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If you are needing a professionally built keyboard controller to drive your midi DAWs or synth modules, then this must be your choice. I tried 2 other big name brands and was very disappointed. The big difference is in the key action and dynamic response. It makes my keyboard samples come alive and gives me full control of my personal dynamics style...in fact...the playability of this keyboard helps inspire my creativity. And now, in this new age of musical electronics, my monster key stack sounds of the '70's and 80's instruments are ALL totally controllable with this ONE keyboard that can totally interface with most any virtual instrument DAW. I usually play for hours on end...and this keyboard never tires my fingers. There are very few companies that have the knowledge to manufacture pro keyboard actions. Roland is at the TOP of the list. You will LOVE having split/dual key layouts, transposition/octave buttons at your fingertips. There are setup templates that talk directly to your DAW or synth modules so you can close the cover of your favorite laptop and have it ALL on physical, fast controls. If you have students/teaching? THIS is the keyboard that will inspire the student with its expressive after-touch features. Yes...I'm very excited. My passion for playing, even at 63 years old (yeah...I still rock out onstage!), brings out the raw musical soul in me. Thanks Roland. You REALLY thought about the pros when you created this design. I highly recommend this product. It will enhance your playability and open a world of new discovery...and that's where YOU want to be, right? ;D

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This is without a doubt a quality keyboard controller. Despite the overall light weight, the key bed has a very solid feel, the pitch/mod stick is nice and controllable, all the buttons and knobs feel like they will last a long time, and the price is appropriate given the quality. Why did I return it? I could not find a velocity curve amongst the nine choices that worked well for me. I could combine a built-in velocity curve with virtual instrument velocity curves (e.g. from Pianoteq or Kontakt) and get where I needed to be, but my goal with this board was to augment my MOXF8 (amazing weighted keyboard), and I wanted to be able to go back and forth for certain parts without making adjustments. To be fair, it was really only an issue for piano sounds, particularly when playing at pianissimo levels. Further, in most cases I would simply use the MOXF8's weighted keyboard to play piano sounds. However, I wanted the ability to take the A-800PRO on trips with me in lieu of the MOXF8, and I didn't want to mess with velocity curves in my virtual instruments. For synth sounds and synth style playing, this thing is pretty nice. Another downside, however, is the smaller than normal key size (seems to be a trend on newer Roland gear), and the aftertouch response was just too heavy. There are aftertouch curves in the settings, but they couldn't really overcome the physical properties of the board. I was almost able to look past these issues, but in the end I feel like there's a board out there that will work better for me. My search continues. One tip is to be sure to follow the driver installation instructions precisely (i.e. make sure to unplug all USB devices other than your computer keyboard and mouse during installation).

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It took some online research and a little reverse engineering for the A-800Pro and Studio One to speak with one another, but once they I couldn't be happier. I have a Juno G so I was hoping for a keyboard that felt like that and I got that. Everything I wanted, I got with this.

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