Novation Remote LE

OS is the latest - Novation has not updated it.

Editing the controller assignments is easy compared to most other USB Midi Controllers. So easy in fact, you probably don't even need to use the manual.

A manual is included (a paper manual) as well as one in PDF format on the included CD-Rom.

It has 9 knobs, an XY touchpad, 9 buttons, and LCD Display, and a 2-way joystick.

The joystick controls pitch when moving the stick from left to right and is spring-loaded which means it will return to center when you release the stick. The joystick also controls Modulation (CC#2) when moving the stick up and unfortunately it's spring loaded as well. The upper-model Novation controllers allow the Modulation control to be either spring-loaded or free-running. This budget Remote LE version is stuck with the spring-loaded Mod control. I prefer a free-running Mod wheel.

The XY Pad is very clever. You can assign 2 parameters to each of the axes (for a total of 4) and the parameters can have negative values or positive values. You can also have the parameter 'hold' where you last left it when you released your finger, or you can have it return to zero.

The knobs can have low and high values which is useful.

The buttons can be assigned to operate in several modes - toggle, switch, etc. This is useful for controlling the many different types of buttons in different softsynths.

There is a Group B function which will give you an additional 9 knobs and buttons.

The LCD displays the parameter names (which you can name), assigned CCs, and Midi channel for each knob. This is very useful to see what parameter you are editing in your softsynth.

No sounds - it's a USB Midi Controller.

The key action is semi-weighted and there is no key aftertouch. The key action is a little stiffer and spongier than I prefer.

But overall it feels better than most budget Midi Controllers.

This is where Novation dropped the ball.

When I got the Remote LE, one of the keys was sitting a full 1/2" above the others. It was easy to push it back into place, but it still sat about 1/8" above the others.

The LCD Display had dirt or some kind of debris under it which made reading the display difficult.

The knobs - this is the worse part. Some of the knob shafts were extremely loose and some were extemely difficult to turn. The reason is because the holes that are cut out of the plastic top to accomodate the knobs weren't aligned with the knob shafts. That means that some of the knobs rubbed against the top making turning them very difficult. The several knobs which were easy to turn were very loose, and probably wouldn't last for a very long time. And the knobs are very small and thin, and the spacing between the knobs is too small even for my small hands. That means that when you turn a knob rapidly, the rest of your hand will bang against the other knobs to the left or right of the knob you're turning, which would make them even more susceptible to damage, and this is just from normal use.

Concerning the XY Pad - you would expect the values to go from 0 to 128 without any problems but that's not the case with the Remote LE. I could not get the X axis to go below a value of 9. I tried re-calibrating the Pad but that didn't work.

And finally the Joystick. There is a considerable amount of play in the left to right motion of the pitch stick which creates a large dead spot.

To sum it up, the build-quality stinks. I use to own the X-Station and that is a much better product regarding build quality.

They answer emails quickly, but their solution to computer issues with another of their products I bought included wiping my hard drive and reinstalling Windows. Or tweaking the Boot file. M-Audio products have been perfect for me without requiring some extreme Windows tweaks.

I wouldn't get another one, in fact I returned it and got an M-Audio Axiom. The Axiom is missing some features that the Remote LE has, such as the XY Pad, and the Axiom's large LCD Display doesn't show parameter names like the Remote LE's smaller LCD.

Most of these budget (under $130) midi controllers suffer from poor build quality. Spend a little more and you get a much better quality product.

You can still find the original Remote 25 on eBay for between $100 and $200. Or the X-Station 25 (which is a fantastic product) for around $300 used ($450 new).

For the money though, I still believe M-Audio controllers offer the best value. The Axiom is in a whole different league when it comes to build quality when compared to the Oxygen 8, Remote LE, XBoard, and Korg's $100 controller. The Axiom costs a little more though, but it's worth it in the long run.

If Novation where to fix the quality issues of the Remote LE, it would definately be the best out of the many sub-$130 2-octave USB Midi Controller Keyboards.

My experience - I've been playing the guitar for around 17 years and keyboards for around 7 years. I've been using software since Cakewalk 8 and softsynths since Reason 1.0. I currently use Sonar 4, Reason 2.5, NI's Reaktor 5, Absynth 3, FM7, Korg's Legacy Collection, Wusikstation, Novation's V-Station, and many free VSTi's.