nektar Aura.
I am using: NI Komplete, Addictive drums 2 and Cubase....
So I am asking myself whether I could use:
- NI Software with the Aura
- Addictive drums with Maschine
- Maschine with Cubase...
Lots of questions, I know but I would appreciate and help here.
Merry Christmas!
Hey man, I think the large maschine mk3 is a little better than the aura so if you can afford it that's the best controller to get. Together with addictive drums an unbeatable combo. Or did you mean the maschine mikro mk3?
Hi Robert,
Wow. Very swift reply.
Thank you very much.
Indeed I am thinking about the big one as this is also the one you use.
Meanwhile I found your video on Jazz drumming where you used Addictive drums with Maschine, so this seems a very strong combo also for other than electronic music....
Now I just have to get good on Finger drumming 🙈....
Best Regards!
@@fr4358 Just have in mind that MK3 is bad quality build, with encoders you have to be specialy gentle, with Nektar you will get exelent quality build for composing and live action quick moves music composing but with less options compared to Mk3 except the + ver. wich is more expensive but action quality build. I love Mk3 and I got amazing results but my encoders become very loose it feels like its going to fall a part and at the end you will end up with DAW for mix and master but also for some very simple automation and arrange. Maschine mk3 would be great if it was build for live action moves, but it's not and you have to work very careful and gentle. Nektar is very good quality build and with Nektarine and midi programing you can create very powerful workflow, unique to your taste on the other way Maschine have very robust workflow and as you use it quality is going down and I'm very sad because I switched two Maschines and second one is same as firs I also talked to many users and friends and quality is really cheap, becoming very bad after year of use and + version is one of the best quality build hardware on the market but it is a plus version, 1200 euro so maybe you can reasrch more about AURA and DAW integration and VST even NI software can be used better with Nektar than with Maschine. Maschine have arp, scales, chords, tempo and pitch on audio with software but compared to any popular DAW it's looks like a toy. You can make great quick results/ skeches and that can be something really original but you will have to export and arrange it in DAW...AURA or Maschine mk3 I would say Maschine + or AURA.
If you change the shutter speed on your camera, you should be able to stop the flickering. This is a common problem with a lot of LED lights. For example, turn your camera's settings off auto and adjust shutter speed, try 1/60 instead of 1/50.
Its all manual. But its a difficult one. The pad flicker at a pretty slow rate, I can even see it with my eyes. Not ideal for filming. The folks from the nektar aura did find a shutter speed that worked (i emailed them asking what camera settings they used) but it was a very weird one like 77 or something. My blackmagic pocket 4k cameras cannot be that specific.
The Quest for Groove ah yes, that’s why cinema cameras will let you dial in exact numbers. I do video for a living so I deal with this all the time now...so many led lighting fixtures these days causing flicker. Especially shooting in slow no it’s even worse.
Pretty silly that my "pocket 'cinema' camera" cannot do this but you know... it's ofcourse way too cheap to be actually pro :-) for my needs these cameras are great though.. except with this flicker.
@@TheQuestforGroove You can pick up a Canon EOS M on Ebay for dirt and load Magic Lantern on it for a fun very tweakable cinema camera. Kind of like the Nektar Aura's illegitimate cousin lol
Hey do you know how to fix this issue?
So when i press 3 buttons when i am finger drumming they turn into white color and get stuck. I have to press them individual to play again.
Yeah so in that case you need to tweak the pad sensitivity of that pad and turn that down to be less sensitive. See the "pad sensitivity" chapter at 3:53.
thanks for this video!!! How does the Aura compares to the Atom? Is the Aura worth the double+ price ?
I'd say yes... when you tweak the pads the Aura is actually much more responsive and sensitive.
Hello. You mentioned that pad sensitivity is not consistent across the pads. At the moment Mpd-226 is my favorite because it lets me do fast drum rolls (faster than Maschine mk3). I believe Maschine prevents super fast rolls in order to fix double triggering.
Im wondering how the Auroa’s pads compare in dynamic range to Maschine and mpd226.
I do play some very fast stuff on the Maschine and the Aura, but I also have a layout with two snare pads, two kicks and two hihats so that might help with that limitation. I haven't really reached a noticeable limit so far on either device. The dynamic range on the aura can be adjusted as I mention in the video so my guess is it's the most tweakable of all of them and you can probably set it so that it fits your playing style.
Action speaks louder than words
Dutch Harry Potter’s creating beats! 😹😹😹
Bought one after watching this video and love it thankyou! Do you know how to transpose the whole 16 pads together? I can't imagine the only way is to run through each individual pad and adjust the notes from there.
Oh man... I actually have no idea how to do that. Maybe you can do it faster through some sort of software app instead of doing it through the device itself?
@01:51 Is there a setting to set up the notes as Chromatic automatically instead of going in and changing each note, 1 by 1?
Haven't found that specific feature but there's also a bunch of presets in there from the factory where each note is already set to something different.
Great video as usual. Curious to know whether the aura work as a midi pad on its own? Say, I can trigger tones from a sampler via midi?
It will need power but I think you can just plug in a midi cable and connect that to any hardware device and it should work! It does not seem to need a computer to function.
@@TheQuestforGroove Thank you so much. Waiting for more finger drumming info and gear news. God bless you 🙏😇
How are you rigging up the overhead Black magic pocket cinema camera 4k, it's pretty heavy, on a C-stand?
Yes a c stand weighted down on the other side with a bag of money. Haha seriously :-) but its just useless coins worth 1 cent :-)
@@TheQuestforGroove nice work, ok cool I have a sandbag, I'll try it with my C stand thanks
I you had to choose one between Aura and Mascine Mikro mk3, which one would it be? I use Ableton as my main daw, but I just want best pads possible for finger drumming in not too big and pricey package.
The mikro mk3 is a lot smaller than the aura actually. And $100 cheaper, with great pads. So... yeah in your case, with portability in mind the mikro mk3 has a slight edge over rhe aura.
@@TheQuestforGroove thank tou very much, I think I’ll get Mikro then
Thanks for this review ! I love my Aura ! But coul'd you please make a demo for the note repeat ? I'm in trouble with that fonction and I would like to know if I do something wrong ... Thanks a lot !
I don't know when I'll have the time for that, so if I were you I'd just email the folks at Nektar and ask!
@@TheQuestforGroove I have asked them before and their answer is not completely consistent. I can't find anything or anyone on the web that could help me better than the people of Nektar ...
Thanks man!
Nektar Aura vs MPC Studio 2 vs Launchpad X for Motu DP11 user? Want to finger drum. Not really into live play and have a piano for melodics. Not sure I’d use the live stuff and clip triggers of Novation in DP11. More of a studio guy. Any recommendations would be appreciated.
I think I would personally pick the Nektar Aura. 64 pads is way too much for most use cases so I'd go with nice sensitive 4x4 pads and at this time I don't have any bad experiences with the nektar aura. Also not with the mpc studio 2, but I do have had quality control issues with Akai in the past which is why I don't fully trust them. If you can temporarily miss the mooney you could compare the aura and the mpc studio 2 and then send one back and get the money back. That way youll know for sure.
I really appreciate the reply. I was going to buy the nectar aura when it came out however I could not locate one nor were there many reviews. Also the MPC Studio 2 seemed interesting. Thanks again for your time.
Great!
Ok Mister... Now tell me about the MX Keys keyboard! haha... I've been checking it out online since it came out.. what's your thoughts? Best keyboard ever? Good enough?... compared to a mechanical, if you have experience.. ;)
I only know the MX keyboard from Logitech for typing... I own one and its an awesome keyboard. MX master mouse is also an awesome mouse. Highly recommend both! Don't get the keyboard with the turn wheel though. Thats bullshit.
Thanks!
Does This Come With Analog Drum Kit Samples, Included With Acoustic?
No it's just a controller. There are no sounds inside the device. You control software with it on a computer. For example Addictive Drums 2 (which I always use). You will need a laptop or something similar to make that work.
Okay, Got It. I Was Unaware Of That. It Was Either Between This, Or The Roland MC-101. Which Is Yet Another Great Piece Of Equipment.
Yeah the same setting, but threshold correspond to max pressure on the Aura.Also it can sequence Polyrythm! (check the namm demo from Nektar ). Maybe my next toy if the Launchpad don't fit my playing on finger drumming :p
Hum just received and finished my layout on the Launchpad pro MK3. The pads are very sensitive i have set them to 1 and it's playable but my mpc element allow me more controle over the maximum velocity but the sensibility on light touch is slighty better than my mpc element.I think i 'll stick to the Launchpad but i only sell my old mpd218 it works well but the feeling on the Element is better.Good advice: Found an old MPC element for 60 euros on ebay; i bet you 'll love her if you again in 16/16 pads ;) it's small smooth very solid and it's very quiet due to the design...
I adjust maximum velocity inside addictive drums 2 as well. There you can adjust the curve of each kit peliecw, making it harder or easier to reach max velocity.
@@TheQuestforGroove yup but with the element it seting up globaly so i am accutumed to have a linear curve (plug & play)
Anyway am feel good on the launchpad with setting on 1.
Also i like the little 3d dots on some of the pads! The only cons is the side buttons seems fragile compared to the element again...
But what a great device with 64 pads i have almost all nuances for superior! Also i can see the benifits to play chromatic instruments with it.
Also you have right very playable with the thumb and good for little or big hand!
Nice, glad you're happy! The dots apparently are for the visually impaired :-)
@@TheQuestforGroove Ahaha at first i was looking at my thumb if i had some dust on it :p
Hi, do I need an audio interface for the Aura or has it an built-in interface like the Maschine Mk3?
You do need an interface if you don't have one. Alternatively you can use the aura with a hardware synth, in which case you dont even need a computer, but if you use a computer you need an audio interface as well for music making.
@@TheQuestforGroove Thanks! One more question: in terms of the pads sensitivity and playability, is the Aura at the same level as the Mikro MK3? Or is it slightly better or slightly inferior? Thanks in Advance.
The frame rate thing. What frame rate should I be shooting my Maschine MK2 in??
It's not as much the frame rate as it is the shutter speed of the camera. I set it by selecting different options on the camera until the lights stop flickering :-D
I'm STILL trying to figure out how to assign drum sounds to the different pads from my personal library of drum samples
I'm thinking buying Aura because Maschine mk3 is bad quality build, especially encoders. I have P1 and I easly set up it to work as ritam mashine and I also have T4 which is great but Nektarine is hard on CPU. My question is does Aura have presets for scales and chords ?
Depends on your daw. If you use ableton you could use a drumrack. If you use another daw you could use battery 4 vst from native instruments. If you use fl studio you could use fpc
buen día maestro, gracias por la información, tal vez el aura sea el controlador que necesito, ademas esta a buen precio, saludos desde Ibagué Colombia.
te lo compraste¿
Maybe they could add a global usability parameter which adjusts all those things, if you set it above a hundred thousand
Usability: 1 BILLION! That would be cool. The device would also make you a coffee in the morning.
I'm reading bad things about the Nektarine software. Is it necessary to use it if I want to just drum on this in Ableton? I'm assuming for standalone there is no need to mess with Nektarine.
I actually did not touch the software. If you plug in the device it will immediately work as a midi controller and you can configure it inside the device itself. So that's very nice. No need to install nektarine. Just plug it in, assign the pads to your ableton drum kit and start playing and recording.
Two pocket 4ks seems a bit overkill for video reviews 😂 Do you do other film making as well?
Haha, its actually a workflow thing. When shooting with my phone and one pro camera I spent too much time syncing up the footage because phones drop frames and stuff like that. With these two the shots are exactly matched, very easy to process as multicam which saves me a lot of time! :-)
The Quest for Groove it's not overkill at all, keep providing quality. People are never satisfied, 480p is meh, 4k is overkill. 🤷🏾♂️🤷🏾♂️🤷🏾♂️ go figure.
Thanks! As I said before, the most important thing about quality gear is that it improves workflow. Having 2 identical cameras make it easier to shoot multicam lessons and courses and keep everything nicely synced up and organized. To me thats the most important thing. 4k is also pretty handy because with the end goal of hd resolution you can do lots of lossless cropping of the footage :-) ill keep churning out the quality!
Between maschine mikro mk3 and Nektar aura, which one would you recommend?
The mikro mk3 because it's $100 less and you'll get a great response out of it without having to go through all the stuff I explain in this video with the Aura.
But you also need to know that with Aura you will get a much better quality build hardware, with Maschine micro you will have some options of bigger MK3 and they are good without programing straight from the box like scales and chords everything else you'll have to use a mouse and the goal is to be more natural in making music. Maschine is fantastic for that but it has flaws like bad quality build wich can ruin the joy, + edition is perfect but more expensive. If Aura have build in scales and chords I will buy it but I can't get straight answer to that question. I programed easy my P1 to be ritam Mashine buy making buttons to midi notes. With Nektarine and T4 I have really fantastic possibilities but Nektarine is not stable and it it is heavy on CPU, in some cases Nektar controls VST's much better than NI and in others Maschine have better control but only in Maschine software, you have to know that , without Maschine software Hardware is uslles. I love Maschine but I'm also honest to real life situation and to my self and music making is not so ideal it is mess of mouse clicking and shiny devices with some level of integration. Buy Aura if you can't MK3 not micro.
Does this work with iOS? I prefer beatmaker 3 to cut samples.
I don't know if the ipad will have enough power so you might need a hub or something... but for the rest it is just usb midi.
@@TheQuestforGroove dude it would be awesome! I’ve been a finger drummer for years and I’m mind blown at beatmaker 3s sampler. I’d love to just plug in and have this level of control over the sensitivity/dynamics. I saw your new video talking about mobility and that is exactly what this new iPad (with BM3) has done for me and my workflow. Being able to sit outside and download splice samples or access my Dropbox and drag them directly in is wild.
Where do you buy a beat composer ???
My guess is that depends on where you are located. Here in Amsterdam I can just order it online at a bunch of music stores. That said, some other controllers are harder to get here and for example easy to get in the US. Here's one of the more common places: www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/AuraBeat--nektar-aura-beat-composer-and-daw-controller
@@TheQuestforGroove okay thank you !!
Hi i just got 1 yesterday and im having trouble setting it up on my laptop, when im tapping it theres no sound coming out. Maybe there is wrong w/me setting this up. Im tapping it and light respond but there is no sound coming out.
Please help me with this issue. Thank you in advance.
Hey, this could have many reasons. Obviously the nektar aura itself cannot produce sound, so I assume you mean the computer has no sound coming out. All I can say is that that probably has nothing to do with the nektar aura, but with how you configured your computer / DAW and audio interface.
@@TheQuestforGroove Hi. Im thankfull reading your response, maybe there is something wrong with my set up. Should i download a DAW to input some sounds like drums to load it to the aura? Because i thought there is already sound on the aura when i press the load button and choose drumkit on the preset options.
Please help me with this is issue, my pardon im just new to this hardware.
Thank you very much for your response. God bless
All the sound coms from your DAW and computer. The aura itself has no sounds inside of it at all, nor can it produce them. It's just a controller, like a keyboard or a mouse. All you can do with the Aura is send a midi note + velocity information of how hard you hit the pad to the computer. Everything else is then done by the computer. You'll need a virtual drumkit on there etc.
Can this be used as a midi only controller via usb, say to trigger drum sounds in GarageBand or Kong in Reason without having to load a VSTi? I have not found any definitive info on this.
No you need a VST. This controller is basically like a keyboard or a mouse, but for midi notes. There's no sound inside or anything like that.
I guess I mean can it be used like the MDP218, m-audio trigger finger, or the standard midi keyboards, as a usb midi controller. I don’t expect sound out of the device, I just was wondering if it can be just a midi controller you can select to trigger drum sounds in daws like GarageBand or Reason. I’m hoping not to be required to load a nectar VST to get it to work.
Yeah that's exactly what it is! A midi keyboard but then with pads.
Hey could you do a video only about samples you use.
- Whats important to check
- Where do you get them
- What Sample Packs are good or bad
- Websites you can recommend
- How you prepare the samples in your DAW
I love your Sounds especially in the Jazz Jam and the Police cover.
There is really a lot of content in the Internet and i as a beginner I feel a little lost because theres so much Bullshit. I'd like to do dub music btw.
Greetings from Germany!
Hey Manu,
The best thing to do is go through the videos in my (100% free) beginner course on questforgroove.com. I'll explain exactly how I set everything up. The thing about samples is that you need a 'drum simulator' instead of normal one shot samples. The drum simulator will play different samples based on how hard you hit the pads and will also play random variations of the samples to make no two hits sound exactly the same. Thats the sound that youre hearing in the police and jazz videos. Basically, you need something like addictive drums 2!
@@TheQuestforGroove Great advice thank you
Do you like this more than the novation launchpad pro mk3?
No its just different. The pads are very nice in both of these devices so now its more about what you prefer. 4x4 or 8x8. And what the use case is... I personally will always keep both devices around because they're both nice. You cannot really go wrong buying either one of these.
Hi, it is posible to send a Baking Tracks to the pads?
Well, you can set up your daw to trigger tracks based on what pads you hit, but there is no storage inside the controller, so no sounds or backing tracks or whatever can be stored inside the device. You can just trigger sounds with it, and those sounds have to be inside your computer, or inside a hardware synth or something.
I know this is totally off topic but i am looking to get a pad controller at 150$ budget and wanna suggestions between PreSonus ATOM or Novation Launchpad X?? Please help! @The Quest for Groove I didnt know how else to contact you!
Those are the only two I think... the launchpad x will have better pads than the atom is what I know!
Thank you so much for the response. Appreciate it. I will get a launchpad x. Also thank you for making all the good videos. I wanna start learning finger drumming. So I am going to take your classes as well!!
Awesome! Welcome aboard my friend :-)
The Quest for Groove :) I can find a launchpad pro mk2 for 120$. Is it worth getting that over a launch padX? Sorry for too many questions. This is going to be my first board so am being cautious
The x has better pads than the pro mk2 so I would get the X!
Hi man am a beginning. Am trying to get one of them drum pad. Help me by telling me, what to get between maschine mk3, nektar or any other good pad. Thank you
Nektar aura, maschine mk3, maschine mikro mk3, launchpad pro mk3 are all great. You cannot really go wrong with any of those (unless you get a broken unit of course). So it depends in your other needs. If you just want 4x4 for the best price, get a mikro mk3. If you want more tweakeablilitt and a built in sampler, get the aura, if you want a built in audio interface get the big mke if you like 8x8 pads get the launchpad pro mk3.
@@TheQuestforGroovethank you on that one. actually i really need one for djing in a club. Now which way should i go?.
Haven't played it myself, but wouldn't something like the DDJ-XP2 be better? Thats more of a dj device.
@@TheQuestforGroove bless you bro .. mch love
This is an amazing sequencer with so much potential, exceptional midi control, 64 steps sequencer for each of the16 pads, tempo timing control for every midi channel, multi loop, gate, velocity swing and accent... Then this is all let down by the astonishing omission of No Midi Clock Out through the din. WTF would they do this... don’t wish to use this with a pc at all so finding this out has made it almost useless for me now.. just an expensive ornament on my desk...
I'm so sorry to hear this. Personally this is something I never needed so I wasn't aware of it.
@@TheQuestforGroove You made a great review of a great piece of kit.. Imo it’s just lacking the one thing I need I’m not sure if its simple enough it could be resolved in a firmware update or if It’s a fundamental restriction of the hardware either way thanks again for the review 👍
Hey, favor. Do you still have firmware v010004 still? V010008 on the website Is faulty and throws the aura into test mode and it will not restore. If you still have it can you email it?
Hey! Sorry I always throw away my downloads so I do not have any files, but... if this is a faulty firmware Nektar should be on top of this right? And if you email them telling its faulty they should apologize and send you the correct firmware right away!
@@TheQuestforGroove I’ve sent them multiple emails with no reply. Last product I ever buy from them! Thanks for the help.
That's crazy... I'm sorry to hear this.
@@BlessbyGBeats Hey, stop spreading false info, please! I have contacted them many times and their support is one of the best around. Just have a bit of patience.
@@MrWoofer it is not up to you to decide what is good service for everyone else. Your experience may be different than the next person. So for you to assume someone is giving false information when their experience is their experience is actually wrong on your part. So do not accuse anyone of false info when they are giving an ACTUAL ACCOUNT OF THEIR EXPERIENCE AND NOT YOURS! False info would mean I'm giving info based on lies or rumors and not facts. I gave a personal account and if that is my personal account you don't have the right to say I'm giving false info! You can only attest to your experience. In actuality, for you to say I'm giving false info is false info!
Can you use it without a pc?
Well there are no sounds inside the device if that is what you mean. It's just a controller, but it will for example also work when you connect it to a hardware synth or something. So you dont need a pc per se, but you do need something that will produce sounds.
I plugged in, updated firmware, setup nektarine and logic, and I can't get a sound out of it. I can't get it to make a sound. Both programs are responding to me hitting the pads but nothing is coming out. I am missing something, can you help?
So midi data is received correctly but just no sound? Whenever that happens to me it ususally means the program cannot find the samples it needs to play. Usually when my external harddrive with samples changed drive letters or something. Either that or my speakers are turned off :-)
@@TheQuestforGroove
Yes precisely. Just so you are aware, this is my first day ever using one of these and first one ive ever bought.
Can it play sound from my macbook pro speakers through the usb power cable provided, or am I supposed to get separate speakers and set them up through the midi out cable.
Thanks for the speedy response to my noob questions.
Yes if the macbook speakers are set inside the DAW as the audio interface used, the sound will come out your macbook pro speakers. You'll be dealing with some latency i think. That's why the best solution is to get a separate audio interface and hook up headphones or speakers to that. If you go through my free beginner course on questforgroove.com I'll explain it step by step!
@@TheQuestforGroove youre the goat buddy. Ill be all over your lessons as soon as I get some sounds happening. I Iove your videos and how extensive your range of styles are.
Thanks again
Be in touch 🤙
Daw sound 'routing' is always a bit of a hassle in the beginning. There's a couple of places in the 'chain' where things can go wrong. So its a process of elimination and/or asking questions online or to customer support. Once you know, you know and you're on your way to becoming a home studio wizard!
We don't care if it flickers we want to know if it can sample
No it cannot. It's just a controller!
Will this work with IPad ?
With the right cable and a power adapter for the Aura it should work yes. There a re a couple of ipad apps that work with midi controllers and those should work with the Aura as well. Biggest problem will be latency. In my experience you always hear it. I have a 2021 Macbook and if I use the onboard audio there is just a small latency.
Would you try making a song using a website using Bandlab for a video?
As a matter if fact, I will do that. Just talked to them and we'll probably do a video in april! :-) so still some time away but it will happen.
@@TheQuestforGroove Nice!
@@TheQuestforGroove oh I made a grammar mistake lol its a website called bandlab stupid auto correct am I right lmao
Does it work with Reason?
It's like any other midi keyboard but then with pads. So it should work for sure.
The Panorama T6 Midi Keyboard controller is not that great in the pads department - either too sensitive or not. Same company .
Does it work well in Logic pro x
Yeah it will work, just like a midi keyboard! Don't know about buttons for start/stop/record, but the pads will work!
Are there sounds in it or is just midi?
Just midi. For built in sounds you need something like an Akai MPC One or MPC Live or something.
saludos desde mexico :)!
Your not saying function of the mission
Is that a standalone system
No. At this time no standalone systems exist that can do what I need them to do, which is realistic drum emulation. This is just a midi controller with no on board sound at all.
Do you happen to know if this would map to koala sampler?
My first guess would be that it's possible with the right plug and maybe a powered usb hub for sufficient power, but I have not tested this setup myself.
for some reason I'm not getting any sound. Help???
That can have so many reasons. Its a trial and error proces seeing for example if midi notes even get into the daw, then into the plugin and then if that's the case see if the plugin can find the samples on your harddrive
@@TheQuestforGroove thank you for the reply! Gonna run some troubleshooting!
Is this a standalone
No, there are no sounds inside, so you need to hook it up to something. So a computer, ipad, or a hardware synth or something.
Quanto costa?
Is that a whig?
On my head? No that's hair :-)
@@TheQuestforGroove is it actually?
Ok, it's a wig. Made from your insanely long butt hair. :-)
Ого
AurA :-)
Instrument clarity not saying
change the fps maybe next time from 25 to 30 fps :))
Doesnt work! The flickering was terrible when I set it that way.
Bo? Is that u?
No Bo :-)
First time on your channel. Great stuff! 👍🏽
A for effort but without a musical skillset, it removes the desire and inspiration that could influence the possibility of purchase. At this point Nektar has literally dropped the ball and that's just not acceptable if they expect consumer support to somehow develop from a zero effort.
You mean the device is not intuitive to use? I agree. You have to really tweak this thing and then it's a great tool, but it's sort of like how the Linux operating system used to be :-)
Were Nektar Failed .They called it a beat composer gtfoh! It only has a step seqeuncer .Akai Mpd'seris has a step sequencer in their controllers but, there not calling it a composer! They called it a "midi controller" and it does everything Nektar can do..Akai even has real beat making software ..Nektar is a JOKE!