MusicRadar

Products such as Korg's padKontrol are useful for more than just beat creation.

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A keyboard is still most people's first MIDI controller purchase, but more and more of us are now expanding our hands-on setups by adding a drum pad.

The main benefit of such a device is obvious – it gives you a better interface for programming your beats – but as MusicRadar explains, there are many ways that you can use your percussion controller more creatively.

1. Central command
With a percussion control surface, you can control your DAW (or anything else capable of receiving MIDI) directly from the unit. Set up program change triggers to switch patches on your receiving software instruments, or use foot pedals or a few pads to control your DAW's transport functions, including punch-in and punch-out recording.

2. Grace under pressure
Many percussion pads are pressure-sensitive, which, when used correctly, can bring an extra dimension to your triggering. Use this ability to operate anything from tuning to volume. You can even use it in Ableton Live and other software to switch samples! Basically, anything that can be mapped to a MIDI CC can receive pressure control.

3. Get synchronised
Some controllers have built-in metronomes and headphone outputs that you can use to keep yourself and the rest of the band in time. Route your DAW's MIDI clock to the MIDI input of your controller and the metronome will follow time signature and tempo changes.

"With a percussion control surface, you can control your DAW (or anything else capable of receiving MIDI)."

4. Intuitive organisation
In the heat of a live show, remembering which sounds are mapped to which pads can be difficult. Program your sets with this in mind and always keep your sounds organised in groups. Designate specific pads to certain categories of sound so that you're always 100% sure of what will happen when you strike a particular pad.

5. Different drums
If your software's effects bypass switch can be mapped to MIDI, why not control it with a pad or pedal? Use MIDI controllers to morph your beat into a frantic, bit-crushed nightmare, or add a ping-pong delay for some spaced-out dub rhythms. With MIDI effects control added to your percussion options, the sound design possibilities are endless.

6. Drumming without drums
Nobody ever said you have to trigger percussive sounds with your percussion controller, so why not map, say, an entire string quartet with different articulations to eight pads? Apply round robin or some other type of alternating triggering in your software and you could potentially drum up an entire classical score. If you absolutely must have some skins in there, why not throw some timpani into the mix?

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