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Travel MIDI Keyboard of Choice?

Going to be doing some traveling soon and I'd like to have a 25-ish key MIDI keyboard with me as I really like to play out just about all my MIDI patterns these days. Any of you have a favorite? I like the keys to be semi-weighted or at least not feel really cheap like the old M-Audio Keystation 49e's keys. Additional midi controls (pads/knobs) are a plus only if they don't add hugely to the size.

I've looked at the Novation ReMOTE SL COMPACT (199 USD)



The M-Audio Axiom 25 (179 USD)



And the M-Audio Keyrig 25 (99 USD)



Any thoughts or personal experiences with any of these (or other ones completely) controllers or traveling with gear like this would be greatly appreciated!

My Axiom 49 has just packed in for no apparent reason so I've been looking at replacing it with a 25 key controller, and so far the Axiom Pro 25 is at the top of my list.

http://www.korgnano.com/

Perhaps? No?

quote:

Originally posted by PutBoy http://www.korgnano.com/ Perhaps? No?

I had a serious think about it, and for portability there is none greater...but the keys seem to be pretty poor for any extended playing. Definitely see the positive of having it on a trip where you're constantly moving from place to place, but I'll be traveling to somewhere and staying for 3 months or so

Axiom is really nice, the keys are the most amazing thing I've ever played though the keyboard itself is kind of bulky. The keyrig is cool and it's really light, but for me I'd rather it had a little more weight to it. You might also look at the Oxygen 8, I have the 49 key version and it's great.

highly recommend the novation

if you can handle 37 keys, the SL 37 is great. you get an extra octave and faders. www.novamusik.com for the best deals on novation products

I had Axiom, Oxygen/Radium, O2 (the keyrig 25 you see there is basically the same) keyboards. Problem with M-Audio occurs once you start travelling. None of those keyboards is in a good shape now, they all got something broken. Don't let the axiom's appearance fool you, it's damn fragile IMHO. Drumpads of my Axiom 25 are already dead.

If portability is your main concern but you still don't want to sacrifice "real" keys, there's also the microkontrol 49 by Korg. It's not the cheapest keyboard, though.

The keys are also smaller, but they're still keys while the nanokey looks like it's a bunch of pads.

My first midi keyboard had those keys (a Yamaha PSS) and they did the job correctly.

Out of all those M-audio portable keyboards that I used to have, none of them really did the job correctly, and none of them did actually pass the "airplane test".

Ozonic: First gig with it in SF, arrived at the hotel, I discovered that some keys weren't in place anymore, had to manually put them back in place right before the gig. A pure hassle. Not to mention the keyboard chipset crash when doing the Ozonic demo at Amsterdam's RAI 4 years ago.

O2: the fader cursors and knobs are bulky and always fall into travel bags. Good luck finding them at the gig into the darkness.

Axiom: far from solid, unreliable pitch bend (lacks precision), knobs are horrible. the 25 broke, the 49 had a broken fader (easily fixed though).

Those keyboards are supposed to get into your backpack, but they never let you pass the security checkpoint with them. So you have to put them into checked baggage, and unless you pay for a 10kg flightcase that will break as easily as your keyboards will courtesy of the baggage handlers at some airports, well you know what I'm talking about...

Stay away from M-audio keyboards if you want to travel with your keys. That's my opinion .

i have an axiom 25 and it's really good man

if you're seriously travelling though, the novation and m-audio ones are prettttttty damn big (for 25 key boards)...

can't imagine gigging my axiom just cause of the space it would require to bring there.. you might be better to just grab even a small behringer (or yeah just the cheapest m-audio) with basically just keys...

i guess the novation would be awesome because you wouldn't need any other midi gear though

The new Akai LPD25 is going to kill the Korg Nanokey.
Although the Nano Kontrol was a great buy, especially with the patch that allows automap

Lots of good ideas/thoughts! Cheers everyone!

quote:

Originally posted by EgosXII if you're seriously travelling though, the novation and m-audio ones are prettttttty damn big (for 25 key boards)...

Yeah it's a real issue hahah....these guys would definitely take up more than their fair share of space in any luggage. No doubt I'll need to consider that.

quote:

The new Akai LPD25 is going to kill the Korg Nanokey.

I saw that one. Looks much much much better than the Nanokey, in that they're not just buttons.

quote:

highly recommend the novation

Yeah if I figure out I can have the space/can get it on the carry on luggage, this would be the one I want. The auto-mapping looks amazing, and, like as EgosXII said, it would more or less eliminate the need for other controllers.

quote:

Those keyboards are supposed to get into your backpack, but they never let you pass the security checkpoint with them

Is that really the case?? News to me, if so...guess that would also impact my Virus TI Snow which I'm taking with me

Another thing on Novation, if durability is a concern, then def. get the Novation. This thing is built like a tank. I've flat dropped it on the floor at least 4 times. The knobs are not going anywhere. I would like for the drum pads to be a little more sensitive, but since I rarely use them I don't really care.

And yes, getting the SL 37 will take care of you really nicely. I've got a 49 compact SL (doesn't have the faders) and wish I had the 37 SL with the faders. And yea, automap is very nice, and the manual learning is easy as pie. The LCD display is a huge, huge help which you're not going to find on other controllers. I know you're considering different controllers but I promise you that you will be very happy with the novation 25 or 37 - you also get some good software with the novation products if i recall correctly.

quote:

Originally posted by DjStephenWiley Another thing on Novation, if durability is a concern, then def. get the Novation. This thing is built like a tank. I've flat dropped it on the floor at least 4 times. The knobs are not going anywhere. I would like for the drum pads to be a little more sensitive, but since I rarely use them I don't really care. And yes, getting the SL 37 will take care of you really nicely. I've got a 49 compact SL (doesn't have the faders) and wish I had the 37 SL with the faders. And yea, automap is very nice, and the manual learning is easy as pie. The LCD display is a huge, huge help which you're not going to find on other controllers. I know you're considering different controllers but I promise you that you will be very happy with the novation 25 or 37 - you also get some good software with the novation products if i recall correctly.

Durability is a big factor, so that probably makes the Novation the top choice of the projected 'larger' options.

Any idea about what Lolo said about requiring to have a MIDI keyboard in checked baggage? Definitely would be hoping to take it in my backpack, leaving room in the cases for clothes and etc, but obviously if there's any regulation in place, it's going to have to be checked with the cases.

not sure about keyboards and taken them on an airplane. it's viewed as any type of instrument which leads me to believe no, especially since it is an electronic device. they would likely fear it could be a bomb or there could be pieces inside to create a bomb, although they do let laptop computers in. it's worth a try, but if you have to check it with your luggage, it's not a big deal. Just put it in the middle of your clothes. Save the wrapping it comes with and look for some bubble wrap (it may come bubble wrapped) Don't sweat the airport if you're getting a Novation

I really need to get a smaller keyboard. I don't play the keys and my Radium 49 doesn't fit on my desk. That keyrig looks decent.

korg microkontrol


I miss my Korg microkontrol!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92H2t5UxWtA

Check this out man!
KORG nanoKEY first review with GarageBand MacBook
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emvZBaysnMQ&feature=fvw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HE1r...feature=channel
wtf?! what!? Its so cool!

That korg micro looks nice but too big

hell that nano key looks perfect for having a midi keyboard I can permanently leave in front of my instead of the 49 key one I have on a stand over on the other side of my desk.

quote:

Originally posted by Zild That korg micro looks nice but too big hell that nano key looks perfect for having a midi keyboard I can permanently leave in front of my instead of the 49 key one I have on a stand over on the other side of my desk.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q43gVUwfdTg&NR=1

Damn I might have to pick one of those up.

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