Sound:
It comes with V-Station. The sounds of this plug-in are perfect for some trance or melodic electronica. It's bass lines are something to be desired, but with a little tweakin' you can make something really phat come out. There are better soft synths out there...but it came bundled and I'm pretty pleased with what it can do. Here's a 7 for V-Station.
With the X-Station upgrade...a 8 polyphonic trimmed version of the KS rack, you get Novation's famous liquid sounds. Good stuff. For what it is...this is excellent! Let's give this part a 7.
It's effects are something to be desired, but for something just to play with...you've got it made. It's no T.C. Electronics unit...but what more can you ask for in an all-in-one? This part is just average...I'd say a 5.
It's USB audio i/o? Great! An almost perfect 9! My recordings sound just as good a when I was running M-Audio's Firewire 410 and Audiophile!
Feature:
With it's new X-Station upgrade, based on Novation's KS rack...it's a synth, controller, midi i/o, audio i/o, effects, all-in-one. Comes with Cubase, Live, and V-Station ($500 in software). Of course, we're looking are the most stripped down versions that Steinberg and Ableton could muster. I wish that this version of Live wasn't so stripped down...but hey, at least they give you a discount to upgrade to a full version. Cubase SE...great for a free DAW!
Features? Almost perfect, except I would've like an additional two more audio i/o, would've been happy to pay an extra $100 just for that because everything else is such a bargain. But for the $900 I paid...I've gotten the deal of the century! Minus the software and synth aspects...I paid only $300 for a complete midi/audio USB controller. You really can't beat that...
Semi-weighted keys! More sliders and knobs than any other controller I've seen. Modulation... Transport keys... More knobs to control everything! And versus the cheaper Ozone...this acutally has a midi thru.
Extremely compact and portable unit! Laptop musicians/remixers/deejays...here's your calling card! Wish it came with a carrying case or offered a road case from Novation...
Quality:
Still rockin' and rollin' after 3 months. Definately better quality than it's competitor: M-Audio Ozone. Knobs, sliders, keys, buttons...all pretty good quality. Roadworthy? Pack it well and I'd say yes. Like all quality gear, if you take good card of it, it could last forever (or at least 10 years).
Value:
You really, really can't beat this without spending a lot more on individual components. Comparable to 1/2 Evolution UC-33e ($125) plus M-Audio Ozone ($250) and 1/2 KS Rack ($300) with Cubase SE ($100), 1/2 Ableton Live ($150), and V-Station ($250). So, $900 versus $1175...hell yeah!
Am I happy with the $900 I've spent? Yes! Would I spend another $900 if it broke? Yes! If for some strange reason I'd have to pay more to replace it Yes!
Of course, if I held out...I could've gotten the exact same thing in it's Novation X-Station skin without haveing to deal with all these downloads. Unfortunately, the X-Station doesn't come with Cubase, Live, or V-Station...so, if you don't have all this software, it's worth it.
Manufacturer Support:
Website has some problems and you're going to need a newer computer to keep up. It took a long while to get the K-Station firmware upgrade...that turned into the KS Rack upgrade...to now the X-Station upgrade (which they've renamed the Remote 25A to). But overall, all my emails have been answered attentively so I can't complain.
The Wow Factor:
Silver and a bunch of knobs! It doesn't get any more high-tech looking than this! And it's so compact! Perfect for my little deejay booth! Hell, I special ordered it as soon as it arrived in the States. The Novation Remote 25A X-treme retails at $870 and paid and extra $30 just to special order it. I'd say that's a definate "I want it"
Overall:
I went through a few other setups before settling with this one including a slew of M-Audio products: the Ozone, Oxygen 8, Audiophile, Firewire 410, Firewire Audiophile...all great components, but not all-in-one like this! Nothing else on the market meets my goals better.
If it were lost I'd replace it...it's the absolutely essential to my portable studio setup and is permanently setup in my deejay booth for live remixes and recording. If it were stolen...I'd beat someone down with a vengeance.
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