All new midi controllers are garbage.

[vxt]

Originally Posted by firby

Don't sleep on the old old Roland A series. I have the Roland A33 and I really like the action. However, I don't think that one has aftertouch but I played everything new guitar centerish and a bunch of cheap old keyboards and bought this. Also it has two midi outs which are button assignable so I can run two synths with it at once or one and then an out to the DAW and vice versa.

Roland P series controllers. Mine feels a little bit like a kurzweil P something keyboard. When I write midi data with it, the velocities come out perfect very easily and it is quite expressive.

It's old and tough.


regards and good luck, there is some real junk out there.

Thank you, how about Cakewalk A-300? They have real Roland keys. Shouldn't that be really good? I don't have much desktop real state so 32 to 49 keys will have to do, sadly.

Right now I'm looking at Yamaha KX 25/49, Edirol PCR-300 and Arturia 32. I think I will just get one of these. Should be much better than Akai or Novation and all those M-Audio junk

Cakewalk A-300 is on top of my list now because of alleged real Roland keys! Really hope its true.

[CedricM]

Anybody could try the new Roland A-49 MIDI Keyboard Controller?

It is supposed to have great keyboard action.

[machoboy]

Originally Posted by John The Cut

I totally agree with the OP.

I have an M-audio Axiom as main controoler and it is horrible to play.

Roland, Yamaha, Casio etc have a heritage of making 'musical instruments' that musicians used to actually play. I love Roland keyboards personally.

I recently bought a D50 just for the keyboard, got a great synth into the bargain too Roland all the way imo

After owning numerous M-Audio products, I've yet to discover one that doesn't feel like an infant could snap it in half over their knee. They are the kings of flimsy.

[Bullseye]

Tried out the Roland and Akai models this past week. The Akai keys were quite shallow, didn't feel very good. Roland keys were much nicer. I do feel though that $400 -$500 for a midi controller is allot of money and for that money one should get significantly more than what is on offer.

One interesting controller is the MPK mini. Though only 25 keys the pads are reportedly pretty good, has a built in arpeggiator and its is only $99.00 which is about what a controller should cost.

I am considering that one as my EMU which I referred to above just isn't cutting it with virtual instruments. I had previously avoided virtual instruments but recently bought the Spectrasonics lineup. So now I must have a good controller. So it goes...

[the donal]

Originally Posted by machoboy

After owning numerous M-Audio products, I've yet to discover one that doesn't feel like an infant could snap it in half over their knee. They are the kings of flimsy.

My Axiom 25 feels pretty solid. The only thing I'd really prefer would be harder, plastic octave shift buttons. The rubber ones just don't feel like they have enough response for quick octave changes. They do a decent enough job, it's just that the rubber doesn't feel so positive.

I'll probably get an Axiom 61 at some point- though I guess a bigger frame could really tell in respect to build on they keys side.

[draven5]

People are used to crappy controllers now so much it's the norm. I honestly don't think some people realize how crappy they are.


Cheap production and greed of profit are to blame. Now we get mostly crap.

[ChrisLilley]

Originally Posted by chopsui

If you have the MPK Mini get an extended warranty on it this thing has quality issues as well. Flimsy solder connection from the micro-usb to the motherboard. One day you will plug it in and it will fall inside and your MPK Mini becomes a paperweight..

Yes, that happened on mine. It was two weeks old.

Next keyboard I bought, I made sure it had a full size USB B on it. And a metal case.

[Zade]

I`m getting an audio axiom 25 for some light playing and occasional midi usage.

I think you have to put the word `crap` into perspective. Its all about experience and usage. I don`t know jack about midi keyboards, but I know my guitars. I`d probably think that whatever midi keyboard i purchased is amazing (at least until I get more experienced in using them).

For example, a newbie in guitar would think that fender squire guitar packs made in china are the best thing to happen in the world, and it probably is for them, for their purpose at least. But of course as you progress, you`ll opt for higher end products, then great products for beginners and newbies will indeed seem like crap to you. Just trying to input a little unbiased outlook on the subject.

[Chrislineham]

Where as I kind of agree with you, I wouldn't suggest using a keyboard with presets and sounds onboard because from my experience, it affects the MIDI signal, such as a piano preset will have different MIDI parameters to a guitar preset and so on.
I got an Evolution MIDI controller from Ebay for about £35 second hand and it's been fine so far, it's not fantastic, but I like it more than the Yamaha keyboard I was using before, it's nice and portable, just cheap and cheery!