ReasonTalk.com

First of all, I really appreciate the time and effort put into setting up this new forum. Thanks for giving people like myself the opportunity to ask questions and learn from other Reason users.

Now, my question:
The price of the M-Audio Trigger Finger Pro has been dropping in price lately, making it more worthwhile considering its pretty large feature set. I am seriously considering buying it now and trying to resist my GAS. However, I keep reading on forums that it's hard to sync with the midi clock of various DAWs. Also, I understand some owners have major latency issues.

I saw a couple of people with the TFP in their signatures, so I assume there are people around here that use it with Reason. Does anyone care to share its experiences with the following stuff that seems to be bothering other owners:

• Do you have any problems with syncing the midi clock coming from Reason?
• What's the latency using it as a controller inside Reason?
• Are you also using the TFP as an external instrument, routing the audio to Reason? Any latency issues there?
• Other considerations?

Thanks a lot!

with midi clock I do have some problems. When  starting from begining of a reason track it sync fine but if stopped and start again in-between bars it not in sync. As a pad trigger recording live trimming on the pads into reason I do not notice any latency. I've only had it a few days so not used it so much yet. but to lay down a grove/beat in the sequencer I love but if not recording from the start you will need to quantize the beat. 
Even with these problems I love it because it so easy to program a beat on it and for the most part a quantize is all that needed to get it to sit with the song your making.
I have been using the Machine Mikro to program beats before I got the TFP and even there I would need to quantize and could not record a whole beat in one go, so to me it's an improvement to my workflow even if it's not perfect.

Thanks Gullum, I appreciate it! Did you already have a go at recording the output of the Arsenal VST into Reason? And do you run a Mac or Windows machine?

no I haven't tried using the Arsenal VST with Reason and I'm using Mac

Thx Gullum!

thnx fellas for the information. i probably gonna buy myself one today. can`t wait step sequencing kong from a hardware unit. 

DeltaHotelVictory wrote:First of all, I really appreciate the time and effort put into setting up this new forum. Thanks for giving people like myself the opportunity to ask questions and learn from other Reason users.

Now, my question:
The price of the M-Audio Trigger Finger Pro has been dropping in price lately, making it more worthwhile considering its pretty large feature set. I am seriously considering buying it now and trying to resist my GAS. However, I keep reading on forums that it's hard to sync with the midi clock of various DAWs. Also, I understand some owners have major latency issues.

I saw a couple of people with the TFP in their signatures, so I assume there are people around here that use it with Reason. Does anyone care to share its experiences with the following stuff that seems to be bothering other owners:

• Do you have any problems with syncing the midi clock coming from Reason?
• What's the latency using it as a controller inside Reason?
• Are you also using the TFP as an external instrument, routing the audio to Reason? Any latency issues there?
• Other considerations?

Thanks a lot!

I picked up a TFP when it price dropped as well.  Here's my experience:

• No issues syncing MIDI clock with Reason at all.  Just make sure 'send song position' option is turned off in Reason.  No problem!
• Latency is dependent on your soundcard.  I use Balance and can get as low as 2-3 ms or as high as several hundred, depending on my sample rate and buffer settings.  Assuming you are using a proper ASIO or Core Audio based sound card, latency should not be a problem at all.
• No.  I'm using it as a controller for Kong and Redrum.
• Nope.  Other than: GET ONE NOW.  The pads fucking rock.  Nothing else like them, IMHO.  On-board step sequencer worth the price alone.  Worth every penny.  

Cheers!

Also - check out this for setup (just make sure to turn off "send song pointer position" in Reason):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDSxYMzUdLY

EnochLight wrote:[Other than: GET ONE NOW.  The pads fucking rock.  Nothing else like them, IMHO.  On-board step sequencer worth the price alone.  Worth every penny.  
Cheers!

Also - check out this for setup (just make sure to turn off "send song pointer position" in Reason):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDSxYMzUdLY

Well, it's settled then. I have to get one! Thanks for the advice Gullum and EnochLight!

got me one yesterday. and it works flawless! finally i can step sequencing rerum and kong, this is fuckingly awesome!

Defenitely an interesting device. And i'm tempted, but i'm gonna wait it out and do a comparison with the NAMM announced Arturia Beatstep Pro. Mainly because it has real CV out next midi. Makes for a versatility i quite like.

It's part of the Musician's Friend "Stupid Deal of the Day"!

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/stupid

$149

Hey Joey,

Is it already pre-mapped to Reason?
And how would you work the midi step sequencer in reason?
To a Thor?
It looks cool, but I wouldn't know how to use the step sequencer in Reason.
If there is a cool and easy way, I think I might get it?
(although I just bought an Impact LX25 this weekend.

Thanks,

I may have spoke to soon.
So you would just make a sequence on the step sequencer, lock the midi to whatever instrument that you want, press record and
the midi data would be written into the track, just like if I was playing it on the piano keys?
(I hope I don't sound too stupid).


Thanks,

Puckboy2000 wrote: I may have spoke to soon.
So you would just make a sequence on the step sequencer, lock the midi to whatever instrument that you want, press record and
the midi data would be written into the track, just like if I was playing it on the piano keys?
(I hope I don't sound too stupid).


Thanks,

Yup exactly

The sequencer would work great with Kong. But seems to be a great option as well for someone looking for a pad controller in general.

This should help:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDSxYMzUdLY

Thanks. Great tutorial. I had to watch it a couple of times to get how he assigned the sequencer to the different pads. But I understand now.

akai mpd 32 or M-Audio Trigger Finger Pro ?

this does look like it has a lot more to offer ? can anybody offer any reasons why an akai mpd32 would be a better choice ?

It's part of the Musician's Friend "Stupid Deal of the Day"!

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/stupid

$149
__________________

none of the big american online music shops will ship akai gear to australia unfortunately :frown:
(can scoop one off ebay with shipping for about $310 aud though)

It's part of the Musician's Friend "Stupid Deal of the Day"!

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/stupid

$149
__________________

decibel wrote:
none of the big american online music shops will ship akai gear to australia unfortunately :frown:
(can scoop one off ebay with shipping for about $310 aud though)

Well the 'stupid deal' only lasted the one day. It's $199 normal price in US. And that was after a price drop. Seems worth it compared to what else is out there in that price range.

I was waiting for the price to drop some more for the Trigger Finger Pro, but eventually was put off a bit by the bad reviews on the Internet about the support by M-Audio.

Then I stumbled upon a great 1-day special deal for a brand new Ableton Push. I got it for €249 which is an absolute bargain and the same price here as the TFP.

After using the Push for a while together with this great piece of software (http://www.retouchcontrol.com/site_page.aspx?pageid=50) I must admit that I am completely covered: I can control almost everything in Reason from the controller and I use the mouse & keyboard very little now. Also drum pad needs are covered and I am having a lot of fun with Push's unique keyboard function where you can play around with many Western and more exotic scales.

Only thing left to do for me is upgrading to Reason 8.2 in order to make use of the ReDrum sequencing remote script.

 

DeltaHotelVictory wrote:I was waiting for the price to drop some more for the Trigger Finger Pro, but eventually was put off a bit by the bad reviews on the Internet about the support by M-Audio.

Then I stumbled upon a great 1-day special deal for a brand new Ableton Push. I got it for €249 which is an absolute bargain and the same price here as the TFP.

After using the Push for a while together with this great piece of software (http://www.retouchcontrol.com/site_page.aspx?pageid=50) I must admit that I am completely covered: I can control almost everything in Reason from the controller and I use the mouse & keyboard very little now. Also drum pad needs are covered and I am having a lot of fun with Push's unique keyboard function where you can play around with many Western and more exotic scales.

Only thing left to do for me is upgrading to Reason 8.2 in order to make use of the ReDrum sequencing remote script.

 

That was a great deal.  Here (in the US), Push is still going for $600 USD (which is about €537).  If I could score a Push for the same price as my Trigger Finger Pro - which I paid around $179 / €160, I would have gotten one too!    Even with the PushR software at $35, that would have been bad ass.