Encore Electronics Knobby MIDI Controller

May 1, 2001 12:00 PM, By Scott R. Garrigus

Are you tired of tweaking synthesizer parameters by wading through multiple menus on a tiny display? Do you cringe at the thought of mixing with a mouse and onscreen faders? The Knobby MIDI controller ($199) from Encore Electronics may be just the tool for you.

Humble Box

At first glance, Knobby looks like nothing more than a 10-by-5-inch metal box topped with five buttons and eight knobs. However, inside that nondescript box is a powerful MIDI controller. Connect Knobby to your computer's MIDI interface, and you can program each of its knobs to send out virtually any type of Control Change, NRPN, RPN, or System Exclusive message. Unfortunately, Pitch Bend, Aftertouch, and Program Change messages don't lend themselves to this kind of adjustment and are not included.

By utilizing the four Group buttons, you can create as many as 120 knob parameter assignments (called definitions) separated into 15 groups (15 groups multiplied by 8 knobs equals 120 knob definitions). The Scene button either sends out all current knob values at once or serves as a MIDI panic button, depending on how long you hold it down.

Define SysEx

The hardware is bundled with KnobbyEd software (Win 95/NT/ME; the manufacturer states that a Mac version should be available by the time this goes to press). KnobbyEd lets you create Libraries of knob definitions for hardware and software devices. Knobby ships with 84 Libraries covering a large selection of MIDI devices. Additional Libraries can be downloaded from the Encore Electronics Web site. Assigning knob definitions is easy: simply drag and drop definitions from the list of Libraries onto the virtual knobs. Libraries can contain more than Knobby's limit of 120 definitions, so you can't drag and drop an entire Library. You can, however, save a Knobby configuration once you have set it up.

You can create your own definitions from scratch. Assigning MIDI controllers to knobs is a simple matter of choosing a channel, controller number, and minimum and maximum value limits. RPNs are just as simple. NRPNs can be more difficult unless you know how to deal with MSBs and LSBs (Most- and Least-Significant Bits). KnobbyEd gives you a lot of flexibility with System Exclusive, but if you don't comprehend the SysEx data provided in your synthesizer manual, you'll want to ensure that Encore Electronics provides a Library for your instrument.

I first tried Knobby with my antiquated Roland JX-8P. To my surprise, Encore Electronics provides a Library for this instrument, so I dragged-and-dropped my way to a new Knobby configuration. The JX-8P Library was pretty complete, although it was missing a few parameters (LFO bend depth and MIDI message-filtering settings). I also tried controlling the Console View in Cakewalk's Pro Audio. It worked wonderfully. I only had to configure Knobby to send my choice of MIDI controller messages and then set up the Pro Audio Console View to respond to those messages. No more mixing with the mouse.

Smooth Operator

In terms of performance, Knobby provides smooth operation. The knobs respond to the slightest touch and switching between groups is instantaneous; no loading time is required. But I did experience a little trouble remembering each knob definition within each group. Operation is easier if you program each group to handle related parameters (such as all oscillator functions in one group and all LFO functions in another), but a small LCD beneath each knob would be helpful. The company says that it is working on that feature for a future version of Knobby. Encore Electronics' Slidemate has exactly the same feature set as Knobby and is designed for anyone who prefers using faders to knobs.

Knobby provides fewer knobs than the Keyfax Software/Hardware PhatBoy MIDI controller; however, Knobby is more programmable and costs less. If you need more knobs, you can connect multiple units together. The controller also has a small footprint and rests nicely on top of most synth keyboards. Knobby is a no-nonsense, versatile MIDI controller that won't dig too deeply into your personal-studio budget.

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Overall EM Rating (1 through 5): 4

Encore Electronics; tel (925) 229-8875; e-mail sales@encoreelectronics.com; Web www.encoreelectronics.com