Panorama P4 - USB MIDI Controller Keyboard with Nektar DAW Integration, White

I got this a few days ago, and I am in love. I tried a bunch of keyboards that are popular as Reason controllers, and they just felt cheap, or didn't have very intuitive controls. This keyboard is just about perfect for me. First, it feels solid. The controls don't stick, and the buttons don't feel cheap. Everything feels top-notch. I hate having to fight my instrument to get control over it. No problems with that here. Sliders slide without a fight, rotaries all glide. Would be nice if rotaries had tactile feedback, but you can't get everything for $499. The keyboard is semi-weighted, and feels almost like a piano keyboard, so it requires some force to play, unlike a lot of cheaper keyboards. I like the feel of the keys a lot. In Reason, the P4 just works. Workflow flows. It makes everything in Reason feel more "real," as opposed to a wall of graphics you have to constantly click on, pulling your attention away from the keyboard. I can sit at the P4 and fiddle with all kinds of settings without turning my head towards the monitor. For example, if I'm trying to get down a track, I can record and re-record it as often as I'd like with just a few button pushes. Transport controls are right there, with an undo button to remove tracks I don't like. Four presses, and I've stopped, deleted, gone back to 1.1.1, and started recording again. If I'm fiddling with an arpeggiator, there's a software hold key that will virtually hold down the keys I've already pressed so I can fiddle with the arp setting without my fingers going numb. (Just one example of many.) It only has 12 pads, but it's stupid easy to work with in Kong, because there's a software button that let's you change the top row on the fly from C (banks 9-12) to D (13-16). Nektar does an excellent job of supporting the latest Rack Extensions. It works well with Antidote, Viking, Korg Polysix, and a bunch of others, and they update pretty frequently. (Looks like about every month or so.) The PX7 Rack Extension synth only has basic control support, not deep support over all 6 operators. Apparently that's Propellerhead's call, not Nektar's. PX7 integration isn't as good as, say, Antidote integration, but the P4 still makes the PX7 easier to play with. I can patch-surf, change the basic controls, or change PX7 algorithms from the P4. Just changing the algorithms from the keyboard is huge for me, because that means each PX7 patch has 32 options to play with. If you want to modify the operators, you have to do that with the mouse. The display makes it really easy to figure out what you want to do, so don't worry about black on black buttons/dials/sliders. After a few days, it becomes intuitive. Setup can be a little bit tricky for newbies (just a little), and the Nektar website could use some streamlining to make the obvious information easier to find, but I'm not taking off a star for that. Just don't auto-add it as a control surface in Reason, or else you'll get errors. Follow the instructions on the Nektar website.

First, this device is just a pretty machine! It's aesthetically just very attractive, that's what grabbed me when I stumbled on it. I said "What is that? I GOTTA HAVE THAT BOARD!" 2nd DID I tell you that this device is just a very pretty machine? OK. It's performance capabilities are well worth the money. The ability to shape and control sound is beyond belief. Everyday I use it feels like the first day of Kwanza...or Haunaka...or Xmas, or whatever you celebrate. It's useful with just about any DAW but it was MADE for the Reason DAW. With Reason by Propellerhead (which as an FL Studio kid I was reluctant to use at first but highly surprised and now hooked) the keyboard is fully functional...it's the only DAW that works with P6 in two way communication. I.e. change parameters on the computer changes parameters on the board and vice versa. I'm a big FL Studio user and was disappointed when I discovered functions are very limited unless you go in and set up your automation templates. But Reason with all of its bundled instruments and effects more than over compensate for the switchover. And while the DAW is bout' $350 a free demo version online of Reason 10 is available for download and fully functional...you just can't save songs, but a real audio engineer doesn't let that stop him/her. The other beautiful part is control of Reasonz mixer DAW from the board. Dude...THE FRIGGIN VOLUME CONTROL IS MOTORIZED AND MOVES BY ITSELF WHEN YOU PROGRAM IT IN MIDI. What other controller does that? More stuff puts this joint among the stars but I'm not getting paid for this review...find out for yaself. E.g. the P6 can control the mixer in Reason seamlessly. But if you decide not to use Reason you'll still enjoy the effective P6 MIDI integration and control of whatever DAW you do use. So whatz thumbs down with this baby? 1. The manual SUUUUUUUCKS...it's a 4/10. But a real audio engineer....well you get me. But the owner of Nektar, Neil's and his tech team in Stockholm are VERRY helpful and quick about answering questions via email. Really. After a while I felt guilty because I kept sending them questions about the P6 but I think because they love what they do at Nektar, making us happy makes them happy. And their website is an 8/10 when it comes to getting you the right driver and firmware for your device as well as other info, so count that as a plus. 2. The Nektar website pushes the Bitwig DAW...dude, smile at that offer and keep it movin' right on over to Propellerhead and download the Reason Demo...you won't be dissatisfied. I simply wasn't impressed with Bitwig. Reason 10 is miles above what they used to be back in the day. Instruments, effects, workflow and SOUNDS. The sounds are really nice and the pallatte is diverse in synthesis type. From thick lush pads to crisp bells and ambient strings to classy and classic solo patches...you won't get bored, and that's even before you start tweaking the knobs and sliders on the P6. Nektar really needs to push the Reason DAW...its the logical choice for this axe. So get your P2, P4 or P6 TODAY!!!

This is my review of the Nektar Panorama after using it steadily for 4 years, and of having to send it in for repair recently/dealing with Nektar's customer service. In fact it was this excellent customer service that prompted me to write this review. I'm not being paid to write this; am merely a very impressed consumer. Things i've liked over the 4 years (and i'd give the product 4 stars for this): 1. Excellent out of warranty service - will touch on this later in the review 2. Motorized fader still works great, and is a great asset to many in smaller project studios 3. DAW intergration in Logic and Cubase remains great, that being said, the driver installation/reinstallation needs to be done properly 4. Smaller faders are all reprogrammable 5. LCD display still works great after all these years. 6. Keys are all still working as new, none are stuck or have given way, and I do alot of sequencing and repeated notes. 7. Looks slick, futuristic and i always get the comment what keyboard is that, looks cool. Especially those red LEDs under the pitch bend and modwheel. Things I've not liked 1. After 4 years, the USB port on the back became wonky and prompted the repair/contacting customer service. They rectified this by replacing it FREE OF CHARGE and shipping it back to me (im local to CA) for free. So, they get an extra star for that, bringing it back up to 5. 2. Driver integration can be iffy if you're installing it for the first time. You have to install a software thing, then a firmware update, and restart your DAW a few times for it to work properly. 3. It doesn't behave well with tracks that have 'very' identical naming, i.e. Flute 1 and Flute 12, probably best to name it Flute A and Flute B or something. Like the keyboard goes into this flashing mode as though it cant decide which one is being selected. 4. The 'touch' of the black keys, as other reviewers have mentioned, is much stronger than the white keys. Doesn't play intuitively like a piano, but as a hybrid piano programming thing, is fantastic. It's great for repeated notes, even on the keys themselves. But for piano performances, it might take some getting used to. 5. The motorized fader requires separate USB power to function, and you'll need to buy a 3rd party USB power port and a micro usb cable to provide supplemental power to the motorized fader. So you're wondering, in spite of all my dislikes, why a 5 star review? Well, if not for them having great customer service to boot, it would probably be 4, which is still really good, but the attentiveness and care I've received from their customer service (they're a small company) has been so great that I feel the least I could do was to write a great and honest review. Basically, it's totally been worth the investment for me. I've had other keyboards where the keys have given out in less than 2 years with much less use. To conclude, a great product many years later, and would totally buy it again in a heartbeat. Thank you Nektar! I hope this helps bring more attention to your company, you deserve it!

Bottom line if you use Reason you should use this controller. It is so perfectly integrated with every tool in the rack plus all of the RE's. They keep current on a nearly weekly basis with all of the 3rd party RE's to make sure you have total control over every parameter possible. I've loved Propellerheads for years and it is really my only DAW outside of mastering - I use it for all of my creation but I have always tried to cobble together hardware to make the dials and knobs all work - building custom maps, editing automation triggers - it was a lot of work and now, it's all done for you. In fact you more or less almost don't need your keyboard and mouse. The only place I think it's more convenient to use the mouse is when creating a new instrument (although the P4 allows you to do this I find it easier with a mouse) but aside from that you control 100% of the functionality from the workstation. In addition the keys and pads are superb. The weighting on the keyboard feels so incredible to me and the drum pads are the best I have ever used. If you are questioning this versus something like an Axiom to save 50% and you use Reason spend the extra money. There is zero comparison. This is the only tool you will need. I am going to be selling off all of my controllers (keeping my 88 key just in case I want to play a nice 2 handed big range piece but aside from that - see ya - y'all been replaced :). Buy it now! (Oh BTW - they will be releasing a 61 key I believe - that would be the only reason to wait if it means a lot to you. I promise this tool will boost your creativity to all of the potential it can be.

Would love to love this fine looking keyboard, but no matter what I do it will not control the transport or any other part of Logic Pro X other than playing its instruments. I called support and sadly, was greeted by a recording advising me to visit the website, which I did three times without success.

I have only good things to say about this controller. However, my use case may be unlike that of many readers, so some background is in order: First off, I'm using the P6 with Ableton Live 9, not Reason. Actually, I think of this as a selling point for Nektar, that the device is perfectly useable in any environment, and can be deeply integrated. The Nektar website provides templates for various DAWs if such integration is desired. Secondly, I'm using the P6 almost exclusively as a MIDI/VST controller, not a DAW controller. So I can't comment on certain functions, particularly the transport controls and motorized fader. This may not be a general sentiment, but I think it's a valid perspective: In my opinion, a 61-key controller is better thought of as a controller rather than a live arrangement or DAW control device, especially with Live+Push or Maschine serving those roles just about perfectly. So I bought this device for keys, wheels, faders, and vel curve/cc mapping and editing and all that fun controller stuff. So although it's billed as a dedicated tool for Reason-based dubstep/trance/dnb creation, I'm using it in another DAW in very different styles, which if anything should simply reassure the reader that this is a versatile, professional product. So, moving on. The Nektar P6 is replacing a 17 year old Roland XP-50 as my main controller, and working alongside a Roland XV-88 which I still turn to for dedicated playing and difficult sequences. A brief pause out of respect for the XP-50, which is still one of the finest controllers available. Overall build quality: The unit feels sturdy and generally well-constructed. Nothing shifts or rattles, nothing flexes, and it is definitely not light or flimsy. The case itself is entirely plastic, but satisfyingly chunky and durable (also quite handsome, in my opinion). I'll cover each interface component individually below, but in general, they mostly feel good, with the exceptions of the fader travel (loose) and the MPC-style pads (definitely not up to par with Maschine). Interface and control: The TFT is extremely bright and clear. Without checking the manual, I was able to get the CC assignments and velocity curve I wanted and save that to a new default profile in a couple minutes without a single problem or complaint. That's not about as intuitive as it gets, that actually is as intuitive as it gets. Full marks and a heartfelt "thank you" to Nektar for the internal interface. Wheels: The P6 has the nicest modwheel I've ever used. It's not the impossible paradise that is the wooden pitchbend control on the Nord Lead 2, but for my purposes, I actually like it better. All of the controls on the P6 have a silky rubberized or textured coating (except the rubber buttons), and that texture in the divot and the overall motion and response of the wheel are an astonishingly high-quality combination. I am doing mostly orchestral work, where the modwheel typically controls dynamics and gets quite a workout on every layer to add realism. It's really a joy to use, every time. Faders: The closest thing to a weak point on the P6 is the faders (the main bank on the left side, not the motorized thing). The caps themselves are allright, but the stems rock around quite a bit and the travel is fairly grainy, nothing like the smooth ride of the modwheel, and nothing like the action on older workstation faders. Neither of these problems are something you'd really notice if you're working in a studio, as there's no way they'd distract you from the music. But, objectively speaking, in the context of controllers, these are not particularly strong faders, and are just about the only reason I can't give the P6 the 5 stars it otherwise deserves. Buttons: All of the buttons are made of a heavy rubber that does not deform much, but is pleasingly tactile. Menu selectors and DAW transport keys are also backlit, which is extremely helpful. Although there is some rocking in the larger buttons (transport, mostly), all buttons get forced into a clean vertical travel when depressed and land solidly if you bottom out. Generally high quality and more than serviceable, very nice. Pads: The pads are "fine". They are dense, and have a nice texture. They feel very tight, and don't wobble or have any obvious issues with pressure on the corners or anything like that. They feel pretty nice. However, it has to be said, they are definitely short of the standard set by Maschine. They don't feel as nice under the fingers (to me), they are definitely less tactile and also less accurate and responsive. I'm sure, however, that a talented player can use them perfectly well. But again, objectively, it's easy to point to better pads. But this isn't a mark against the P6 so much as a reason to consider keeping your Maschine/MPC/whatever that has dedicated pads, as the P6 pads definitely do work on their own. Keys: Now, to me, this is pretty much the centerpiece of a controller. But in the forum discussions I could find about the P6, not a single person mentioned or even asked about keys! I'm not sure what to make of that. I'm especially not sure what to make of it when you consider that the P6 has incredible keys, and is really the only device of its kind I'm aware of in this category. The P6 has semi-weighted, "piano" style (as opposed to "diving board"/traditional synth style) keys. Semi-weighted means different things between manufacturers, with the major differentiator being that the keys don't extend past a pivot as they do in a fully-weighted keyboard or in a real piano. That aside, there have graded action, a soft bottom-out, and a tight, very responsive but not "excited" keyboard. Overall, their quality is exceptional. The materials themselves feel wonderful, particularly the brushed, more tactile approach taken on the matte black keys. The action is glass-smooth and the bottom of travel is not a plastic WHACK, and not quite the WHUMF of a fully-weighted bed, but pretty nice. They are very tight and do allow for good velocity control, in general. The keys look a tiny bit short in the pictures, and they are in fact about 3/4" shorter than the keys on the XV-88. This, coupled with being semi-weighted and possibly having something to do with their unusual and high positioning, results in a more immediate travel, with less fine control in the middle or upper portion of the key. So although they are generally fine and very accurate, soft-dynamic playing of any complexity may result in some weird variation as some notes go down way harder or softer than you'd be used to on a real piano. It does take a little getting used to. For average chords or sequence work, these keys are basically the Cadillac of available options right now, handily blowing past offerings from M-Audio and Novation that I am familiar with, easily competing with affordable workstations. For more detailed, live recording, they are still exceptional, although may require some getting used to. For dedicated piano performance, I would strongly recommend just getting a proper, fully-weighted 88-key controller, definitely including B-stock workstations from Roland/Yamaha/Korg. You wouldn't expect an affordable 61-key controller to compete with a dedicated 88-key behemoth, and well, it doesn't. But it does excel at everything else and does make a truly amazing day-to-day controller. Conclusion: With an extremely intuitive and powerful internal interface, exceptional construction quality, magnificient keys, arguably the greatest modwheel of all time, and inspiring, exotic looks to boot, the P6 seems an easy and somewhat obvious choice for a day-to-day studio controller. For anybody on the fence about this product because there isn't much information on forums about playability or non-Reason usage, I don't think you'll be at all disappointed after taking the plunge. It gets one star dinged for dropping the ball a bit on the faders, perhaps overextending itself as the expense of maintaining its otherwise very high standard of quality across all components. But in practice, it is exceptional. I smile every time I see it and have nothing but positive things to say when it's in use.

Been using Reason for 10+ years & this is by far the best keyboard for using reason I've ever seen, the amount of unique things this keyboard can do with reason still amazes me, there is so much information on the screen & the workflow with this thing is great, the motorized fader is implemented so well, the main drawbacks of the keyboard r the keybed & drum pads aren't the best feeling but they aren't horrible either & the lack of an intuitive arpeggiator (at least afaik) but even without those features I would pick this keyboard over any other keyboard for reason any day, now I just want Nektar to make an updated panorama model & i would buy it day 1!

There are so many things to love about this midi controller. It's fully integrateable into Presonus Studio One and I can control pretty much all my recording parameters for all tracks from my midi onboard screen. There are so many applications to learn about. Definitely worth the extra cost...you will not be disappointed!