Which MIDI Keyboard Controller?

[plopooer]

I'm not sure which MIDI Keyboard Controller to buy. I've used M-AUDIO Keystation 49e for a while and am now looking for something bigger and better. I mostly use Cubase 5 (full) with VST instruments in a small home studio.

Initially the M-AUDIO Axiom Pro 61 seemed to be the right upgrade but since then I've seen a few more but can't find a quick product comparison to help me decide. Which one of these do you think will work best for my needs and why?

1. M-AUDIO Axiom AIR 61
2. M-AUDIO Axiom Pro 61
3. M-AUDIO Axiom 61 - New
4. M-AUDIO Oxygen 61
5. or something else around the mid-price range?

Thanks for your help.

 

[happyrat1]

Well I own an M-Audio Oxygen 49 that I use for noodling around on the laptop in front of the TV as well as an M-Audio Venom Synth that I picked up for a song over the holidays.

I have to say that the keyboards on them are both very spongy and mushy and unresponsive and I have to turn off velocity sensitivity to make them even remotely usable. Otherwise they drop notes right and left on fast arpeggios.

I'll have to say if I'm ever in the market for another controller I'll never again consider an M-Audio product. They were recently sold to Akai anyway, so maybe they'll come out with something decent, but I wouldn't buy anything from their current product line.

Offhand if I were you and looking for something to do some serious playing on I'd look at a Novation or an Akai controller and steer clear of at least the low end M-Audio stuff.

 

[plopooer]

Thanks. Oxygen is the cheapest one that I listed above so I'm not surprised by your comments. I guess it would be Axiom AIR 61 or Axiom Pro 61 for me now if I decide to stick with M-AUDIO. My Keystation 49e was a good starter keyboard but it feels cheap and nasty (as you'd expect) and doesn't have all the knobs and sliders so now on to bigger and better stuff...