Cakewalk A-300PRO

The Roland A-300 Pro is a MIDI Keyboard featuring 32 keys, 45 assignable transports, knobs and sliders, 8 pads and a pitchbend/modulation stick. This thing is an awesome deal for the price, before I used a M-Audio Axiom 25 keyboard, a comparable model. This one is WAY better, and at a similar price. This one has way more features, and I use it as my exclusive small keyboard. I have a few full size keyboards I use for actual playing, but I use this for smaller applications, and I love it. I'm possibly buying the full size version of this series.

UTILIZATION

The setup is easy as can be, plug it in and map to Ableton Live. All the controls work and are of good sensitivity. The drum pads aren't too good, but I have an APC 40 and a Novation Launchpad, so I have those covered, since I mostly use this for basslines and auditioning sounds. I love the features packed into this and I love being able to control lots of parameters at once. Also, nothing is complicated to use at all, so it's great for beginners.

OVERALL OPINION

My favorite thing about this controller is that it has lots of knobs and sliders and transports, over 45! Also, it has a 4-octave keyboard, while most in the price range only have three. This makes it great for working out basslines. I like the sensitivity and feel of the knobs, and LOVE the pitch bend and modulation stick instead of wheels. The only thing that aren't great are the drum pads, they aren't very good. I don't use them much though, so that's ok. I would really recommend this to anyone who needs a smaller keyboard, or a beginner who doesn't need too many keys. It's well built too, so if you can pick one up!

I wanted a USB keyboard with medium-sized knobs, faders and pads that is not a toy.

UTILIZATION

I am not a pianist, but the hit is really great, and I noticed that store keys, the knob and jog wheel are exactly the same as the Roland synths.

Installation is quick and easy, but I had to create personal maps controls to Live as the original ones do not permettes take full advantage of knobs. This product seems more contact users with experience in the field.

I confess myself a little torn hair, but once made the config, this is pure bliss!

OVERALL OPINION

This is my first controller, and I use it for over a year, it has never crashed or bugged!

Positives:
Robust, reliable, stable, pro, look really classy, ​​quality Roland!

Negatives:
The pads are light years from those of my MPC2000XL, and create controls map is not very easy for a novice ...

Excellent value for money, I do not regret my choice!

Series A-3 x00 PRO understand keyboards with identical characteristics, except for the number of octaves.

The A-300 PRO is a MIDI controller / USB 32-key velocity-sensitive and polyphonic aftertouch, equipped with 45 controllers: buttons 4, 9 re-transport buttons assignable, 9 knobs, 9 faders 55mm, 8 pads, a lever pitch bend and modulation wheels, a foot switch input and an expression pedal input. The remaining two controllers to meet the 45 announced by Cakewalk and have aftertouch .... the keyboard.
In addition to pedal inputs, there are 2 MIDI IN and OUT, a USB (power), and a power connector (DC 9V 300mA).
19 memory control maps.
2x16 character display with backlight.
Dimensions: 61x25x92 cm - Weight: 2.9 Kg

UTILIZATION

Manufacturing seems solid, black plastic of good quality despite the lightness. The knobs and faders move a little on their axes. The pads and buttons are made of rubber or flexible plastic pleasant. The pads, dynamic and responsive to aftertouch, are ridiculously small (17x17mm) and they deserved a little more centimeter. The lever pitch bend / modulation is traditional keyboards Roland, however, the modulation has a magnitude larger and therefore more accurate. As for the keyboard, which has already laid his hands on Roland synths (like me on the Juno-2, D-20, JX-10 and Juno-G), there will be no surprises. Quality is present, with a soft keyboard (but not "plastoc") and pleasant, but short keys. I would have liked a central screen, rather than left keyboard. Concerning the location of the connectors on the left flank, I guess it's more constructive to choice rationalization of production of the Series A-PRO, a bias that ergonomic.
The configuration is fairly simple, although not helped by the interface (3 buttons and a knob endless). The editor software is very practical and easy to use. All controllers (except the keyboard) are assignable to all sorts of messages on any port and MIDI channel: rating, CC, program change, RPN, NRPN, realtime, tempo, Sysex (they do that is editable software by the publisher), etc. ... One can, for example assign aftertouch to a program change, or a knob to a note message.
Level set functions to the keyboard, there are buttons split (two zones), which can play dual layered sounds 2, lower and upper, transpose and octave + / - (-4 to +5) good practice on a keyboard with 32 keys.
The MIDI features are comprehensive: A-PRO has two MIDI ports via USB or 32 channels, a function merge information received in the MIDI IN port to USB1, USB2 or MIDI OUT.
Finally, I have not encountered any issues with setting Sonar who recognized immediately.

OVERALL OPINION

I use it mainly to control my expanders (2 MKS-50 and Fantom-XR), and less often for Sonar (but it starts to seem indispensable). I chose this keyboard this keyboard for several reasons: the seriousness of Roland / Cakewalk in the monitoring of drivers and publishers, keyboard quality, usability, and also for its 32 keys (compared to 25) . I tried M-Audio keyboards that I have offended by their feel and quality of plastic. As for the Akai MPK to, I have found too expensive, with a lot of trouble, and a MIDI routing underdeveloped.
Weaknesses could be the limited memory control maps (19), anecdotal use in studio but more likely disabling live, and step back there on the A-PRO. Indeed, this series out 2 years ago, comes from Edirol PCR keyboards that seem to suffer from a lack of quality at the knobs and faders.
I recommend it anyway for its price / quality ratio to compete