Evolution MK361

Interface is simple and knobs are easy to program. I never had to look at the manual.

It sometimes sends extra notes (one correct note and another with a velocity and length of 0 at the same position) so you always have to remember to clean up the recording in a sequencer. Sometimes it also sends extra notes when releasing a key.

The modwheel takes a bit to react. Really annoying, when you want to make a gradual fade from zero upwards, the modwheel starts to send data after it's at 10 or something.

Keyboard action isn't particularly stiff, but the spring is feels very unnatural.

None of the velocity curves are evenly spread so it's really hard to find a useful one. They all seem to have a jump at some point. Also the velocity values seem to be quantisized somehow. When you record something to a sequencer you seem to get the velocities unnaturally often.

Some of the keys started failing after a while. I think I've had this for about a year now and the second D-key is broken. It sends a lot louder velocity then the other keys. Really annoying when playing a soft passage.

Some other keys also seem to have the same problem but not so severe.

Well. You shouldn't expect to get a good midi keyboard at this price and you don't. But it's still a disappointment.

This was really my backup keyboard that out of necessity became my primary keyboard, but now I'm looking for a decent one to replace it with.

The Evolution MK-361 might be passable as your first keyboard, but anyone more experienced or demanding will find this inadequate.

The keybaord is very easy to use. I just plugged it to my PC and afterlaunching Cubase I can play, Actually - If I play with no sequencer loaded - the PC will automatically play the Sound card's patches.
The manual is fine and simple - tells you how to switch modes and velocity curves etc,.
My only complaint is - being a 361C (the one with knobs) - the label for the knobs is hard/impossible to see if played sitting.

Keyboard action is definitely not Roland trade mark but is acceptable (unless you played piano for your whole life...)
No after touch (neither polyphonic nor channel after touch) - whuch is bad.

No sounds in it but its expressiveness is limited due to lack of aftertouch.
I find the keyboard a bit springy.
When I played a Roland Fantom in the store this week - I could play a lot witout felling that my fingers missed the key where as on this one - when I solo - I miss a lot.

I think it is quite relaible. Although all plastic.

I hardly take it out for gigs

Dont need it.

If it were lost I would buy a Roland A37 or other Roland or go for a Fatar. I have been playing it for a round 14 months at home.
My other gear is only PC based - paln on buying a workstation sometime ( I owned a lot of hardware but switchhe to VST and now plan on going back to hardware.

I love its design - it is a beauty - compared to Fatar or M-Audio.
I wish it had a weighted action and aftertouch.

Refreshingly simple and clear. Drivers loaded instantly when you plug the board in (as long as you've installed the "software pack"). Plug and play! All of the buttons are clearly labelled. Manual it comes with is a bit sketchy, but the online manual from the website is nicely detailed. This is a great keyboard!

Its reasonably basic for a controller, but has all the necessary features. It has the standard midi jack, sustain pedal jack, pitch and mod wheels, volume slider, octave buttons (with a nice electric blue display letting you know what octave shift you are on when you use those buttons), and several other midi controller buttons I havent yet spent much time looking at. It also has selectable velocity curves. Thats pretty nice. Overall, very good for the price! And did I mention its cool, silver casing? Very snazzy looking keyboard. I'm a guitarist, and we guitarists generally have no pretense about our undeniable obsession with the looks of a guitar, but I never thought I would be swayed at all by the looks of a keyboard. This one does look cool.

No noticeable latency due to USB, at least. Different software synths need different buffer sizes. The ones I am using sound fabulous (B4, Lounge Lizard, Big Tick Cheeze Machine, etc). But its not the keyboard that makes the sound. I am a guitarist so my feelings on keyboard action arent very strong...it feels fine. I don't miss piano action at all, I actually like synth action...though I feel I'd fall most in love with "semi-weighted action". Playing organs and synths on fully weighted keyboards just feels a bit weird to me. But it feels fine. Velocity sensitivity seems good...I havent had time to tweak it yet, but its on a good preset. I have to admit...I don't even know what "aftertouch" is really. I think I do but I've never used it, so I don't care! I think its very expressive...hehe, miles above the QWERTY keyboard I was using to control my softsynths!

This one feels solid. Decently heavy but not too much. I have heard good reviews and I trust this board. I would need at least a nice gigbag if I was going to gig with it (as well as a fast laptop!), but this one will reside next to my computer, so reliability shouldnt be an issue. If it becomes one, rest assured, I will repost.

Have yet to see, and hopefully will never get to see. Their website was very helpful and clear. I would give them a ten based on their website alone, but that might not be balanced so I will give them no opinion.

Let me clarify why I love this keyboard so much. Number one it has unleashed my software synths. Number two, I tried a keyboard before this. The Studiologic CMK 161 61 Key Controller, selling for $99 bucks. Supposed to go directly into the game port of your sound card. I tried that vicious bastard with two different computers and a friends midi-to-gameport cable. Nothing worked. It was a piece of junk and I sent it back. I RARELY return gear, too, preferring to overlook its shortcomings. The power switch didnt even work properly (always on), and it wouldnt even communicate with a midi device. It was lightweight and cheap feeling, and all molded grey plastic. It had 5 very confusing buttons, that had no label, but the name of each button was molded into the plastic, so you couldnt read it. For some reason that really pissed me off...they couldnt even spring for a sticker!!!! You had to use the keyboard to punch in number values (of course the number keys werent labelled, you just had to count from middle C). Oh, this thing was horrendous. If it would have worked I would have kept it...I'm glad it didnt work because I ended up with a much nicer keyboard and I am very happy! I was going to return it for a Midiman Keystation 61 for $149, but I cancelled that and went with the Evolution for only 30 more bucks. Much nicer keyboard, and it didnt get sour reviews like the Keystation did. I can't condemn the Keystation because I never tried it, but looking at the features, the Evolution is the one to get. I wanted the Midiman Radium because it had slider knobs I could use to control drawbars on the B4, but I couldnt justify $240. Just married, you know...have to put more thought into how I spend money. Anyway, its a great keyboard and I HIGHLY recommend it. Great for the money.

After a nightmare with a Studiologic SL760 controller, I decided to sell this and go for a more slimline alternative. The MK360 is a 61 note midi keyboard controller with USB connectivity. Its very light and has a similar synth action to a roland synth, which is very good. All the controls are easy to use, parameter changes are quick and painless. It has an LED diaplay which displays parameter values and memory locations.

There are plenty of good solid controller features on this controller.
It has 10 velocity curves to choose from and a great little pitchbend wheel and mod wheel situated on the left hand side (not on top of the keyboard which I hate i.e Fatar/Midiman etc).I bought a roland sustain pedal which works very well with my MK361 and the USB connection works brilliantly, I installed the drivers on my iBook under OS-X and OS9.22, the keyboard was powered up and down by the laptop and controlled my copy of Reason and Unity Session really well. (See my review of Session, I've decided that its too buggy and CPU intensive). Wait for Reason 2.0.
I wish this keyboard had another input for an assignable foot controller for controlling FX like wah, I think I may be able to change the controlling parameter for the sustain pedal but don't fancy changing pedals over all the time, I'll just have to use the mod wheel instead. There are also 10 memory locations (which dont need a battery) for storing setups with velocity curves, patch numbers, midi channels etc. very handy unlike the Fatar which has none.

No Sound, just a controller, does have a built in demo which uses GM soundset from an external source.

The MK361 is built very well indeed. Solid keyboard action, The keyboard case is a real hard plastic type with chrome finish, and I use the USB connection for power which again is brilliant, I don't even use the power switch, just leave it on and let the computer power it up and down. I would take this on the road as I think its pretty solid, but obviously with a road case made for it or a durable hard gig bag, you could also afford to buy a backup as its great value for money. I'll give it a 7 as I have'nt tried taking it out on the road (don't intend to either as I'm not in a band) so not tested but to me its built very well, still better than fatar I bought, which had a faulty power button and the buttons on top were very cheap.

Have not needed them yet as I've not had it long, time will tell, they do have a good internet site http:\\evolution.co.uk. You can download MAC/PC drivers in multiple OS formats and also the main instructions for this keyboard are in PDF format as a download. The manual you get in the box is only a very basic getting started manual and does not provide details on the usage of this keyboard.

This is a great little controller, well built and has a good action keyboard, the octave +/- buttons are situated so well that I can play an expressive piano part and jump to the really high/low notes very quickly. I'm used to playing bigger keyboards 88 or 76 but found that this 61 note keyboard can cover anything from organ/lead playing to rhodes/acoustic piano. I've been playing for nearly 20 years so I'm used to anything but do like this action, and is so easy to play. The MK361 really does fit nicely into my ultra slim and portable rig. which consists of (you know you want to know !) an Apple iBook (600mhz G3, 640MB, 20gig HD & Combo drive), my MK361, Reason (soon to be Reason 2), 60gig Firedrive, TCE Spark 2 (soon to be for OS-X) and thats it. Will soon be getting the Evolution UC-16 which is a midi controller consisting of 16 rotary knobs etc, due out in the summer at some point. If you are considering getting this keyboard and also require onboard realtime control of soft Synths etc, then get the new MK361C which is the same but with 16 rotary knobs built in. Check out there website. If lost of stolen, this is what I'd get as a replacement. The price of this controller was also truely well worth it. Just make sure you buy from a local music shop and not the internet as its easier to take things back if it goes wrong etc. Overall a choice piece of kit with pro level quality.