DAW help/recommendations

[kbi the crowing]

So. For Christmas I got a Korg padKONTROL which is a MIDI controller fashioned like a drum machine. It was supposed to come with a bunch of DAWs modified specifically to work best with it, but alas no such software was in the packaging. So I downloaded Abelton Live 8 and connected my controller (a daunting task, I have no MIDI experience) and I feel like I don't have it connected the right way, or that I have no idea how the fuck to work Live in the first place.

Questions:
Does anyone else out there have a padKONTROL and give me some advice on what DAW to use and how to hook it up properly?

What DAW would you who know how these things work recommend for a beginner? I'm using it mainly for drum samples, effects and maybe some soft synths, although I have a hard synth that's MIDI capable too.

Have any advice for getting started with DAWs and MIDI in general?

[x togepi x]

couldn't you contact Korg about this? maybe they can hook you up with the missing piece.

[kbi the crowing]

couldn't you contact Korg about this? maybe they can hook you up with the missing piece.

yeah they have some redemption coupon that I have to send in and wait a few weeks for the software to be shipped to me, which I'll probably do anyways but if I could get some advice in the mean time it'd be cool.

[shermanology]

It connects to your computer via USB, yes or no?

The way ableton works, you can map each button and knob to do something. I think by default though, each button triggers a scene in the performance mode. I've got seven, so I don't really know the differences in 8. But I would definately go with Ableton if you are going for live performance and triggering.

[kbi the crowing]

It connects to your computer via USB, yes or no?

The way ableton works, you can map each button and knob to do something. I think by default though, each button triggers a scene in the performance mode. I've got seven, so I don't really know the differences in 8. But I would definately go with Ableton if you are going for live performance and triggering.

alright cool, I guess I should just fuck around with it until I get the hang of it

& yeah it connects via USB
I just spent the last hour or two messing with it and I'm getting more warmed up, I'm still a bit confused as to how to assign certian effects and commands to the knobs and XY pad on my controller, but that's more specific to the padKONTROL than ableton

oh, and do you know how to build your own drum kit in live?

[shermanology]

yeah, but its a little hard to explain. Search youtube for some tutorials. Does 8 have the built in tutorials? 7 had them, and that helped me out a ton.

[kbi the crowing]

yeah, but its a little hard to explain. Search youtube for some tutorials. Does 8 have the built in tutorials? 7 had them, and that helped me out a ton.

yeah it does, and its helped me a lil bit so far

do you use drum samples?

[shermanology]

I've been using the built in ones so far, but I've been toying with altering the soundfiles to get different sounds. I'm also in the process of learning how to use reason 4, so I eventually plan on making the loops in reason, and then using ableton to trigger them.

What kind of electronic music are you trying to do?