Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I'd been looking for a MIDI keyboard to control my virtual instruments in Cubase, and this one seemed to have the most features for the price Amazon was offering. I was not disappointed- the keyboard is solidly built and has just the right amount of features. I downloaded a Cubase profile on a third-party site and instantly I could use the 9 faders to control 8 tracks and the master volume. The same went for the faders, and even the transport controls (Loop, Rew, FF, Stop, Play, Rec) worked flawlessly.
The pressure sensitivity on the keys is adequate, but may not be enough for a more accomplished piano player. I just use it to bang out accompaniment for the guitar and bass tracks I'm writing. I also use it to program drum tracks, and am able to get different drum velocities by varying the pressure on the keys.
This keyboard includes pitch and modulation wheels (both excellent), programmable buttons/panners/faders, octave up and down (up to 3 octaves in either direction), extra MIDI in/out ports, and a USB interface.
If this keyboard had motorized faders, it would jump up to the next class of controllers, but would probably weigh and cost a bit more. As it is, I just have to remember to zero out the faders and panners before loading an existing project, then carefully match the project track levels. This could wreak havoc with saved mixes if you don't pay attention.
Also, the keys sometimes don't register a hit when playing very softly- but again, I'm not a piano player so this may be a user problem. In other words, it's likely that below a certain threshold, the keys aren't supposed to activate. I don't feel like it's broken, and I think the sensitivity can be modified but I haven't felt the need to.
Finally, although a wide range of preset profiles were included, I had to find a Cubase profile myself, and Cubase is pretty common recording software. Still, the Internet provides where companies do not.
Overall, I am very pleased with this keyboard and it suits my needs. It didn't break the bank and I can do 90% of the things I wanted to do with it. In the future I may buy a Behringer motorized mixer and let that handle the mixing functions that this keyboard really wasn't intended for anyway.
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M-Audio OXYGEN 61 61-Key USB MIDI Controller 9900-51394-10Oxygen 61 gives even the most serious players a 5-octave keyboard they can love, complete with a built-in USB MIDI interface and tons of controls. A total of 35 controllers--including 9 sliders, 8 knobs and 15 buttons--can easily map to any MIDI-assignable parameters in your hardware and software rig. While easy to program, the Oxygen 61's complete MIDI implementation will also allow you to go as deep as you want to go. Store 10 different setups in on-board non-volatile memory, plus manage an infinite number with our free Enigma software for Mac and PC. Bus-powered operation and a weight of just 7 lbs. means that you can use the Oxygen 61 anywhere your computer goes.
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