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Banks, which makes it very useful as a global volume control.) In addition, the four drum pads are organized into two Pad Banks for a total of eight different pad functions. These pads are not only velocity sensitive but also transmit aftertouch, so they can play notes and use aftertouch to control drum machine functions like rolls and note repeat. They also serve double duty if desired; they can be set to send MIDI

Samson Graphite 49 USB MIDI Controller
Samson has entered the USB keyboard controller market with a pair of new keyboards, the Carbon 49 and the Graphite 49. We’ll be taking a quick look at the entry-level Carbon 49 in our 2012 Gift Guide next month, but in this issue we’re peeking under the hood of the full-featured Graphite 49. It offers a 49-note (4-octave) keyboard with a full set of remote control features in a light (about 10 pounds) and portable bus-powered package. Taking the tour The Graphite 49’s layout is clean and surprisingly compact; it offers pitch and mod wheels, nine sliders, eight endless encoders, sixteen buttons, four drum pads, and five transport keys, plus assorted menu and function buttons and a large backlit LCD that’s packed with useful data. The rear panel offers a MIDI Out port, one 1/4" jack for a sustain pedal, the USB connection, and a Power switch. An optional power supply lets the Graphite
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RECORDING November 2012

49 function as a MIDI controller without a computer attached if desired, but for our tests it happily ran on USB power. The Graphite 49 comes with a short USB cable, a thorough paper manual, and an install CD for Native Instruments Komplete Elements, a set of virtual instruments for beginning players. Note that there is no installer for device drivers; the Graphite 49 is class-compliant for Windows XP/Vista/7 and for Mac OS X 10.4.9 and up, you just plug it in and it’s ready to go. I had no issues trying it on PCs running Windows XP and 7, nor on Macs running OS X 10.4.11 and 10.6.8. More than meets the eye When using the Graphite 49 you actually have more controllers than are visible on the front panel; there are two Banks of controls for the first eight sliders and the eight encoders, so there are actually 17 and 16 different controls available. (Slider 9 doesn’t change when you switch

Continuous Controller (CC) data as well, using the aftertouch sensors. I am a big fan of pressure pads for expression control and was very happy to see this added function, as I am more likely to use it for that than to program a drum machine! All of the buttons can be set to send MIDI note data or CC information; they can also be set to toggle (push on/push off) or momentary action. The display shows if any of the buttons, including the transport keys, are toggled on, so you can see at a glance which controls are active. Ports and Zones The Graphite 49 is seen by the computer as having five output and two input Ports. The first four output Ports allow the Graphite 49 to subdivide the data it sends to your computer, so that one application can watch one Port while another watches a different one. This allows you (for example) to play a standalone virtual instrument from the keyboard, a standalone drum

Recording - November 2012

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recording - November 2012