61-Key Controllers

[hardbop200]

Hello friends,

 

I've finally joined a group that is very technology-friendly (playing bass, oddly enough); they are encouraging me to do some synth bass and "anything creative I want to do." Along those lines, I'm busy jumping on the bandwagon and getting a computer-based setup going, and I need a USB-enabled controller. My requirements are simple: 61 keys, USB powered, class-compliant (plug-n-play/pray), sub $500. I've done my research, but I live in a small town and can't go play any of these instruments, so I thought I would stop by here and get some opinions.

 

* M-Audio Axiom: Typically I've hated M-Audio's keyboard actions, and almost dismissed this one until I read a lot of folks on here using it. So I'm assuming that it is well-liked. I'm primarily concerned with opinions on the action - is it sturdy? Has anything broken? Does it feel flimsy or stiff?

 

* Edirol PCR-800: Dang, this thing _looks_ great on paper, but the pictures seem to portray it as being delicate, not fit to throw in the car and take to a gig and bash synth bass on.

 

* CME UF60: Have no idea here.

 

Thanks to all for your opinions. If there's anything I've left out, please let me know.

[ewall08530]

I use an M Audio 61ES to control a Nord Electro rack. It doesnt have a lot of sliders or knobs but I like the action very much. I feel more comfortable on it than on the Electro keyboard which I had for a while but sold eventually.

[Mark Schmieder]

Yes, you left out the best one, which is the Novation ReMote and associated lines (some are better than others). These are by far the best on the market, if what you want is quality action, smooth velocity and aftertouch, and also a lot of assignable controls with fairly advanced templates and learn features.

 

The CME is the only one that might compete in terms of features, compatibility with lots of software synths, and action (I'm talking the unweighted UF-line and VX-line). They have a different feel and different types of controls (most Novations use the joy stick popular on Korg workstations, but I prefer either XY-pads, which they also have, or "traditional" separate pitch and mod wheels).

 

Edirol's newest line ups the ante a bit as its drum pads send aftertouch info and are fine-grained velocity-sensitive with release velocity as well (if I recall). Novation also sells XioSynth and other variants that include a subset of their Supernova VA synth even though priced as a MIDI controller.

 

Akai recently introduced some nice-looking controllers that seem to be in direct competition with Novation's approach. They are too new to have received reviews yet. It is also unclear whether they are derived from Alesis' Photon series, now that the two companies have been merged into a single business unit of Numark.

 

You could hardly do worse than M-Audio controllers, quality-wise and feature-wise. But if money is the only criteria, it's possible some of theirs might be more price competitive than the others. At this point I am not speaking of intangibles such as personal perferences for keybed action (light vs. heavy, etc.), but tangibles that are easily measured and proven objectively (such as whether all values between 1 and 128 can be produced by the keyboard for note velocity and all other parameters).

 

You should check out Keyboard magazine's roundup of controllers from February 2007. It's the best-written and best-researched cross-comparison I have ever seen, and is still fairly current absent the models mentioned above as brand new.

 

 

[yannis D]

I had the M Audio too. It was good but for organ sounds use but i did'nt like alot the action for rhodes or clav. It seems it's something with the velocity response. But it's well constructed and light enough to carry anywhere. Plus it's USB powered so you'll have no need for extra power supplies, cables etc etc and it's asy to use with whatever sequencer you have into your laptop.