From anotherscott@hotmail.com Mon Oct 28 16:17:24 2013
Subject:Re: Re: Question about Roland VR-09 & Hammond SK1

re: "Sorry, but it's not much of a midi controller if it can't control pitch or modulation.. that's a minimum for anything that I would really consider in the "good" controller category."


I know that. The key word in that sentence was "I".


re: "I wouldn't call my Mojo a 'good' midi controller, but it will send note on/off velocity and sustain that's all I need it to send in order to trigger my Kronos or my old Sonic Cell."


Sure, anything with a MIDI out can be a controller, depending on what you need. But are you really comparing "note on/off velocity and sustain" to that laundry list of other MIDI capabilities I described in the SK1?


re: "Your definition of good and mine are obviously different."

Yours seems to be specific to what you need personally. Mine is, if it has a whole bunch of MIDI functions, it is likely to be useful to many people, and everyone will have their own check list. I don't see a need to fixate on one feature. It reminds me of the people who say that the PX5S can't possibly be a good MIDI controller because it lacks an expression pedal input. Sure, for many people that may be true, but meanwhile, there are other people happily using it as a MIDI controller without an expression pedal input. Though sure, it would be better with one.


If you must have pitch bend and mod controls on the SK1, well, it would be the wrong choice, but if you really wanted to try to make it work, you can add those functions with MIDI foot controllers. OTOH, there's no way to turn the VR-09 into a 73 or 88. People will have different priorities.