From ccmacdon@rogers.com Thu Oct 07 10:38:22 2010
Subject:Re: Ocean Beach Digital Controller - first impressions

The Nano Kontrol faders would be considered entirely unworkable for someone looking for a real drawbar feel/operation.  In fact, none of the typical keyboard controllers have fader/sliders that come close to the quality of the Ocean Beach controller. The slider/faders are either too far apart and too stiff to move, or they have too much/too little travel, or too few sliders (only 8), or they don't have nice hammond style knobs. The Ocean Beach Digital Drawbar Controller is pretty much bang on, in all the above mentioned areas!!  By the way, keyboard controllers with drum pads and rotary dials don't serve much purpose for the typical Nord organ player so I don't see this as a practical alternative, either. 
 
Brian Dodds was asking about the travel/feel of the drawbars.. from my perspective they feel VERY similar to real hammond drawbars.. there might be slightly more resistance, but it's a very minor difference..  You can grab them just like hammond drawbars, they slide in and out very easily, and you can flick them in as well (if you so choose)..
 
There are a lot of us Nord users that will be very happy to know that a high quality product is available to us should we decide that we want real Hammond style drawbars.. It's not cheap but you get what you pay for!  It works flawlessly and it seems to be very ruggedly built.  Again, Kudos to Ocean Beach for putting together a great product.
 
It doesn't matter how good a new product is, there are always some naysayers.. but I think that criticizing the tiny palm tree logo on the top of the box (that only the organ player can see) has set a new all time low!  
 
Regards,
Craig MacDonald

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Re: Ocean Beach Digital Drawbar Controller - first impressions!
Posted by: "Stonedwolf" stonedwolf@gmail.com   stonedwolf_mtg
Wed Oct 6, 2010 11:45 am (PDT)

I know it's a slightly unfair comparison, not least as you can't plug it in to a Nord, but the NanoKontrol is £40.

For the price of the Drawbars you can get a decent MIDI controller keyboard with faders, as well as rotaries, drum pads, keys. (Or get an SL Zero if you want a smaller keyless version).

I think the thing that would most annoy me though is that Palm tree logo. You spend a thousand or two on a sleek-looking keyboard without stupid graphics on it, and stuck on top is a box that decides it must have a Palm tree logo on it. The colour might match by the style does not.

Anyway I'm a grumpy sort, but it's the sort of thing that would bother me personally.

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