2012 NAMM Show: At the Winter NAMM Show, Nektar will officially announce the Nektar Panorama P4 controller – a dedicated keyboard controller for Propellerhead Reason.
The Panorama P4 was conceived as an instrument intended to augment a computer music system through direct and tight integration. The workstation keyboard concepts allows for complete “on device” selecting and editing of sound with direct visual feedback.
Panorama has a ton of controls, with 90 control elements assignable to a MIDI-message. In addition, buttons and pads can be assigned to ASCII messages which allows for sending shortcut commands to Reason. 20 preset locations store the assignments of controls for later recall. A preset is linked to a Pad Map, Keyboard Map and F-Keys Map so you can save and load these components independently of the individual presets.
The Nektar Panorama P4 is expected to be available in stores worldwide in March 2012. It’s priced at US $599.99, with an anticipated street price US $499.99.
Details below.
Nektar Panorama P4 Controller
12 velocity and pressure-sensitive pads with choice of velocity curves make all the difference for percussive performances. The pads are easy to program using the “Learn Note” function and saving to any of the 20 Pad Map locations. The “Velocity Spread” feature quickly spreads one note across all 12 pads, each with its own fixed velocity, which allows for extremely nuanced dynamics. The “Scale-Function” assigns each pad to pitches within a defined scale for percussive performances with any sort of keyboard sound, while freely changing intervals or transposing the whole set on the fly.
Panorama integrates and interacts with Reason like no other controller: Completely transparent and with unlimited access to all areas. Every single Reason device is mapped with parameters and their values clearly visible in the display. Switching between Mixer, Instrument and Transport mode reconfigures the entire control surface by just pressing one button. Even if you are not interested in tweaking sounds but prefer to use the comprehensive library of patches in Reason, Panorama delivers an experience like it has never been available before. Patch names are displayed clearly as you step through the current sound bank. To play Panorama adds an additional dimension and is the closest you get, to operate Reason, as if its hardware.
Specifications:
- 49-note velocity-sensitive keyboard
- Aftertouch
- Weighted synth-style keybed
- Pitch bend & Modulation wheels
- 4 keyboard function buttons
- 3.5″ high-resolution TFT display
- 16 encoders
- 9 45mm faders
- 100 mm ALPS motorized fader*
- 10 assignable LED buttons
- 28 additional assignable buttons
- 12 pads with velocity/pressure sensitivity
- 4 LED mode buttons
- 5 menu buttons under display
- Pads and motorized fader select buttons
- View and mute buttons
- Sustain pedal jack (pedal not included)
- Expression pedal jack (pedal not included)
- USB port for communication with computer
- USB Micro B connector for extra and external power*
- Mac OS X and Windows XP, Vista & 7 compatible
*Two USB ports or external USB power supply required to power entire unit. One USB port powers entire unit with the exception of the motorized fader.
Why is it so huge for just a midi controller? What does “weighted synth style keys” even mean? it’s a 49 key midi controller with weighted keys? I don’t get it.
That said if they ever made a 2-octave version I’d think about it if my current m-audio ever died…
I think it’s fantastic and will likely buy one soon after it’s released (assuming it gets good reviews). Synth-weighted keys have more substance than your regular non-weighted keys like you find on cheap casio and yamaha keyboards. Expect the feel to be somewhere between that and fully weighted piano style keys.
Those arn’t synth keys…look at the shape. If you’re talking about the weight, call it semi-weighted. Also the idea of the motorized fader being powered by a second usb is ridiculous. It does it’s job of looking pretty though.