Edirol PCR-M80 USB Controller User Reviews at zZounds

"Edirol (Roland) Makes a Breakthrough" submitted February 6, 2006

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Value

Manufacturer Support

The Wow Factor

Musical Background: Semi-Pro Performer & Songwriter

Music Style: Rock, Jazz, & Some Church Music

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SPOTLIGHT REVIEW

Sound: This doesn't really apply...but the keyboard is really nice, and it allows me to play with the touch that I want...thusly...I'm able to get the sounds that I want. The touch-sensitivity of the keyboard is outstanding. Feature: It has all of the controllers that I need. Everything about it feels like high quality. Quality: Edirol (Roland) put some Roland keyboard quality into this controller. It's a step up. It is light but strong feeling. Value: I've owned the Novation X-Station and two M-Audio Keyboards. I prefer this Edirol over those. It beats the keyboard feel of the M-Audio by quantum leaps. It is more reliable than the Novation. The drivers are strong compared to the others. I'll keep this one for a long time. It's the first controller that I've really liked, even though the Novation was sexy. This is more practical. Manufacturer Support: Haven't needed any. The Wow Factor: It looks professional. I like the color and the lighting. Nice. Overall: I expect to keep this for a few years...at least.

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"Good keyboard, Good price!" submitted August 1, 2009

By a customer from gmail.com

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Features

Ease of Use

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Value

The Wow Factor

Musical Background: Recording Engineer, Band Director, Active Musician

Music Style: All styles

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Sound: Well i use this keyboard in the studio around 2 years, there were a batch of these ordered, and the sounds are great. I've tryd running it through allot of sounds in pro tools.. Its always been stable, no faults in the sounds. Feature: good amount of features, perfect for the studio! Ease of Use: Takes a bit to fiddle with the knobs to get the sounds, that can be a bit of a pain in the ass. But generally if you use it for a while it should be ok. Quality: I love the keys, they are really good, really easy to play, unlike some keyboard these keys bounce back on your fingers, so its a joy to just play. I don't like the plastic finish, its cheap but then again this keyboard is on the budget. They had to skimp somewhere! and the body was it. feels like the inside of a Toyota! There is a blue LED light which is fairly bright, the knobs are stable, smooth, comfortable. Value: Great value for money, this keyboard is really not expensive. And if you want a nice little studio keyboard, that does everything for you, and feels great on the hands, well this is for you. I like this keyboard, for what its worth.. its a bang for the buck piece of equipment. Manufacturer Support: I have never dealt with the company. The Wow Factor: Well the plastic is tacky, the blue light is a great idea, the little rubber buttons and knobs look fashionable. I certainly wouldn't be embarrassed to see it on my desk or to use it, but its not something that Ill go running around screaming to my friends either. Overall: A great product, I'm not playing live with this anytime soon or later, but for what it is, a studio keyboard, its great! I've used it for 2 years now to make music for advertisements, film, and just for general music making. The keys are spot on, and feel perfect on the hands, the recoil on the keys is also superb, allowing you to enjoy your playing more. I'm satisfied with it, i would recommend it. Only major letdown is the plastic finish which is.. well cheap feeling. Id recommend the Korg X50, but if you don't have that amount and you want something for your home studio. Go for this! Perfect for the price, and very useful! 7/10

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Edirol PCR-M80 Customer Review submitted March 8, 2007

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Features

Ease of Use

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Sound: this thing makes no sound duh Feature: The features are great, a lot of midi programming an flexibility with it, you have to know how to use it though and it can be complicated, the manual makes great explanations of it though Ease of Use: It's really easy to use, just as your average midi keyboard controller, but, as I said before, if you want to change the mapping and channels etc. of it's midi talking, you need to go to the manual Quality: The keys are amazing, I've had it for almost a year now and took it on tour on a soft case, nothing bad happened to it, not even to the sliders or knobs, the keys feel much much superior than the M-Audio oxygen (wich I also own) and the expression and low noise of them are simply fantastic, feels like a top of the line synth. Value: The value is great, specially if you compare it to the other choices like keystations, the e-mu xboard, etc. Remember you are buying a Roland controller. Manufacturer Support: haven't used it yet The Wow Factor: The pictures don't make this keyboard justice, this looks much better in person. Overall: I love it and would definitely buy it again if I had to. I also saw Massive Attack use one of these at one of their shows, that speaks really well of it doesn't it?

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"The real truth about the Edirol M80." submitted December 2, 2006

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Features

Ease of Use

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Musical Background: Hobbyist now.

Music Style: Anything interesting to me, though used to play all types but Rapp and Regae.

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Sound: This keyboard is a controller, it does not produce sound. Feature: Most controllers do not inputs for expression pedals, this one does. Trying to program this to do anything is literally useless. All of the knobs, buttons, and sliders are rubber and function real well, I use them all to constantly tweak. Ease of Use: For me this controller has been terrible to try and modify any settings, there are way too many steps. You would think the manufacturers would have a switch or button on the controllers for musicians who just do not understand how to program. I do not believe the manual is clear at all. Thank goodness almost all the soft synths I use program the sliders and knobs. The controller is extremely playable, I beat on it the same way I used to play a Hammond B3. I have had no problems with the board at all. The keys are NOISELESS, AND WORK PERFECTLY, are very high quality as Roland stated they were. Quality: The product seems to be made very well, everyone else likes black boards, I'd like titanium colored. Nothing is extremely bad. So far when the ligh is on it works. If I were still working with bands I would hope the board would not fail me. Edirol would get 100 nasty emails if it did. I would not take this board on the road it's not built well enough nor is the software good enough. The board is OK for club work thats it. I played pro keyboard for more than 35 years and only pro gear, this Ain't one of them. My gear was Kurzweil, Korg, Yamaha, and Hammond/Leslie. I sold it all 20 years ago when I came off the road, now I have Roland, not happy with, really want another Kurzweil. Their sound is almost not beatable except for the new expensive Korg board. Value: I do not think this product is worth the money I paid, my God people, these boards are made of plastic and rubber, how expensive are these materials. The manufacturers are laughing all the way to the bank. If anything goes wrong with the board and you try to sell it on Ebay, you have to sell it for almost nothing. I've seen a Kurzweil 2500 that still worked but feel out of a moving truck and had some broken keys selling for less than a third of what it should. Manufacturer Support: Thank God I have not needed any service yet. The Wow Factor: It was one of the few that had the expression input. A woman is sexy, NOT a product! The board was/is practical, I needed it to control my synth software. Overall: Till it stops working then I'll start screaming at the company. I'm looking for another smaller board now for the Arturia synths I own, five of them. Yes this product helps meet my musical goals. I have pretty much stated my likes and dislikes. Pro musicians would not likely touch these less expensive controllers, most are not of the quality we are after.

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"A good value in a 61 key midi-controller." submitted September 9, 2005

By a customer from hotmail.com

Overall

Sound

Features

Quality

Value

Manufacturer Support

The Wow Factor

Musical Background: Hobbyist composer.

Music Style: Classical, New Age, Electronic, melodic

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SPOTLIGHT REVIEW

VERIFIED BUYER

zZounds has verified that this customer bought this product from us.

Sound: This is a midi controller, so it does not produce sounds by itself. I use it to control devices in Reason 3.0, which it does without any noticable latency, using the USB connection. Feature: This unit has 25 assignable controllers, plus sustain and expression pedal connections. They work well as expected, and the keyboard itself has 12 separate velocity settings, which help you to make adjustments largely to envelope attacks. This feature allows you to make both subtle or significant changes in patch sound quality from the keyboard itself; however, you need to take several steps to make these changes. Quality: This product appears to be well-made, and is not very heavy. Value: Overall, considering the keyboard action, number of controllers, and product quality, this unit is a good value. Manufacturer Support: The web site FAQ did not work for this product. I had to send two e-mails to get the answer I needed for programming a sweet spot for a controller. The Wow Factor: I was somewhat disappointed in the color of finish (silverish), which appears to be lighter than in advertized pictures. I would have preferred jet black. Overall: I originally bought another midi-controller (M-Audio Radium 61) and returned it a week later. The PCR-M80 was $100 more, but is worth the price difference for its features and keyboard action.

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"disappointing" submitted November 13, 2006

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Musical Background: home musician, played in bands

Music Style: whatever comes to mind

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Sound: It looks good, and there are lots of controllers. I had mine three months and one of the middle octaves is not working. Several notes near that octave either don't work, or are always at full velocity. Very frustrating. I wanted to like it, but it's flimsy, noisy, and a whole ocatave is not working now. A waste of money and time.

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"Good controller, but problem with DEAD KEYS makes it unusable for playing." submitted October 30, 2006

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Sound

Features

Ease of Use

Quality

Value

The Wow Factor

Musical Background: Hobbyist

Music Style: Rock

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Sound: It doesn't produce any sound. It's simply a controller. Feature: Nice sliders and knobs, easy to setup. Keyboard action is ok for a controller board. Ease of Use: As easy as any other midi controller. It depends on how you're using it as to it's ease of use. Quality: This is where this board falls apart. I've had mine for about a year. It's got 3 dead keys. It's useless now. Value: A $200 controller should NOT develop dead keys. Manufacturer Support: Haven't dealt with support. Why bother. I'm not going to send it in to be fixed because I can't afford to be without a controller. So I bought an M-Audio Axiom 61 to replace it. Overall: Dissatisfied. I read about dead keys on Edirol PCR's before I purchased this one, but I was told by several folks that the M series doesn't have that problem because it had a new keybed setup. Well, the 'M' series still develops dead keys.

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Edirol PCRM80 61-Key USB MIDI Keyboard Controller

User Ratings

"Edirol (Roland) Makes a Breakthrough" submitted February 6, 2006

"Good keyboard, Good price!" submitted August 1, 2009

Edirol PCR-M80 Customer Review submitted March 8, 2007

"The real truth about the Edirol M80." submitted December 2, 2006

"A good value in a 61 key midi-controller." submitted September 9, 2005

"disappointing" submitted November 13, 2006

"Good controller, but problem with DEAD KEYS makes it unusable for playing." submitted October 30, 2006