19th January 2012
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#1 | | Moderator
Joined: Jan 2011 Location: Ireland
Posts: 2,128
Thread Starter |  Samson’s Graphite 49 USB MIDI Controller
The Graphite 49’s semi-weighted keyboard is designed to feel more like an instrument than a controller. It comes equipped with velocity-sensitive keys for capturing the dynamics of a performance, while aftertouch offers customizable control over a variety of effects and parameters. With dedicated Transpose and Octave buttons, as well as classic Pitch and Mod wheels, the Graphite 49 puts a wide range of musical expression and tone manipulation at your fingertips.
Take full control of your DAW and virtual instruments with the Graphite 49’s nine faders, eight encoders and 16 buttons, all customizable for the ultimate in hands-on control. In addition, players can utilize up to four zones for creating splits and layering sounds. The Graphite 49 also features four large velocity-sensitive trigger pads, each with two banks, that can be used to tap out drum beats, cue one-shot samples or start and stop sequences. And the Graphite 49’s large LCD screen displays the behavior of every function in real-time, enabling intuitive mapping with any software you’re using.
With a body design thinner than most controllers, the Graphite 49 is perfect live and in the studio. Its sleek, angled top panel offers easy viewing in any environment. Use it with your favorite iPad MIDI apps via Apple’s iPad Camera Connection Kit. Bundled with the Graphite 49, Native Instrument’s Komplete Elements software offers a vast range of instruments and effects for modern music production, composition and sound design.
With the great feel and total control that keyboard players and studio professionals everywhere crave, Samson’s Graphite 49 USB MIDI Controller brings out the best in performance and production capability.
Link : Samson — Graphite 49 | 
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19th January 2012
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#2 | | Lives for gear
Joined: Jul 2005 Location: Canada/Mexico
Posts: 2,142
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Curious about the price. Looks interesting  Thx
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19th January 2012
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#3 | | Gear maniac
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 209
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Pros: Considering it has nearly every type of controller you'd want - and a nice little LCD - it's quite a slim looking unit. Looks GOOD too, neither cheap nor tacky. And AFTERTOUCH!
Cons: No 61 key version?
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22nd January 2012
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#4 | | Gear maniac
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 155
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this is nice for peeps like me that have a maschine(or similar box) and don't need a bunch of pads, just keys.. any ideas on price?
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5th February 2012
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#5 | | Gear interested
Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 6
| Quote:
Originally Posted by supermosey  this is nice for peeps like me that have a maschine(or similar box) and don't need a bunch of pads, just keys.. any ideas on price? | Does anyone have an update on its price? I am about to buy a MIDI keyboard and this one looks interesting. But what's the price?
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7th February 2012
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#6 | | Lives for gear
Joined: Apr 2009 Location: Southside
Posts: 1,136
| Quote:
Originally Posted by The Known Does anyone have an update on its price? I am about to buy a MIDI keyboard and this one looks interesting. But what's the price? | this looks great .. selling for £169 in the UK from what I found on google
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26th March 2012
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#7 | | Gear nut
Joined: Nov 2009 Location: Toms River,N.J.
Posts: 87
| Quote:
Originally Posted by CasimirsBlake Pros: Considering it has nearly every type of controller you'd want - and a nice little LCD - it's quite a slim looking unit. Looks GOOD too, neither cheap nor tacky. And AFTERTOUCH!
Cons: No 61 key version? | The only other version of the Graphite model,is the Carbon,which is a scaled down version with an iPad dock,which sports 49 keys as well.
This is Samson's first venture into the keyboard market,so who the hell knows what they'll do in the future.
I'm not happy about just the 49 keys either,but damn...the price is right & from all of the videos I've seen on YouTube...the key-bed action seems to be pretty tasty.
It's a brilliant piece of kit with all that it does for the coin,so I won't hesitate to jump on it when it hits the shelves....& if a 61-key version surfaces later on down the road,I'll be all over that as well. 
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"If you have good musicians around you,there's nothing to say,if you don't,there's nothing you can say"
-Cab Calloway
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1st June 2012
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#8 | | Gear interested
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 3
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I'm interested in this keyboard also, for it's endles knobs, but most of all for it's 16 buttons. And i would like to know if these knobs would be abel to transmit program change msj's to change my bcr2000/ bcf2000 presets. But i can not find any manual of this controller. I's lttle brother is has a manual but grafite NO MANUAL , what so ever ..?
I do not know what samson is doing.
Can U help out here guy's ..?
Thanx
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1st June 2012
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#9 | | Gear interested
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 3
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And i also don't know if the buttons are iluminated like Roland PCR, or, A pro, series controllers. It woul be awesome it would be to se a visual feedback as u work and not wonder if the button was pressed and data transmited or not. sounds DEE LEE Shious , or what ... ? ... 200 Euros at music store deuschland would be great fi ti could do all these. Shame thou cose it dosn't have midi in for parrametre feedback for external gear and propper hoock up. What do U guy's say about the Roland PCR 300/500, and A 300/500 pro series ..? Keybad good ..? at pcr 500 could i use the pads as buttons , the pot's and the faders are durrable ..? any experience ..?
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29th June 2012
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#10 | | Gear maniac
Joined: May 2009 Location: Wuxi, China
Posts: 188
| Samson Graphite Review :)
Hi everyone, I don't know if anyone is interested but I am planning to do a detailed review of the Samson Graphite (which I haven't purchased yet).
Basically I am looking for a new keyboard and having tested several brands and models I am not satisfied with any of them, mainly owing to irritatingly stupid design oversights which make it very clear that the designers don't use the gear themselves. So I am still looking for a suitable MIDI controller keyboard. Last week I stumbled upon the Samson Graphite and I am curious about it. Looks good on paper but I couldn't find any review other than Samson's own reviews (which of course are stellar). Furthermore, a PDF user manual is NOT available from Samson's website  so I am going to just buy one and do a very detailed review which I will post here on GS.
I'll be able to return the controller within 7 days of purchase should I not like it, therefore any interested parties please let me know if you have any specific questions regarding the Samson Graphite as soon as possible (i.e. before I purchase it) so that I can answer your questions more accurately.
I will also post a check-list of points to cover prior to buying the unit for you guys to have a look at and add to.
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3rd July 2012
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#11 | | Gear addict
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 379
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Scoox, looking forward to the review
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3rd August 2012
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#12 | | Gear Head
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 36
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BUMP scoox do your review already! getting impatient lol
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3rd August 2012
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#13 | | Gear maniac
Joined: May 2009 Location: Wuxi, China
Posts: 188
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LOL I haven't done it yet because I am busy tiding up my sample library and I've also got a work. It's on my to-do list, just don't know when I'll get a chance to do it...  | |
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7th August 2012
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#14 | | Lives for gear
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 1,740
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Yes I've been looking around at the local South Bay stores to check out a Graphite but none has them -- if anyone has done a test run and could say pros and cons it would help me to decide if I order one at a whim or not.
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24th August 2012
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#15 | | Lives for gear
Joined: Jan 2006 Location: US/UK/Switzerland
Posts: 599
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Any users yet ?  | |
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25th August 2012
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#16 | | Lives for gear
Joined: Feb 2011 Location: Australia
Posts: 2,639
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No X-Y controller....
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26th August 2012
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#17 | | Gear maniac
Joined: May 2009 Location: Wuxi, China
Posts: 188
| Quote:
Originally Posted by CoolColJ No X-Y controller.... | = Less to go wrong
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26th August 2012
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#18 | | Lives for gear
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 1,740
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Now I'm intrigued why it has taken so long for Graphite to ship -- firmware/design problems?
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26th August 2012
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#19 | | Lives for gear
Joined: Dec 2008 Location: bloomington, indiana.
Posts: 3,041
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looks good, the brand name scares me however.....
and well, I'm not a fan of all in one units and i got my controller already.
but it does look nice.
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26th August 2012
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#20 | | Lives for gear
Joined: Feb 2011 Location: Australia
Posts: 2,639
| Quote:
Originally Posted by Scoox = Less to go wrong | I need be an X-Y controller joystick like my long gone Wavestation!
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26th August 2012
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#21 | | Gear nut
Joined: Nov 2009 Location: Toms River,N.J.
Posts: 87
| Quote:
Originally Posted by sameal looks good, the brand name scares me however.....
and well, I'm not a fan of all in one units and i got my controller already.
| Samson's Resolv series monitors are scary,but their Zoom gear is top notch for the modest coin.
This is Samson's first entry into this type of gear,so it's best to keep an open mind...especially considering what the Graphite offers for the budget friendly price tag.
Even the Behringer keyboard controllers are decent for the money,as I have the UMX610....my only problem with it,is how stiff the key action is....but no tech issues whatsoever.
CME and Alesis keyboard controllers are something to be afraid of.
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29th August 2012
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#22 | | Lives for gear
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 1,740
| Quote:
Originally Posted by ksandvik Now I'm intrigued why it has taken so long for Graphite to ship -- firmware/design problems? | Oh, Sweetwater, Musiciansfriend and GC is now shipping them. If I have time I should stop by the local GC that seems to have the latest controllers to see how they feel like.
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31st August 2012
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#23 | | Lives for gear
Joined: Feb 2011 Location: Australia
Posts: 2,639
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edit - wrong keyboard | |
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1st September 2012
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#24 | | Gear Head
Joined: Jun 2012 Location: Nissa La Bella
Posts: 37
| Quote:
Originally Posted by genieg this looks great .. selling for £169 in the UK from what I found on google | And €189 in Europe. I notice it has only MIDI-out, not MIDI-in.
Also I see it is bundled with NI Kontakt Essentials.
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6th September 2012
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#25 | | Gear nut
Joined: Jan 2011 Location: Iowa
Posts: 75
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Looks physically nice, like the rounded edges. Im thinking of replacing it over my Akai MPK Mini. The MPK does its job for what it is. I wish there was a 49 key ver, but most of all I really miss not having mod/bend wheels. An MPKMini with wheels would be perfect for mobile use for me.
Anyway I'd have to read some first hand reviews before I jump on it.
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7th September 2012
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#26 | | Gear interested
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 2
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I am also waiting to find some kind of review on this keyboard. I am looking for something very mobile to take with me daily for spurt of the moment sessions to record some ideas. It needs knobs, sliders, and mod wheel, pitch wheel to interface with the synth apps on the iPad. The biggest requirement is I need the device to be powered directly from an ipad. Most midi keyboards require using a USB hub between the ipad camera connection kit and the keyboard to get enough current into the keyboards. This device does work directly though and I have read that the Cakewalk A500 pro can also be powered directly if you disable an advanced midi protocol setting to use standard midi protocol but I am not 100% sure on that yet.
I like that roland has more buttons that can be used as pads but they are a little small.
I also considered the novation sl mkII and would prefer that over the others and pay more for the lights and the additional knobs that spin 360 but it can not be powered directly from the ipad I suspect based on the info I have found so far on it.
That leaves me with the A500 pro and the novation graphite 49. I just can not find any user feedback on the device. Any user opinions about using it even for just a day or so would be appreciated.
EDIT: I just found the Nektar Panorama P4 which is even a better fit for what I want if it were not for the size and that there will be zero chance of it working with the ipad directly with the camera connection port. I am sure it requires quite a bit of current to keep it running. It even allows you to quickly map drum pads to keys on the fly. It has motorized sliders too. http://www.nektartech.com/Panorama
Last edited by xStatiCa; 7th September 2012 at 04:02 PM..
Reason: Added info about Nektar Panorama P4
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3rd October 2012
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#27 | | Lives for gear
Joined: Apr 2010 Location: Honolulu/Cincy
Posts: 1,279
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Bump...curious about its PT integration. Have to dump my Yamaha KX49 (though its great for Cubase) since its transport controls wont control PT :(
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3rd October 2012
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#28 | | Gear interested
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 2
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I purchased mine about 2 weeks ago and really like it. I don't have protools to try it with as I have mainly been using it with the iPad. I haven't actually even installed the bundled software yet ( i do plan too though). I am just a beginner in this stuff so I doubt I can provide any kind of good feedback on it but so far I have been having a lot of fun with it.
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3rd October 2012
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#29 | | Lives for gear
Joined: Apr 2010 Location: Honolulu/Cincy
Posts: 1,279
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^^ Let us know what DAW software ur integrating it with and how difficult it is to get the faders/knobs/transport to sync.
THANKS!!
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9th October 2012
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#30 | | Lives for gear
Joined: Aug 2008 Location: Brisbane, Australia
Posts: 741
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I just bought one, not sure if I'll be keeping it or swapping it for a Novation Impulse 49 key. Opened it up in Logic with the Logic preset enabled and ran into nothing but issues, faders only affected the transposition settings of my softsynths and it would randomly cause logic to go into a screenset loop which resulted in me having to force quit logic. It's still early days though I guess. Haven't tried pro tools integration yet.
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