M-Audio Keystation 49e User Reviews at zZounds

"Basic AND Best" submitted June 27, 2006

By a customer from yahoo.com

Overall

Sound

Features

Ease of Use

Quality

Value

Manufacturer Support

The Wow Factor

Musical Background: Active Musician

Music Style: Electro Lounge

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SPOTLIGHT REVIEW

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Sound: This is perhaps the best keyboard controller on the market if you use it to activate "static" sounds such as piano, organ, and clavinet. Connect it to a laptop computer with the included USB connection cable and you can, like me, use the Keystation 49e to access and activate sound banks on Reason, or other such software, giving you, in effect, a ten pound grand piano! Feature: The Keystation 49e keyboard comes with a well-written manual, a USB connection cable, start-up software, AND Ableton Live software! The back panel has a MIDI port, sustain pedal port (nice), an optional AC adaptor jack. The one feature this controller lacks (to my taste) is a dedicated headphone port. Ease of Use: Plug-in and play if you have MAC OSX. I had to spend a whopping five minutes before I could connect it, turn it on, start it up, and play it through the studio's PA! Quality: The unit's body is a handsome silver color and feels sturdy enough for live gigs. The keyboard is tight and springy, with the high-quality feel of a Hammond organ. Pitch bend and Mod wheels work as advertised. The three buttons (octave +/- and "advanced functions") feel solid and the guide lights are a pleasant pale blue color. Value: The best $100.00 keyboard controller on the market. I have hardware synths for knob-twisting and live performance. The Keystation 49e serves as my piano, organ, and clav, and for this size and quality and LIGHT WEIGHT, the Keystation 49e provides the best value for the money. Manufacturer Support: The M-Audio website is phat with background info and options. Product registry was acknowledged immediately. The Wow Factor: I whistle ever time I lay my eyes on this sexy silver missle parked in the studio! Overall: I shall use the M-AUDIO Keystation 49e in my studio and live rig until whichever one of us first gives up the ghost.

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"A decent, solid keyboard for those tight of the wallet." submitted December 23, 2005

By a customer from gmail.com

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Features

Quality

Value

The Wow Factor

Musical Background: Hobbyist

Music Style: House, Techno, Chillout

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Sound: no sound Feature: not much in the way of features Quality: the keys feel a little plasticky but it's pretty solid overall. Value: it's the cheapest decent-sized keyboard i've seen, definitely worth the buy if you're starting out The Wow Factor: not much, just a solid keyboard Overall: i'll probably buy a real synth once (if) i have the money, there's a small lag with this that is a little annoying but nothing that's impossible to get used to.

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"This product is the best I've had in a long time. I recommend to all artist who are using this. If you have the right equipment" submitted August 10, 2006

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Features

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Sound: The sound is really great I've recorded many songs and the equipment I have really sets it off! The sound is great I do recommend this one. Feature: There's alot of things you can do especially if you want a guitar sound any kind of strings etc. It's great. Ease of Use: It's really easy to use once you get the hang of it. Quality: The quality is excellent. How long it'll last I'll say a good 5-10 years depending on how you treat it. Value: You're definitely getting your money's worth. Unlike other high priced keyboards. You can do just the same with this one. Manufacturer Support: No problems at all. The Wow Factor: It makes me feel good knowing that I can just get right to it and knock out whatever I'm mixing down with the cool sounds and mixes. Overall: Hopefully for a long time.

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M-Audio Keystation 49e Customer Review submitted July 11, 2006

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Sound: i use this keyboard with reason and it just works really well for me but every artist is differnt. I enjoy it for the heavy keys they actually have some weight to them and gives it a good feel to it.

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"Big Bang for the Buck" submitted August 18, 2006

By a customer from adelphia.net

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Sound

Ease of Use

Quality

Value

The Wow Factor

Musical Background: Wind Ensemble, Marching Band, Drumline, Rhythmology, Drum Lessons, Piano Lessons

Music Style: Hip-Hop, Techno, Rock, everything else...

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Sound: I use this keyboard with Reason, so I get pretty much any sound that I can think of. Feature: The keyboard itself doesn't, do much, but I didn't buy it to use without Reason, so concidering that, it does everything. Ease of Use: I plugged it in, and my pc recognized it right away. Really easy to set up. Quality: I haven't had any problems with it yet, and it seems solid. Value: Concidering that I originally wanted the Korg Radias, I think for $1600 less, and with all the things I can do with it, it is well worth the $100. The Wow Factor: It's nothing fancy, but I didn't buy it for other people to see. It looks like a plain keyboard. Average. Overall: It would be perfect if the keys were weighted, but I was aware when I purchased it. Besides that, it does everything that I want it to do.

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M-Audio Keystation 49e Customer Review submitted November 7, 2005

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Features

Quality

Value

The Wow Factor

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Sound: no sound Feature: No features really...but it does what it is supposed to...and it does it rather easily and well... Quality: Nice construction and the keys are solid and have a nice playabilty...for $99 its worth every penny Value: great value!!! Manufacturer Support: never needed The Wow Factor: just a midi keyboard Overall: I like it!!

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"Chinese plastic toy" submitted October 21, 2009

By a customer from reply.com

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Ease of Use

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The Wow Factor

Musical Background: Recording engineer

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Sound: It's a MIDI controller :) Ease of Use: The additional functions (program change, channel select etc) are hard to reach, you have to press a function key and then one of the piano keys to select and change parameters. There's no labeling on the keys so you have to refer to the manual all the time to use these functions. Result: Noone uses them. Quality: It was used pretty rarely in the 5 years I had it but it broke anyway, one 'B' key after the other ceased function. Taking it apart to see what's wrong I could see that the key mechanics are pretty solid, however the casing is thin and cheap plus like all "made in China" stuff, it has a predetermined breaking point - it's sensors underneath the keys or another part of the electronics are failing. Value: No. Measured against the few notes I played on it, it was too expensive. The "playable notes per dollar" ratio was awful. Buying twice cheap doesn't get you the mileage and costs you more than one time buying the right thing. This is especially true for MIDI controllers. Manufacturer Support: Didn't use the support since warranty was over anyway. The Wow Factor: Bland, thin silver plastic doesn't have any sex appeal. Design is neutral, the feel is bad and it makes creaking noises if you carry it or squeeze it a little but. If you're buying a keyboard like this, you get "keyboard-like plastic lump that generates MIDI events" and nothing more. A real keyboard is something else in terms of action and precision. Overall: Since it's broken, I expect to replace it soon by something real. If it were stolen, I'd offer the thief 10 extra bucks.

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M-Audio Keystation 49e Customer Review submitted August 12, 2006

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Ease of Use: The action on this keyboard is terrible, do not buy this if you are a piano player. The maximum attack velocity on this keyboard is only about mf on a piano. it drives me crazy while doing orchestral mockups. You need to spend plenty of time editing the velocities afterwards. This item is terrible. Get something better, spend the extra dough. (mine was a freebie)

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M-Audio Keystation 49e 49-Key MIDI Controller

User Ratings

"Basic AND Best" submitted June 27, 2006

"A decent, solid keyboard for those tight of the wallet." submitted December 23, 2005

"This product is the best I've had in a long time. I recommend to all artist who are using this. If you have the right equipment" submitted August 10, 2006

M-Audio Keystation 49e Customer Review submitted July 11, 2006

"Big Bang for the Buck" submitted August 18, 2006

M-Audio Keystation 49e Customer Review submitted November 7, 2005

"Chinese plastic toy" submitted October 21, 2009

M-Audio Keystation 49e Customer Review submitted August 12, 2006