Customer Reviews

M-Audio Keystudio 49-key USB MIDI Controller Keyboard

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Okay Look a couple disgruntled customers gave bad reviews about a product that does exactly what it's advertisements claim. 49 keys check, non-weighted keys;check, play 4 octives whithout using octive shift;check, pitch bend;check, modulation;check, assignable midi;check. Plug and Play, no driver installation needed with most every DAW not just Garage Band or Mac Products.Those people don't know what they are talkin about or what kind of equipment they are looking for frankly. I use a Sony Vaio with Windows Vista 64 bit, my DAW is FL Studio. It works fine. No, it doesn't make any sounds unless you have a program that it can communicate with, then there is no sound that is known to man that it want make for you, if only you now how to instruct it. It's not the keyboard's fault if you don't know how to use it. This keyboard is more for people who are into music production and have not progressed far enough or have not decided that they want to invest a couple of grand in a more serious keyboard, it's absolutely worth a [...] bucks. My advise to the lady is that if hubby doesn't know how to make his own melodies and background music, then just get him a toy Casio keyboard he'll love that. The only thing I would complain about is that the keys are not weighted, but I know that when I bought, it's a work around though. You just have to get used to the sensitivity, it would be nice if you could manually adjust the sensitivity setting to your personal touch. Good Keyboard not Great. There are no great keyboards @ [...] bucks!

For $100, this is a really solid MIDI controller. The pitch and vibrato are a nice rubber and move smoothly. The pitch bend even returns to 0 smoothly when released.

This isn't a $1000 controller, but the keys are full size and are velocity sensitive. They lack weight, which may put some off that are looking for a nice weighty bounce from the keys.

It works with Sony Acid Pro out of the box-no driver install! There is a nifty 1/8" to USB adapter for using a mic and headphones on your PC/laptop at the same time from one USB. This device requires a driver installed, and the SW is either with the unit or dl from the net (what I did). I haven't opened the CDs yet, as I really don't need them. I think one has a DAW on it, just in case you don't have one. Now that I think about it, if the one misguided reviewer had had her husband install the DAW, he could have made all the sounds he wanted.

The one thing I really like is the 'edit mode', which I didn't think I'd need. It lets you reassign the controls to send different signals to your DAW. You can use the octave up/down to change programs, for example, or use the keys to select one by number. You can even re-assign the volume control to do things like reverb!

Pluses have to also include that it is 100% USB-powered. No extra power supply hanging around.

pat
:)

This is a few-frills keyboard, but it feels good to play and does exactly what it's supposed to very well.

My need was simple: I needed a midi-enabled keyboard to serve as an input device for music sequencing software. I had no need for complex features within the keyboard itself; all of that functionality takes place within the software. I had no need for 88 keys--just enough to be practical and not have to constantly be adjusting octaves. I wanted to plug it in and use it immediately on my Mac.

The M-Audio Keystudio is exactly all of those things. Its functionality is perfectly simple. It has 49 notes--just about right for entering a one line or instrument at a time. Its keys are pressure-sensative (though they are quite light and not at all like a piano). I plugged it in, and it worked.

It won't win any awards for its solid construction or keyboard dynamics--but for simple MIDI inputting it is great. I recommend it for exactly that.

I had read reviews of several different keyboards and was a little skeptical about purchasing this particular model. I made the decision to purchase it on the basis of the price and feeling fairly assured it would work with the computer that I have. I was right! It was a plug-n-play keyboard. I had no issues hooking it up to my iMac and using it with the FInale PrintMusic program. It is small enough that I can put it right on the table where my iMac is located but it is big enough to include all the notes/keys that I need. I am very pleased with the purchase.

Just got it for my 12-year-old boy who has asked for a keyboard to use with his MacBook, and the one at Apple Store has too few keys(25) with higher price tag. He's very happy with this one because it doesn't come with all the other complicated control buttons on the top, and he's not complaining about the light-weight keys even though he's played "real" piano for five years. The best part is how easy for him to hook this up with his MacBook..........just connect the UBS, that's all. No power cord or batteries to deal with, and no installation CD needed at all. It worked immediately.

I am happy with the price. It really meets both my boy's and my expectations.

I as a college music professor do lots of note entry with Finale and Sibelius, and having
a smallish, portable controller like this one makes my note entry go so much faster. Any
product by M-Audio is always flawless, in my experience, and this one is no exception. And
what a bargain!

Just what I was looking for to compliment GarageBand. Extremely user friendly from set up to use

The first keyboard arrived without the to be included USB cable. Amazon made it right quickly and easily. Since, the keyboard has worked exactly as advertised. Smallish footprint on desk, more keys than the "mini" keyboards. Hooked up with Garageband pretty much on its own. No complaints at all.

As you all know, the more you spend, the better of a product you (usually) receive. I recently purchased the m audio 49 USB midi controller for around 100 bucks, and have been disappointed all around. Yes, it works with reason (my preferred DAW) flawlessly, and does what it is intended to do, BUT it has some serious drawbacks. For your viewing pleasure, I have created a short list of pros and cons, with a recommendation at the end of the review. One thing that I will not list as a con, but I didn't take into account is that having only 49 keys can be pretty limiting; I suggest that if you have the space going with at least a 61 key midi controller.

-PROS-
-lightweight
-compact, easily transported
-Plug and play with windows 7 or OSX

-CONS-
-Keys not weighted, or even semi-weighted
-keys are physically smaller than on a standard piano/keyboard/controller
-Feels cheaply made (volume slider, keys)
-Pitch wheel has a small bump instead of the traditional dip (nitpicking, i know)

Now, if you are a serious musician, piano student, or just seek quality products at a good price, I suggest bumping up to the m audio 61es. I just picked this baby up from guitar center (price matched amazon for a total of $129.99 + $27 "pro coverage" which covers accidental damage), and it is an absolute delight. The 61es has, of course, 61 keys, a dip in the pitch wheel, sturdier construction, and semi weighted keys, which I think make it easier for me to tell when the "hammer" has hit the virtual string, so I can anticipate the sound. I suggest the 61es easily over the 49.

For a cheap-ish studio setup at home, I suggest:

-Cubase/Protools
-Reason 6 (1-5 are nice, but 6 has some new features that are great if you are producing dubstep)
-Akai MPD 26
-M audio keystation 61es
-Decent monitor speakers
-Decent headphones
-USB audio interface with phantom power (I like tascam)
-Mics of your choice (Shure are the "Standard")

Assemble the studio as you are able, and when you are done, you will be able to create awesome music from the comfort of your own home. Thanks for reading my review!

2 1/2 stars