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webstersays
Published on 08/23/08 at 09:50
I got this controller because I wanted a second MIDI input device that would have a few other bells and whistles. You can connect with USB since it has a built in interface. You can also go the traditional way and just connect it with MIDI cables. It has input for a foot switch, power switch on back as well as plug for an AC adapter, and it also can be battery operated if you want to use this live which is a handy feature.
UTILIZATION
The action on this keyboard is not really great. It is very, very bouncy, and so it is very hard to get a good capture of different velocities. You really kind of have to learn its velocity curve and play to the keyboard instead of playing to the material, which is a pain. Setup of this controller is very easy though - you just load up the driver and plug it in with USB or MIDI. Mine worked straight away on windows XP and Cubase. The manual is not very in depth, but it is sufficient to get you started well enough.
OVERALL OPINION
I have been using this for about a year now. My favorite thing about this keyboard is the low price - it is hard to beat this in terms of value. The mod and pitch wheels work very well, and the assignable pots and output fader are really nice to have. It's only 49 keys, but you can easily change which octaves of a normal 88 key piano are represented with buttons on the front panel. The ease of connectivity is also a big plus with this controller. On the downside, the action is very poor and not realistic at all. You will need to take some time to get used to the velocity curve before you get any dynamically sensible results from playing this keyboard. If you just need a basic MIDI input device with a few extra bells and whistles at a very low price, this will definitely suit you. I would probably buy it again considering it's just a backup for me, but I wouldn't want to use it as a primary MIDI keyboard.
UTILIZATION
The action on this keyboard is not really great. It is very, very bouncy, and so it is very hard to get a good capture of different velocities. You really kind of have to learn its velocity curve and play to the keyboard instead of playing to the material, which is a pain. Setup of this controller is very easy though - you just load up the driver and plug it in with USB or MIDI. Mine worked straight away on windows XP and Cubase. The manual is not very in depth, but it is sufficient to get you started well enough.
OVERALL OPINION
I have been using this for about a year now. My favorite thing about this keyboard is the low price - it is hard to beat this in terms of value. The mod and pitch wheels work very well, and the assignable pots and output fader are really nice to have. It's only 49 keys, but you can easily change which octaves of a normal 88 key piano are represented with buttons on the front panel. The ease of connectivity is also a big plus with this controller. On the downside, the action is very poor and not realistic at all. You will need to take some time to get used to the velocity curve before you get any dynamically sensible results from playing this keyboard. If you just need a basic MIDI input device with a few extra bells and whistles at a very low price, this will definitely suit you. I would probably buy it again considering it's just a backup for me, but I wouldn't want to use it as a primary MIDI keyboard.