Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I'm an amateur musician, and I always wanted a big keyboard, something close enough to a piano, but the big keyboards were always so expensive. In top of that, they always come with lots of knobs and features that I never wanted to learn or try. I just wanted a piano-like keyboard to play.
When I saw this keyboard for first time, I loved its 'minimalistic' style: no knobs, no screens, no buttons. Just the 88 keys and the minimum necessary controllers (3 buttons, 2 wheels and 1 slider), all in a beautiful and solid silver case. When I checked its price, I suspected maybe its quality was poor, but I had good references for the M-audio brand. So I decided to give it a chance and I'm still very proud of my purchase: just plugged it into the usb port of my PC and it was inmediately recognized. I was using FL Studio, but right now I'm trying Sonar and it works flawlessly. The keys offer some resistance to pressure, so it almost feel like piano keys.
If you're interested on this keyboard, I strongly recommend it. But if you don't to know that much of keyboards (and you don't want to, anyway), you have to know this keyboard is not a exactly a toy, nor is the kind that comes with lots of sounds and rythms. It is a controller, which means you have to use some kind of software or synth device for it to produce any sound. If you know exactly what you're buying, I don't think you will ever regret of buying this keyboard. It's great!
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M-Audio Keystation 88ES Midi ControllerIf you appreciate the full range of a piano keyboard in a lightweight package, the 88-note Keystation 88es is for you. You get great-feeling, semi-weighted action that's velocity-sensitive, to convey all the nuances of your playing to your computer and most popular music education and studio software. The pitch and modulation wheels plus slider and buttons make it a great controller for playing and programming synths, samplers, drum sounds and more. At just 22 lbs., the Keystation 88es is equally at home on stage and in the studio. Class compliancy with Windows XP, Vista (32 bit), and Mac OS X ensures easy plug-and-play setup. It's even bus-powered, so one simple USB cable is the only connection you need.
88-Key Semi-Weighted USB MIDI Controller
88-note velocity-sensitive, semi-weighted action 88 keys means no constant hitting of an octave switch, an annoyance with smaller controllers. The semi-weighted action gives you a piano feel, and since it's velocity sensitive, your dynamic playing is accurately sent as data.
Pitch bend and modulation wheels These are ideal for controlling synths, samplers, etc.
Volume/assignable control slider Easily assign the control slider to different parameters of sound modules or software, for further control over your sound.
Advanced function button for programming When the Advanced Functions button is pressed, the keyboard goes into "Edit Mode." In Edit Mode, the keys on the keyboard are used for selecting functions and entering data. Black keys are used for selecting functions, while the white keys are used for data entry and channel selection.
Sustain pedal input (pedal sold separately) Add a sustain pedal, such as the M-Audio SP-1, for piano-like pedal control of your notes' duration.
Built-in USB MIDI interface Easily interface with most MIDI software using the built-in USB MIDI interface. The standard MIDI "out" jack routes MIDI signals from the keyboard or computer to your external devices.
USB Powered The 88es grabs power from the USB port on your computer. You can also purchase a 9VDC power adapter.
Mac OS X and Windows XP class compliant Enjoy plug-and-play operation with both Mac OS X and Windows XP. Ableton Live Lite music production software is included, so you can make music right away on either platform.
What's in the Box M-Audio Keystation 88es USB Keyboard, USB Cable, User's Manual
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