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.
