MIDI Keyboards\Controllers

Novation Launchkey Mini MIDI Keyboard Review

Last Updated: November 15, 2018 By Sean

Novation music has really started to set themselves apart from the competition in terms of equipment and recording gear. Their MIDI keyboards especially have started to really grow on me, and this particular 25-key mini MIDI keyboard is getting some very positive reviews around the music world. For only $100 retail, this thing packs an unbelievably powerful punch. A huge plus of the Launchkey Mini is the plug-and-plug play and seamless compatibility with most DAWs, let alone the surprisingly smooth pads that are built-in to the machine.

Alesis VI61 MIDI Keyboard Controller Review

Last Updated: October 3, 2018 By Sean

Alesis music gear turned some heads when they announced their new release of VI MIDI keyboard controllers. This particular model is the bigger brother of the Alesis V61 MIDI keyboard which is very solid but has less drum pads and a few other key components (hence the price). This time around they’ve added 16 pads as well as some other cool capabilities to make a run at the more advanced MIDI keyboard market. As we saw in the Alesis VI25 and VI49 controller review, the prices of these pieces of machinery out-duel some of the more popular models on the market. Let’s check out the main features on this one.

Alesis VI49 MIDI Keyboard Controller Review

Last Updated: January 18, 2017 By Sean

Alesis music instruments has been getting a bit of buzz with their release of the new VI series of MIDI keyboard controllers. Stated by some around the music equipment world to rival the Akai MPKII series, these are a bit cheaper in terms of price and pack most of the same features. We saw in our VI25 MIDI keyboard review that it was pretty worth it, especially with 16 pads as opposed to Akai’s 8. So what’s the deal here? Let’s take a look at the VI49.

M-Audio Trigger Finger Pro Review

Last Updated: October 21, 2014 By Sean

About ten years ago, M-Audio came out with the Trigger Finger (pretty much discontinued), stated to be one of the first MIDI pad controllers to be released in the music realm. Now they’ve got the first fully integrated drum sequencers. The Trigger Finger Pro is a portable performance instrument with on-board sequencing as well as a software control station. It consists of 16 ultra-responsive pads (four-by-four). Automatic mapping is included, VSTs are hosted and DAWs are integrated with in the all-new Arsenal software. This combo enables the seamless integration between the hardware and software. Hardware synths in sync with software beats can be sequenced with the device as well. Let’s check out if it’s the real deal.

Behringer X-Touch Mini USB Control Surface Review

Last Updated: September 26, 2014 By Sean

Our rating of the X-Touch Mini compact USB control surface

Behringer is out with an awesome trio of USB control surface devices — the X-Touch series. In this article we will be reviewing the third, most compact and cheapest machine of the three — the Behringer X-Touch Mini. At an extremely affordable price of $99, this is a must-have for those looking to add on some DAW control into their music setups. It’s perfect for those who are on-the-go, have a smaller rig setup, or merely like compact, convenient devices in general (like me!).