Novation Impulse 49 Review
Pioneers in musician-friendly controllers, has Novation raised the bar once again? Liam O’Mullane takes control.
Price: £300.00
Manufacturer: Novation
Website: http://www.novationmusic.com
Novation was launched back in 1992, producing ground-breaking products such as the analogue modelled Bass Station and Supernova synth, both of which are now regarded as classic pieces of MIDI hardware. Keeping pace with the ever-increasing popularity of virtual instruments, the company made another splash in the industry, launching MIDI controllers optimised for speedy control and maximised workflow. Further developments included the company’s Automap software, which integrated controllers and DAWs in such a way that users could simply click and assign controls to any plug-in currently selected. Users could also save preferences for different plug-ins relating to the controls they preferred to use. This feature was such a game-changer that other companies have since followed suit, offering similar integration systems with their controllers.
Here we’re looking at another significant Novation development – the Impulse range of keyboard controllers, which come in 25-, 49- and 61-key configurations. Rather than being jacks of all trades, however, they are clearly aimed primarily at electronic music-makers, with the goal of ensuring that music-creation is intuitive and as trouble-free as possible.
Feel the ’pulse
It’s the 49-key model we’re reviewing, but its features are much the same as those of the 61-key version, although a few are omitted from the 25-key model. The unit has a reassuring weight to it as do the semi-weighted keys, which feature aftertouch. The pitch and mod wheels also have a solid, durable feel, while the eight endless encoders give smooth operation with little resistance.
The nine low-profile faders are long enough to offer a decent range of volume control, but they feel a little gritty in operation. Being low-profile also means that it isn’t easy to perform fast parameter changes while playing, so they are best seen as mixer-type controls rather than catering for on-the-fly performance tweaks.
The remainder of the controls are rubberised and feel durable, as do the eight drum pads, which have three velocity curves that respond to your playing style. Roll and Arp buttons below them enable you to perform drum rolls and engage the well-featured eight-step arpeggiator, which outputs MIDI to record in your DAW. Around the back are MIDI in/out ports to hook up to hardware or as a means of sync’ing with others for electronic jams. Sustain and expression pedal inputs are also here.
Total integration
Installing the Automap software is advised for users of all major DAWs apart from Live (the Impulse has a control script for that). The latest version is simple to use and we got to grips with it quickly, but our main focus was on using the Impulse with Live.
In Live, the faders and encoders work just as well as any other Live controller we’ve used, though a lot of the navigation and scene-launching controls require multi-key functions that aren’t marked on the Impulse itself. It doesn’t take long to learn the various commands, but we had to revisit the manual on occasion. More labelling on the hardware would have made this easier.
On the plus side, though, all of the controls you need to launch scenes or clips and move around MIDI tracks to arm them for live performance and recording are present and correct. We particularly enjoyed exploring the Arp function, and found that navigating its settings via the LCD screen is a very intuitive process.
In performance
We like the way this controller feels in general: the keys are heavy enough to enable expressive, dynamic playing but at the same time fast enough to cater for more manic synth performances. They have a reasonably soft, cushioned feeling when played – a far cry from some of the more plasticky, noisy varieties out there. The LCD menu system is easy to understand and tasks such as key zone splitting and parameter tweaking in most cases require just a few button presses.
Overall, the Impulse has a good feature set both as an instrument and a performance controller and is sufficiently equipped for navigating a Live session. A minor gripe is that you have to use the transport buttons in combination with other buttons to execute some commands, which is initially quite hard to grasp. MTM
Verdict
WHY BUY
Session View controls for Ableton Live
+ Enjoyable to play
+ Includes MIDI interface
WALK ON BY
Multi-functions aren’t all labelled
Arp is only eight-step
Faders feel a little flimsy
An all-round controller suitable for mixing/performing with most DAWs, but it offers more for users of Ableton Live.
★★★★★★★★
Score: 8
This review first appeared in Music Tech Magazine issue 104
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