M-Audio 88-Key Semi-Weighted USB Keystation MIDI Controller Keyboard Review

[tokke4]

I hear à lot of Chinese plastic...

[dicebladZ]

TELL US THE NAME OF THE FUCKING SONG YOU PLAYED`

[lewisthetechie]

@dicebladZ Ronda alla turka AKA Turkish March

[dicebladZ]

I'm getting a 76 key keyboard cause a 88 key one costs 500$

[iGlowInTheDark88]

what was the sample song that you played?

[themarky9000]

It can function without a computer. you need a moduel that is capable of converting midi to standard 1/4" i had one made myself for this keybord

[qondawacho]

People that don't know about this, could read the m-audio website, coud read wikipedia about what is midi, coud type in google what the hell is a midi interface.

instead of that, they bother the guy in youtube with "will it works without my computer? does it sound loud? is it compatible with my pc? Oh internet, you are so generous! (and the guy that answer those questions too)

[MrPsycoticgamingHD]

are these keys touch senstive? if so is it good variation? please answer thanks

[raymond041591]

hey, whats the song called ? :D

[Lessthan3A7X]

Ok PLEASE answer... Once you get the software off your computer can you play it WITHOUT the computer?

[lewisthetechie]

@Lessthan3A7X no

[dicebladZ]

@lewisthetechie Whats the name of the song you played ?

[dicebladZ]

@lewisthetechie whats the name of the song you played

[lutteoviedo]

is it compatible with windows 7?

[lewisthetechie]

@lutteoviedo yes

[lutteoviedo]

@lewisthetechie thanks

[I1600A]

please somebody help how do u make it that you only touch the keys and it sounds loud when i do it it sounds very low and for me to hear it louder i have hit the keys very hard im using a mac osx its connected to the piano with the usb i dont even use it cause off this problem i rather use the macs keyboard it feels like it doest work but im sure its something i did wrong or dint do

[kopial]

its called the volume & sustain pedal, fyi.

[ESCORTOR]

what is it name?

[ESCORTOR]

what program you use?

[CA5HMONEYLOC33]

would this be good for fl studio?

[turbonorsking]

you bought yourself a christmas present? forever alone... nah, im doing the same for the money I got for christmas... could you recomend what gear I should get in adition for a midi-keyboard?

[chiborib0]

@turbonorsking I bought myself an iPad for christmas. I'm gonna' buy this keyboard for my birthday to use as a midi controller for sampletank on iPad.

[ArGyProductions]

@turbonorsking

I haha I hear you brother.. I bought myself EWQL Complete composers as a late xmas present but will need to purchase this keyboard. Can you say Empty bank account o_O

[UTubeLightBulb]

Where is the sound coming from?

[ILOVETHICKBITCHES]

any problems with latency with it?

[ThePoliphilo]

can I plug this in to my mixer?

[shaddyweenie]

@ThePoliphilo To your computer. You need a software instrument on there and/or a DAW.

[seth3556r]

What pedal is that again?

[TheThomy79]

What software do you use?

[lewisthetechie]

@TheThomy79 Logic PRo 9

[evelynolvera]

Can anyone please tell me if this can only function with a computer?! Please and thank you!

[lewisthetechie]

@evelynolvera yes, computer only

[IcarusTuga7]

@lewisthetechie nop..if you have ac adapter for power in you can control other workstation keyboards..synths..racks..etc

[KeistasZmogelis]

@evelynolvera yes it can, but you will need some other MIDI sound device. Then you'd need to connect the power, and connect the MIDI out to the other deviced MIDI in.

[necropsy]

Ya ya, that reminds me of my gap yah! I chundered all over my M-Audio keyboard.

[oawapara]

Can the volume or damper inputs be changed to transmit any other midi message? Let's say I want a damper but instead of volume a want to activate leslie or I want "program change up". Can this be changed?? or does it have fixed values?? I appreciate any info on this issue.

[027bajwa]

very good keyboard player.......cheers

[keviboooy]

what is the songs name you started playing at 2:20

[Kloborgg]

@keviboooy

Mozart's Turkish March

[avytatty]

Hej,

I bought my M-audio one year ago , but i had quite big problem with it and i was very disappointed . I'm not a professional player , i just have a big interest in playing keyboard then i bought it . But i don't know why it didn't work so well . It's pretty annoying when i pressed the keys and i had to wait for at least one second to hear the sounds from the keys. I'm using laptop Dell Vostro 1200 now, so i want to know that my laptop is not strong enough or what?hope s.o can help me soon!

[synastikki]

@avytatty get yourself better audio driver, because you're having too much latency... you can download ASIO4ALL for free for example...

[avytatty]

@synastikki thanks a lot for your advice , i'll do it, but there is another problem , i wanted to download the driver for win 7 32 bit on m-audio website but i could not, do you know the reason? i also don't remember that i registered for my keystation or not, do you have any idea that it's necessary ??Thanks in advance!

[patriot2972]

@avytatty hej, ar du fran sverige? haha (i'm from the U.S. but lived in sweden for a year). anyways, there's nothing wrong with your computer, the reason you are hearing a 1 second delay when you hit the keys is because for whatever music program you are using, the default sound device you have for play back is probably Wave or WaveRT. This can easily be solved by downloading Asio4all for free (google it). message me if you need more help

[DoomCity202]

trash...velocity issues and you'll be buying another one in two years

[lewisthetechie]

@DoomCity202 Coming up to 2 years this december and still working fine :D

[Bewareofdesehose]

@lewisthetechie you blocked my other account before I could tell you

my radium broke,my axium broke and my projectmix 16 broke all before

the 4 year mark. plus i bought a used 88 weighted key that was broken

when i got it home..i took that shit right back to Guitar center and they

put it right back on the shelf as if there was nothing wrong with it for

someone else to buy and return. Start saving for another one your LCD

display will start blinking soon and thats when you know its about to go.

[RaidonSama]

@Bewareofdesehose There is no LCD display. It consists of 88 semi-weighted keys, USB port, On/Off Switch, Mod and Pitch Wheels, Volume Control, Octave Adjuster, and several other features that are not LCD Screens. You are obviously talking about something else.

[Bewareofdesehose]

@RaidonSama probably the keystation pro which is supposed to be a step up

I have no idea but i have learned the hard way not to buy cheap shit.

I went and got a Yamaha MO-8 which i know will be working 10 years from now.

[gotitans999]

blurry

[madmoocows]

so this comes with its own software? and you record with the software it comes with?

[egjp05]

Does the piano have transpose functions?

[RaidonSama]

@egjp05 The keyboard doesn't need transpose functions because all it is is the keyboard. There is no sound engine on the machine. What you will need to transpose is a program on a computer that will allow you to transpose. This is a major steal for someone who understands the technology behind MIDI, but will be nearly useless to those who don't understand.

@madmoocows I highly doubt that this controller comes with software, hence how cheap it is for what features it has.

[BesTran85]

I got a problem in working with this keystation. Could you please help me? I did connect the keystation with my laptop. My laptop's operation sys is Win 7. I did set up driver (for WIn 7) and Ableton Live Lite 6, but I still can't hear the sound when pressing the keys. Could you please show me how to handle the software, so I can play the keyboard? Thank you very much. I am looking forward to hearing from you soon.

[lewisthetechie]

@BesTran85 I believe it has to do with setting the input device on Ableton as the keyboard, I will install the software and see If I can make a video for you

[realjuvelive]

Are you using the laptop or the computer where did you plug the keyboard?

[MuSiCaLSouLLL]

Thanks for the review! Very helpful :)

[cyclerunner]

What Windows software is good to use with this? I have a Windows machine and a Mac, and I know it works with Garage Band on the Mac, but was just wondering about windows software and whether that would add significantly to the expense. Obviously would want quite decent software not just anything.

Thanks!

[gumdrops27]

Would you recommend this for a native piano player?

[lv28gj]

can adjust up and down by semi-tones?

[lewisthetechie]

@lv28gj yes, using the modulator knob/turn thing lol, you can use the software to set it even higher if you want

[guitarrich92]

@lewisthetechie wouldn't the mod wheel vary it up and down repeatedly? (Modulating it) rather than shifting it up and down a semi-tone?

[lewisthetechie]

@guitarrich92 You can change it if you go into the plugins settings and change the intervals

[iRamixx]

Is non weighted that bad?

[c3y3ph3r]

@iRamixx If the keys are light-weighted as compared to semi-weighted, it is much easier to press down. Therefore, mistakes can be made accidentally. Also, if you play on a normal piano after playing on a light-weighted keyboard, you can definitely notice the difference.

[gumdrops27]

@iRamixx

Non weighted gets really annoying. It's really hard to play cleanly with them.

[ryuzaky96]

@iRamixx

light weighted are for synths or organs, the weighted are for piano

[ShiiComp]

Simon?

[howiedanja]

wolume? lol



[BOWshamarie]

What program do you use

[sote1234diego]

de donde eres??? :)

[Temari1407]

do you have to have it connected to your computer in order for it to turn on?? or does it have a wire that i can connect to the wall .. i dont want any other sounds..just the original piano sound it has

[lewisthetechie]

@Temari1407 You don't need to plug it into the a computer to turn on, there is a port for a wall adapter. However, you won't get any sound out of it unless you hook it up to a computer or something which can provide the sound.

[KnolleUndSchergen]

can you use the power from usb and play via midi interface like miditech pianobox?

[jihan93213]

@ianh97 u need to plug it in to the computer i think its basically just a controller

[ianh97]

@jihan93213 Thanks. Makes no difference to me, as long as I can play... I just need to find better speakers.

[deathwhisperer09]

2:10 The piano at the back looks sad...

[MusicEqualsBaker]

Nice WORK! Check my stuff out please!

[vijval02]

hi i want to buy a midi controller which has 25 keys can i connect it to the 88 key controller that u have??? cause the 25 keys will be too small....

[CustodioRichmond]

Hey i got a few questions im completely knew to keyboard controllers. I have an audio interface with 2 jacks which is microphone and instrument can i plug this in through their or do i need to do it in USB to my macbook pro? and can i plug in headphones to this? and is this perfect for beatmaking on logic pro 9?

[kkfamp]

@TheSonyGamerUk Class compliancy with Windows XP and Mac OS X

[MrTRIBALGEAR]

how did u conect it ey? how come the software dosent popo up in my computer automaticly?

[MrTRIBALGEAR]

can we record? can we make beats for these?

[PaulIsDeadMissHim]

That was my recital piece in high school - too bad I can't play like that anymore!

[a15a15a15a15]

you connect this keyboard with only the usb cable?

[loveisnotforme]

hey friends i want to learn keyboard and i want to buy one but i dont have any idea about it. it should be cheap but not like child toys and should connect to my pc ,so please recommend me a good keyboard ,thank you !

[gronster911]

so it dosent have an output jack to plug it into an amp?

[504Anon]

yea but it doesn't have all the knobs... i want to know how to map all the knobs on a keystation pro to Pro-53... That's the only way to get the TRUE experience out of it. That is, unless you want to turn the potentiometers with your mouse mid performance?!?!?

[theshykid19]

i have the same keyboard, and when i plug into logic theres no sound. any ideas of what might be wrong? the audio works fine just the software instrument through my keystation 88, i can play through my computer keyboard though. any help appreciated!

[sodia1]

Ay Bro which one is better ? Yamaha Portable Grand Or this one ?

[9322002898]

hi...

is there any way by which i can use a midi controller without plugging it into a computer.. like along with a soundmodule or sampler,etc..

a reply would be appreciated..

thanks a lot..

[luvshaq29]

hi ive been looking into this and another m-audio keystation pro 88 controller. do either of these have built in speakers or do you have to supply your own since they are controllers?

[luvshaq29]

hi, ive been looking into this, and the m-audio keystation pro 88 (controller) do either of these have built in speakers?, or do you have to supply your own set of speakers to hear the sound out loud?

[ramiroeda]

as it is called the song you play on your piano or an artist

[emperorstevee]

Mint Yamaha:

/watch?v=W13_C-YE9GU

[daniellos333]

holy shit man youre good

[terran236]

Nice playing, lol classic ftw.

[GYPSYROMA777]

WOULD THIS PIANO WORK WITH JUST SOME SPEAKERS???????

[freetrader0000]

@GYPSYROMA777 Its a MIDI controller, sends Midi signals to the computer. You'll need to connect it to a hardware Synth or a computer to make sounds.

[gurcinnamon]

is there built in speakers?

or must i use a laptop/computer

[PiccadillyMan]

@gurcinnamon you must use a computer

[gurcinnamon]

@PiccadillyMan even with a dc power cable

[ddbbzz]

how do you like the velocity range of the keys is it sensitive enough?

[PiccadillyMan]

@ddbbzz It is quite sensitive, but I have to admit that I sometomes have to correct it by myself with garageband

[ddbbzz]

@PiccadillyMan thank you very much great review

[1ben1245]

damn ur pretty good!

[pedromiles101]

will the included software alone allow me to play? (i.e. will i need to buy or download plug ins, other software, etc. or does the included software have everything i need to start playing?)

[lewisthetechie]

@pedromiles101 Logic Pro comes with quite a few insturments you can use

[FullSolo]

HI I have a 140 year old piano in my house which is out of tune like 20 cents and have been recording music for a good 3 years now but I have always been limited when it comes to recording piano because of its tuning even though I get it tuned 2 times a year. Do you think that this piano would be good for me? (I am a guitar player piano is not my main instrument but I usually record the piano in my band's songs)

[lewisthetechie]

@FullSolo why don't you just get the piano tuned?

[FullSolo]

@lewisthetechie I get it tuned frequently but the stress on the pegs inside is to much that the strings become untuned within days

[lewisthetechie]

@FullSolo I would advise getting a proper midi keyboard, this is more a budget option with it's semi-wegithed, i'd advise you get a full weighted if using it for an actual piano. For general use/mucking around it's fine though.

[FullSolo]

@lewisthetechie Can you recommend anything under 450$

[mrcelada]

@FullSolo If you want a piano I recommend you to buy an electrical one. This keyboard is a midi controller, therefore you will need a PC with nice speakers to use it.

[malevolentmistake]

@FullSolo use your own judgement haha seriously. you have a brain, use it!

[FullSolo]

@malevolentmistake haha

[zonato]

It works with reason?... or please let me knoe another program  that I can make splits and layers... Best regards from mexico.

[TheHideandseek2]

where i can buy it? I need this kind of keyboard... how much it cost? "Germany"

[morroemail]

@TheHideandseek2 look at the m-audio page for a reseller or distributor... visit the m-audio webpage for more information.. ... GL

[gingerbean2k7]

Hey man, i just got logic and now i'm just deciding about the keyboard. I don't know what to get. I see its really cheap but is it good enough quality. I will be using it for playing like string sounds and some tech music. But also for normal piano use. So yea. I know its a really simple keyboard because I used the smaller midi ones at college. But i mean more about the semi weighted. Is it good enough for a keen piano player? Cheers

[lewisthetechie]

@gingerbean2k7 I would reccomend it for general piano use but not to replace an actual piano.

[realjuvelive]

as long as it's connected with usb I think we don't need to get a power from an adapter right?

[1993starkiller2009]

is it work with fl studio?

[lewisthetechie]

@1993starkiller2009 yes

[bonviej1]

I just bought one of these. I can't wait to use it.

I don't know if they are discontinued or not though.

Im in Halifax and they stopped distributing them here so I ordered one from Montréal. I managed to get a hold of the last one there.

You say the slide control is assignable. Can it be set up as another pitch bender? I think It would be neat to use it to change the note by octaves. Kind of like a ribbon control?

[bonviej1]

I just bought one of these. I can't wait to use it.

I don't know if they are discontinued or not though.

Im in Halifax and they stopped distributing them here so I ordered one from Montréal. I managed to get a hold of the last one there.

[connorgow]

Piano sonata no.11 :), favorite Mozart piece!

[fallingthroughpages]

@lewisthetechie I just got one but there's a fair bit of latency between my laptop and my speakers (just 3.5mm to 3.5mm).. any ideas? Thanks vmuch

[dayglo98]

@KingamongmenIIV It doesnt make any sounds on its own, it merely sends the note values to your computer so you need audio software

[mennel13]

What setup for this keyboard ? ( sorry i'm french )

[chris1991119]

You forgot to say the MOST important detail when viewing a product / service - Price Range

>_<

How much does 1 cost? why? Cus im looking @ it n thinkin bout buyin 1

[gingerbean2k7]

And Whats that classical song you play cos i know its in the truman show and i dont know what its called!!

[lewisthetechie]

@gingerbean2k7 Rondo Alla Turca.

Great song :D

[gingerbean2k7]

Good man, using a mac and logic....i like your style.

[JBcome2CanadaPlz]

I am looking to buy my first keyboard and I am hoping to switch to piano as soon as I have the room and the money, would the transition be fairly easy with this one? Thanks so much!

[FFvsMidi]

Do it have dynamics? I mean when you touch a note softly it will play a bit more calm, for example when I want to play a slow song. Or it has something to do with the software I use?

[posiedonpowertrio]

does this work with Pro Tools 9 or any Pro Tools?

[lewisthetechie]

@posiedonpowertrio most probably will

[yaboichi]

can u hoook up a sound module to this to play other sounds?

[lewisthetechie]

@yaboichi guess so as long as it has a usb input of some sort

[ZhaliaBlueMoon]

Dies it have a headphone jac

[lewisthetechie]

@ZhaliaBlueMoon no, it requires a computer to function

[SolarStormWarning]

Only 1 midi out??? No Ins??? No MIDI Thru?

M-Audio makes a dedicated weighted keyboard pro-controler for Logic Pro, why did you not get the real deal?

Obviously you can really play piano, so why then would you settle for less and even recommend it to others? If money is a factor then I understand. But that keyboard leaves a lot to be desired.

Cheers!

[lewisthetechie]

@SolarStormWarning not sure what you're on about but I don't have hundreds to spend lol.

Maybe some day eh?

[funnyrct3]

Wath is the title of the song ???

[lewisthetechie]

@funnyrct3 what song?

[SMMsideproject]

Hey, thanks for the review - what was the stand you were using?

[lewisthetechie]

@SMMsideproject Just a cheap standard keyboard stand off Amazon, search Keyboard stand and it will come up.

[jammitjt]

i have and use this keyboard, and it works for my studio needs.

[lewisthetechie]

@jammitjt Good to hear

[rajkrajk]

can anyone help with this > this keyboard has touch sensitive feature ?.. if not is it possible get touch feel from PC software which we use for recording purpose ?..

[lewisthetechie]

@rajkrajk Dependings on what you're refering to

[realjuvelive]

Where does sound come from in midi controller ?

[lewisthetechie]

@realjuvelive the computer

[Playingmuhguitar]

Hi Lewis, Thanks a lot for this info, I just starting to look at MIDI's and this has been helpful.

[lewisthetechie]

@Playingmuhguitar no problem, glad you enjoyed the review. Sorry for the late reply but thanks for the feedback

[pupskannake]

u think about 250 USD is a good price? well.....

[realjuvelive]

@pupskannake actually it's only 199.00 $ in amazon and B&H

[lewisthetechie]

@realjuvelive i know, it's decently priced

[Musician1896]

Can this go from a laptop, to an amp or speakers?

[lewisthetechie]

@Musician1896 yep

[ArchSaur]

Nice playing (-:

[lewisthetechie]

@ArchSaur much appreciated

[Kira3e]

can this be used as a stand alone keyboard or do i need to plug it in my computer

[lewisthetechie]

@Kira3e no, you need a computer for this to work

[DeeepWinter]

Those extra instrument sounds, like playing the drums on the keyboard, is that something inherent on the controller where any computer can do, or is that something inherent in that mac software you are using?

[lewisthetechie]

@DeeepWinter Most software can do that as long as you've got software that allows midi input for a certain instrument.

On my mac I am using Logic Pro. You can use others such as garageband.

On a PC, you can use ableton or FL 9 or many others.

[doboy156]

so where did you get it at bro, do you think they sell them at local stores