Ensoniq Asr 10 Review

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(More customer reviews)Ah... the ASR-10. This was a pivotal sampling synthesizer back in the 90's when it was made. The technology behind this sampler still has musicians, engineers and songwriters still looking for some version of the ASR series (they made an ASR-10, ASR-10m rackmount, ASR-88 and ASR-X). It was a fully blown workstation sampler that gave you the ability to actually record a full song (vocals, effects and all) right out of the box. This machine had it all.
First and foremost it is a sampler. A 16 bit 40kHz sampler to be exact. While sample rates are at 24 bit and 192kHz these days back then 40kHz was the best to be had in samplers, and it's still full CD quality. On top of that you get a whole host of sample editing parameters like looping, crossfading, volume smoothing, time comp, and more. While that's nice and everything the editing really doesn't stop there. Keep in mind this is a sampling SYNTHESIZER. That means you have also all the benefits of having that sample be a wave form that you can edit with a host of parameters including LFO, two digital filters, three envelope generators, and 15 other modulation sources. Want a layered sound? No problem. The ASR-10 can layer up to eight samples together into a single patch.
Each of those patches you create with the samples can have some added juice with an integrated 24 bit effects processor. How many effects? Try 62 effects you can edit fully. These aren't just cheap reverbs and delays. These are the same effects found in the world class DP/4 and DP/2 effects processors. People are still raving about how lush the signal processing is. Choruses, flanges, multi-tap delays, speaker effects, distortion, reverb, phasers... you have it all in one unit.
I did say this is a workstation so you get a 16 track sequencer and 31 voice multi-timbral capabilities on the ASR-10. The sequencer is really easy to use and you can even sample while playing the sequencer. I used to work at a music store back when this baby was out and it was a HUGE seller in the hip hop music genre. While the Akai MPC series was a superior sequencer many artists prefer the sampling and synthesis of Ensoniq for their mixes. Some hip hop artists that used the ASR-10 in their recordings were Kanye West, Alchemist and Pharell Williams.
Remember when I said you can pretty much make your entire song with this one machine? Well you can, but it's tricky with the stock model (having only 2 MB of memory). Some of the "tricks" include things like sampling your vocals in pieces that can be keyed to cut down on sample time. You can also use the tape mode which makes the ASR-10 pretty much a two track digital recorder and record straight to memory or an external SCSI hard drive.
The stock ASR-10 didn't come with a lot of memory, but it can be upgraded to 16MB (I forget the specific kind, but it's was an industry standard a long time ago... check eBay for ASR memory). The stock unit also didn't come with the SCSI interface used for plugging in an external hard drive or Zip drive (100 and 250 MB capacity). I strongly recommend looking for that option as it greatly increases the ASR's capabilities. Other options include an eight output breakout box and digital out.
There is quite a sizable library out for the ASR-10. Many of the samples from that library have ended up in the Proteus X and Emulator X libraries. Again just check out eBay and you should find a ton of samples ready to go. Also you don't have to just settle for editing from the sampler's onboard LCD display. One good editing tool out there is Ensoniq MIDI/Disk Tools by Rubber Chicken Software. It makes sample editing a lot easier.
Does it all sound good? Well it's not. Remember this is a vintage sampler synthesizer. The thing has no internal storage space; which means you have to load the operating system and samples and sequences every time you turn on the machine. Just keep that in mind. If you are looking for a sweet hardware sampler with a ready made library of killer sounds then this may be a nice addition to your collection.

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Novation Remote 25 SL 2-Octave Soft Label USB MIDI Keyboard Review

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(More customer reviews)I just purchased the Novation 25 SL used for $130 on Ebay.
I must say it is a great value for the money.
When you use this little keyboard with Novation's Automap software, you can control most DAWs (such as Ableton and even Protools) in a primitive way, not like a full-blown surface controller, but you can use this keyboard to do things such as stopping and starting the transport, etc.
Another great feature is the touchpad, which is great when controlling VST's filter resonances and frequencies at once. You can also control most VSTs synths with Automap, using the various knobs, faders and buttons on the Remote 25 SL.
You can even use this keyboard as a stand-alone MIDI controller, without a computer, and without Automap.
The only drawbacks i can find with this unit are:
1-The LCDs are hard to read when the keyboard is sitting flat. I wish they would have angled the LCDs towards the user.
2-I was laughing when i read about the "Superb 25-key, semi-weighted, high-quality keyboard with velocity- and aftertouch-sensitivity"
I think this has to be some kind of marketing joke, because the keyboard on my Remote 25 SL certainly does NOT feel "superb" "Semi-weighted" or "high quality". It feels light, plasticky and very cheap, like something you can expect to play on a $20 casio synth. As a matter of fact, i opened the unit and the keyboard is not really semi-weighted but uses spring resistance.
But, hey, i didn't expect much for $130.
Anyway, i recommend this nice little keyboard, which is very useful in the studio, but when getting a used one, do not pay more than $150.
btw, this keyboard's successor, the Novation 25 SL mk. II is literally identical: same layout, same plastic shell, same cheap spring loaded keyboard, same buttons, knobs and faders, except the buttons and knobs light up, that is it.
The only difference between both units is are the main cpu board and the board that contains the knobs and buttons. The rest is identical.
The Novation 25 SL mk. II's lit knobs and faders will probably come in handy if you are playing live in a dark club, but i really don't see how this plastic keyboard can stand live playing and touring abuse without getting destroyed.
Not worth $300 in my opinion, specially when you can get a used, real weighted controller for a lot less.

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Novation Nocturn 25 USB MIDI Interface Keyboard Controller, 25-Keys, NOCTURN 25 Review

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(More customer reviews)The general concept of the Novation Nocturn series is that you have a responsive MIDI controller that is less expensive because a lot of the display parts and intelligence are handled through Novation's AutoMap software. AutoMap can be great, but it can also be very frustrating if the mappings for different devices aren't up to date, and Novation has a poor reputation for keeping their mappings current (in particular with Reason).
I originally had an Akai MiniMPK, which worked great, but wanted something a little larger, so I figured that the Nocturn 25 was just the ticket and only a bit more expensive (and still less expensive than the MAudio Axiom Pro 25 or the Akai MPK25).
It showed up, I installed it, and everything seemed fine, until I tried to use the drum pads. The drum pads under Windows were sporadically responsive, sometimes they'd show up, sometimes they wouldn't. I tried calibrating them, and AutoMap never registered them. Hmm. This is on a Mac Pro 2008 running Win 7. On a hunch, I booted into OS X...and they work perfectly.
So it's not a hardware issue, it's software issue, and one with their drivers. According to another user on the Novation forums, he reported this a year ago and support claimed that they were aware of the problem and 'looking into it'. Non-functioning drum pads on Windows would seem to be a fairly significant issue.
Support hasn't responded to me in 3 days, so I'm guessing they're not going to address this, at which point I'll need to return this. Disappointing since I'll have to spend more money.
Overall I give it 2 stars. If you're solely an OS X user and can live with the Automap quirks, it's probably a 4 star product, but if you use Windows, one of its major features may or may not work for you at all.


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Akai MPK 49 Controller Keyboard Review

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(More customer reviews)First of all, the pads DO suck. MPC's are known for their pads so you'd think Akai would at least be able to put the same type of pad/contact design on their MPK line. Instead they put a bunch of pads with no play that feel like buttons and make the keyboard housing vibrate when you pound them. On top of that they placed the contacts so far away it's damn near impossible to get 127 velocity on the pads without going Full Level. Even my LPD8 feels better than this thing. And even though they look like the MPC1000 pads, the 1000 pads are twice as thick as the ones here. I would have loved for them to have put the 1000 pads on this. At least then I'd be able to play back a chopped loop without feeling like I'm dialing a phone number.
The best part of the controller is the control surface. The transport keys, knobs, and sliders feel great. The LCD screen looks great.
Something unique about the controller is that it has built in MIDI settings that mimic classic MPC functions (16 level, MPC swing, note repeat). Too bad the pads keep you from fully enjoying these features.
The keys are decent but slightly noisy because they vibrate on release. The controller is also one of the few 49 key controllers out there with aftertouch. I prefer the lever-like feel of the Axiom when it comes to using aftertouch but the keys here are not a dealbreaker.
There's also a simple arpeggiator you can use. It's fairly simple in that there are only 5 settings you can use to separate notes in a chord. If you've used a more sophisticated arp (like the one on a Yamaha KX8), you'll be disappointed though.
The MPK is a good controller but Akai could have done way better than this. If you're using this for the keys and control surface it's a decent investment. But if you're thinking of buying this for the pads so you can drum and play back chopped loops, get an MPD instead.

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More than just a USB/MIDI controller, the Akai MPK49 USB/MIDI Controller Keyboard helps you maximize your musical ideas on-stage or in the studio. It combines a high-quality, 49-key, semi-weighted keyboard with aftertouch and 12 genuine MPC drum pads. It also offers 48 total accessible pads via 4 pad banks, and you can control up to 72 different parameters via 24 assignable Q-Link knobs, faders, and buttons as well as optional footswitches.

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M-Audio Prokeys Sono 61 Review

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(More customer reviews)I got the ProKeys Sono to use during a temp, out-of-town work stint and wanted something I could play by itself (that has its own on-board sounds) and also use to drive the Reason and Sonar software synths on my laptop.
Well, after many months of testing (through real use) I have to say it passed with flying colors (or 'colours' for our 'Commonwealth' friends).
Keyboard features include:
- 61 note keyboard with a very playable semi-weighted action somewhere between synth and hammer keyboards (well, based on the synth and hammer action keyboards I've played)
- 5 higher quality built-in sounds (grand piano, bright piano, electric piano, organ, clav)
- A set of lower quality (but still fairly usable in my book) General MIDI sounds
- 3 Adjustable settings for how the keyboard responds to velocity
- 2 stereo line-ins (RCA jacks) for getting audio into your computer to record
- 1 XLR jack for plugging in a mic
- 1 quarter inch instrument jack
- 2 quarter inch headphone jacks
- 2 quarter inch outs for monitoring the sounds coming out of the computer as well as the built-in sounds from the keyboard
I've mostly used ASIO4ALL drivers prior to buying this keyboard, which gave pretty decent performance and acceptably low latency (the delay between hitting a key on the hardware keyboard controller and hearing any software synth sounds from the computer) for playing. Happily, the ASIO driver for the ProKeys Sono delivered even LOWER latency than the ASIO4ALL drivers I had been using.
So, with the decent construction quality, the playability of the keyboard, and the better driver performance, I admit I'm quite happy with the thing. I also occasionally used the line inputs to record from an external hardware synth module, and had no problems. Some people might whine as the resolution is only 16-bit, 44.1 kHz, but having worked with way-noisy cassette 4-tracks as a teen, CD quality is still fine by me.
The one thing I didn't ever test was plugging a microphone into the thing. I had a Samson G Track USB Microphone (which I've also reviewed on Amazon) and used that exclusively for vocals while I was on the road. Therefore I can't comment on the amp quality.
Lastly, when I just felt like playing a bit, it was nice to tinkle around on the piano without having to turn on the laptop. The piano sound quality is VERY playable, with the only drawback being the 20-note polyphony for the 5 high-quality sounds (the General MIDI sounds have 40 note polyphony).
Negatives? No LCD or LED display for helping change/configure MIDI settings, or selecting the General MIDI sounds. It's workable without the display, but it would definitely help to see the values you've entered. And because of that drawback, the ProKeys Sono really is best mostly for playing soft synths, not controlling a whole soft recording environment
Summary:
Great option for driving soft syths with the added bonus of some on-board sounds and also serving as a PC/laptop audio interface. If you want more hands-on sliders and buttons for controlling your software synths and recording software, I'd go with a different option, but for the niche this keyboard is trying to fill, it does a pretty good job. Though it's probably only a 4-star rating for overall performance, the fact I had ZERO problems using it with my computer (which is RARE nowadays) bumps it up to "barely a 5".


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Korg nanoKEY2 Slim-Line USB Keyboard, White Review

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(More customer reviews)Unable to even test w/o downloading 3rd party s/w with limited time to use. I just wanted basic tones to identify musical key of things I hear. Just a basic driver with organ tones w/b fine.

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Behringer U-Control UMX610 61-Key USB/MIDI Controller Keyboard with USB/Audio Interface Review

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(More customer reviews)MIDI keyboard controllers in general fall into a gray area between computer controller and musical instrument. Most seem to focus on the integration between device and DAW and fall very short on playability. I am a piano and guitar player and have reasonably good quality equipment in my recording studio. I wanted a keyboard that I could use in a different location, primarily for polishing up previously recorded tracks during the editing process. I settled on this 61 key unit because it has a sufficient number of scales to play a composition but is not so large to make it non-portable.
Here are the things I like about the keyboard:
1. It's light (about 10 lbs), so is easy to move about
2. Because it has limited MIDI controls, it is also thin, allowing it to be placed on a desk easily, then removed. In contrast, most other MIDI keyboards are twice as deep and require a permanent stand or position.
3. With Logic 9, the keyboard is plug and play. Logic recognizes it easily (an additional scan seemed to help the volume level). I haven't spent any time trying to assign controls, but the basic stuff seems to work nicely with Logic.
4. Full size keys. These keys are full size, or very close. They are not as large as the ones on the Roland stage piano I have, and not weighted, but they are large enough so that fingers are not tripping over each other.
Here are the most significant shortcomings of the keyboard.
1. It's light. Not titanium light, but cheap plastic light. This makes it portable but also quite fragile. I have the feeling that it will break. Soon.
2. Build quality. The rotary knobs are actually quite sturdy, but the little black plastic buttons make a loud and cheap clicking noise when depressed, as if I am doing something that they weren't designed for. The red color may be eye catching (or gaudy depending on your perspective), but it's already scratched in a few places even with delicate handling.
3. The keys, though full size, have very little feel or weighting, despite the company's claim that they are semi-weighted. I imagine that there are boards with even less feel, but this one offers next to no resistance to the touch. It's not a problem if you're entering a two finger bass line, but definitely is if you're used to the normal piano weighting of an acoustic or a good stage piano. I also realize that the lack of weighting keeps the unit light and portable, so I can accept this inherent limitiation.
4. Key sensitivity is also weak. There are three settings only-light, medium and heavy, where the keyboard responds with more or less sound. On the heavy setting, I have to literally smash the keys to get much sound, and on the light setting, everything played registers as the same volume. These are not keys that one can modulate at all.
5. As a MIDI controller, it's acceptable, but for someone using a full featured DAW, the eight knobs and a few buttons will be woefully inadequate to control complex parameters. I have a separate MIDI controller, so this is not an issue.
6. There is little documentation with the unit. I had to go online and dig about to locate a pretty sketchy manual on the product. I have not tried the included software, and do not intend to.
For what is available right now, this unit is not bad. It has no sounds of its own, but plays everything that Logic has in its audio library. Just plug in the USB connection and it is ready to go. In order to get a good keybed, such as one made by Fatar or Roland, one has to not only spend significantly more money (probably well worth it) but also has to put up with a footprint that is much bigger. It is this last part that really is the Behringer's strong suit. It's pretty svelte, while the rest of the bunch are enormous. Yet, in the final reckoning, I will not keep this unit. It just doesn't seem to be that well built, and I am not optimistic about it lasting. Moreover, while the size of the keys are nice, the playability leaves a lot to be desired, at least if one is used to real pianos.


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Akai Pro MPK mini Review

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(More customer reviews)If you have spent any time reading the reviews of the LPD8 and the LPK25, rest assured you can apply them to this product as well. The MPK Mini is literally a combination of the LPD8 and LPK25; nothing less and nothing more. Which is a great thing if you've been considering both!
This is my first MPC product but I am an experienced keyboardist. The Pads are pretty nice. I enjoy how they light up when you hit them. Like others said regarding the LPD8, they aren't as sensitive as some might prefer, and I'm inclined to agree. It tends not to register some of might lighter hits, so I'm having to get used to how hard I have to hit it. No big deal. It's also nice to have the knobs. They aren't as nice as professional grade knobs, but they work nicely for such a compact unit. The keyboard has mini keys and they are very sturdy. Some complain that it feels like a toy keyboard. Of course it does, they are mini keys! The keys are fine for their purpose of capturing ideas. I do not consider them performance worthy.
For those comparing this to other 25 key midi controllers, please know what you are comparing. There's a reason this is $100. It's simply a combination of two other products. Don't complain about the lack of pitch/mod wheels. The purpose of this product is portability and to allow you to capture ideas when you don't feel like lugging around larger equipment. For these reasons, I find it to be an excellent product.
Definitely pick this product up if you're looking for something extremely portable with acceptable mini keys and very playable MPC pads.

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Korg nanoKEY 25 Key USB Controller Keyboard, White Review

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(More customer reviews)The Korg Nano Series is, quite simply, among the most useful sets of tools ever produced for the COMPUTER... Let me say that word again: "COMPUTER."
I write, arrange and orchestrate music for a living. The nanoKey, in particular, is a lifesaver! It's portable, so I can stuff it into my laptop bag when I'm on the road. It works seamlessly with Finale, Encore and - my personal favorite - Sibelius (the "Big 3" of notation programs). It isn't as convenient for real-time sequencing, unless you've developed "the touch." It took me a while to get used to that, but I do play scratch tracks in Logic and Sonar, on occasion.
Anyone considering the purchase of this device should realize up front that it isn't really designed for stage performance, etc. It's best suited for computer entry. In fact, it's PERFECTLY suited for computer entry.
...and for fifty bucks it's WAY ahead of anything else!

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The nanoKEY is an ultra-compact keyboard controller, featuring a great-feeling 25-key velocity-sensitive keyboard that's ideal for song production. Each key on this USB-MIDI controller can also be set to send MIDI control data, further expanding its power.

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Akai SYNTHSTATION25 25-Key Keyboard Controller For Iphone And Ipod Touch Review

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(More customer reviews)Not only does it controls IPhone synths (Akai, NanoStudio and more to come I hear) but it also controls my IPad via the camera connection kit. I LOVE THIS THING! I was not only able to create some very cool sounds in minutes with the Akai app but also got it layered with the IPAD Korg IMS-20 with some pretty wickedly insane results.
My only gripe so far is with the Iphone app (Akai) some of the buttons on the touch screen are to small and at times unresponsive. Nlog will support the controller soon so that is another great iphone synth that should be fun to play with. I will try Nanostudio and Korg Electribe as well and update the review.

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Alesis Q25 Review

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(More customer reviews)I wanted a small USB midi keyboard that I could hook up to an iPad (via the camera connector kit) and control apps like GarageBand and various other software synths. The Q25 worked perfectly - it is powered via the USB bus and connects without a hitch to the iPad. The keys are full-sized, and although the action isn't anything special they play smoothly and the velocity sensing is solid. Nice surprise to see that the keyboard has a sustain pedal port as well. Build quality seems solid. Overall, this met all of my expectations.

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M-Audio Prokeys Sono 88 Review

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(More customer reviews)I bought it for my wife,alas it didn't work.I suppose, because it was packed not enough secure and also it has very light weight and therefore fragile.I 've sent it back and had my money back but not the shipment money

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M-Audio Keystation 61es 61-Key Keyboard Review

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(More customer reviews)I was surprised at the low price of this keyboard considering it has 61 semi-weighted keys. I thought maybe it wouldn't be such great quality but I was pleasantly surprised.
I thought at first that the keys were a little bit "springy", but I soon got used to them. So much so that when I went back to my old Yamaha keyboard (not weighted), the Yamaha felt terrible. This M-Audio lets you play nice and subtle.
There's not much to this keyboard, just a couple of very smooth acting wheels (pitch and modulation), a volume slider and a couple of function buttons. It all seems well-made and the keyboard is heavier than I expected.
I was pleased to find that when I took it out of its box, plugged in the USB cable and opened GarageBand, everything worked perfectly, immediately. No messing about.
It works well with GarageBand (not tried it with anything else), and being powered by the USB cable means it's dead easy to plug in and start playing.
At this price, I can't see how you can go wrong.

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The Keystation 61e is a 61-note USB keyboard with velocity-sensitive, semi-weighted keys that is designed to easily integrate in any computer music environment. Class compliancy with Mac OS X and Windows XP delivers true plug and play setup. The KeyStation 61e is also compatible with many music education and music creation software titles, making it ideal for classrooms and studios alike.More advanced users can control software synths, external sound devices, and more with the assignable slider and pitch and mod wheels.This sleek, compact keyboard is USB bus-powered and requires no external power supply.

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M-Audio Keystation 88ES Midi Controller Review

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(More customer reviews)I'm an amateur musician, and I always wanted a big keyboard, something close enough to a piano, but the big keyboards were always so expensive. In top of that, they always come with lots of knobs and features that I never wanted to learn or try. I just wanted a piano-like keyboard to play.
When I saw this keyboard for first time, I loved its 'minimalistic' style: no knobs, no screens, no buttons. Just the 88 keys and the minimum necessary controllers (3 buttons, 2 wheels and 1 slider), all in a beautiful and solid silver case. When I checked its price, I suspected maybe its quality was poor, but I had good references for the M-audio brand. So I decided to give it a chance and I'm still very proud of my purchase: just plugged it into the usb port of my PC and it was inmediately recognized. I was using FL Studio, but right now I'm trying Sonar and it works flawlessly. The keys offer some resistance to pressure, so it almost feel like piano keys.
If you're interested on this keyboard, I strongly recommend it. But if you don't to know that much of keyboards (and you don't want to, anyway), you have to know this keyboard is not a exactly a toy, nor is the kind that comes with lots of sounds and rythms. It is a controller, which means you have to use some kind of software or synth device for it to produce any sound. If you know exactly what you're buying, I don't think you will ever regret of buying this keyboard. It's great!

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If you appreciate the full range of a piano keyboard in a lightweight package, the 88-note Keystation 88es is for you. You get great-feeling, semi-weighted action that's velocity-sensitive, to convey all the nuances of your playing to your computer and most popular music education and studio software. The pitch and modulation wheels plus slider and buttons make it a great controller for playing and programming synths, samplers, drum sounds and more. At just 22 lbs., the Keystation 88es is equally at home on stage and in the studio. Class compliancy with Windows XP, Vista (32 bit), and Mac OS X ensures easy plug-and-play setup. It's even bus-powered, so one simple USB cable is the only connection you need.


88-Key Semi-Weighted USB MIDI Controller

88-note velocity-sensitive, semi-weighted action 88 keys means no constant hitting of an octave switch, an annoyance with smaller controllers. The semi-weighted action gives you a piano feel, and since it's velocity sensitive, your dynamic playing is accurately sent as data.
Pitch bend and modulation wheels These are ideal for controlling synths, samplers, etc.
Volume/assignable control slider Easily assign the control slider to different parameters of sound modules or software, for further control over your sound.
Advanced function button for programming When the Advanced Functions button is pressed, the keyboard goes into "Edit Mode." In Edit Mode, the keys on the keyboard are used for selecting functions and entering data. Black keys are used for selecting functions, while the white keys are used for data entry and channel selection.
Sustain pedal input (pedal sold separately) Add a sustain pedal, such as the M-Audio SP-1, for piano-like pedal control of your notes' duration.
Built-in USB MIDI interface Easily interface with most MIDI software using the built-in USB MIDI interface. The standard MIDI "out" jack routes MIDI signals from the keyboard or computer to your external devices.
USB Powered The 88es grabs power from the USB port on your computer. You can also purchase a 9VDC power adapter.
Mac OS X and Windows XP class compliant Enjoy plug-and-play operation with both Mac OS X and Windows XP. Ableton Live Lite music production software is included, so you can make music right away on either platform.
What's in the Box M-Audio Keystation 88es USB Keyboard, USB Cable, User's Manual

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