Nektar Panorama P4 MIDI Keyboard Controller

Panorama P4 is an incredible MIDI keyboard controller instrument from Nektar with the most intuitive workflow you have ever seen. A spectacular Reason 6 implementation and vast programming options puts the spotlight on performance and creativity. Keyboard and pads are dynamic, sensitive and balanced carefully with a solid feel that allows for complete expression. All this, combined with 93 real-time controls available at any one time, makes Panorama P4 the definitive keyboard controller.

• Intuitive and deep Reason integration
• Operates Reason as if it's hardware
• 49 note semi-weighted keyboard
• All the functionality of a generic controller
• 100mm ALPS Motorized fader control mixer volume
• Beautiful 3.5" TFT display
• 93 real-time controls
• Clever Pad note-learn, scale and velocity spread functions
• ASCII/QWERTY macros sending up to 8 keystrokes

Panorama uses a communication protocol that has been custom designed for Reason 6, putting control - every control - at your fingertips. Panorama, in addition, of course also feature traditional MIDI controller capabilities, including a MIDI output, just in case you want to switch between your virtual and hardware instrument rack in real-time. Panorama really does access all areas.

Mixer Control



Panorama allows you to gain access to Reason’s mixer at the touch of a button. Here you see the Reason mixer channels assigned to be operated by each of Panorama’s controls. The display gives you an accurate overview of what parameter each control is assigned to as well as current value state. Let’s look at the display screen in some more detail.

WHAT YOU SEE IS WHAT YOU GET
Top left corner shows the currently selected track in the Reason sequencer “Track 3: Subtractor”. Because Track 3 (or Channel 3 in mixer terms) is visible in the display, its highlighted in white.

Top right shows the parameter and value of the last control operated on Panorama. In this case the parameter operated is the Filter 1 frequency on Subtractor. But its controlled by a control that’s in another part of Panorama we have not looked at yet. More about that later.

Below the red line, you see the assignment and parameter values of 8 encoders. In our example, that whole row is assigned to Pan.

Next you see 8 faders, volume values for each and actual physical position of the fader. The 9th fader is assigned to the Reason mixers Master Volume.

Below the faders you see the status of the LED buttons and what they are assigned to. In this example, they are controlling Solo.
    
The hardware looks pretty much identical to the display screen, and that’s the idea behind Panorama.
You are never confused about what each encoder, fader or button does or what current status is. It’s all right there in the display.

TOGGLE BUTTONS
There are two buttons on the hardware that are not graphically represented on the display. Above the 9th fader we positioned a toggle button which allows you to toggle through assignment options for the 8 encoders. This is how you gain access to each of the FX send parameters in the Reason mixer. Press the button once and you assign all 8 encoders to Send 1, press again and they are assigned to Send 2 etc.

Below the 9th fader, there is also a toggle button. Press it and you step through the assignment options available for the 8 LED buttons. Options include Mute, Solo and Select track.

The bottom row is dedicated to menus accessible by pressing the buttons below the display


Channel Strip

The mixer channel strips in Reason are comprehensive and like the real world hardware - quite long! Panorama breaks the channel strip down in to manageable localized sections, accessible at the push of a button. From the mixer menu described in Part 1, you have access to EQ, Dynamics, Inserts and Sends across the buttons below the display. The encoders to the right of the display map to the targeted channel strip in the mixer. If a track is selected in the sequencer, the corresponding mixer channel becomes targeted. Alternatively, you can target a mix channel using the 8 buttons when set to ‘select’ mode (described in part 1).

E+Q=COMPLETE EQ

Pressing the ‘EQ’ display button updates the screen to show the assignment of the 8 encoders to the right of the display.

The main EQ section is laid out so that all 4 main bands are accessible - gain and frequency can be adjusted easily. Two display buttons allow you to switch HF and LF Bell on and off whilst the first menu button toggles the EQ on and off.

The Q button changes the assignments of two encoders so you now can adjust Q for the 2 mid bands. Pressing that button one more time will take the view back to the previous view.

The ‘filter’ menu button shows the Lo and Hi Filter parameters giving you complete control of all 6 bands.

You can get back to the main mixer view at any time by pressing the illuminated Mixer button above the display.

DYNAMICS
You've probably got the hang of how to navigate Panorama by now. The principle is that it works more or less like a stand-alone hardware product would. So no surprise regarding how you get to Dynamics.

From the main view, press the ‘Dynamics’ menu button to gain access to Compression and Gate in the Reason channel strip. With the display buttons compression and gate can now be switched on and off along with the Key button for side-chaining.

INSERTS & SENDS
From the main mixer menu press the ‘Inserts’ menu button gains access to the 4 insert rotaries. You can also scroll through the various insert patches with the 5th encoder. Insert buttons 1-4 are mapped across the menu buttons, as well as ‘bypass’.

The ‘Sends’ menu button gains access to… FX1-8 sends! In Part-1 we learned that its possible to use the encoders above the faders to toggle through the sends but a channel strip would not be complete without the ability to control all 8 sends at the same time. The menu buttons allow you to select between FX1-8 levels, on/off toggle and pre-fader toggle.