Dawn Wave « Novation SL-61 is an excellent controller keyboard mostly for studio and DAW »
Published on 08/13/24 at 04:10
Value For Money :
Excellent
Audience:
Advanced Users
Not having our regular studio and piano, between two locations, the Novation perfectly completes our DAW (Logic Pro) to compose, create, record new electronic music tracks. The Novation SL-61 is mostly used as a Keyboard controller for the DAW.
As composers, pianists/ Keyboardists, synth players, and producers of electronic music, we used the Novation 61 SL MkIII for creating music, sound research, recording myself, producing the tracks on a DAW Logic-Pro, for practising and rehearsing. The Novation is helpful in releasing our electronic music.
The current work-flow (Novation SL-61, Logic Pro, Softwares) is simple and fine, corresponding well to electronic music creation, in the temporary studio situation. We have an efficient, rigorously well-though, ergonomic, creative-friendly workflow, constituted with the best softwares and hardwares.
Overall, the Novation SL-61 is an excellent instruments for semi-pro or musicians with advanced experience in DAW and controller. The SL-61 is very complete with a rich repertoire of musical, mixing and pre-recording functions, which of course requires some learning time to master all the richness of functions. The integration with Logic Pro is excellent, easy, intuitive and quick, and the SL-61 offers a quick way to browse through sounds database to work on them. Compared with other controller keyboards offering such large palette of functionalities, and a good keyboard, the instrument is quite affordable, mush affordable that some other keyboards not more performing, offering a good value for money. The Novation SL-61 keyboard is excellent for Daw, mixing, production. The 61 notes is really an asset, as well as the lightness and portability, which makes easy to move and settle quickly the DAW in a new place.
Nevertheless, for us, the keyboard is not good enough for a live performance, which is upon our experience the case of most of all controllers and keyboards to this type. The keyboard response is good, not subtle enough for a real expression; the keys returner movement is too strong and fast The SL-61 keyboard lacks a proper response to a pianistic of a simple synth play style. Again, this critics is addressed to 90% of current controller and keyboard on the market. The Novation SL-61 ranks in the upper range, and is much better than the major part of these controller and keyboards. For live session, the required quality exists only with upper range synths (Oberheim, Waldorf, only a few Moogs) and on older synths, which had good weighed keyboards, even with aftertouch (Yamaha DX-7), before the Fatar kbd era which degraded the overall quality of synths keyboards, but reduced prices and costs.
To that extent, in its category, we really consider the Novation SL-61 as an excellent keyboard controller, - maybe one of the best keyboard in its category-, adapted to music creation, mix and production, with potential for evolution due to the richness of its functions. We see it definitely as a good buy, as we got it at a reduced price. Thee Novation SL-61 Mk III is already an excellent and performing instrument. What could be improved on future version ? 1. Ergonomy : We would wish a more easily understandable access to the multiple functions. After 6 months, we only master the main functions. To improve our mastering, we will need to come back to the manual in a new learning phase. 2. Screen : A real and larger, integrated single colour screen rather than the 5 mini screens. The improvement should consider limiting the cost. If used with a DAW, screen is not essential as most of the eye control is on the DAW 3. Keyboard. Excellent as a keyboard controller. Good keyboard, but still lacks a better natural pianistic / synth keyboard "touché". To our opinion it prevents the SL-61 from being taken for live session. This default is shared by most of current keyboards. We would really wish a lighter and more variable return moment of the keys. The keyboard sensitivity curve is not easy to set to have a smooth sound transition, equal on all notes. We find discrepancy on the sounds even for keys with a same finger touché. (we followed the manual, maybe we didn't set it fully properly).
As composers, pianists/ Keyboardists, synth players, and producers of electronic music, we used the Novation 61 SL MkIII for creating music, sound research, recording myself, producing the tracks on a DAW Logic-Pro, for practising and rehearsing. The Novation is helpful in releasing our electronic music.
The current work-flow (Novation SL-61, Logic Pro, Softwares) is simple and fine, corresponding well to electronic music creation, in the temporary studio situation. We have an efficient, rigorously well-though, ergonomic, creative-friendly workflow, constituted with the best softwares and hardwares.
Overall, the Novation SL-61 is an excellent instruments for semi-pro or musicians with advanced experience in DAW and controller. The SL-61 is very complete with a rich repertoire of musical, mixing and pre-recording functions, which of course requires some learning time to master all the richness of functions. The integration with Logic Pro is excellent, easy, intuitive and quick, and the SL-61 offers a quick way to browse through sounds database to work on them. Compared with other controller keyboards offering such large palette of functionalities, and a good keyboard, the instrument is quite affordable, mush affordable that some other keyboards not more performing, offering a good value for money. The Novation SL-61 keyboard is excellent for Daw, mixing, production. The 61 notes is really an asset, as well as the lightness and portability, which makes easy to move and settle quickly the DAW in a new place.
Nevertheless, for us, the keyboard is not good enough for a live performance, which is upon our experience the case of most of all controllers and keyboards to this type. The keyboard response is good, not subtle enough for a real expression; the keys returner movement is too strong and fast The SL-61 keyboard lacks a proper response to a pianistic of a simple synth play style. Again, this critics is addressed to 90% of current controller and keyboard on the market. The Novation SL-61 ranks in the upper range, and is much better than the major part of these controller and keyboards. For live session, the required quality exists only with upper range synths (Oberheim, Waldorf, only a few Moogs) and on older synths, which had good weighed keyboards, even with aftertouch (Yamaha DX-7), before the Fatar kbd era which degraded the overall quality of synths keyboards, but reduced prices and costs.
To that extent, in its category, we really consider the Novation SL-61 as an excellent keyboard controller, - maybe one of the best keyboard in its category-, adapted to music creation, mix and production, with potential for evolution due to the richness of its functions. We see it definitely as a good buy, as we got it at a reduced price. Thee Novation SL-61 Mk III is already an excellent and performing instrument. What could be improved on future version ? 1. Ergonomy : We would wish a more easily understandable access to the multiple functions. After 6 months, we only master the main functions. To improve our mastering, we will need to come back to the manual in a new learning phase. 2. Screen : A real and larger, integrated single colour screen rather than the 5 mini screens. The improvement should consider limiting the cost. If used with a DAW, screen is not essential as most of the eye control is on the DAW 3. Keyboard. Excellent as a keyboard controller. Good keyboard, but still lacks a better natural pianistic / synth keyboard "touché". To our opinion it prevents the SL-61 from being taken for live session. This default is shared by most of current keyboards. We would really wish a lighter and more variable return moment of the keys. The keyboard sensitivity curve is not easy to set to have a smooth sound transition, equal on all notes. We find discrepancy on the sounds even for keys with a same finger touché. (we followed the manual, maybe we didn't set it fully properly).