Surfin' USB

Sep 1, 2002 12:00 PM, By David Battino

When software synthesizers first appeared, they were like the octopus that had learned how to open jars: an interesting novelty, but ultimately not very useful. Many of the earliest programs sounded weak, reacted slowly, coughed up only a handful of simultaneous notes, and integrated poorly with other programs and audio hardware. Those days are gone. Thanks to fast computers and extensive work by legions of programmers, today's software synths deliver outstanding sound and flexibility. The virtual instrument has finally arrived.

However, computer keyboards are built for typing, not playing. Fortunately, help has arrived. At this year's Winter NAMM convention (America's largest musical-instrument trade show), manufacturers showed a tidal wave of compact, inexpensive music keyboards designed for use with audio software. Connecting to Macs or PCs with a single Universal Serial Bus (USB) cable, the clever controllers make old-fashioned external MIDI interfaces unnecessary. By omitting audio circuitry, they also keep costs low. For maximum convenience, they even draw their power from the computer.

USB MIDI-controller keyboards aren't just a gimmick. This year, many NAMM exhibitors left their racks of synthesizers at home and demonstrated their wares using only software synths and USB keyboards. To get to the bottom of this new music-production movement, I tested the latest crop of keyboards and gathered detailed information about some that had not yet been released. Where models in a manufacturer's lineup differed only slightly, I reviewed a representative model and noted the differences in the table “USB MIDI Controllers.”

I was surprised and a bit disconcerted to discover how small and light these instruments are. However, the first magical evening with my laptop, a USB keyboard, and Cakewalk Plasma put it all into perspective. According to Thinkware's Jim Larrison, “The day is here when all you need to make a hit CD is a laptop and a MIDI controller — no additional power supply, no outlet, and no wall wart. You can walk out to the top of a mountain and make a CD. Personally, I don't do it on a mountaintop; I do it on my sailboat.” Although that's a tantalizing image, you don't need to wait for your ship to come in to reap the benefits of USB MIDI. It's actually quite easy.

USB TODAY

The designers of the USB format set out to build a peripheral-connection system that was inexpensive, reasonably fast, and simple to use. With more than a billion USB devices out there, they've succeeded wildly. Nearly every personal computer built in the last couple of years has at least one USB port, a half-inch-wide, rectangular socket with four internal contacts. (Two of the contacts carry data — one for each direction; the other two supply 5 VDC and a ground. Standard MIDI cables carry information in only one direction on a single data wire.)

It's also possible to add USB to an older computer. PCI upgrade cards with USB ports cost as little as $10. However, it's worth checking the Web sites for your favorite software to see if there are any potential problems. “Our testing department is adamant that Sonnet cards are the only thing that works [for Macs],” says Timothy Chen of M-Audio. “And USB on Pentium-based motherboards has been known to drop out periodically if any PCI cards [not necessarily USB ones] are in slot No. 3.”

Your computer's operating system must also support USB. Except for NT 4, Windows 98 and all later versions of Windows do. For Macs, you need at least OS 8.6; OS 9 or higher is recommended. Some Macs require the USB Floppy Enabler extension for optimum USB performance (you can get it from www.opcode.com/downloads). All five keyboards I tested for this article worked with Mac OS X. Because commercial music software was not yet available, I verified their output with MIDI Monitor, a free OS X utility from www.snoize.com. For Windows, I found the donationware MIDI-OX data monitor (www.midiox.com) invaluable.

DIRTY QUIRK

Although USB is supposed to be a plug-and-play protocol, it has a few quirks. The first is that it's a host-centric system, not peer-to-peer like MIDI or FireWire. That means you can connect a USB MIDI keyboard to a computer, but you can't connect the keyboard directly to a USB sound module. The computer, or host, must play traffic cop. In fact, it isn't physically possible to connect two USB peripherals, because USB cables have a different connector on each end to ensure that you can't make such circular hookups.

To connect current USB devices when you've run out of ports on your computer, you need to use a hub, which is like an active Y-cable. Theoretically, you can continue adding peripherals and hubs until you reach USB's limit of 127 devices. Because each device draws power from the USB bus, though, things will soon grind to a halt unless you use a powered hub — one that gets its juice from a wall socket. That could be a problem if you're composing on a mountaintop with a notebook computer, especially because notebooks often supply only one USB port. Some of the keyboards in this roundup can be powered from an AC adapter or batteries for times when the host can't supply enough power.

You might also have problems getting the computer to recognize the USB device. I found that the order in which I launched the music software and connected the keyboard could make all the difference. In some cases the USB driver software supplied with the keyboards was obsolete; it pays to check the manufacturer's site for updates. Although USB is supposed to support hot plugging (swapping devices without first shutting down the computer), more than a couple of swaps often crashed my computer. That said, most musicians wouldn't be juggling five keyboards and three computers as I did. Once you get things working, though, it's plug-and-play from there, with all the benefits of a compact, single-cable music system. Here are the results of my hands-on tests of five leading USB MIDI controller keyboards.

EDIROL PC-300

In the mid-1990s, music monolith Roland launched the Edirol company to specialize in desktop music products. (The name is derived from “Editions Roland.”) Among its innovations is the PC-300, the world's first USB MIDI keyboard controller (see Fig. 1). Although newer models from other manufacturers offer more features, the PC-300 has an elegant simplicity. It's also currently the lightest and most compact 49-note USB controller available. Along with its sibling, the Edirol SK-500 (reviewed next), the PC-300 had the best-feeling keys in this roundup.

The PC-300's plastic case sports a metallic gold finish and just three buttons: Octave Up, Octave Down, and MIDI/Select. Pressing MIDI/Select transforms the keyboard itself to a data-entry device. Labels above the keys clearly identify each one's function. To set the MIDI transmission channel, for example, you hit the MIDI/Select button, then one of the first 16 keys (labeled 1 through 16), then the topmost C key (Enter), and then MIDI/Select again. When the PC-300 is in Data mode, a tiny LED near the MIDI/Select button lights up and the keys stop transmitting notes.

To send a Program Change, you enter Data mode, hit the Program Change key (A#4), type the program number you want (1 through 128) using the ten numbered keys in the top octave, then hit Enter (C7). The PC-300 also supports Bank Select commands, which are sent by transmitting a specific value of Control Change (CC) 0, followed by a value for CC 32, and finally the Program Change number. The G#4 and F#4 keys select CC 0 and 32 respectively, which saves time, but because there's no display, it's easy to get confused. Fortunately, pressing B6 will cancel your previous keystrokes, and simultaneously pressing B5 and C6 acts as a panic button, turning off all notes and resetting all CCs.

The PC-300 also offers a data slider, which you can map to any CC by pressing CC Select (F4) and then typing the CC number and Enter. The keyboard provides one-touch assignment for Reverb Depth (CC 91), Chorus Depth (CC 93), Pan (CC 10), and Volume (CC 7), as well as for Aftertouch. A final key maps the slider to Velocity scaling, which lets you alter the dynamic range of the keyboard. I wish the slider had a bigger knob, but it moves smoothly.

Instead of pitch-bend and mod wheels, the PC-300 provides the unique Roland paddle. Moving it sideways bends the pitch; playing trills by rapidly wiggling the paddle is much easier than on a wheel. Pressing the paddle forward sends out Modulation data (CC 1), but not immediately; the values ramp up to maximum over one second. According to Thinkware's Larrison, the intent was to simulate vibrato and Leslie-speaker effects more accurately, but I found it frustrating to have to push the paddle a second before I wanted to hear the result. On sounds with rapid decays, the vibrato came in too late to be heard. Still, it's easy enough to map the data slider to Modulation. The only other drawback I spotted was that the sustain-pedal jack works only with normally closed footswitches. That's also true of the SK-500.

USB driver installation was straightforward; Edirol dedicates 24 well-illustrated pages to it in the manual. The trick was finding the drivers; I initially thought they were missing because the box contained only one CD, labeled Steinberg Cubasis AV. Because I have Cubase, I didn't bother to load the disc, but of course the drivers were tucked away in a folder on it.

Surf report

The PC-300 is a good choice if you want the best keyboard feel in the smallest package and don't need knobs and wheels. I've lavished the most words on it because the other keyboards in this roundup borrow heavily from its design.

EDIROL SK-500

Barely larger than its predecessor, the curvy white SK-500 is unique among USB controllers because it features an onboard synthesizer (see Fig. 2). The audio engine is a 64-voice, 32-part multitimbral Roland Sound Canvas with 1,608 preset sounds, 64 drum kits, and GS and GM2 compatibility. Because it's designed for multitimbral playback, the individual sounds are on the thin side, but they blend very well. Weighing slightly more than a six-pack of beer, the SK-500 probably has the best overall sound per pound of any portable keyboard.

Like the PC-300, it has just three buttons, but they're configured differently. To enter Data mode, you hold the button marked Shift and press the decrement (-) button (subtitled Function) below it. To return to Play mode, you hold Shift and press the increment (+) button (subtitled Play). Two decimal points in the three-digit LED display light alternately to identify the current mode. Holding Shift and then pressing certain keys lets you change performance parameters such as Octave Transpose or Local Off without leaving Play mode.

In addition to the USB connector, the SK-500 has an old-style serial port and comes with drivers for nearly every flavor of Mac OS and Windows. Dual headphone outputs and a stereo line input (mixed with the SK's own sound) help it fit into a variety of setups. Unfortunately, all that extra circuitry demands more current than USB can supply, so the SK-500 must be powered from an adapter.

As a MIDI controller, it's more limited than the other keyboards here. There's no data slider, but you can map the mod wheel to various CCs. If you have an expression pedal, you can map that to CCs as well. The main shortcoming is that Program Changes can't be entered directly on the SK-500. To get from Program 1 to Program 128 and back, you have to step through every sound in between by pressing the increment and decrement buttons. Holding one button and then pressing the other changes the values more quickly, but I would have appreciated faster access on a $650 instrument.

Calling up the remaining 1,480 sounds is also button-intensive. Following the GM2 and GS layouts, the Variation sounds are stored in subdirectories of the 128 familiar GM presets. To select the Mild Piano variation of Piano 1, for example, you hold the Shift button and press the low F key (marked Variation +) twice. Of course, in a computer setup, you could punch up presets directly from a sequencer with Bank Select commands. Another reason to use a sequencer is that the package includes a program called GS Advanced Editor for altering patches, but the SK-500 has no memory to store them, so you'll have to save them with your songs on the computer.

Surf report

The SK-500 could be ideal in a classroom setup, thanks to its connectivity and wealth of onboard sounds. (It also has the most helpful manual in this group by far.) In schools with computers that are too old to support USB or software synths, the SK-500 could handle all the audio, interfacing to simple sequencers or ear-training software through its serial port. In schools with no computers, it could serve as a compact yet good-sounding instrument. During this review, I used it as my only keyboard at a jam session, and I really appreciated its portability and clean sounds — when I could find them.

EVOLUTION MK-249C USB

British manufacturer Evolution is probably best known for its Dance Station ($99), a two-octave MIDI controller keyboard that ships with a fun WAV-triggering program and 1,000 samples. This year, the company made a splash by announcing five USB keyboards. The instruments differ solely in the number of keys and knobs, so I reviewed the model in the middle of the range, the MK-249C USB (see Fig. 3).

My first impression of the 249C was that Evolution cut corners to keep costs down and get it out quickly. The keys are extremely light, to the point of feeling flimsy; something rattled inside the case; the data slider is wobbly; and the knobs are frustratingly small and slippery. The metallic silver finish is painted on rather than embedded in the plastic. The 249C's manual is a scant four pages long and covers only the most basic operations. It encourages you to visit Evolution's Web site for the full version. I did, and I found that document essential reading.

However, once I realized I could pop off its beastly knobs and replace them with the nice rubbery ones from my Keyfax PhatBoy, I took quite a shine to the 249C, which does many things right. Although its keys are delicate, they're very fast and not as stiff as those on the Midiman controllers. Furthermore, they don't do double duty as data-entry buttons, so you wouldn't normally encounter a situation in which you play a note and no sound is triggered. The 249C's keys are narrower than standard width; over the span of four octaves, the difference amounts to an entire white key. If you have thick fingers, they might get stuck between the black keys.

The 249C excels at sending Program Changes. Simply press the Program button and then type the number you want on the ten numbered buttons in the center of the panel. You can also use the increment and decrement buttons to switch to adjacent programs. To send Bank Change commands, use the dedicated Bank MSB and Bank LSB buttons. For instant access, you can store up to ten Program Change presets, including any necessary Bank Change commands, in the numbered buttons. Your presets are retained even when power is off.

Assigning Control Change parameters is also quick. Press Control Select, wiggle one of the 14 available controllers (12 knobs, data slider, or mod wheel), press Control Assign, and then type the desired CC number (1 through 127). Again, settings are memorized even when power is off. Entering numbers greater than 127 opens some additional possibilities, assuming the target synth supports Registered Parameter Numbers (RPNs). The available assignments include Pitch Bend range, Coarse Tune, Fine Tune, and Aftertouch. On my GM module, I could crank up the Pitch Bend range to two octaves, but couldn't get it back to exactly two semitones. I wish the 249C's display indicated the current data value.

The features keep on coming. You can choose among 13 Velocity curves, transmit a snapshot of all current controller values, transpose the keyboard up and down by octaves or semitones, and even trigger a short demo sequence to make sure everything's hooked up correctly. A custom MIDI-to-Game-Port adapter cable provides an alternate MIDI interface — with power — for Windows users without USB ports.

Surf report

Although I have reservations about the 249C's construction quality, it offers an unprecedented amount of convenience and hands-on control for the computer musician. With five configurations to choose from, finding a model to fit your style should be easy. According to Evolution's Iain Mackay, the company's keyboards have been very reliable in the field, with only a handful of returns. He says, “Our customers come back, but our keyboards don't.”

MIDIMAN KEYSTATION 49

In the past few years, M-Audio — a company that got its start building MIDI peripherals — has grown into a major desktop music force. In addition to manufacturing a range of audio and MIDI gear, M-Audio is now the U.S. distributor of such groundbreaking music software as Propellerhead Reason and Ableton Live.

Three USB MIDI keyboards are currently in M-Audio's lineup. All use the same driver software as M-Audio's popular Midisport interface. The Midiman Keystation 49 and Keystation 61 differ from each other only in the number of keys; the travel-size Oxygen 8 has just 25 keys, but adds assignable knobs. For this review, I requested a Keystation 49 (see Fig. 4) and an Oxygen 8.

Both keyboards were defective. The Keystation was the worst of the two, spewing random MIDI data, flashing numbers in its display, and generating what looked like a sample-and-hold waveform when I moved the pitch wheel. The Oxygen 8's pitch wheel stopped working within hours, and its mod wheel scraped against the case.

According to M-Audio, it accidentally sent pre-production units that hadn't been through quality control, and no defects have been reported in the normal stock; I'm inclined to believe it. I had also noticed that the pitch wheels on the original units were physically sluggish. The replacement models had a snappier feel and didn't leak bogus data. However, I did experience occasional stuck notes, for reasons neither M-Audio's tech support nor I could track down.

The Keystation 49 and Oxygen 8 borrow substantially from the Edirol PC-300 design, with an assignable slider and a MIDI/Select button that transforms the piano keys into data-entry buttons. Virtually all of the Keystation 49's functions are the same as the PC-300's; several of the assignments are mapped to identical keys. The two main differences are that the Keystation 49 offers a semitone-transpose feature (a welcome addition) and moves the PC-300's dedicated octave-transpose buttons onto the keyboard (a bad decision).

While the Keystation 49 is the chunkiest keyboard in this roundup, it's still quite portable. Its transparent gray plastic case seems sturdier than the cases on the other four-octave keyboards, and its keys have a solid — if stiff — feel. The Keystations and the Oxygen 8 each have two MIDI Out jacks. One is actually a Thru from the computer; the other is hardwired to the keyboard. That's a flexible design. On the Edirol keyboards, you have to flip a tiny switch on the back to toggle between Out and Thru. On the Evolution models, you make the switch by pressing two buttons on the front panel.

Surf report

The Keystation 49 is a strong offering that competes head-on with the Edirol PC-300. In its favor, it has traditional pitch-bend and mod wheels, a display that shows the value of the parameter you're changing, an extra MIDI Out jack, and the ability to run from battery power. On the downside, it's bigger than the other models and lacks dedicated octave-shift buttons. There's also the specter of stuck notes, although I'm apparently the only one who's run into that problem.

MIDIMAN OXYGEN 8

The tiny Oxygen 8 has been a big hit for M-Audio, and it's easy to see why (see Fig. 5). The construction quality is astonishingly good for an instrument so light and inexpensive. Its beefy plastic case would probably take a bullet for you. Like those on the Keystation, the keys are sturdy, and the knobs are everything the Evolution MK-249C's are not: big, rubber coated, and solidly bolted to the front panel. Protruding spines let you detect the orientation of the Oxygen 8's knobs even in the dark. Having only 25 keys will feel confining if you approach the Oxygen 8 as a piano or organ. It's best suited for playing drum parts or simple overdubs.

Each knob can be assigned both a Control Change type and a MIDI channel, but the process requires several more button pushes than on the 249C. Having access to multiple channels at once is a giant advantage because it lets you control the relative volumes of parts in a multitimbral synthesizer. I also discovered an excellent, undocumented feature: pressing the MIDI/Select button and then the Up button provides access to four more banks of knob memory, for a total of 40 knob assignments. Better still, the memory is retained even when power is off.

The upcoming Ozone ($399) is slated to add 24-bit, 96 kHz, stereo audio I/O to the Oxygen foundation, for a truly flexible and portable studio. (While software synthesizers run well on laptop computers, most have very bad onboard audio circuitry.) M-Audio says that one of the Ozone's inputs will be configured as a ¼-inch/XLR combo jack that accepts either line-level or microphone signals. Due to the limited bandwidth of USB 1.1, the Ozone won't support all combinations of sampling rates and bit depths. For the price, however, it could undoubtedly have a huge impact on mobile music production. The Ozone is expected early next year.

Surf report

Offering instant access to 42 hardware controllers in a go-anywhere package, the Oxygen 8 is ideal for laptop owners or anyone who's short on space. Don't think of it as just a keyboard; with batteries installed, it could serve as a handy remote for adjusting effects devices or virtual mixers. Many musicians will want to hold out for the Ozone, solving two musical problems at once. The two-octave Evolution MK-225C USB is also worth a look if you want a lighter key action or a serial interface.

WHAT TO CONTROL

Once you get a USB keyboard controller, what are some outstanding programs to control with it? I posed that question to EM associate editor Dennis Miller, who has enough computers to start a cyber cafe. “Just about every soft synth can handle real-time MIDI input,” he said. “Definitely mention all the great stuff from Native Instruments — Reaktor [Mac/Win; $599] in particular.”

New synthesizers, particularly plug-ins, arrive on the scene daily, and all the leading sequencers support at least one plug-in instrument format. Check out sites such as http://sharewaremusicmachine.com for listings. On my last visit there, I discovered two shell programs that run VST instrument plug-ins such as IK Multimedia SampleTank without the overhead of a sequencer. RT Player Pro (Mac/Win; $149) is available at www.dsound1.com. For Macs, there's also the Ugly VSTi Interface, free from www.netspace.org/~leigh/max.

A new class of programs combines virtual instruments with a virtual recording studio. Cakewalk Plasma (Win; $69) offers Acid-style loop assembly as well as plug-in synths. I had even better success with Propellerhead Reason (Mac/Win; $399) on my laptop; it's coded so efficiently that I could get numerous parts going without audio glitches. Arturia Storm (Mac/Win; $199) is a similar program with some unusual instruments. The performance-oriented audio sequencer Ableton Live (Mac/Win; $349) is a natural for laptop MIDI control, and there are many more.

THE FUTURE

It's fortunate that the USB spec supports up to 127 simultaneous devices per host; more and more music gear will be equipped with USB connectors in the months to come. According to one major synthesizer manufacturer, the growth of USB will bring some unexpected musical benefits. Someday soon, for example, sequencers will be able to recognize USB sound modules and automatically configure themselves to match. As USB cables replace MIDI cables and thus speed up data communication, manufacturers will realize that the MIDI input processors on their synthesizers will have become the new bottleneck. They will have to build newer instruments with much faster processors for snappier response.

Even sooner, manufacturers will begin to release MIDI controllers that use USB class drivers, which will enable computers to recognize the controller without first making users install a proprietary driver. That will also facilitate sharing peripherals between computers.

What about musical applications for the speedy new USB 2.0? Most audio companies I asked don't expect USB 2.0 to have much impact on MIDI music production. They said that FireWire will probably remain the standard for high-bandwidth communication. For the amount of data that controller keyboards transmit, USB 1.1 is perfectly adequate.

USB's greatest contribution to music-making is convenience. “Our theme this year is ‘Redefining the Studio,’” says M-Audio's Adam Castillo. “The Surface One, Oxygen 8, and Ozone are a new breed of controller in that they become whatever the user needs them to be: mixer, instrument, or control surface. For the first time, the studio adapts to the user instead of the other way around.”

The next major leap will probably come at the destination, rather than the controller. “I think Apple's next round of CPUs is going to blow the lid off the 100 percent virtual desktop studio,” says Jim Cooper of MOTU. “Sure, there will always be new, cool instruments developed that push the CPU bandwidth envelope, but in the same way that disk-drive performance now easily supports more than enough tracks for most of us, the next-generation CPUs are going to do the same for virtual instrumentation.”

Looks like the wave is coming in. Grab a board and jump on it.

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David Battino is the editor of EM's 2002 Desktop Music Production Guide. If he ruled the world, all computers would have Velocity-sensitive keyboards with Aftertouch.

DIFFERENT DRUMMERS

You don't have to be a keyboardist to take advantage of software synthesizers and USB control. The new Akai MPD16 ($349), which was initially called the PD16, puts the revered pads from the MPC series of drum machines into a compact, USB-powered package (see Fig. A). (For use without a computer, an AC adapter provides an alternate power source.) Each pad is Velocity- and Pressure-sensitive and can transmit Polyphonic Aftertouch. The MPD16 also includes a standard MIDI Out jack for controlling samplers and other MIDI hardware.

You can access a second bank of 16 pad assignments by pressing the Bank button. Holding the button for two seconds lets you assign any one of the 127 MIDI Control Change (CC) types to the MPD16's slider. The first ten pads enter the numbers 0 through 9; pads 12 through 16 provide one-touch access to common CCs such as Modulation, Volume, and Pan. Pad 11 maps the slider to Pitch Bend. A Mac and Windows software utility is included to simplify programming the MPD16.

Mixman, the company that transformed QWERTY keyboards into groove-performance instruments, recently pumped up its software's expressive potential by releasing the innovative DM2 controller ($119.95). Sold in department stores for less than $100, the 3-pound, 17.0-by-9.5-inch DM2 has become a secret weapon for underground producers and sound designers. (See Erik Hawkins's insider tips in the January 2002 issue of Remix, reprinted at www.remixmag.com.)

The DM2 connects to a Windows PC with USB and draws its power from the computer. Its dual turntable controllers, about the size of “personal” pizzas, feature eight buttons each for triggering samples, as well as rotating flanges that let you “scratch” the sound (see Fig. B). A stubby joystick manipulates the software's cool-sounding effects processor for real-time sonic sculpting. You also get macro buttons, a crossfader, and two transformer switches.

Although the DM2 currently works only with Mixman software, the software imports and exports WAV files, making it easy to integrate into a production flow. The upcoming Mixman StudioPro 5 ($109.95), an enhanced version of the program supplied with the DM2, will offer a pad-bank feature similar to the Akai MPD16's, providing fast access to 16 additional samples. The DM2 is so fast and flexible, though, I wouldn't be surprised if Mixman were cooking up new ways to use it. Check out www.mixman.com to find out.

USB MIDI Controllers

All of these controllers are Velocity-sensitive, come with a USB cable, and have a single USB port. All should be shipping by the time you read this. The names of products reviewed for this article appear here in boldface type. “MIDI Thru from Computer” means the controller can route MIDI data from a computer out through its MIDI Out jack, thus functioning as a full MIDI interface.

	Midiman			TerraTec
Model	Oxygen 8	Keystation 49	Keystation 61	MIDI Master USB
Price	$179	$229	$279	$399
Keys/Pads	(25) keys	(49) keys	(61) keys	(49) keys
Controllers	pitch-bend wheel, mod wheel, assignable slider, (8) assignable knobs	pitch-bend wheel, mod wheel, assignable slider	pitch-bend wheel, mod wheel, assignable slider	pitch-bend wheel, assignable wheel, assignable slider
Octave-Shift Buttons	yes	no	no	yes
Display	3-digit LED	3-digit LED	3-digit LED	3-digit LED
Connectors	USB; MIDI Out; sustain pedal; USB MIDI Thru	USB; MIDI Out; sustain pedal; USB MIDI Thru	USB; MIDI Out; sustain pedal; USB MIDI Thru	USB; MIDI Out; sustain pedal
MIDI Thru from Computer	yes (dedicated jack)	yes (dedicated jack)	yes (dedicated jack)	yes
Power	USB, adapter, or (6) AA batteries	USB, adapter, or (6) C batteries	USB, adapter, or (6) C batteries	USB or adapter (not included)
Memory	(5) banks of knob assignments	none	none	(10) MIDI Program Changes, including Bank Select
Special Features	Velocity offset; unique MIDI channel per knob	Velocity offset	Velocity offset	controller snapshot; (13) Velocity curves; controllers can transmit Pitch Bend sensitivity, Fine Tune, Coarse Tune, Aftertouch, and Velocity messages
Bundled Software	Cakewalk Metro SE (Mac) and Express (Win), Sonic Foundry Acid Express and Siren XPress (Win), QDesign MVP (Mac/Win), demos	Cakewalk Metro SE (Mac) and Express (Win), Sonic Foundry Acid Express and Siren XPress (Win), QDesign MVP (Mac/Win), demos	Cakewalk Metro SE (Mac) and Express (Win), Sonic Foundry Acid Express and Siren XPress (Win), QDesign MVP (Mac/Win), demos	Emagic MicroLogic Fun (Win), Steinberg WaveLab Lite (Win), MusicMatch Jukebox (Win)
OS Support	Win 98, ME, 2000; Mac OS 9 (OMS), OS X	Win 98, ME, 2000; Mac OS 9 (OMS), OS X	Win 98, ME, 2000; Mac OS 9 (OMS), OS X	Windows 98, SE, ME, 2000, XP; Mac OS 9 (with OMS) and OS X
Dimensions (W × H × D)	16.5" × 3.0" × 9.4"	29.5" × 2.6" × 9.4"	36.2" × 3.0" × 8.5"	31.5" × 3.3" × 8.1"
Weight	3.1 lb.	6.6 lb.	7.4 lb.	7.0 lb.

 

	Midiman			TerraTec
Model	Oxygen 8	Keystation 49	Keystation 61	MIDI Master USB
Price	$179	$229	$279	$399
Keys/Pads	(25) keys	(49) keys	(61) keys	(49) keys
Controllers	pitch-bend wheel, mod wheel, assignable slider, (8) assignable knobs	pitch-bend wheel, mod wheel, assignable slider	pitch-bend wheel, mod wheel, assignable slider	pitch-bend wheel, assignable wheel, assignable slider
Octave-Shift Buttons	yes	no	no	yes
Display	3-digit LED	3-digit LED	3-digit LED	3-digit LED
Connectors	USB; MIDI Out; sustain pedal; USB MIDI Thru	USB; MIDI Out; sustain pedal; USB MIDI Thru	USB; MIDI Out; sustain pedal; USB MIDI Thru	USB; MIDI Out; sustain pedal
MIDI Thru from Computer	yes (dedicated jack)	yes (dedicated jack)	yes (dedicated jack)	yes
Power	USB, adapter, or (6) AA batteries	USB, adapter, or (6) C batteries	USB, adapter, or (6) C batteries	USB or adapter (not included)
Memory	(5) banks of knob assignments	none	none	(10) MIDI Program Changes, including Bank Select
Special Features	Velocity offset; unique MIDI channel per knob	Velocity offset	Velocity offset	controller snapshot; (13) Velocity curves; controllers can transmit Pitch Bend sensitivity, Fine Tune, Coarse Tune, Aftertouch, and Velocity messages
Bundled Software	Cakewalk Metro SE (Mac) and Express (Win), Sonic Foundry Acid Express and Siren XPress (Win), QDesign MVP (Mac/Win), demos	Cakewalk Metro SE (Mac) and Express (Win), Sonic Foundry Acid Express and Siren XPress (Win), QDesign MVP (Mac/Win), demos	Cakewalk Metro SE (Mac) and Express (Win), Sonic Foundry Acid Express and Siren XPress (Win), QDesign MVP (Mac/Win), demos	Emagic MicroLogic Fun (Win), Steinberg WaveLab Lite (Win), MusicMatch Jukebox (Win)
OS Support	Win 98, ME, 2000; Mac OS 9 (OMS), OS X	Win 98, ME, 2000; Mac OS 9 (OMS), OS X	Win 98, ME, 2000; Mac OS 9 (OMS), OS X	Windows 98, SE, ME, 2000, XP; Mac OS 9 (with OMS) and OS X
Dimensions (W × H × D)	16.5" × 3.0" × 9.4"	29.5" × 2.6" × 9.4"	36.2" × 3.0" × 8.5"	31.5" × 3.3" × 8.1"
Weight	3.1 lb.	6.6 lb.	7.4 lb.	7.0 lb.

 

KEYS TO THE MIDI

If you're searching for the ultimate USB keyboard controller (and if price and weight aren't an issue), take a close look at the Yamaha Motif series. The 61-key Motif 6 ($2,250), 76-key Motif 7 ($2,750), and 88-key Motif 8 ($3,250; reviewed in March 2002) are feature-packed workstations with onboard USB interfaces that support eight virtual MIDI cables. Unlike the lightweight keyboards profiled in this article, the Motifs all have Aftertouch and weighted keys (hammer-action keys in the case of the Motif 8).

The Yamaha Motifs also sport four sliders, four knobs, 16 mute buttons, and sequencer transport buttons. The units each contain built-in templates that map those controls to the virtual mixers in popular sequencers. By pressing a dedicated button, you can switch the sliders and knobs among four sets of Control Change numbers, gaining quick access to 16 tracks. For high-end MIDI (and audio) connectivity, there's an optional mLAN interface, which uses FireWire connectors. The new Korg Triton Studio offers an mLAN option as well.

Expect to see more manufacturers introducing synthesizers with USB interfaces, whether for facilitating MIDI connectivity, updating the operating system, or downloading new samples and patches. Four new USB controller keyboards were announced while I was working on this article, and I learned of several others under development. Thanks to the consumer-friendly nature of USB, it's even likely that USB MIDI keyboards will hit your local consumer electronics store before long.

CONTACT SHEET

Akai Professional
tel. (817) 831-9203; e-mail info@akaipro.com;
Web www.akaipro.com

Edirol/Thinkware (distributor)
tel. (800) 380-2580 (Edirol) or (800) 369-6191 (Thinkware); e-mail sales@thinkware.com;
Web www.edirol.com

Evolution/Thinkware (distributor)
tel. (800) 369-6191 (Thinkware); e-mail sales@thinkware.com;
Web www.evolution.co.uk

M-Audio
tel. (800) 969-6434 or (626) 445-2842; e-mail info@midiman.net;
Web www.midiman.net

TerraTec/Fostex (distributor)
tel. (562) 921-1112; e-mail info-us@terratec.net;
Web www.fostex.com/products/terratec.html