Knobs/Sliders/ on midi controllers

[ChloroPhil]

Very brief background:

I plan on buying a keyboard controller soon.

The software I use now is Acid Pro 5, which I understand is not the best for midi. Nevertheless, I'm doin' alright with it. The genre that I'm into is hip hop, as well as some r&b-ish stuff.

Question:

It is my understanding that the knobs and sliders on keyboard controllers do things like pan, reverb, and the like. Am I correct in assuming that they can only adjust the functions that are already present on the software interface of the vst you're using? If this is the case, then you don't really need them cause...you can just do it on the screen? (Of course, the point of controllers is to be able to do the work with your own hands but...)

I guess what I'm wondering is, do you find all those knobs and stuff pretty helpful & useful? Right now the controllers that I've been looking at are the M-Audio Keystation 49e [$99](or maybe the 61 key version [$129]), the E-MU Xboard 49[$169], and the *Edirol PCR-50 [$169]

Am I unnecessarily inhibiting myself by going without the knobs?

Thank you for your time.

p.s. Yes I've already spent time looking in and out of the these forums - midi controller questions really do come up a lot here. I got some good info, but not quite was I looking for.

*I've seen some reviews online saying that the Edirol PCR-50 isn't reliable, as in the keys start gettin disfunctional after 1-2 years or so. I know some people 'round here have experience with it, so can anyone support/disagree with this?

[zircon]

I don't find them useful. They can control any MIDI parameter on any device that accepts MIDI - this includes just about every function on every DAW and VST out there. Same goes for sequencers like Reason.

[Navi]

I use the Edirol 50 but i've had it for less than a year...so I can't back that up.

But it's been very useful to me in the time i've had it. I use knobs on occasion to automate my FX while recording...and it's helpful. Saves the trouble of going back and individually mapping out the knob automation.

[Skrypnyk]

*I've seen some reviews online saying that the Edirol PCR-50 isn't reliable, as in the keys start gettin disfunctional after 1-2 years or so. I know some people 'round have experience with it, so can anyone support/disagree with this?

of course the PCR-50 isn't reliable.

so go with the PCR-80

I personally don't use any of the knobs or sliders. One reason being I've never learned how to. The second reason being.....well, there really is no second reason...

I use mouse to modify anything that needs modification, and automation clips for anything that needs automation. I suppose if I were to learn how to play live, it would come in handy.

[sgx]

Yo, maybe I can give you some more specific information myself as an Acid 5 user.

You are correct in that Acid kinda blows for midi and soft synths. I think that you will get less satisfaction of using a midi controller for vsti parameters in Acid than you would with another host that's better with midi.

If you're familiar with automating vsti parameters in Acid, you probably know that Acid doesn't really support vsti automation - you have to do it with the MIDI - you have to look up the midi CC number for the vsti parameter and then draw in the automation (someone more knowledgeable might know what this is called specifically). That method is a pain in the ass in my opinion compared to other hosts' support for real vsti automation. Its a pain to set it up in Acid. I don't believe acid has any type of midi-learn function built in (midi learn basically lets you choose a parameter for a vsti, turn on midi learn, then twist the knob or hit the key you want mapped to that parameter, and then it will remember that that knob controls that parameter).

So I don't know how much you'll love a midi keyboard with Acid 5, since it would take some setup time and in my opinion moving knobs with a mouse is just fine.

However, Acid Pro 6 was just announced and looks mighty awesome on paper. They've overhauled the midi system, pretty much added all the features I was complaining about above, and improved a lot of other things. I think it looks like a pretty kickass all-around host if they actually pull off what they hyped up. If you are planning on upgrading, then I'd say your controller might be of more use.