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Published on 07/14/11 at 12:30
The M Audio Oxygen 61 is a very affordable and capable 61 key MIDI controller. It has 9 faders, 8 knobs, transport controls, pitch bend and modulation wheels, and a bunch of programmable presets for different DAWS.
The M Audio Oxygen 61 also feels very solid, and I would not feel afraid to hit a misbehaving friend on the head with one of these (would not feel afraid for my keyboard, that is).
The Oxygen 61 is very sparse on the connections in the back; there is no dedicated MIDI out, so forget using the Oxygen 61 to do any work with outboard MIDI gear. It only has a USB connector, and a power switch. It is some kind of wonder that M Audio decided to give the Oxygen a sustain pedal input at all.
While the Oxygen 61 has plenty of controls, its selection of connections is quite painfully sparse.
UTILIZATION
Everything with the Oxygen seems to work perfectly, and it is an enjoyable MIDI controller to use for the most part. The simple fact that one feels faders and knobs in his or her hand instead of dragging a mouse across a table is already reason enough to buy the Oxygen.
The problem in it lies in the keys. Unfortunately, M Audio has decided that all controllers in the lines below the Axiom line of controllers must resign themselves to a fate of having springy keys.
That, I could get used to, if it weren't for the fact that this generation of the Oxygen controllers happens to register a keystroke in the wrong place. Most pianos and controllers make sound when the key is about half depressed, but the key has to be pressed almost all the way down with these keyboards. It's very upsetting to be going through an intimate string section (because we all strike keys gingerly when playing strings on a keyboard) and having them just not sound.
OVERALL OPINION
The Oxygen is, don't get me wrong, a joy to have, but it certainly is not one of those products that you can own and evangelize to everyone else. It's not perfect by a long shot, and anyone who really wants a comprehensive MIDI controller ought to look a bit deeper into the sea of MIDI controllers to find one good enough.
For me, however, the Oxygen simply acts as a control surface and occasional replacement for my piano.
The M Audio Oxygen 61 also feels very solid, and I would not feel afraid to hit a misbehaving friend on the head with one of these (would not feel afraid for my keyboard, that is).
The Oxygen 61 is very sparse on the connections in the back; there is no dedicated MIDI out, so forget using the Oxygen 61 to do any work with outboard MIDI gear. It only has a USB connector, and a power switch. It is some kind of wonder that M Audio decided to give the Oxygen a sustain pedal input at all.
While the Oxygen 61 has plenty of controls, its selection of connections is quite painfully sparse.
UTILIZATION
Everything with the Oxygen seems to work perfectly, and it is an enjoyable MIDI controller to use for the most part. The simple fact that one feels faders and knobs in his or her hand instead of dragging a mouse across a table is already reason enough to buy the Oxygen.
The problem in it lies in the keys. Unfortunately, M Audio has decided that all controllers in the lines below the Axiom line of controllers must resign themselves to a fate of having springy keys.
That, I could get used to, if it weren't for the fact that this generation of the Oxygen controllers happens to register a keystroke in the wrong place. Most pianos and controllers make sound when the key is about half depressed, but the key has to be pressed almost all the way down with these keyboards. It's very upsetting to be going through an intimate string section (because we all strike keys gingerly when playing strings on a keyboard) and having them just not sound.
OVERALL OPINION
The Oxygen is, don't get me wrong, a joy to have, but it certainly is not one of those products that you can own and evangelize to everyone else. It's not perfect by a long shot, and anyone who really wants a comprehensive MIDI controller ought to look a bit deeper into the sea of MIDI controllers to find one good enough.
For me, however, the Oxygen simply acts as a control surface and occasional replacement for my piano.