Product: Evolution MK261
Price Paid: US $100 used
Submitted
05/14/2003
at
09:51pm
by
Anonymous
Ease of Use
:
8
This keyboard is a midi controller with no internal sounds. I really like the way this keyboard is set up. Really easy to get to all the basic functions you need in a midi controller such as midi out channel, transpose (Im lame for needing this!), octave, assign mod wheel, etc. It has easy setup for different velocity curves which I didnt use, I used this with Native Instruments B4. All those functions were great, to bad the keys themselves are terrible.
Features
:
3
My main board is a Korg M1 which is built like a tank. Ive had it for 12 years or so and I and anyone who has owned loves it. Keep in mind this is where Im comming from after getting the MK-261. The MK-261 was cheap and this is where this keyboard really shows how cheap it is. The keys feel very clunky and fragile. The sharps and flats are just that; sharp around the edges and very very flat on all sides. I mean the are very very squarish and seem TOO WIDE?!? This makes playing lead lines a chore. The sharps and flats also have a large range of motion left to right; other word they flex left to right as much as a 1/4 of an inch and feel like they could break easily. Too bad they made the keys so cheap. I wouldnt advice any gigging or studio uses for the MK-261.
Expressiveness/Sounds
:
No Opinion
controller only
Reliability
:
No Opinion
I hated the keys so much I never attempted a gig with it.
Customer Support
:
No Opinion
I bought it on ebay. Evoultion has a website that seemed up to date. Never tried customer support. I got rid of it BEFORE it broke.
Overall Rating
:
1
I bought this because it was cheap and I only needed a controller to use as a second manual for B4 organ software. I wasted my time and my money though becuase in the end I hated the keys so much I ended up not using it at all. Ive learned a lesson in the process though, if you need a keyboard for midi controller only, buy used Korg M1 or a Roland A-33 or any professional keyboard thats in good shape. Keyboards that where once 1000 to 3000 dollars sell for 200 to 500 often. And even if the onboard sounds are jinky like a 1980's Casio at least the keys themselves are built solidly. And who knows, you might even find a use for one of those jinky sounds : )
