Today among audio devices we will look on MIDI keyboard M-Audio Keystation 49 II USB. It is DAW parameters controller and MIDI notes recording instrument. Overall process looks like so : human plays on this instrument and controls various parameters, they are recorded by DAW in MIDI editor, then they are played by software synthesizer. Keyboard has 49 full-size keys, which react on press velocity ( it is very useful, because many synthesizing parameters can be controlled with press velocity, this allows to perform these actions faster and more creatively ); has USB and MIDI connectors for communications with computer; is powered from 1 USB port; has different buttons and knobs for DAW parameters controlling; has small weight ( this is useful for its use on concerts ); and can be plugged to iOS devices via Apple iPad Camera Connection Kit adapter ( which is not bundled with MIDI keyboard ). With M-Audio Keystation 49 II USB controller following software is supplied : SONiVOX Eighty-Eight Ensemble – sample based synthesizer-emulator of piano 9-foot CD327 Steinway ( it has in itself recorded samples of this instrument, from which it can synthesize different sounds of this instrument ); DAW Ableton Live Lite; and multi-functional AIR Music Tech Xpand!2 synthesizer. Keyboard can work with Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8 and Windows 10 and Mac OS X 10.5 and newer operating systems; it integrates very well with modern DAWs : FL Studio, Cackewalk Sonar, REAPER, Avid Pro Tools, Ableton Live, Steinberg Cubase and others.
