Zend\Db adapter instantiation through Zend Framework 2 Di

module.config.php

<?php
return array(
    'di' => array(
        'definition' => array(
            //teaching DI to use the factory
            'class' => array(
                'Zend\Db\Db' => array(
                    'methods' => array(
                        'factory' => array(
                            'adapter' => array(
                                'type' => false,
                                'required' => true,
                            ),
                            'config' => array(
                                'type' => false,
                                'required' => false,
                            ),
                        ),
                    ),
                ),
                'Zend\Db\Adapter\AbstractAdapter' => array(
                    'instantiator' => array(
                        'Zend\Db\Db',
                        'factory',
                    ),
                ),
            ),
        ),
        'instance' => array(
            
            'alias' => array(
                //we just know it's an abstract adapter
                'my-db-adapter'    => 'Zend\Db\Adapter\AbstractAdapter',
            ),
            
            //documentmanager
            'my-db-adapter' => array(
                'parameters' => array(
                    'adapter' => array(
                        // same db factory parameters you used in 1.x (I suppose)
                    ),
                ),
            ),
        ),
    ),
);

@cmple Either way you see it, the db adapter is always needed... Table objects add some overhead, yes, but also fit completely different tasks. Either way you see it, both require an adapter to get the work done. In my code, I just generate the adapter and in my comment I show you how to use it with a table.
If you want to use the adapter alone, then it's just like
php$adapter = $di->get('my-db-adapter');

Where is $di coming from ?
I've tried:
use Zend\Di\Di as Di;
..... {
$di = new Di();
$db = $di->get('my-db-adapter');

That didn't work

also is there a way to turn on php errors like in zf1:
[development : production]
phpSettings.display_startup_errors = 1
phpSettings.display_errors = 1

It's kinda hard to code with no error reporting :)

Did you clone the application skeleton? There's a nice tutorial at http://packages.zendframework.com/docs/latest/manual/en/zend.mvc.html

 'MyModule\Model\Account' => array(
                'parameters' => array(
                    'adapter' => 'my-db-adapter',
                ),
            ),

Does this need to be defined for every model that is used? IE

 'Album\Controller\AlbumController' => array(
                'parameters' => array(
                    'albumTable' => 'Album\Model\AlbumTable',
                    'bandTable' => 'Album\Model\BandTable',
                ),
            ),
'Album\Controller\BandController' => array(
                'parameters' => array(
                    'bandTable' => 'Album\Model\BandTable',
                ),
            ),

In other words does every controller need to have the Model specified?

If you have multiple defined, yes. Otherwise, if you typehint your methods correctly, like following:

    public function __construct(My\Stuff $stuff) {
        $this->stuff = $stuff;
    }

Then, if you defined an alias 'my-stuff' for an instance of type My\Stuff, you could just use Zend\Di\Configuration option 'preference', like following, you should not be worried about defining injections manually every time:

return array(
    'instance' => array(
        'alias' => array(
            'my-stuff' => 'My\Stuff',
        ),
        'preference' => array(
            'My\Stuff' => 'my-stuff', //this will tell Zend\Di to use alias 'my-stuff' when no alias is requested, but an instance of My\Stuff is needed
        ),
    ),
);

That is just an example config. You can find more examples about Zend\Di at https://github.com/ralphschindler/Zend_DI-Examples

Awesome thanks for the help!