TriggerFinger and padKontrol are competing drum devices for the discerning deejay.
Korg's padkontrol and M-Audio's TriggerFinger are simple MIDI drum controllers that allow the operator to select and assign musical attributes and functions to a dashboard of pads, sliders and knobs. Controllers are useful for music editors, mixing studios, and deejays who need a convenient method of combining and altering various drum files simultaneously.
Pads
Decide on the kind of pad and how responsive you need it to be. TriggerFinger offers sixteen finger pads. Pads can be assigned with a MIDI channel. The padKontrol pads are slightly more sensitive, with softer and more supple surfaces. TriggerFinger pads detect your pressure and motion primarily in their centers, while padKontrol senses pressure all the way to the edge of the pad.
The Look
Consider the weight and design of the units. TriggerFinger is bulkier, and manufactured in gray and black. PadKontrol is sleeker and lighter, although it is made of the same material, and comes in white with silver knobs and a narrow strip of mirrored material.
Controls
TriggerFinger offers you eight knobs, which can be assigned by the music editor, as well as four sliders. PadKontrol has fewer control knobs, with two of the three present assignable; there are no sliders but the unit does have an X-Y touch pad. The operator can set the two axes to change pitch, apply "aftertouch," or send a "control change" message. There are adjacent flam and roll buttons for impressive note- and time-bending effects. PadKontrol controls also light up to confirm they've been triggered.
Connections
TriggerFinger has a midi line-out, while padKontrol has both a line in and a line out, allowing for better connectivity to your other equipment. PadKontrol also offers a connection for a foot pedal.
How Much Information?
Consider your own expertise with a MIDI package and how much guidance and sofware you're going to use in order to use it proficiently. TriggerFinger offers only a two-page starter's guide, although a PDF manual is also available online; the package also offers Ableton Live Lite, music production software. padKontrol comes with editor software that allows operators to organize music file libraries, and Creative Kontol Pack, a bundle of music production software.
Tags: TriggerFinger offers, also offers, music production, music production software, production software, while padKontrol, with MIDI
