Looking for USB Wing - What is best

[neils]

Hey guys,

Hoping this post gets some good feedback cause I really need to dig into your heads to figure out a good wing control console to handle FS. I played around with FS for the 1st time earlier this year, and loved it. Only thing I did not like is always having to click around the screen to get things going. I am an old school guy who likes to have buttons under my fingers to change gobos or colors or moving patterns. My initial thoughts were to use a keyboard, but would rather have something a little more sophisticated, without getting into the $600 Enttec wings. I really want to avoid using MIDI, and the complications of having to map notes and have 3rd party mappers in between.

So my question, is there a USB solution out there, just like a keyboard, where I can simlpy map a button on the wing straight to a submaster or cue ?? I was looking at something like the AKAI APC20, which I believe is USB, but wondering how those buttons would get mapped to FS?? Would AKAI have some sort of interface software to allow a button to represent a key on a keyboard for example??

Besides the AKAI, is there any other USB controller out there I could use, with simple key mapping, without getting into MIDI???

Thanks for your time guys. Your answers here will make me determine whether I stick it out with FS, or move back to a lighting board. Only plus I like about FS compared to a board is that FS has built-in patterns and a generator, which allows you to get movers setup fast, compared to affordable consoles from Elation, where you still have to program your patterns for movers.

[Spirit]

hi

allmost all Controllers with Buttons/Faders/Rot encoders/Rot pots are midi controllers..

But i realy recomment to use the BCF2000 its the most used Midi controller for Freestyler..
and on the forum you can find user made Midi SYX files and FS .FMS midi config files.

as i also use the BCF2000 with this config...
viewtopic.php?f=16&t=2189

and i do NOT!!! recommend the akai apc20 because as i remember it correct it doesnt use CC# midi note's and there for you need to map everything with midi-ox..

the BCF2000 work rightaway from the box...

/spirit

[neils]

Thanks for the quick feedback. I think I may have found something more interesting though. While it's good to know that the BCF is almost plug and play, it still does not have enough buttons. Call me old school, but I want to assign a button per gobo, per color, per moving pattern, etc... I have my submasters setup this way, and just want to slam away at buttons to control my light show, or perhaps fire off a chase cue.

Anyways, check this out, slick programmable keyboard without it looking like a keyboard. Backlit keys, all assignable with what seems to be it's own mapping software. So my guess is that within FS, if you pick a letter to control something, you can then assign that letter anywhere on this board. If that is the case, which I hope it is, then I think this will be a LOT more user friendly, with a LOT more buttons available..Of course this does not address sliders, but my guess is that unless you are PAR lights, one might not need sliders as much.

I think I will start a new thread for this product, to make people aware of it, and then go thru the growing pains of getting it to work, which should hopefully be minimal
http://www.piengineering.com/xkeys/xk80.php

[Spirit]

hi
yes this keyboard looks nice the only thing i miss is the Feedback for buttons.
Light goes on if button is enabled and light goes off if the button is Disabled..

But i use FS with a 15"and 22"touchscreen.
and i use TouchscreenUserInterface 2 on FS so i can add the buttons i need (just create my own Controler).. and they give feedback...
and use the BCF2000 to controll the Seq speed, Submaster intensitie, Slecting the Seq on the submaster, Tap sync, and some other controller.

and i like the TUI2 because i can add ALL!!! overide buttons on it so 6x30 = 180 Buttons on one screen.

/spirit