Tag: MIDI keyboards

One of USB MIDI keyboard of middle level of Roland company is a A-49 – portable device with 49 velocity-sensitive keys and inputs for Hold and Expression pedals. It also has : 2 assignable buttons, 2 assignable knobs, pitch bend and modulation control lever, buttons for octaves control, programming of other buttons functions and other controllers. On back panel with pedals inputs there are MIDI output and USB port for connection to computer and powering. Also it has power and octaves settings LED indicators.

Roland A-49 draws maximum 98 mA of current and works in Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, 8.1 and 10 and Mac OS X 10.5 and newer via specialized drivers, which allow it to work with modern DAWs : Avid Pro Tools, Ableton Live, Steinberg Cubase, FL Studio, Cackewalk Sonar, REAPER and others and their VST/AU instruments and effects.

USB MIDI keyboard sizes are 836 ( width ) x 182 ( depth ) x 84 ( height ) mm and mass is 2.5 kg. Package contains : Roland A-49 keyboard itself, USB cable, CD-ROM disk with drivers and software, warranty card and user’s guide. All in all, keyboard is good : there is ability to wish for drumpads ( however, with proper setup, keys can be used as them ) and power adapter input for work with tablet PCs and notebooks without load on their battery. There is also ability to look on USB MIDI keyboards of other manufacturers with close keys amount, which can have wider functionality.

One of the most compact USB MIDI keyboards is a Novation Launchkey Mini with 25 velocity-sensitive keys, 16 velocity-sensitive drumpads with color backlight, 8 knobs and other controllers. It also has : 2 octaves control buttons, 2 tracks selectors, 2 navigation buttons, InControl activation switch and 2 round buttons with color backlight. In addition to them there are Kensington Lock slot and USB port for connection to computer and powering are placed on keyboard.

With Novation Launchkey Mini DAW Ableton Live Lite 9 and program Novation Launchpad are supplied; it can be connected to Apple iPhone and iPad devices via Camera Connection Kit or USB Camera Adapter. MIDI keyboard is powered only from USB port; and can work in Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, 8.1 and 10 and Mac OS X and integrate with modern DAWs : Avid Pro Tools, Ableton Live, Steinberg Cubase, FL Studio, Cackewalk Sonar, REAPER and others, and their VST/AU instruments and effects. Its sizes are 325 ( width ) x 175 ( depth ) x 43 ( height ) mm. Package with Novation Launchkey Mini contains : USB cable, disks with drivers and programs, warranty card and user’s guide.

MIDI keyboard is very compact and at the same time has large amount of controls, which not many larger MIDI keyboards have. But it has its own minuses : it has no modulation control and pitch bend wheels; it is powered only from USB port and has no power adapter input, so it will draw charge from tablet PCs and notebooks batteries; also 25 keys can become not enough for professional work over time. However, in the role of compact and mobile device Novation Launchkey Mini can be very good, especially if its price in shops is lower than of similar competitors.

Portable USB MIDI keyboard of M-Audio of middle level is a Oxygen 49 MK IV – device with 8 velocity and pressure sensitive drumpads, 8 assignable knobs and 9 programmable sliders. As it follows from its name, it has 49 velocity and pressure sensitive keys; transport control buttons for DAW operation; LCD screen for parameters of work showing; as well as on back panel there are : TRS 1/4″ jack input for sustain pedal, USB port for connection to computer and powering, work mode switch and Kensington Lock slot.

M-Audio Oxygen 49 MK IV works in Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, 8.1 and 10 and Mac OS X 10.4.11 and newer and allows to control modern DAWs : Avid Pro Tools, Ableton Live, Steinberg Cubase, FL Studio, Cackewalk Sonar, REAPER and others ( for part of them there are DirectLink presets for quick integration ) and their VST/AU instruments and effects. It is supplied with programs DAW Ableton Live Lite, synthesizer SONiVOX Twist and work station AIR Music Tech Xpand!2. Package with M-Audio Oxygen 49 MK IV contains : USB cable, disks with drivers and software, warranty card and user’s guide. MIDI keyboard is good and has all controllers, necessary for professional development and work; there is only ability to wish for power adapter input for work with tablet PCs and notebooks without load on their batteries.

The most functional device of Alesis company with medium amount of keys is a USB MIDI keyboard VX49 with 4.3″ LCD screen, 8 velocity and pressure sensitive drumpads with RGB backlight and large amount of adjustable controllers and programs. As it follows from its name, it has 49 velocity-sensitive keys with aftertouch function, as well as : 8 programmable knobs; dedicated drumpads sounds banks selection and transport and octaves control buttons; arpreggiator, pitch-bend and modulation control wheels and other controls. On its back panel there are MIDI input and output, TRS 1/4″ jack inputs of expression and footswitch pedals, USB port for powering and connection to computer and power adapter input, which allows to use device with tablet PCs and notebooks without load on their batteries.

Alesis VX49 can be used as stand alone MIDI controller or operate modern DAWs : Avid Pro Tools, Ableton Live, Steinberg Cubase, FL Studio, Cackewalk Sonar, REAPER and others and their VST/AU instruments and effects. With keyboard program Virtual Instrument Player is supplied, which allows to connect to it any VST instrument and work with it without DAW. After purchase there is ability to download from manufacturer’s website programs DAW Ableton Live Lite, Vacuum Pro, Loom, Hybrid 3, Xpand!2, Velvet, Transfuser and Eighty Eight Ensemble. With Alesis VX49 package contains : USB cable, cards with codes for programs downloading, warranty card and user’s guide. Device is great and has all instruments for long-time professional creative development; as all Alesis devices have, this one has one of the smallest prices among USB MIDI keyboards with simillar functionality. Wherein, if such functionality is not needed, then there is ability to buy much cheaper devices with entry-level characteristics and close keys amount.

One of the devices with middle-level size and functionality of Alesis company is a MIDI keyboard V49 with 8 velocity and pressure sensitive drumpads, 4 assignable knobs, 4 programmable buttons and, as it follows from its name, 49 velocity-sensitive full-sized keys. It also has : octaves control buttons, modulation control and pitch-bend wheels, USB port for powering and connection to computer and 1/4″ jack input of sustain pedal. Keyboard is fuly powered from USB connection and has no power adapter input. It can work in Windows Vista, 7, 8, 8.1 and 10 and Mac OS X and interact with modern DAWs : Avid Pro Tools, Ableton Live, Steinberg Cubase, FL Studio, Cackewalk Sonar, REAPER and others and their VST/AU instruments and effects.

Package contains : MIDI keyboard Alesis V49 itself, USB cable, warranty card and user’s guide; after purchase there is ability to download from manufacturer’s web site DAW Ableton Live Lite 9 and program AIR Music Tech Xpand!2. Keyboard is good : it has large amount of keys, drumpads, modulation control and pitch-bend wheels and assignable controls, wherein Alesis usually does not set high price for its devices and Alesis V49 is one of the cheapest MIDI keyboards with such functions. So, it can, for sure, be recommended for purchase for long-time creative development; there is ability to wish power adapter input for work with tablet PCs and notebooks without load on their batteries, but these are devices with larger price.

Among middle functionality MIDI keyboards of Alesis company there is a device VI49 with 49 full-size velocity-sensitive keys, 16 velocity-sensitive drumpads with RGB back light, 36 assignable buttons and 12 programmable knobs. Besides this it has : modulation control and pitch-bend wheels, LED screen, transport and octaves control buttons; as well as TRS 1/4″ jack input for sustain pedal, MIDI output, USB port for connection to computer and powering, switch on button and power adapter input on back panel.

Alesis VI49 works in Windows Vista, 7, 8, 8.1 and 10 and Mac OS X without additional drivers via Plug and Play technology; and integrates with modern DAWs : FL Studio, Cackewalk Sonar, REAPER, Avid Pro Tools, Ableton Live, Steinberg Cubase and others, as well as their VST/AU instruments and effects. After purchase there is ability to download from manufacturer’s site DAW Ableton Live Lite and program AIR Music Tech Xpand!2. Package contains : MIDI keyboard Alesis VI49 itself, USB cable, warranty card and user’s guide. Device has very high functionality, wherein Alesis sets its price on affordable level for such functions; so, if there is need in MIDI keyboard with large amount of controls, which will be enough for a long time in creative development, then this one is one of the best devices.

One of the compact MIDI keyboards is a device Novation Launchkey 25 with 16 velocity-sensitive drumpads with RGB backlight and LED screen for showing information about device’s state. It has : 25 velocity-sensitive synthesizer-style keys, 8 knobs, 1 slider, 6 transport control buttons, pitch-bend and modulation control wheels, 2 octaves control buttons, 2 tracks and MIDI channels control buttons, 2 InControl buttons and 2 round buttons with RGB backlight. On its back panel there are : USB port for powering and communication with computer, TRS 1/4″ jack input for sustain pedal, power adapter input and Kensington Lock slot. There are variants of device with 49 and 61 keys, which have additional controls.

Novation Launchkey 25 is oriented on tight work with DAW Ableton Live and also allows to control other DAWs : Avid Pro Tools, Steinberg Cubase, FL Studio, Cackewalk Sonar, REAPER and others, and their VST/AU instruments and effects. Device works in Windows Vista, 7, 8, 8.1 and 10 and Mac OS X without additional drivers via Plug and Play technology. MIDI keyboard is powered from USB port or power adapter and draws maximum 250 mA of current; it can be used with iOS devices via Camera Connection Kit or USB cameras connection adapter. Device’s sizes are : 450 ( width ) x 270 ( depth ) x 90 ( height ) mm; with it following software is supplied DAW Ableton Live Lite, Novation Bass Station and V-Station and 1 GB of free Loopmasters samples. Package with Novation Launchkey 25 contains following : USB cable, warranty card and user’s guide. MIDI keyboard is good : with large amount of drumpads and other control elements, it also has power adapter input for work with tablet PCs without load on their batteries.

One of the USB MIDI keyboards of Alesis company is a device VI25 with 25 velocity-sensitive keys and 16 velocity-sensitive drumpads with back light. It has : 24 assignable buttons and 8 assignable knobs, small screen, transport control buttons and pitch bend and modulation control wheels. As well as : 1/4″ jack input for sustain pedal, MIDI output, USB port for connection to computer and powering, switch on button and power adapter input ( keyboard can be powered from it or from USB port ). Device works in Windows Vista, 7, 8, 8.1 and 10 and Mac OS X 10.7 and newer without additional drivers via Plug and Play technology, in which it interacts with modern DAWs : Avid Pro Tools, Ableton Live, Steinberg Cubase, FL Studio, Cackewalk Sonar, REAPER and others, as well as their VST/AU instruments and effects.

After purchase of Alesis VI25 there is ability to download from manufacturer’s site program AIR Music Tech Xpand!2 and DAW Ableton Live Lite. Package with MIDI keyboard Alesis VI25 includes : USB cable, warranty card and user’s guide. Keyboard is interesting with its functionality and compact sizes, also it has power adapter input, which allows to use it with tablet PCs without load on their batteries. Wherein price of Alesis VI25 is on one of the lowest levels among compact functional MIDI keyboards.

One of the MIDI keyboards of Alesis company is a compact V25, which has 8 velocity and pressure sensitive drumpads. It has 25 full-sized velocity-sensitive keys, 4 assignable knobs and 4 assignable buttons, octaves control buttons and modulation and pitch-bend wheels; all controls, except of keys, have backlight. It is powered only from USB connection, on its rear panel there is also TRS 1/4″ jack sustain pedal input; keyboard works in Windows Vista, 7, 8, 8.1 and 10 and Mac OS X 10.7 operating systems without additional drivers via Plug and Play technology, in which it tightly interacts with modern DAWs : Avid Pro Tools, Ableton Live, Steinberg Cubase, FL Studio, Cackewalk Sonar, REAPER and others, and their VST instruments and effects.

With it following software is supplied : DAW Ableton Live Lite 9 and AIR Music Tech Xpand!2. Package with MIDI keyboard Alesis V25 contains : USB cable, warranty card and user’s guide. Keyboard is very compact and has full-sized keys, 8 drumpads, modulation control and pitch-bend wheels and other assignable controls; wherein it has one of the smallest prices among MIDI keyboards, so it can be viewed as entry-level very functional device in this direction.

One of the Akai’s MIDI keyboards is a device Professional MPK Mini MKII 25 with 8 velocity and pressure sensitive drumpads with backlight and velocity-sensitive keys on 2 octaves. It also has : joystick with 4 movement directions for pitch and modulation control; 8 assignable knobs; built-in arpreggiator; buttons for octaves control, Note Repeat, Full Level and Tap Tempo; 1/4″ jack input for Sustain pedal; and USB port for connection to computer and powering ( it does not require power adapter ).

After purchase there is ability to download from manufacturer’s website following programs : Akai Pro MPC Essentials, SONiVOX Wobble, AIR Music Tech Hybrid 3 and MPK mini MIDI Editor; device works in Windows Vista, 7, 8, 8.1 and 10 and Mac OS X 10.7 and newer without additional drivers and integrates with modern DAWs Steinberg Cubase, FL Studio, Cackewalk Sonar, REAPER, Avid Pro Tools, Ableton Live and others and their VST/AU instruments and effects. Its sizes are 317.5 ( width ) x 181.1 ( depth ) x 44.5 ( height ) mm and mass is 0.79 kg. Package contains : Akai Professional MPK Mini MKII 25 MIDI keyboard itself, USB cable, warranty card and user’s guide. All in all device is good with keys on 2 octaves, 8 drumpads and large amount of assignable controls, there is also ability to look on MIDI keyboards with close keys amount of other manufacturers and choose one, which suits the best for task, in design and in price terms.