Keytars

The Roland AX-1 is a MIDI controller in the form of a 'key-tar." It spans about four and a half octaves and has a variety of setting controls that are programmable. The keyboard has a variety of connections including a standard MIDI input and output as well as some 1/4 inch connections. It keyboard also has a pitch bender on the handle which helps to give it the feel of a guitar. UTILIZATION Using the basic features of the Roland AX-1 isn't too difficult, but there are a lot of features that I do not know about since I don't actually own one of these. The typical functions are easily located and after playing it for a bit I felt I had a good grasp for what it is about, but there are definitely a lot of options and features that I have yet to unlock. I haven't seen a manual for the AX-1 so I can't say anything about it, but if you aren't an expert with MIDI controllers and want to take this in depth, then I would recommend trying to get your hands on a manual. OVERALL OPINION Since the Roland AX-1 doesn't actually have any sound patches of its own, the main thing that I look for in a MIDI controller like this would be its feel and its features, and I would say that the AX-1 excels in both of these categories. It is an easy keyboard to play and has a great action, unlike many of the MIDI keyboards out there that are virtually unplayable. While I've only used this keyboard a handful of times, if I were looking to pick up a MIDI keyboard in this type of form, the AX-1 would be the first place that I would look because of its high quality and reasonable price. While I can't say this is a necessity for any keyboard player out there, there's nothing wrong with a little flare every once in a while...

This, basically, is one of the more popular keytars out there. It's basically a 41-note remote keyboard, actually a MIDI synth or module controller. Therefore, it has the general MIDI connection. I was looking to try a Keytar of some type, thinking it might be fun. There wasn't much about this instrument that intrigued besides the keytar novelty and the fact this is one of the more popular keytars. UTILIZATION The setup of this was no more complex than any other MIDI controller. I didn't have a manual, but I could figure out the setup process pretty clearly. It's easy to use one hand to press the buttons which change between the 64 different programs. With the same hand you can use the knobs to control the modulation, pitch bending, and volume. OVERALL OPINION I feel like I got what I expected out of this thing. It is a whole lot of fun to play, and it sounds just like you'd expect, a cheesy, 80s style synth. The fact that you can really only play it with one hand at a time is sort of frustrating to any real keyboardist, but it was really only designed for simple chords or single-note riffs anyway. As someone said to me before, "it's not like you're going to play a concerto on this thing". Another criticism I had was that the touch sensitivity was almost nonexistent, but then again, you'd only expect an obnoxious synth sound from this anyway. Overall, if you know the limitations of the instrument from the beginning, and are still interested, nothing is going to sway your interest. Definitely recommended for anyone who really wants it. Just good luck finding one, I happened to stumble across it randomly. I know many others who are willing to pay a decent price for one.

The Ax synth by Roland is a true plug and play keyboard synth that is ready to go right out of the box. It has some really good features to use for fun and for live performances. You can connect it to your PC via USB connection. It can run off of batteries for up to 6 hours and comes with a AC adapter for wall plugs to provide power. The keys on the Ax synth feel very good compared to the other models of Ax from Roland. These keys have a nice weight to them and they are responsive. UTILIZATION You will not need to open up the manual to learn the functions of the Ax synth. It is easy to use and understand and more importantly it is fun. The design of the Ax synth looks great, but the quality of its framing is not well made. It does not seem like it could with stand a drop because it is made out of plastic instead of metal chassis or aluminum casting. So with it being made of plastic it can feel like a toy when you are playing. That has nothing to do with the sounds though, the sound do not sound “toy-ish” at all. SOUNDS The sound are very good, there are not a lot of them compared to other full Roland keyboards but the ones that it comes with are all pretty good and useable. You can also tweak the sounds very easy with the knobs, and all of the tweaking will change the sound in real time right away. This makes for great live performances. OVERALL OPINION Ax synth comes with software, which I have never touched or even looked at. It is mainly for hooking your Ax to your PC but you do not need the software to do that. You can just plug it in and it will work fine because it is not driver software but more of an editor application.