Customer Reviews

M-Audio AXIOM 49 Advanced 49-Key Semi-Weighted USB MIDI Controller

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

First things first, I'm no pianist. I purchased this controller to work with DAWs and soft synths. So far I'm really pleased with the purchase. The faders feel a bit dry but function nicely. The rotary encoders support absolute and relative CCs, keeping parameters from jumping when changing presets. The keyboard keys feel solid and aren't springy like the Keystation line. The blue display is informational and easy to read in light and dark environments. It's also nice the keyboard is powered off the USB bus. No need for a wall-wart adapter.

The reasons I'm giving it a 4 out of 5 instead of a 5 are the following:
1. the keyboard advertises aftertouch. This is not polyphonic aftertouch, but the less expressive channel aftertouch. Say you play a C3 and hold the note, then hit a C5 and add aftertouch only to the C5. Aftertouch is not applied to only C5 but to both C3 and C5. This can be a bit surprising the first time you try it.

2. No printed manual. A paper manual is something I like getting with hardware.

3. Pitch bend only sends coarse adjustments. This makes the pitch bend knob a bit sensitive to expressive play.

4. Customizing the layout of the instrument requires M-Audio's Enigma software. Personally I don't really like it and wish the Axiom's didn't have a black box sysex format. It'd be nice to customize the layout of the keyboard w/o using this clunky app.

I still really like this keyboard. It feels solid, plays well and is a good mid-entry midi keyboard/controller.

I have owned this product for a little over a year, just long enough to get out of warranty. While it worked it was a decent controller, nothing special but it did it's job. Unfortunately it received what is known as the "blue screen of death." Apparently this is a common problem where the LCD screen lights up a solid blue and the keyboard becomes completely unresponsive. There is no fix as it is a hardware failure. Google it to find out how common.

Do yourself a favor, save up a little more money and go with a better brand than M-Audio. Otherwise you're playing roulette with your money.

This midi controller is perfect for producing on a budget. It pays for itself within a few projects. The pad triggers are perfect for drums and measure the velocity MUCH better than my old mpd 16 ever did. Has plenty of faders and endless knobs(perfect for vst's). It's easy to map the keys if your NOT running on vista (possible, but not as easy). I'm still waiting on drivers from m-audio, but besides that...it's a damn good controller...

The M-Audio Axiom is a portable, light weight MIDI controller that connects with any computer via USB. It's function is to control either software instruments in a DAW or soft synths. This is not a traditional keyboard. It does not have internal speakers.

I use the Axiom with my Macbook Pro and Apple's Logic and the integration is seemless. Straight out of the box, the only setup was to plug the controller in via the computer's USB port.

I am a pianist and was looking for a cost-effective and portable solution to recording. The Axiom certainly filled that need. The functionality is great, almost overwhelming at first. But once you get used to the keyboard, it works well.

The reasons I like the keyboard are:

1. Light weight and extremely portable. I like to shuffle around to different places to record and with this controller, it is very easy.

2. Layout. The layout of the controller is pretty standard, but the varying controls are very accessible.

3. The price. There are a number of much more expensive options out there, but this one took the cake for me and it was partly because of price. Most controllers do not provide weighted keys and other options at this price range.

The reason I give it 4 stars as opposed to 5 are because:

1. It has 49 keys. I debated over whether I should buy a full size or a 49 key and wish I had sprung for the full size. The reason as you can imagine is for breadth of tones. While the keyboard has a modulation wheel, having to stop playing to change octaves is a bit of a drag.

2. "Semi-weighted" Keys. The keys are not completely weighted and because I'm a trained pianist, the keys require some adjustment to my playing to bring out the correct dynamics.

Overall, had I the option to select another controller, I would have chosen the Axiom 61-key controller as the keyboard is a well-priced entry controller.

I purchased the Axiom 49 as a controller for Ableton Live and some outboard midi gear. Though I have yet to dive into programming the thing, I found it immediately useful (thanks to the learn functions in Ableton.) Since the unit works with Enigma, M-Audio's editor, programming the unit will be a snap. I own M-Audio's "Trigger Finger" and found programming that with Enigma to be a breeze (providing you have an understanding of the MIDI protocol, which is pretty simple.)

The sliders feel nice, though My only real critisim is that I am not so fond of the rotary encoders...they click as you turn rather than turning smoothly. To sweep through from 1 - 127 takes many turns (though for many this is a good thing)

The unit seems very sturdy and I find the keyboard to be very playable.

Getting the driver installed was a little glitchy (I use Windows XP...so I don't blame M-Audio.) The issue was resolved quickly via a help article on the M-Audio site.

Overall, the Axiom 49 is a winner in my book. At this price point, the unit was very compelling. Other manufacturers make similar controllers, but are more expensive. I recommend this product!!!

The M-Audio Axiom 49-key MIDI keyboard is a great device for someone looking to learn piano or keyboard. 49-keys is probably the minimum amount I'd recommend for learning keyboard/piano because any less would cause some problems going up and down octaves. If you've never heard of a MIDI keyboard before, it is powered and hooked up to your computer via USB. A program is then ran on your computer that lets you record and edit the audio. The Axiom has 8 drum pads, which are great for saved beats and a TON of customizable knobs and sliders. It is very simple to use, although many of the programs can be confusing. Overall I would recommend the Axiom if you are looking for a cheap MIDI input for your computer or you are looking to learn the piano or keyboard.

I originally gave this item a one star rating because after two years of use some of the keys no longer worked, however, I ordered the part for $15 and replaced it with ease and now my keyboard is fixed.

I've used other products for this task and This is the best by far.I have to admit I have not learned how to program this bad boy but what little programming I have done via a piece of free software available by the manufacturer. I use the board to work with my DAW, Cubase 5. As far as I can tell, the only thing that works righto out of the box are the black and white piano keys. All the other sliders, buttons etc are essentially useless...that is until you take the time to program them. I can now assign sounds to the pads and bring a whole new dimension to a live performance.

The knobs and sliders have a sturdy feel to them. If it should break in the future, unless something cooler is at this price point, I would be happy to replace it with another Axiom 49.

I bought my Axiom 49 on November 22 from Amazon... it worked fine up till December 26th... I was able to make a couple demos with it before the screen when blank and it stopped communicating with my laptop. This happened all of a sudden and all indications are (from the M-Audio forum) that this is a manufacture's defect. I am in the process of returning this item to Amazon for an exchange; I hope this process goes smoothly. I will let you all know how it goes!

I've had this for about three weeks now and I am very happy with it. I am using it with GarageBand and it works seemlessly with that program. The weighted keys are nice to the touch although they obviously don't feel like a real piano. The drum pads are a nice addition as well. The touch sensitivity works well also and is adjustable according to your style of play.

My only compliant is that it looks like it would take a long time to program the controllers (knobs and presets) on this keyboard to work with the software program you are using. I haven't tried it yet becuase when i read through the manual i immediately thought (well i don't have time to go through all of this right now" It may be me, but I wish this process were easier.

I would say this is a quality product for the price and seems like it has the potential to be used for more advanced settings if you get to that level.