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NOVATION REMOTELE Details
Unsurpassed MIDI controlling technology is now available in its most compact format to date. With its funky Touchpad and cool 4-way joystick, the lightweight ReMOTE LE is the only choice for the musician on a budget wanting to trigger samples, lay down basslines or control a sequencer with true style. The keyboard also comes complete with a full version of the Novation Bass Station software synthesizer.
The ReMOTE LE is Novation's most compact keyboard to date but still offers a wealth of MIDI controlling capability. Not only does it feature the X/Y Touchpad and combined pitch/mod joystick, which can both be programmed any way the user desires, but also boasts 9 knobs and 9 buttons, with a Group A/B switch effectively doubling that amount. 6 further buttons, labelled for Transport control, are also on offer.
All of the controls have been pre-programmed in 12 onboard Templates for popular software applications and instruments, so that the LE will control plug-ins with style straight out of the box. Many of these Templates have plastic overlays for even simpler parameter identification, but the LE's 32 character LCD screen already makes control display clear and simple. Many more Templates will become available on this website so check the Downloads and Product Updates pages for regular additions.
The quality keyboard comes in three sizes to suit your needs: 25-, 49- and 61-key. Apart from the number of keys, there are no differences between any of the three LE keyboards so it's simply a matter of range preference.
Once purchased, all that's required is to plug the LE in and controlling can start straight away. The unit is class compliant so there's no need to carry out arduous driver installation processes, just plug and play. True music creation with the minimum of fuss!
NOVATION REMOTELE Specs
Keyboard
Keys: 25, 49 or 61
Type: Semi-Weighted
Velocity Curves: 8 - individually assignable for each template
Pitch and Mod Wheel Mechanism
Pitch wheel lever: Rubberised - spring loaded, centre return left to right motion
Mod/control lever: Rubberised - spring loaded, front to back motion
X/Y Touchpad
Touchpad: Pressure sensitive
Parameters: 2 assignable in X direction; 2 assignable in Y direction
LCD Display
LCD: 2 x 16 character silver. Blue LED backlit
Interfacing
Data Ports: 1 x USB MIDI (Win XP/Mac OSX drivers)
MIDI: 1 x MIDI Out
Sustain Pedal: 1 x 1/4 Jack Input
Controls
Rotary Potentiometers: 9 - Rotation 0 to 270 Degrees
Buttons: 9
Transport Controls: Rewind/Fast Forward/Stop/Start/Record/Loop
Function Buttons: 4 - May be programmed for fast template selection or to sequence and snapshot
General Operation: Play/Edit/Write/Global/Select buttons
Data select: 1 x encoder
Keyboard Octave: Octave up/Octave down buttons
General
Battery Operation: 4 x Standard AA' Size
External Power Supply: Standard Centre Positive' 9V DC 600mA Power Supply (optional)
Size: W=468mm, H=68mm, D=190mm (25-key)
Size: W=798mm, H=68mm, D=190mm (49-key)
Size: W=963mm, H=68mm, D=190mm (61-key)
Weight: 1.4/1.6/1.8kg
Pre-installed templates
Synths, samplers, drum machines, mixers:
Novation
V-Station
Bass Station
Propellerhead
Reason Subtractor
Reason Malstrom
Native Instruments
FM7
Pro 53
G Media
Oddity
Spectrasonics
Trilogy/Stylus/Atmosphere
Ableton
Live
General MIDI
General MIDI 2
Steinberg
Cubase
Apple
Logic 7
NOVATION REMOTELE Documentation
NOVATION REMOTELE Downloads
Product Software
NOVATION REMOTELE FAQ
Q: How does the ReMOTE LE differ from the more expensive ReMOTE series?
A: The ReMOTE LE is physically shorter and less deep than the ReMOTE. This means that there are fewer controls available on the more compact ReMOTE LE, namely 9 pots and 9 buttons compared to the 8 pots, 8 faders, 8 encoders and 24 buttons available on the ReMOTEs. With the ReMOTE LE, however, clever designing means that a Group B switch effectively doubles these available controls so that there are actually 18 assignable pots and 18 assignable buttons available for each Template. Both the ReMOTE LE and ReMOTE series offer the Touchpad, pitch/mod joystick and Transport Controls as assignable controls for each Template too. The other main difference is the keys used, the ReMOTE series has the highest quality keys on the market and the ReMOTE LE has a new design, with a different but still high quality weighted action but no aftertouch. For the price, the ReMOTE LE still has better keys than any other controller on the market. Another difference is the amount of MIDI control; the LE has only 1 MIDI Out to connect to external MIDI equipment compared to the ReMOTE's 2 MIDI Outs, 1 MIDI Thru and 1 MIDI In. The ReMOTE LE also has only 16 onboard Templates compared to the ReMOTE's 64. Apart from this, the differences are minor, e.g. the ReMOTE LE cannot recharge batteries over USB like the ReMOTE.
Q: Why is semi-weighted better than non-weighted?
A: Essentially, the less weighted a keyboard is the further away from a piano feel' it is. A non-weighted keyboard feels nothing like an instrument; it is a computer peripheral for entering data. If you want to be creative on a non-weighted keyboard, however, you can run into problems. A semi-weighted keyboard makes the keys a little heavier and provides more upward force and stability that makes playing a lot easier and much more like playing a real instrument. Although many companies claim that they have a semi-weighted keyboard, the feel can be very different from one to the next. Any experienced keyboardist (and many reviews published to date) can confirm that the ReMOTE and X-Station series have the best feel of any product on the market. Many think that hammer action (or fully weighted) keys are the best available on the market but aftertouch, which is a huge performance tool, isn't available on most (or perhaps all) hammer action keyboards. Hammer action just isn't right for synths, only for piano emulation!
Q: What is aftertouch?
A: Aftertouch is an additional key feature, which allows the use to add further performance effects when a key is pressed down. For example, whilst holding a chord or an arpeggiated loop, applying additional pressure to the keys will activate a parameter of the sound such as pitch or filter frequency. This is a great feature on a synth/controller and opens up a whole new world of creativity to the keyboard player.
Q: Can I use aftertouch on the ReMOTE LE?
A: The keys on the ReMOTE LE do not have aftertouch but aftertouch is an assignable parameter within the MIDI spec. This means that the Touchpad could be used for aftertouch so that the right hand could play the notes whilst the left applies aftertouch on the pad.
Q: What advantages does the LE have over other low-cost controllers?
A: Firstly the amount and variety of controls available for each Template. Most controllers have a few pots and separate pitch and modulation wheels, in addition to their keys. The ReMOTE LE has an X/Y Touchpad with 4 assignable controllers, a combo pitch bend/modulation joystick, 9 pots and 9 buttons (doubled to 18 of each with the Group B switch) and Transport controls. This means that there are much greater possibilities for MIDI control available. For example, on other controllers there are only pots but no buttons, so controlling something where you want to step through options or send exact data values is going to be pretty difficult (pots can only send variable data that slides continuously between its maximum and minimum values). Furthermore, the controller only offers a limited amount of options for assigning data to the pot; for example only CC numbers can be applied and often only in a fixed range. These limitations mean that it's much harder to control certain plug-ins and sequencers. The ReMOTE LE's pots can be set to control any continuously varying parameter in any range, whilst the buttons can be set to step through values or send any value when pressed and another when released and so on. Simultaneously, the Touchpad could be set to control a 2-D effect, like Filter frequency and resonance, with the Transport controls assigned to those within the platform. Plus, don't forget that the combined pitch/mod joystick means that only one digit is required for operation, unlike all other keyboards that have two separate wheels; this makes controlling effects using the joystick and Touchpad easy with just one hand, up to 6 parameters at once!
The LCD screen is another bonus, having 16 characters and 2 rows unlike other controllers that frequently have only a simple 3 digit display. This means you can see the name of the data assigned to a control and don't have to remember everything that is assigned to each control. There are 16 onboard MIDI Templates, with 12 of them factory preset for popular software applications. Although other controllers on the market have a similar number, for the reasons listed above, the ReMOTE LE will integrate much more effectively with the software being controlled. Also, there are another 50 or so Templates available @ www.novationmusic.com, along with the Template editor to make constructing and modifying Templates even easier than on the hardware. Lastly, the keys feel very good too for a low-cost controller.
Q: What does the X/Y Touchpad allow me to do?
A: Up to 2 parameters can be assigned to each axis of the Touchpad meaning a total of four controllers are available at the same time. This means you could assign filter frequency and delay time to the horizontal (x) axis and filter resonance and delay feedback to the vertical (y) axis (which would otherwise need to be assigned to four different pots and couldn't be controlled simultaneously). With the ReMOTE LE, just one finger is required to modify all four! Also, as anyone who has used a Touchpad (like the Korg Kaos pad) knows, it is much more fun and expressive to control effects with a Touchpad than with pots and standard data entry controls. The Touchpad is a killer feature.
Q: How much control do I have over MIDI parameters?
A: The amount of MIDI options for assigning to each control is unrivalled in the marketplace. All controls can be assigned to send CC, RPN or NRPN MIDI data for controlling any MIDI hardware or software. The buttons can additionally be programmed to send MIDI Machine Control, Note on/off and Program Change data. A number of other options are available; If assigning a pot, you can set any maximum or minimum values within the available range. If assigning a button, you can set it to have a number of actions: Normal, Momentary, Toggle or Step. (Normal only sends data when pressed, Momentary sends one value when pressed and another when released, Toggle alternates between two values each time you press it and Step increases the value by an amount set by the user in an additional Menu page.) This gives you a massive amount of control over the nature of the data assignable to each control, and thus over how the ReMOTE LE is used to control software/hardware.
Q: Can the MIDI routing be set independently for each control?
A: For each button, pot, touchpad axis and also the pitch/mod controls and the keyboard you can set the MIDI channel the data is sent on and also select whether is sent to the computer via USB, out of the MIDI out port, or both. This makes it possible to use one template to control more than one device (hardware, software or both). The ReMOTE LE also has a MIDI override channel feature which forces all controls to send on the same MIDI channel, regardless of how they have been programmed individually.
Q: Why are there Transport controls built in?
A: The Transport controls are assignable like any of the other buttons on the ReMOTE LE; these ones just have Transport labels because these are the most common controls across all applications. As a result, if a Template for a particular sequencer is selected then the user will have visible hardware controls to play/stop/forward etc. and won't have to remember what areas of the Transport have been assigned to various controls. If Transport controls are not required, on the other hand, there are 6 further buttons available for every Template to assign to other software/hardware parameters.
Q: Can I use batteries or only a power supply?
A: The ReMOTE LE will power via the USB bus, from AA size batteries or with the optional PSU. The PSU requirements are 9V d.c., 600mA, centre pin positive.
Q: What are Templates?
A: A Template is the name given to a collection of knob and button settings (all assigned MIDI data of some kind), plus the settings of the joystick and Touchpad. The way that the controls (knobs, buttons...etc.) have been set up is dependent on what the Template is to be used for. For example, a Template for controlling Novation's V-Station software synthesizer has all the ReMOTE LE controls mapped to appropriate locations within the V-Station software so that rotating/pushing a dial/button on the ReMOTE LE changes various parameters on the V-Station.
Without Templates, if you were using the Novation V-Station and you wanted to control the V-Station parameters using the knobs and buttons on the ReMOTE LE, you would have to get the V-Station manual and look in the back to see what MIDI messages control which V-Station parameters and then program each control on the ReMOTE LE to control a different V-Station parameter by making it send the corresponding MIDI message. Then, if you were using the V-Station in Cubase and you wanted to use the ReMOTE LE to control the Cubase mixer, you would have to reprogram all of the controls on the ReMOTE LE so that they send MIDI messages which Cubase can understand. Every time you wanted to switch between controlling Cubase and the V-Station, you would have to reprogram all the knobs and buttons. Templates mean that you don't have to continually reprogram the ReMOTE LE controls because you can save all the settings onboard the unit and then instantly recall them by selecting the saved Template. A preset Template is a Template that has already been constructed by Novation so that you don't need to construct one yourself; all you have to do is select the preset Templates for V-Station and Cubase to easily switch between controlling them both!
Q: How many/which Templates are included?
A: There are 12 preset Templates onboard the ReMOTE LE meaning that the ReMOTE LE can be used to control many different applications as soon as it has been purchased without having to perform complex setup procedures. Simply rotating the DATA encoder below the LCD screen when the ReMOTE LE is first powered up will scroll through the following onboard Templates: Novation V-Station, B-Station, Reason Subtractor, Reason Malstrom, NI FM7, NI Pro53, GMedia Oddity, Spectrasonics Trilogy/Stylus/Atmosphere, Ableton Live, General MIDI 2, Cubase, and Logic 7.
Overlay labels designed to fit over the ReMOTE LE controls are supplied with the unit. They correspond to the above templates so that you can see what function each control is assigned to for each template. Some of these overlays, e.g. the 'sequencer mixer' and 'VA synth' labels, are designed as generic control layouts that can be used with many different DAWs/plug-ins/hardware devices.
There are also 4 spare slots for building your own Templates, in addition future template updates will be available for free at the Novation website www.novationmusic.com.
Q: What if the Template that relates to my setup is not available?
A: Novation make it very easy to construct your own Templates, with an intuitive and user-friendly ReMOTE LE Template Editor downloadable from the Novation website. With this application, which has the ReMOTE LE front panel on screen, you can easily send Templates to and from the hardware, permanently view all the assigned data and modify it simply by clicking on each control. Once you've built your Template, sending it to the ReMOTE LE will mean it is temporarily stored on the onboard memory (none of the 16 onboard Templates will be overwritten) so that the user can try out the Template before deciding to have it as a permanent fixture onboard. If unsure, the Template can easily be saved on the desktop until a later date but if a factory preset Template is accidentally overwritten then all factory preset Templates can be uploaded with one button press using the Template Editor bulk dumps facility. The process of building Templates is also straight forward on the ReMOTE LE hardware itself thanks to the larger LCD screen and clever OS design.
Q: Is the ReMOTE LE Template Editor the same as the ReMOTE Editor?
A: The functionality of the software is essentially the same but you cannot use the ReMOTE LE editor with the ReMOTE hardware and vice versa. Each Editor has the hardware front panel on screen, allowing you to easily edit any of the available controls in a Template.
Q: How do I get hold of the Template Editor for the LE? How much is it?
A: It's completely free and is available online @ www.novationmusic.com, along with all the additional Templates we couldn't fit inside the hardware.
Q: If there are no audio inputs/outputs, why do I need USB?
A: The ReMOTE LE is a MIDI controller/interface that communicates with the computer over USB. There is also a standard MIDI Out on the rear so that any MIDI hardware can be controlled in the normal fashion, by the ReMOTE LE controls or (through the ReMOTE LE) by the sequencer. The X-Station uses USB for MIDI interfacing/controlling too, as well as using it to send and receive audio. (Whereas early MIDI controllers had only MIDI connections, which meant USB or similar MIDI interfaces needed to bridge the gap between the controller and the computer, current designs almost all have USB or Firewire built in so that no extra peripherals are required. This has happened as a direct result of the majority of MIDI hardware being made somewhat redundant due to software synthesizers and the computer revolution.) As you can see with the ReMOTE LE, none of its factory preset onboard Templates are for hardware because the most popular things requiring controlling these days are in the computer.
Q: What are the system requirements for the ReMOTE LE?
A: You need to have a computer running Windows XP or Mac OS 10.2.4 (or later) with a USB 1.1 or USB 2.0 port. The minimum recommended processor speeds are 600MHz Pentium or G3/400MHz Mac.
Q: Do I need to install drivers to use the ReMOTE LE?
A: The ReMOTE LE is a Windows XP and Mac OS X class-compliant MIDI device, thus it does not require its own drivers to be installed. Simply connect the ReMOTE LE to your computer and start using it straight away!
Q: What does the 'GROUP B' button do?
A: Pots 1-9 and buttons 1-9 can all be assigned to two different functions. To access the second function layer for these controls (for editing and when in play mode) press the 'Group B' button so that the LED is lit.
Q: Can I use a footswitch with the ReMOTE LE?
A: The ReMOTE LE has a footswitch input on the rear and the footswitch may be programmed to send CC, RPN, NRPN, Program Change, MMC or MIDI Note on/off data. Either a normally open or a normally closed footswitch can be used with the ReMOTE LE. To set the footswitch to control sustain set the control type to CC, the CC number to 64 (MIDI sustain), and the button type to toggle. For a normally open footswitch, set the high value to 127 and the low value to 000. For a normally closed footswitch, set the high value to 000 and the low value to 127. The footswitch polarity may be reversed from the ReMOTE LE Global menu.
Q: Can I send MIDI data from my computer to an external MIDI device using the ReMOTE LE?
A: Yes, simply connect the MIDI Out port of the ReMOTE LE to the MIDI In port on the MIDI device (e.g. a synthesiser). Make sure that 'USB to MIDI Out' is set to 'On' in the ReMOTE LE global menu.
Q: If I connect the ReMOTE LE, open my sequencer and select the appropriate template, will it automatically control the software?
A: No, you will need to set up your sequencer so that it can correctly understand data from the ReMOTE LE. The process for each sequencer is different, however clear instructions and all the necessary files for Logic 7, Cubase SX/SL/SE/LE, Live and Reason are included on the ReMOTE LE resources CD.
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