M-Audio Keystation 88 Pro

Some have said in previous reviews that for $500, you should not expect perfection. Well, this keyboard is far from perfect, it's even far from decent. I don't care that the black keys are too low, the problem is with the action. Why put 9 different velocity levels if none of them make any difference to the fact that I have 5 or 6 black keys that put out less expresssion than all the others, and most of the A keys are always blasting at full throttle, whatever the velocity level I choose, and believe me, I've been through all of them over and over again.

How hard can it be to produce a series of keys that are supposed to perform the same function. Well... it was to hard for M-AUDIO.

This product is not even worth the $500. Like others have said, if you're any sort of decent, self-respecting piano player, SAVE YOUR MONEY. Don't buy this THING!

It's really wasy to connect this interface to a computer. Just plugin the usb cable and that's it (no drivers, no external power needed). In combination with reason, this product is perfect. It is unbeleavably easy to assign functions to on of the many controls on the keystation.

I don't use any special midi functions. Just the pianokeys, and the controllers (sliders, rotary etc). But from the manual I think the keystation has many advanced midi functions (which I'll never use)

The Keys are really bad. I've been playing piano/keyboard for 14 years, but I never played a piano this bad, some old cafe piano's and my 50$ minikeyboard i got when I was 5 included.
First: It is waaaay to sensitive. Yes, you can change the velocity curve, but for every curve, the toplevel is reached without playing hard. It is impossibly to play a classical song with expression. (right now, I'm studying balalde1 from chopin but the keys are so bad, I'm going to buy another piano since I get pretty irritated of this thing sometimes.)

Then the keys itself: they make a lot of noise when you play, so I have to use headphones, or turn op my speakers quite loud. The keys are movable to the left/right and when you press it, you'll first need to press a little harder, like the keys are slighly locked somehow. I don't know what kind of "hammer action" this was supposed to be, but it comes nothing near any keyboard instrument. (Maybe a harpsichord? I never played that one)

I think this thing is a tank! Sometimes I play the keys really hard, but it's still working. The body is part metal, part plastic and the bottom is made of 'pressed wood' (?)

As a midi controller, it is really good. But as a piano, it is terrible! SO: Save money by just buying a midicontroller without keys, or pay more money to get a controller with a propper keyboard, just make sure not to buy this thing cause it's not worth it.
PS: sorry for my (probably not so good) English.

There are very many things that you can do with this board that are not so easy to accomplish on others. It is very easy to assign the knobs, fader etc to various parameters at the keyboard end. It is even easier to assign things at the PC end of things and could save a lot of time.
I give a rating of 8, to have more ease of use would mean to have less features which I would not like.

The keyboard action is excellent for the price, I immediately liked the action of the keybed, it is much better than the 49 spongy synth action keys which I had endured.

Its true that this board does not have after touch, but most midi controllers only have at most mono phonic aftertouch anyway.

The ample amount of rotaries, faders and other controls, all of which can be assigned to any parameter you like makes controlling analog modelling synths a real joy. I find that now a lot of controls assigned to AMSYNTH (linux moog type thing), I discover more sounds than I would have done using just the mouse.

The knobs and faders are not motorized, but it is easy to set the position of a rotary or fader by hittiing the "contol mute" button first.

The keyboard has both Midi in and Midi out as well as USB (which I use just for power).

The action of the keybed feels really good, I have a background in playing hand drums and have developed a lot of finger strength. I saw Jordan Rudess's chromatic scale lesson on youtube and he said that you should use your fingers like little hammers.

The surface of the keys, though seemingly shiny and nothing special, allow for a lot of traction on your fingers which aides fast playing and increases confidence.

I find that it is possible to play quite quietly, perhaps not pianisimo, but how often are you going want to do that in anything other than classical music?

Velocity is perhaps slightly uneven but I would suspect that to be the case with any keyboard whether synth-action or hammer action. Also there have been variations in timbre and velocity in just about any sampled piano that I have ever played (seeing how piano samples are recorded by a human pianist hitting the keys once for each velocity layer, this is hardly surprising). So you shouldnt blame any keyboard before examining your own playing and the sound module or program you are using.

I think the keyboard must be quite reliable as I bought mine second hand , and there is not much variation in the feel of the board between the middle two octives and the keys near the end of the board (apart from the duff note at A-1)

If it were stolen, I would definately seek out another one. I am a beginning keyboardist but have much experience with hand drums which has developed good finger strength and sense of touch.

The keyboard has allowed me to play my my scales much faster and encourages me to practice more because it feels so good.

This board truly shines here. The midi implementation and controls are set up both logically and with quick use in mind. I found that controlling various functions was easy and straight forward. Program changes can be done quickly, and presets can be created easily, and called up easily as well. Some may find the preset limit of 10 presets onboard a bit limiting, but the Enigma software that comes with it makes preset creation essentially limitless. The control panel is well set up, with buttons and faders positioned in a way that facilitates easy use in live performance. The programmable buttons are set up in a single row right over the keys, making it easy to punch loops and clips in one's software in and out without missing a note. The quickstart manual was informative but somewhat limited. There is an advanced manual available from the M-Audio website that is very complete, and a must download. I have yet to see another controller board with midi implementation this well thought out.

The midi implementation is the keyboards most powerful feature by far. Up to four splits are possible, and 24 knobs, 9 faders, and 17 buttons provide an enormous amount of control. There are also controller groupings, and complete control over pretty much everything. It's even possible to invert the fader values to get a drawbar feel! The functions are to numerous to mention, I'd suggest downloading the advanced manual from the website, which lists them. It's the most complete midi feature set on a controller board that I've yet to see. After two years of use, I'm still finding new tricks.

Here's where many people seem to differ. I found the action quite expressive with none of the problems that some persons mentioned having to do with uneven velocity. There is a bit of resistance at the initial keystroke, but I adjusted to that quite quickly. I'm willing to bet that the action on this board lends itself best to persons that play with a strong, fast touch that comes out of the fingers. It compares well to the touch of a Rhodes electric piano, as mentioned in other reviews. As for myself, I've been playing for 38 years, and I found that my playing was quite expressive on it. There are 9 velocity curves, and I settled into number 7 nicely. Does it have the same action as an acoustic piano? No. Does it have the action required to play piano pieces well and expressively? Yes! I did a piece on it on my last performance that didn't leave a dry eye in the house, and I use it as my practice board, as well as live. To those who say that it's not possible to play well on this keyboard, I suggest watching the youtube video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NukAEJdGiJI ,(no, it's not me) . That should prove that it is possible to play highly technical passages on this board. Basically, I wanted a board that would enable me to play piano pieces as well as synths through my software in live performances, while keeping up my piano touch. It's filled the bill perfectly. I've played on it extensively, and when getting on high-end pianos, have found that my skill and touch has kept up well. Note however that there is no aftertouch. I've never missed this, as I've played a lot of vintage boards, but some might.

I've been dragging it quite often to performances, and it has held up beautifully, although I should say that I transport my boards with great care.... One thing though. The first one I bought had some problems with the internal processor. I called support. They were very helpful, and readily admitted that it was probably defective and should be returned. I returned it, and the new unit has worked well since. So it gets an 8 because apparently it's obvious that M-Audio has had some quality control problems. Still from what I've seen on the message boards, I believe that they've cleared that up.

See above. From what I can see, curteous and honest.

I really like this board. I use Ableton on stage, and I can control everything with ease from it. Program changes are easy, and the buttons enable me to bring loops in and out to compliment my performance without missing a note. There are so many knobs that I can control entire eq's and synths from the board, as well as mix from it on the 9 programmable faders. I even can kick in clip recordings from the board with ease. For me, I took to the action easily, it seemed a natural fit. Still, I found my playing was enhanced by selecting the right velcurve. After playing this board for almost two years, I've grown quite fond of it, it's a beloved member of my keyboard family. I will say, though, that those with an extremely light touch may wish to test drive. Oh yes, and look at the price. I had just got done with buying a ton of software, and was sweating the need for a new controller while having very little money to work with. Still, I wanted a full range of keys, and the ability to control my software well. Bottomline, this was an answer to a prayer, and it was a good one!

NA

NA See below

I recently ran across a freeware program, Pianotuner, that will help those who have uneven velocity responses on their Keystation 88 pro. This program lets you remap the velocity response of each key, note by note. In other words, for each key, you can set the velocity response to the pressure you exert. If you want the bass to respond a little more lethargically, for example, or just have one or two keys that seem to respond too fast, this program will let you make the needed changes and save them to a default file that opens each time you open the program. (Or you can have several maps and choose among them. There is also a clean graphical interface. Nothing like Midiox, the excellent, but more complex midi remapping program. You do have to have MidiYoke, a freeware midi connector\driver installed, but once you've set this up, the program loads it automatically.

The result is that while one does have to load the Pianotuner program when you want to play (assuming you want the improved velocity response), but you also have an entirely new keyboard that responds exactly the way you want it to.

The program can be found at: http://users.belgacom.net/gc813607/index.html

NA See above

NA See above

NA See Above

Amazing features - the large number of faders, knobs and buttons are great for programming.

I'm using this to control Logic Pro 7.2. I love the fact that there are so many controls but the action leaves a little to be desired. I've messed a lot with the velocity curves but actualy key response is unpredictable. The behaviour I'm seeing is more resistance at first then the key gives way and plunks down the the bottom of the key bed. The travel is inconsistent.

If you're not playing things that need nuance then this would be okay.

Other than the action the keyboard has always performed well

I probably wouldn't buy this keyboard again. I would most likely get a Yamaha S90 (or similar) or a Kawai.

Ease of use? Well, it???s quite easily very useless! (pun intended) I???ll get to that later though.
Setting it up and integrating it into your system is actually fast and easy. It didn???t even need drivers (in XP) as it is class-compliant. The interface is intuitive and logical and all functions are never more than one or two button-pushes away, so no complicated menu-structures or anything like that. Assigning midi-CC???s to the many controllers is a breeze and give you instant control over just about anything you want (the midi part of the keyboard is very good).
The standard manual you get in the box is a little short; the advanced one you can download is more elaborate and does a fairly good job of explaining all the functions.

It???s loaded with features, among them: 4 programmable zones, 59 controllers, three pedal inputs etc. In fact the feature-list was an almost exact copy of my wish-list. OK, it didn???t have aftertouch. I knew that in advance and didn???t really care (still don???t).
Other than that? I don???t know, is buyers regret considered a feature?

So maybe you???ve read some of the other reviews (here and elsewhere) and will realize that what I???m about to tell you isn???t anything new. That is, the problems I was having are common, a very bad realization indeed!
Firstly, let???s review the action. Midi keyboards in stores are quite often not hooked up to a computer or module. This was no exception so I never got to play any sound from it. I did test the keyboard???s action extensively while it was turned off and wasn???t totally put off by it. I???ve played many keyboards and pianos in my life, and at home we have a decent upright piano. All in all, I was looking for a somewhat lighter hammer-action.
The keys of the KSPro seemed less sturdy as a Yamaha digital piano, which overall I find too heavy. I actually preferred the keystation???s action to some of the Roland???s (IMHO sort of ???gummy???) and it definitely owned the Casio???s (very bouncy indeed). Didn???t like the CME, never tried Kurzweil or Studiologic (Fatar). Based on the reasonable action and the listed features (also adjustable velocity) I just bought it.
When I hooked it up to my computer for the first time however is when the problems started. Playing a software-piano some serious velocity-issues became blatantly obvious right away. Velocity-response was all over the place, varying widely between adjacent keys and even when hitting a single key multiple times. The output seemed almost totally random. And even worse, the randomness was random, meaning different keys would act up at different times. No amount of tweaking the (DAW-)software made a difference and believe me, I tried it all.
Mind you, this really wasn???t my playing and I???ve confirmed it thoroughly (almost scientifically) with MidiOX, a midi-program that can output midi data to text. Setting different velocity-curves makes no difference whatsoever in this behavior.
There is only one conclusion: velocity response/touch sensitivity on this thing is completely dysfunctional making playing with any expression or dynamics impossible and a frustrating even agonizing experience.

I know that it???s a budget-product but in general I can live with that fact. Sensible compromises make it so that you don???t have to pay a lot for things that aren???t really that important anyway.
The keyboard is made out of 90% plastic with some aluminum plating (for show I guess) and a nice cardboard-bottom (or fiberboard, whatever). Again budget, but not something that really bothered me that much as I was intending to mostly use it in a home studio environment anyway (if you want to gig with it than that???s a different story).
Granted, I never really got to test its reliability any further since with the glaring problems it had it was basically DOA. I only owned it for a week before I returned it. Still, no good rating I???m afraid???.

So, like I said, I brought it back to the store (obviously). Being a regular costumer there, luckily, I got my money back. So I never had to deal with M-audio???s CS directly. Later, I did I ask the guy from the store whether he got any response from M-audio and if they said they had heard of the problem. Apparently they replied they never heard of it before and that just maybe it was a bad batch that somehow got out or, even worse, that somehow it was a U.S.E.R. problem. Go figure???LOL

I did read quite a few reviews before I bought this unit. Some reviews were very positive (mainly ones done by keyboard mags and sites). Some user reviews were very negative, like always, right? Furthermore there seemed to be some consensus about most problems being related to a bad batch of earlier units in 2004. I mean, a respectable company like M-Audio doesn???t just knowingly keep shipping a faulty product (for three years), turning a deaf ear to valuable costumer feedback, do they?
I dismissed some of the negative comments and bought it with the idea that for the money this would still be a great deal, a real bargain, and that there is no such thing as a perfect product anyway. But, sjeez, I really wasn???t prepared for anything this bad!
So, maybe I should have tried to get another one and if that one didn???t work another one, ad infinitum. There must be a good one somewhere right? Well, maybe you like wasting your time trying to find the good apple amongst many bad ones, I don???t! Good luck to you if you do!
Not being merely negative (although I felt I had to be honest), I???d like to say that I do own other M-audio products, amongst them a very good audio-card that I have enjoyed very much for years. Also, I???ve just found out this keyboard model isn???t even of their making. The exact shape and lay-out of the board can be found on some really cheap digital pianos from various other brands (google Medeli for instance). They just added the midi part I think (not sure). Suffice to say however I???m not inclined in buying anything from them again anytime soon.
Final verdict: initial concept 10, (midi)features 10, overall 2???..Very disappointing!!

I'm currently using Sonar and Reason, and bought this to tame both beasts. It replaced the 88-es. It needs to be said, the price point on this unit means that it is NOT intuitive if you are not pretty familiar with midi mapping and related concepts. If you are, this thing is cake and ROCKS! If not, spend some time learning the ins and outs, and reap the rewards.

The shear number of assignable faders, buttons, and knobs makes this unit a powerhouse of control. Only what is needed is included. Again, it is a Swiss Army Knife. If you know all of the blades, you can reach for the right one. If not, expect to unfold quite a few before you find the one you're looking for (mind you don't cut yourself). As noted by others, it's a piano action kbd. That pretty much defines the intended audience.

The version I have has 10 seperate velocity curves. And it has piano action that feels incredibly realistic. I got this because I play differently on synth action kbds. Not as expressively. This does the trick.

Too soon, and it is a studio unit. I won't be moving.

I have a few M-Audio units, and have not had to check with them. That should say it all.

I'm sold, and will be setting up presets in all of my software for this unit. I used to have to map needed upper/lower range keys to control DAW functions, and now I only have to map buttons/knobs/faders that serve only the purpose I assign to them. We're not in Kansas anymore. I now own the Ruby Slippers, baby!

This is a quick review that comes from buying one of these and spending 3 hours with it. This keyboard assumes that you have a basic knowledge of midi and what to do with CC's. Setting it up takes some time, but that's to be expected: this keyboard lets you do just about anything with any program. It couldn't be preset to work with every program out there.

If you spend some time setting it up, it's great. You can assign the 24 knobs and 9 sliders and 17 buttons to any midi CC's. In other words, full AHDSR control for the amp envelope and filter with plenty of room for assigning filter resonance, convolution settings in Kontakt or Giga, just about whatever one wants.

If you sit down expecting to get excellent sounds in ten minutes without learning about how to use midi, or just plugging it into a module, you'll find it hard to use. But if you approach this keyboard as a serious instrument that will do just about anything you want, once you set it up, you'll find it easy to use.

I do wish it could display text: would be very nice to press a bank button and see something like "Piano 1" instead of just the bank number. (In other words, name the bank in Enigma & then send the name to the nonvolatile memory of the Keystation 88). On the other hand, no one let you see text on these USB controllers when they first started coming out, so I'm not sure this can be considered a flaw.

For controlling a piano sound, this has exactly what I want: in any program that lets me assign parameters, I can control those parameters from the keyboard.

Early users had trouble with the velocity sensitivity. This problem seems to have been cleared up around a year or two ago. I'm able to find a velocity setting that works (around 8 or 9 for pianos.)

I have to admit to getting a ticked at some of the other reviews here about the lack of aftertouch: This keyboard was designed with a hammer action, and thus, self-evidently, mainly for playing sampled pianos. As a way to try to make it attractive to a larger audience, M-Audio apparently included the ability to use the sliders as drawbars. A big mistake, I suspect, since it may have led people to want aftertouch, too. Aftertouch on a hammer action keyboard sounds to me just strange. And there was no claim in any of the literature that this hammer action keyboard had aftertouch. It's one thing to wish that this instrument had aftertouch; it's something else to give it low marks because it doesn't have it.

All in all, once this is set up properly, it lets you control everything with buttons, sliders, and knobs. With a good softsampler, you can do just about anything.

Mostly good velocity response on mine. No irregularities across the keyboard. Getting low velocities requires a more piano-like touch than I usually use when banging out chords. Trying to get good low velocities, with all of the notes in a chord balanced the way you want, is not easy on a real piano: it's something you practice. Looking at the response to midi in a Kontakt demo, I'm seeing a good velocity response.

One thing to note here: because this is a hammer action, you don't have to press the key all of the way down into the board to play a note--just like on a real piano. Without practice, trying to press the note all of the way down will give you a harder velocity strike than if you stop 2\3 of the way down. To me, this feels fine and natural--pianos react the same way, and each one takes some practice to get used to.

With this keyboard, like with every other keyboard I've ever owned, I'll edit my multisamples a very little to adjust to the default velocity curves of this keyboard. To me, that's to be expected. Every keyboard is going to make playing F#3 at a velocity of 71 require a slightly different touch, and requires you to make choices about what sound you want given a speciic pressure. I bought this keyboard knowing that I would have to make those adustments. The next time I buy a keyboard, I know I'll have to do the same thing.

The sounds are as realistic as your sampler and your understanding of midi and sampling and syths can make them.

I'm ranking this as a ten partly to counterbalance the very low reviews for earlier, flawed models from 2004. It's 2-3 years later, now. For my purposes, this keyboard does exactly what I want.

Haven't had it long enough to know.

Never contacted them.

I'd get another. I've played off and on for about 25 years. I'm not an excellent pianist, but I know the sound I want and the controls I want, and this keyboard gives me both.

Compared it to all of the other USB keyboards out there (EMU X-Board, M-Audio Axiom 61, etc) and found that the extra octaves and feel and the ability to control so much made this keyboard much better.

It's helping me make music--once I set it up, assigning the midi CC's as needed for envelopes, filters, etc, the interface is transparent. Very nice to be able to reach up above the keyboard and adjust the filter. Much better than having to lean over to the computer to click and drag things around.

I am comparing the ease of use for this product with the Roland A-90 and A-70 for controller functions and with other workstation keyboards such as the Korg Triton. The Keystation isn't hard to use per se, but with no menus and numeric feedback only (no words) it's hard to tell sometimes what's going on. Using the Enigma software which is included with the unit helps somewhat, but I feel you shouldn't have to be tied to an editor/librarian to do certain things. All this said, for the price it gives you more control and better user interface than the other offerings in its price range when it came out, i.e. studiologic.

You'll see me write "for the money" a lot in this review, because with any piece of gear you have to keep in mind how much you're paying and what the bang for the buck factor is. If you are a rock star with unlimited funds who throws your keyboard away after a major tour, you aren't reading this anyway.

Lots of realtime controls, weighted/full size keys, lcd, software editor, included abelton live software, are all great. Wish it had an alphanumeric screen, more zones, and a few more things, but again for the money it's great.

I really like being able to set 4 zones and control them independently. Wish it had more zones, but 4 is 4 more than any other keyboard in this price range.

There have been a lot of negative reviews in this column regarding the action. Two main issues have cropped up, (1) the height of the black keys and (2) the action overall.

(1) I have played two of these units, and neither one had the key height problem. This was probably a bad lot of earlier units

(2) A lot of reviewers on this site compare the action of this board to a real piano or to controllers/digital pianos costing 4x as much. Most people when they are car shopping would not dream of comparing a Hyundai to a Mercedes. I guess it is valid to say you don't feel this unit compares to more expensive ones, and if you have the extra money you can upgrade. On the other hand, I feel there are a couple comparisons which are realistic to make with this unit:

- how does this unit compare to other midi controllers in the same price range
- how does it compare to low end weighted keyboards or entry level weighted pianos (CME, studiologic, Casio Digital Pianos)

This unit is a controller, so no sounds. After playing with the different velocity curves, I found one that fits my playing well.

To me, the action of this board is a little heavier than the studiologic boards. That is kind of a matter of taste. I think it compares very well with lower end synths like the Yamaha S08 and Korg Triton LE88. If you are on a budget and have the sounds elsewhere, I think this board is a good investment.

I do not think it feels as good as upper end workstations (Motif ES8) and digital pianos (RD-700/RD-300), however, you're getting into the 4x the price category here. So if you've got a larger budget, and don't need the controller functions, then perhaps there is another solution for you.

No problems in my use with it, but I've only used it about a month.

Haven't dealt with them yet.

I actually have borrowed this unit from a friend, and have been so impressed with it that I will be buying one soon. Best advice on buying any instrument, go to a store, play, listen, and learn. Or like I had the opportunity to do, borrow one and put it through its paces. Then compare it to the other items of similar price and function. If you have lots more dollars to spend , there may be some better options, but the nearest real competitor (studiologic vmk-188) costs at least twice as much. I mean really, this costs less than the yamaha home keyboard (DGX) with 88 unweighted keys. I think it's a bargain and a good piece of gear.

All those knob controls will make you very happy. Programming a setup never was so easy.

USB, MIDI OUT & IN. They forget about THRU?

No Aftertouch

Great support on M-Audio site with upgrades, software and infos.

Only 47 lbs, but it could fight against the heavy weight around and beat them.

Used with Sonar seq. Comes with a nice batch of freebie software.

Could you use a second standard midi out in addition to the USB. Tons of knobs and features. Most of which all probably never use ( but who knows). The thing is big, but lighter than it looks.

I'm a sax player, not a pianist. But I can play a bit. All I can say about the action is that it is much much better than the "semi-weight" kb's I've had and experienced. As many have noted, probably the best feel in it's ( inexpensive) price range.

I have not noticed any of the velocity and key height problems noted by others. Everythings seems to respond reasonably ( as opposed to "magnificiently" ). Perhaps there was a bad batch of these and the newer ones are better ( as suggested )

It's new and it stays in my studio. So far, so good.

haven't need any.

Good controller for the money. Actually one of the best for the money.

No presets internaly. (strictly a controller) Editing patches is somewhat difficult as I have very little MIDI experience. That will change.(Hehe) The manual(s) are more geared for techee's and miss the step-by-step instructions for us newbee's!

Tonnes & tonnes of faders, knobs and buttons to play with. Great! The action is somewhat uneven as you play up and down the keybed. My own experience as a piano player(43 years semi-pro) and also a certified pianotuner/technician tells me it does not perform like a real piano. The action is a little heavy and sluggish and the keydip on the blacks seems lower and they don't sit as high as a real piano. You have to play it a while to get used to it just like any piano or keyboard. There are no two alike. No aftertouch, Hmm...Maybe there will be with there newer model.

N/A

So far, so good! Built solid.

Just emailed them. Waiting for a reply. (Cross yer fingers)

Compared to my old YAMAHA CP80 I used to cart around years ago, this unit is much more portable but my CP80 had a real grand piano action in it which is very hard to beat! All in all for the money mine's been good to me and I still have a lot of learning to do (MIDI wise). I use my Pro88 to control my Korg TRINITY. Its a great combo setup for me! Would I replace it if it were lost or stolen? Only with an upgraded action and aftertouch,YES!!!

IF you are relatively familiar with what MIDI is and does, you shouldn't have a problem setting up the Keystation within minutes. The 10 factory presets are good, (especially the ones for Native Instruments' B4) and the Enigma Editor (free to download from M-Audio) adds 100s more. The amount of knobs and sliders help you control all virtual instruments you can imagine and with the zone function (with controllers assignable to zones) up to 4 midi instruments are available at the touch of a button. As a MIDI controller designed primarily for the computer user it deserves a 10.

Lots of features, would have appreciated though a MIDI through, and maybe another pair of MIDI in/out. The screen is big and very clear (especially when gigging) and the knobs/sliders quite accurate for a digital instrument.

There have been many reviews rating the keyboard action as bad and faulty. Starting with the second comment, my first Keystation had a problem with one note, but it was exchanged immediately from the retailer with the one I have now, which has been working seemlessly for the last 2 months (under heavy every-day and gigging use). I keep my fingers crossed for that.
Commenting on expressiveness, which seems to have been the problem with many reviewers, I couldn't discover neither the velocity problems nor the "very" low black keys. It might be that M-audio updated their product within the last year. Overall, keeping in mind the price (I paid less than #300) and the competition up to twice the money, I find the keyboard very good. It IS NOT A PIANO, definitely, but with 9 velocity curves and DECENT hammer action (I ve had 2 weighted keyboards in the past and I 've played more than 20) you will be able to produce great sounds, provided you have a good sound module/software synth. I think that most of the reviewers here were dissapointed, since they expected a 100% piano "feel" , which they could get if they bought the Yamaha P250 for 4 times the money.

As said before, first one was faulty, but this one so far so good. But 2 months is not enough to comment on that.

Phoned in for a couple of questions, technician was very friendly and helpfull.

If it was stolen I would buy it again. It is a cheap and easy solution for gigging and home production, works great as midi contooller with my software/hardware and does have a decent "feel". Also, it wouldn't be the end of the world if it was lost or stolen, since you can now get second hand ones on e-bay for less than #250. Overall, it's strongest point is value for money, and for that it gets an overall 9.

I would say that this controller is in the midrange of difficulty of use. If you don't know much about MIDI, then you won't really know how to take advantage of the capabilities of this controller. I use Logic Pro 7, and for quick parameter assignments this can't be beat. The Enigma software which is included seems fairly straight-forward; but once again, you need to know what the heck you are doing in regards to MIDI. However, good luck using this as a control surface for your DAW. I really think if you want a control surface, look for one that is dedicated solely to that purpose.

This is a controller, and does just that. There is no aftertouch, which is surprising. As far as the number of available controllers, I don't think any keyboard can come close, especially for the money.

As others have mentioned, there seems to be a consistent problem with the black keys not being equally matched in velocity response to the white keys; or in other words, the white keys are "heavier" than the black keys. There also seem to be a few keys on mine that velocity sensor problems - they consistently output higher velocity values than other keys when using the same amount of force.

Overall, I think that the feel is quite heavy and inconsistent. The included velocity curves (there are 9 of them) don't really work for me. The linear curve (C0) is not linear at all. Even the soft touches will output velocity values greater than 100. The only usable ones I have found are C8 and C9, though they both have quite a jump to the higher velocities when you get up there.

In short, this controller feels very unnatural and makes playing piano patches (I use Synthogy Ivory) a frustrating experience. There are many 88-key controllers out there that have a superior action. The expressiveness required for realistic piano playing is just not there.

No problems yet - I only use it in my home studio. However, it did ship with the highest note (C8) sticking. In a live setting, I would definitely treat this controller with as much TLC as you would any other rig you were using.

I've not dealt with them much, but they seemed to be fairly quick to answer my call and help me with my questions. But they didn't help me much.

I am going to try to send it back to the company I bought it from and exchange it for a StudioLogic controller. I have heard much better comments about the hammer-action on those keyboards. For me, it has too much in the way of controller power. I am getting a Baby HUI for controlling my program, and I want to just have a controller that sounds good. I will miss connecting straight to the USB bus though and not having to worry about power and MIDI cables.

Pretty straighforward interface.Just read the manual.

Even when you adjust the velocity curves this keyboard doesn't have enough dynamic range.This totally turns me off because I love to play acaustic piano but with this piano you cant even pretend to hit the key hard or else they'll play the loudest sample.Maybe to some people this isn't a big issue but I need a controller that can let me play with a little force.

Apparentely this is a big problem for a lot of these new controllers.I talked to a sales lady who said a lot of people have this coplaint.So be careful which controller you buy.Some people have a light touch on the piano and I could imagine that they could get along nicely with it.

Sure it's dependable.But...

When I told M-audio my problem they offered to examine my unit.A nice jesture but I declined

I wouldn't dare buy this thing again.That's just me of course.

I am using a KP88 bought from Guitar Center about 6 months ago. As a point-of-reference, I am using it live to hook up to control a Yamaha Motif Rack.

There are no presets. Editing is a bear, but it is that way with all MIDI controllers. I didn't expect editing to be easy. But, the information on their site makes it as clear as it could be. The manual is very sparse and isn't going to help you much.

Here is where the real disappointment comes in. I, like others that have reviewed this instrument, REALLY wanted to like it. I just don't. The keyboard action is mushy and not responsive. The spacing on the keyboard is not correct (the black keys are lowered to a point that they are almost unplayable). Finally, the keyboard action is not realiable - I have already had to contact tech support (more on this later) to report that the A below middle C is sticking. This is unacceptable; I owned a Yamaha S80 for two years, and NEVER ONCE had an issue with the keyboard. What was that, you say, never once? Nay, never. Yet I have this KP88 for 6 months and I already have problems with it.

I bought it, probably like others, because it looked like the perfect way to escape paying a load of money for the more expensive options from Roland, Yamaha, and others. I have now realized exactly why those other companies' products are so expensive - THEY WORK.

As mentioned before, the keyboard action is poor, and the realiability factor is even worse.

However, since it has no sounds (it is a MIDI controller, after all) I guess I can't knock it too bad in this catagory.

It simply is not realiable. I am what you would call a "weekend warrior." I gig locally, don't tour, and I front a small jazz trio. THIS KEYBOARD SHOULD NOT FAIL, yet it does, and often.

I contacted technical support, and they did respond and told me that it would need to be sent to them for repair. I sent them my address, and have not heard back from them. Am I to assume that they are going to ship me a new one? Or ship me a box? What am I supposed to do with my music life while my KP88 is in their care? Complete crap, I tell you.

DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME. Take it from me - I want an instrument that at least works. We can argue all day long about the realism of such-and-such piano patch, quality of rhodes samples, leslie simulations, etc. But when it comes down to it, all keyboards should AT LEAST turn on and respond when you press a key. Oh, and it would be nice if it didn't feel like crap in the process. Unfortunately, this keyboard ain't it.

Please, please listen to me - don't go the cheap route just because you think you can save money. Buy something else. What about me? I'm saving for a Yamaha S90ES. I guarantee that it will work for me, at least the keys will.

no sounds. expressivenes, the keyboard action is complete and total crap!!!!! what are you trying to pull m-audio. I have been playing
professional piano either in new york city or on tour for 15 years
. when i went to guitar center (money in my pocket)the knobs and sliders had me sold until i tried to play it. what a piece if junk!!
why are the black keys so low to the white keys?Me and my money walked out the door. a real pianist can't use this. by the way does it even have after touch? for some reason most manufacturers of controllers think we don't need after touch. M-audio ,next time build the entire controller correctly. don't cut corners on the feel of the keys. a complete turn off!!!!!!!

no sounds. expressivenes, the keyboard action is complete and total crap!!!!! what are you trying to pull m-audio. I have been playing
professional piano either in new york city or on tour for 15 years
. when i went to guitar center (money in my pocket)the knobs and sliders had me sold until i tried to play it. what a piece if junk!!
why are the black keys so low to the white keys?Me and my money walked out the door. a real pianist can't use this. by the way does it even have after touch? for some reason most manufacturers of controllers think we don't need after touch. M-audio ,next time build the entire controller correctly. don't cut corners on the feel of the keys. a complete turn off!!!!!!!

Yeah, the manual is OK but at least not as good as it should be. But if you say "This Master-Keyboard is just for exp. users and so the person who plays it has to know the basic functions of this thing" you may be right.

If you plug it it works (wether with softwear synths but also with f.i. my s80 from yamaha)

The action (The way the keys go in and how the return)
OK ... let's say....It's just not a piano...it's not nearly a piano and it should not be used as a piano...don't even think of it....it's got weighted keys yes right, but there's a difference between all the kinds of weight...you got f.i graded hammer (in my s80) or balanced hammer (in the motif synth) and thats actually the problem.

People who buy a motif to play chopin are on the wrong way...that's what i think...And it's the same thing with this Master Keyboard. You can't really play piano with it...but for all the other things it works.

So if you want keys for a module with good piano sounds to play piano...don't buy it...but if you want a good master keyboard with lots of "easy to use" computer utilities...than it's ok...

KEYS: 5
MIDI: 9
EASY: 7

NO SOUNDS ON BOARD:::::MASTER KEYS::::::: don't relay sounds to that thing...if the sounds are bad don't blame it on the master keys...


you can't blame the mirror if you look stupid

I think it was built to resist studio dangers...but not stage problems...so use it as a controller on stage (i actually didn't wanted to cause my EX 5 is way better but it's ok to sum up a few keyboards to a setup and to control it via MIDI)

FRIENDLY BUT they said play it as a piano.....and they lied ;)

As I said buy it if you don't need it as a Piano (trust me) it really works as everything else...but not as a Piano :)

Other products I can suggest to you pretty highly are:

Kurzweil...but they are way to expensive to me
Yamaha KX 88 ... but trie to get one and if you are succesfull tell me
doepfer...the best thing...maybe as a pinao too...but also a bit to expensive ... but invest if you want something really good (Or buy a P90 for 999 Euro ;))

Very powerful tool when it comes to controlling the soft synths, however they need to develop more presets for popular programs like SONAR

Loaded with features: 88 hammer-action keys... 24 knobs... 9 slider... CRAAAZY

I gotta tell the previous poster to chillax. If somebody develops a hammer-action keboard, there is no doubt they are trying to emulate a PIANO. This is where they spoiled their brillian product. I bought this unit expecting decent hammer-action but there were many problems:
1. the white keys were heavier than the black keys
2. the black keys were way more expressive than the white keys
3. the hammer-action was sort of like in between semi-weighted action and hammer-action
4. the way the keys came back up was gross
5. Oh, and the black keys were waaaaay down there just a little above the white ones

So, I came to the conclusion that if this unit would have SIMPLY been synth-action loaded, then I wouldn't have returned it. Like many others have said, "I REALLY REALLY" tried to like it. So, we gotta admit that M-Audio messed up trying to make a hammer-action keyboard... yeah, it was crappy.

BTW, I'm not even a piano player, I just compose music on the keyboard, and I gotta say that It doesn't take YEARS of professional piano playing to be able to tell what's good and what's not... unless you're a little stupid

Leaving out the crappy action, it never did anything weird like turn off by itself or flash some funky lights. Good.

eh, just returned it with no problem -- Props to the guitar center

There are two main features on this component: MIDI controls (sliders and knobs) and 88 hammer-hammer action keys.

Based on one of these being absolutely flawless (the midi controls) and the other one being completely worthless (the hammer action) I'll have to do the following 5 + 0 = 5. NARF!

This is an update, and partly response to the previous post by an user who gave the 88pro a "1" in Expresiveness/Sounds. I think his view may be correct from the unit he got, but so far I've known no problems myself.

We know there might be a bad batch of factory Pro88s that are not working properly, having highly inconsistent velocity response, broken keys, and such. No problem. Return it and try get another.

I can't see how the poster below this post, did not notice the "expresiveness" problems with his particular keyboard, before buying it! Didn't he try to connect some module to the keyb to test its expresiveness? I mean, people like me who HAD to order it online did trust blindfolded in this product, and well I got the luck to get a 100% good unit.

I am no pianist, at least no pro pianist in any way. I think people out there who are complaining THAT much about expresiveness (broken keys is another distinct matter), are just piano freaks that were used to play Chopin and Brahms passages in their homes uprights and baby grands. When they saw the M-Audio announce of the FIRST HAMMER-ACTION 88 KEYBOARD CONTROLLER FOR LESS THAN 500 BUCKS, they thought to themselves: OOOUUCH!! I want the same thing I've been experiencing for just 500 bucks!! Then they went and buy it, fooling themselves into thinking that the Keystation Pro 88 was THE SHORTCUT to spending $5000 into a baby grand or old upright piano. Cmon!! If you LOVE PLAYING ACOUSTIC PIANO, and want the same 100% experience you are not going to easily BYPASS that fooling yourself into thinking a $500 boards is giving you not only the action, but also the expresiveness a real, mechanical grand piano has!

Not to say, that M-Audio is lying in their specs and advertisement. On the contrary, they are being honest, Keystation Pro 88 is a MIDI CONTROLLER. Got it, Chopin-freaks?? :) MEANING, the purpose of this product by M-Audio is NOT to get you piano freaks avoiding your expenditures on "the real thing".

By the way, which sound modules or synths are you using to emulate yor "piano dream" would be an interesting survey... I guess they try to connect the Keystation Pro 88 to a junk 16-voice cheap Yamaha "piano" module... so they get what they deserve.

My last word on them is: if they want it to be 100% like a real piano, go SPEND tons of bucks in a REAL piano, and then shut up. I've had ENOUGH of product bullying here! It seems we tend to concentrate our musical and expresiveness frustrations into material things, ok, ok. I won't follow that route. I am the most happy I could with my Keystation Pro 88. I'll read and listen to worries of users who had really enough interest in the Pro88 to actually get time getting used to it, PLAY it, and start nitpicking the thing just because it doesn't compare to your ol'days Steinway you touched once while in high school or conservatory and that you'll never own (so you try to fool yourself with a $500 thing, and I guess that's the cause of your musical frustrations).

If you're that freak about "piano action" and "expresiveness", what are you doing here? Just buy a Bosendorfer, buy a Yamaha C7, buy a real Steinway, and get the way out of good companies such as M-Audio that are giving us users competitive products with good overall functionality and superb keytouch (and I play really good piano modules with this thing, so I am not by any way some techno kid that doesn't know what he is talking about).

This is a simple and easy to use keyboard, played with it and had no need to read the manual as the screen tells you what's going on.

You can layer and split the keyboard, have real time control over many parameters inside your sound module,has 88 keys, is midi and usb capable, many buttons to control everything your sound modules will allow. Too sad, cause it falls short when not backed up by good keyboard action.

Now, I want to tell you the real issues on this keyboard, its action (keys) is the worst I have experienced, allow me to explain, this keyboard will not reproduce you finger touch accurately, to prove this try playing a bussy arpegio and you will encounter that this keyboard will mute and delay some notes, also causing your fingers to get confuse( making your execution sound very unnatural), it is very disfunctional when it comes to its keys velocity, it will randomly sound harder on keys you are hitting softly (very bad dynamics, trust me), its key mechanics won't flawlessly and smoothly represent the full velocity scale (all the 0-127 values), that's the reason why it also sounds loud during moments in which you are hitting it softly. Not suitable for R&R, or classical pieces, very far from professional grade. May have some cpu latency issues. I do ask myself if M-audio has an actual pianist testing this
"hammer action" they so proclaim. I am not trying to diminish this product, but rather keep potential buyers from being mislead and dissapointed. I feel bad about being this brutally honest but I did find this keyboard very dysfuntional.

It seems well built, but it is a poor performer.

Don't need to deal with them. I am returning it.

No possile way for anybody with abilities to say that this keyboard performs flawlessly, it does not. I have played real pianos countless times, this keyboard falls short as compared to real piano action, it made me feel like I had to fight with the keys constanly to get somewhat good response, very stressfull.Not acceptable, not even for $499. Now I am dtermined to find a keyboard that reproduces my touch accurately, regardless if it is hammer piano action or else. That is what it all comes down to, proper expression.

Easy enough. It took me about a day to figure everything out on the KSPro 88 after reading through the advanced guide (that I had to download on the m-audio site). Everything makes sense and the big blue LCD is awesome.

But... it can be confusing trying to keep track of all those MIDI CCs and which knob controls what, etc. I actually made visual diagram of my keystation that shows the mapping I created for my softsynths (works wonders for my memory!)

This thing is packed with features. I love the knobs and I actually think there's almost too many of them. Most tracks I have produced I've only ended up using about half. The possibilities are there though for some serious control of your synths. This thing is a dream for anyone into producing drum n bass, techno, etc. Makes your software studio almost fear like hardware :)

The expressiveness/action of this keyboard is definitely not *great*. If you think you're gonna be banging away on this thing with huge amounts of dynamic range, it's not gonna happen. But it has it's own charm. For the first little while playing the keyboard I really didn't like the action at all. I instantly wished I had gotten a FATAR or something with supposedly bettter action, but the kspro has grown on me. It's great for organ and rhodes patches and for piano patches it's not bad for some rock, jazz and blues. Don't think you'll be playing any Chopin or Rachmaninoff but that's okay, I'm no concert pianist anyway. My fingers fly across the keys and I have no issues playing fast passages. Some of the velocities are inconsistent though.

My A4 key is louder than most of the other keys and hits 127 really easily. Also, the black keys play louder than the white ones so you have to consciously adjust for that. I've managed to learn the keybed pretty well now though and control the action of it to my liking. In my opinion, there is no perfect keybed and any instrument can be musical if you learn the faults of it and make them a strength. I don't know if that makes sense but I think sometimes too many people are bickering about this and that instead of just playing the thing and making music.

So far (crossing fingers)

I called once because an expression pedal I bought didn't work with the keyboard. Didn't get a great answer and the support guy said he would e-mail me with answer and the e-mail never came. Can't give high ratings here, sorry M-Audio.

If it were stolen I'd buy this again. Only because I produce a lot of electronic music and the knobs and sliders are a dream. The action is perfect for recording some quick riffs and the fact you can split your instruments up on 4 zones is bonus. The USB connection is a nice touch and the 88 keys are awesome for Ableton Live and samplers.

And we can't forget the price: cheap. IF this cost a few hundred more my review might not be as glowing, but for what you get there are no complaints at this price.

Thumbs up, M-Audio.

The unit is as difficult or as easy as you want to make it. If you really need to use all, or most, of those controllers then it will be a bit of work. But if you need to only use those sparingly and mostly use the keyboard to drive other modules or software synths, then it is pretty easy to use.

It has every feature imaginable for an 88 key master controller.........with one exception.....no aftertouch! Hard to believe that it doesn't include this basic feature as part of the keyboard circuitry. BUT, you can program it via pedal, so it's not entirely neglected. Here the unit gets is highest mark...9.

Here is where the ball is dropped in a HUGE, HUGE way. The expresiveness is pretty bad.

I will begin by saying that this keyboard does NOT play like a grand piano, or an acoustic upright piano for that matter. The action on my Kawai upright is MUCH, MUCH, superior to this keyboard. Forget about comparing it to a Steinway, Yamaha or Kawai grand. This thing cannot compete with the action on the real thing.

Now, let me explain something: By "action" I mean the way it PLAYS, not the way it feels. It feels fine. Arguably, if blindfolded you could be fooled into believing that you are touching a real piano. But that's where the realism ends. When the unit is coupled to GigaStudio's Gigapiano 2 it is very sluggish. Too sluggish to do any serious, rapid playing. I have tried every combination of velocity curve on the M-88 and various settings on the GigaPiano and have not been able to improve upon the action.

For working with synth sounds it also very sluggish. Way too heavy for any light, fast fingering.

However, for B3 or most organ patches the unit does pretty well. The weight actually helps for more percussive hits and funky kind of things.

All that being said, I bought the M-88 specifically as a GigaPiano controller and it has not bee good for that. I get more realism out of GigaPiano when using my Korg Trinity or even my Korg Z1(so I know it is not GigaPiano. Plenty of realism there. The problem is the M-88).

This, I find to be the biggest let down and cannot give it a high rating in this department. Quite disappointing.

Too soon to tell, since I've only had it about four months. But it looks about as solid as most anything out there today.

I've dealt with M-Audio on other issues before(not related to this board) and they have some excellent support.

I am a piano player, who happens to play keyboards/synths, not the other way around. I didn't need another board to control my synth rack, since I own two Korgs(listed above) and they do just fine.

All I wanted was a real piano feel with piano action! Is that asking too much?! Apparently it is! Seems that humans can send me to the moon and design bombs that fly through chimneys to hit their human targets, but we cannot design a keyboard that has real piano action!

You may say: "Oh, that's because you haven't tried the Fatars or the Yamahas or the Kurzweils, blah, blah, blah..." You know what? I've tried them ALL! I've been messing around with MIDI and home studios since the day that MIDI came out and to be honest with all of you, not a single board comes close to the action of a real piano.

Now that we FINALLY have killer piano samples like GigaPiano and the countless other clones, we don't have the keyboards to drive these great sample libraries!!! How can that be?!

In conclusion.....Keyboard design is lagging software samplers by a bunch and it's time that someone makes a controller that works flawlessly. One that is tested against the best piano samples and tuned to perform like the real thing.

Take a little crash course in Midi if you need to. Assigning controllers and everything else is very straight forward.

Let me just say on the keybed: Pretty heavy in some areas. Very light in others. I sent mine back for a replacement because about 5 keys had to be forced down. I've read elsewhere that you should by the one you play and like. Maybe they were right. Unfortunately, I'm buying mine over the net. The replacement should be here soon!!
Where the keybed felt good, it felt really good. Obviously there's an issue with manufacturing to have such an inconsistent keybed from one board to the next...
Hopefully the 2nd one will clear this up, because the features are incredible and so easy to use. It's hard to complain about all this for $500
I miss the KX88 :) But it didn't quite cut it in the layering department. However, I drive a laptop using http://www.brainspawn.com 's Forte. So most of my layering, splitting and program changes are handled in there...

What more could you want for features in a midi controller?

n/a

Jury is still out on this...

I don't know about M-Audio's support, but AMS sure came through on the replacement!!!

If it were lost or stolen, I would want this or another 88 controller.
Been playing off and on for 20 years.
I love the features. I love that it's USB and no power cable.

This is definatly not the easiest keyboard to use, but the basics are not too difficult to figure out. I haven't had this beast long but I've sussed programming bank / program changes to the buttons and basic midi CC's to the knobs. It would help if the advanced user guide took things a bit more step by step. The included software is pretty straight forward and makes things clearer.

Bearing in mind the limited range of controller keyboards available and the price, I think the pro 88 has got fantastic features. One of the big things for me wanting an 88 noter was how will the keyboard feel in playing - of course it is - why would anyone lug these monsters around if playing it didn't feel great? I was lucky enough to get a demo at a shop where I compared the action to some Roland fantoms and Korg pianos. It wasn't quite as nice as the Roland but to my taste it knocked spots off the korg. (SP200). The action is positive if a little on the heavy side, and Yep it does NOT feel like a grand piano. I used to own a rhodes stage 73 and the pro 88 has more in common with that than with an acoustic piano. You know you are playing this thing. However I am getting used to it and the weight and very slightly deeper key travel in no way effect the playability in my veiw. I'm sure that others will disagree and will maybe find it unsuitable, but hang on a minute it's under #400! What I am discovering is that having sussed out a nice velocity curve I am playing piano for hours on end. I can't put it down! (I can barely pick it up either but that's a different story) The range of knobs, buttons and sliders on the pro 88 is far more than I will ever need. With a bit of head scratching they do exactly what thy are supposed to do. The only functions that I think would make it even better would be SMF playback and maybe a more intuitive or comprehensive display. The thing looks and feels better than the ads and pics on the net would suggest. You have one midi out and you can store 10 preset "set ups" in the memory. I'm using this live, and with some careful programming I can pump out 170 (17X10) bank change / program change messages (17 at a time ) on one easy button press. This is a big problem solved for me and I guess many other players. The zone feature is excellent. you can programme up your modules or card sounds to be on 4 different zones and different midi channels and it works beautifully. It weighs 47 pounds and it's just about managable on your own.

It's very expressive providing you've programmed it right! No sounds though.

Seems good so far but I'm reserving judgement untill I've used it more.

not sure yet

You can pick these up for #325.00 I was happy to pay a bit more as I got the Demo and good support at the dealer. At the price I don't think you can get this level of control and playability on anything else . However I never tried the Fatar range.

For starters, this is an 88-key hammer-action master controller with a great number of assignable pots and faders, developed recently by M-Audio. It has both USB port and MIDI sockets for communication with your synth modules and/or computer sequencer and virtual instruments, and it can be powered both by USB and by a 9vdc adapter.

This monster can intimidate you at first glance, no matter the friendly, big size blue display. Programmability (basically mapping of MIDI controllers to physical knobs, faders, and switches) is straighforward for simple operations and set up of the keyboard operation, but for complicated mappings or operations the manual is not explicative enough (it uses a bad, not very "musicianship" style to it).

Even with that, you can just switch it on, and try for yourself without having to look at the manual... function legending is quite good, and you can "guess" most of the functions at the left of the display... but I proceeded that way only to find myself several minutes later that I had assigned somehow the damper pedal to some 0/127 round cycling of values at every foot tap... I had to resort to factory settings. And the manual didn't help very much.

Just take pacience, combined with a bit of experimentation by yourself if you get bored... The full manual is NOT printed neither included in the provided CD-ROM, which is a shame. Only some joke of a printed Quick Start guide... you have to download the full guide from M-Audio's page... :(

Anyway I've seen no manual for a MIDI controller having more than 10-20 pages... so that's not M-Audio's fault that the unit has such a simple purpose... yet it's a very comprehensive, useful and versatile machine as we will see now... It seems this unit leaves all to your imagination... with a bit of time, you can end up setting up complicated, expressive controller routings and mappings that can make all the yet unexplored details in some soft synth come suddenly to the surface. Creatively speaking, this is very desirable and the unit will allow you to do it. It's just a matter of getting used to the gear.

I am not, by no means any M-Audio rep, but I love this product so much that maybe it gives the wrong impression. Maybe I am a bit biased, but let me explain and then check for yourself in your local dealer.

The question here is: What are you getting for that price tag? Let me ennumerate: 88 full sized hammer-action keys, 24 rotary knobs, 9 smooth 60mm faders, 22 switches (5 of which are next to the pitch and mod wheels, and can be assigned to MIDI machine control functions for e.g. sequencer transport control), and dedicated buttons or combinations of them for operations such as Transpose, Octave, Program, Channel and Bank selections, and saving/recalling of combinations of controller assignments (10 locations max). And, again, the big blue display... so nice. Digits so large that you can concentrate on playing your stuff without getting your nose into the display to see what's happpening, no matter how much light there's around you. Those blue switch indicators for the keyboard zones are also quite sexy ;)

The feel of the keybed is very very good. I can't see what moves somes folks out there (specially in some M-Audio forums) to complain that much about its feel. Curiously enough, some of them were all-life pianists, other were just gig keyboardists or the like. As they say, there's no written rule in tastes. But I do like this keyboard's feel. For people accostumed to banging on cheap, plastic-spongy feeling 61-note synth keys, this can be quite a revelation. I've felt another brands such as Rolands, Yamahas, etc, and I can see no arguable difference that would interfer with your particular style of playing. The keys are definitely weighted, but without that hard-to-the-touch feel of Roland that makes my hands all sore... You can play fast arpegios on this, and it won't break or miss notes.

I think you can't compare this to other 88-key controllers/digital pianos out there. Kurzweil PC1X, for example, sports keys a bit less-full size than this M-Audio (check it and you'll see). Rolands are very hard to the touch, making it difficult to play fast passages. Yamahas have a great feel, but also I find them less playable so to say... M-Audio's simpler, has more style in the look & feel, and is going to become the greatest MIDI controller that you can include in your home or project studio setup, although maybe for live usage is not that versatile (even with that, you CAN use it onstage, for it has regular MIDI sockets and a 9-dc socket for external PSU (not included, but most brands out there seem to work nicely). Oh, I forgot the TWO damper jacks (both re-assignable if you wish), and the expression pedal jack.

Apart from the black keys having a bit different outline or distance to the white ones than usual (so what, you won't notice after your first couple minutes of tinkling), the overall look of the unit is just superb. From top to bottom, and this time it's for real, because the bottom of the unit is protected by this layer of wooden-like material (yeah!) that makes it feel so robust (and so heavy hehe). It really will shine as the masterpiece (looking-sense) of your studio. And surely it CAN get to be the masterpiece, because of the huge number of assignable, touchable controllers and faders... you can end up controlling all of, say, Cubase within this unit without ever returning to your computer chair. :)

The velocity curves are very diverse (10 total) and make it quite easy for those piano/gear freaks crying "I'm-a-true-piano-player-and-I-use-only-Steinways" out there, to get the response they're looking for... and if they end up not liking any of them, they are free to go spend their bucks on the real thing, right? :)

Mind you, I was trying to control my Roland XV-5050 module with all kind of MIDI keybeds, and the ONLY one that fit me right in the mood was this one! Some user was complaining in the forums about inconsistent velocity values across his playing... so, if he wants to end up with a metronom

As I said, the keyboard is very playable, you can always find the right velocity curve that suits you, and overall the feel and touch makes you very happy in studio applications.

Solid as a rock, had this sent to my basement studio location from the retailer 900 kms away by urgent postal service, and then another 10-15 kms jumping in the back of an old van, inside the original box and stuff... No problem at all. Ok, maybe not that solid for extensive gigging, but it surely will remain diligently working for me for ages at the studio... Maybe if your playing style is very very hard, you could end up breaking some key but that happens sometimes in most brands. Just try not to fake Marilyn Manson's keyboardist hanging this from swing ropes or such hehe :)

Some users have had problems with keys, mostly in the initial batch of pre-orders when this keyboard controller was released in the US. Gus Losada and some other very nice guys at M-Audio have been taking care of the group of dissatisfied customers. Prior to buying my Keystation, I had been browsing thru their questions and problems around the forums, but after all I was clearly decided to buy it and have it. And I don't regret at all. Mine works just fine, and it seems the few initial problems in production are now buried in the past (which is good for M-Audio's reputation).

As I said, there are guys in M-Audio tech sup with enough knowledge, expertise, and gentleness for us users, to make this a definite 10. I myself wrote an email to Gus Losada, asking him about the perceived quality problems from some users out there, and had it answered promptly. He assured me of guarantee of substitution if anything was bad. That confidence he showed made me finally buy it, even without trying it myself (there was no stock in any dealer around my location at that time). So I made the move, and no problem so far. I am a proud and happy customer now.

Contrary to what my case was, I honestly thing that to be sure you'll have to try this by yourself to see if it fits your feel-taste and playing style but, other than that, I think this is clearly a winner for years to come. M-Audio had the idea to launch an affordable 88-key hammer-action controller with extensive controller options as never seen up to now in controllers that size. They got it, point. And no other brand got it yet, point too (hehe :). Works fine and will sit beautifully in your studio, giving a "pro" look to it, but also for real, enhancing your workflow with the computer apps and synth modules, and making you enjoy the pleasure of 88-key playing. Have fun!

Installing the PC drivers straightforward. This has been my experience with all M-Audio and Evolution (now a subsidiary of M-Audio) gear, and a welcome change from the experience I've had with other musical instrument software.

Using the basic functions (playing notes and turning knobs) of the KS88Pro are pretty easy, but getting to the advanced features and heavy programming isn't very intuitive sometimes, and the manual isn't a lot of help. If you already own similar M-Audio or Evolution gear -- I have the UC-16 and X-Session -- then you've probably already gone through this learning process, and moving to the KS88Pro will be a breeze. If you haven't, you're in for some scratching your head at times. Once you get the hang of things, the methods are consistent, just not always intuitive.

(Note to M-Audio: The manual -- even the advanced one -- is borderline unusable. The advanced one needs to be twice as long, with more examples and supporting information. It has the feel of a document that was written by the product developers, complete with lots of small details left out -- because they were "obvious," perhaps? Please hire a document writer who can look at the product from an outsider's point of view!)

The Enigma editing software, on the other hand, is great. In fact, it's the only reason why I didn't rate this category as a 4 or a 5. Mine didn't come with the software on the CD; I had to download it from the Web. That situation might have been changed by now. Once you've spent a little time with Enigma, you'll never go back to the clunky onboard interface, except to make little final tweaks.

Let's break this into two parts, keyboard and controllers.

Keyboard -- It has 88 fully-weighted keys, which can be programmed into four zones, which can overlap each other. Each zone can have its own MIDI channel, and some of the more common controls (wheels, pedals) can straddle multiple zones. I'll discuss the keyboard feel in the next section.

Controllers -- This keyboard has tons of them: 24 knobs, 9 faders, and 22 buttons, plus the standard Mod and Pitch wheels, and external inputs. I haven't yet figured out a need for half of them, that's how many there are! All of the controls are programmable to send PG or CC commands, or a MIDI note, and different controls can be sent to different channels. Buttons have the ability to send a CC value of other than 0 and 127. The buttons, sliders, and knobs have a good solid feel to them. The pitch and mod wheels are a little small for my taste, but useable. The nine sliders can be put into "Drawbar" mode where they work backwards from a mixer slider. (And yes, nine sliders is way better than eight for Hammond organ sounds!)

The KS88Pro works well as a gigging keyboard (my primary use), and can run from an AC adapter instead of USB power. The blue backlit display is bright and easy to read. It's moderately heavy to carry around, but still much lighter than many weighted-88 products.

The KS88Pro has inputs for two sustain and one volume pedals, which like everything else, can be programmed to other functions. It only has one MIDI out, plus the USB port, though, so it cannot drive multiple MIDI paths without adding a Thru box. It has a MIDI In, but this only works through the USB port; it does not merge a second keyboard's output into the KS88Pro's data.

The keyboard feel is an area of huge differences in opinion. When buying a fully-weighted keyboard, the usual questions are: 1) Does it feel like a grand piano? and 2) Is it musically useful?

The answer to the first question is clearly no. The keys do not feel like any grand, upright, or even spinet piano I've ever played. What they feel most like is a late-'60s Fender Rhodes, complete with that funny bounce when a key is released. If you're fortunate (or old) enough to have played an older Rhodes, you know exactly what I'm talking about. If you haven't played one, I strongly suggest that you try one before buying. The action is not what might be expected!

That said, it's quite playable. I've been playing keyboards for over 40 years, starting on piano. I no longer consider piano as my primary instrument, but I still enjoy playing one when I get the chance. Unlike some reviewers, I have not had issues playing trills, staccato repeat chords, or any other techniques.

The keyboard has no aftertouch, which I miss, although I don't depend on aftertouch as much as some players. It has nine velocity curves, and I find that the factory default (#8) or #7 are my favorites.

The case is solid, and my KS88Pro seems to have been well built. Some early reports noted that one or two keys were lower than the rest, but mine has no such problems. I haven't gigged out enough to say if this is a true "road warrior." If your need is for the studio, this keyboard will do just fine.

I haven't had to call customer support for this product. My experiences with M-Audio support in the past have always been good.

OK, so I praised and dinged the KS88Pro for various things, so why do I give it a final rating of a 9? Because, for the money, there's really nothing else in its league right now. If you shop around, you can get it for less than $450. Weighted keys, more knobs and buttons than you'll need, and a readable display -- all for that money? It sounds like a deal to me! If someone stole mine, I'd be back at GC in a heartbeat, ordering another one.

Seems pretty easy to use. For programming it, I could nose my way around the OS fine without a manual. For playing, all the knobs and sliders would seem to make life very easy.

There are a number of key features missing here for a pro instrument. (I assume this keyboard is geared toward pros, since amateurs would probably not need piano keys and gobs of controllers.) The first disappointment was the lack of pressure sensing. It's becoming more common to leave it off these days, and I (and others like me who really PLAY their instruments) think that's a real shame. I would not buy any modern keyboard without pressure sensing. Also, the pitch wheel is terrible. On the unit I tested, the spring in it was really weak, so it returned to center position way too slowly, and only after a slight delay. It may be that this was a result of some kind of damage, but that doesn't bode well, either. The second disappointment was the keyboard feel. There's more weight to it than in typical synth keys, but it doesn't feel like a piano at all. Too cheap and plasticky feeling. Kurzweil (PC series) and Roland (RD170, FP2) have shown that you can make weighted keys feel light but still realistic--M-Audio should get some tips from them. The third disappointment was the lack of a sequence playback option. A number of synths have these--not full-blown sequencers, just Standard MIDI File players so you can dump your sequences from your computer in for live playback. A brilliant idea, even implemented on synths as primitive as the Alesis QSR and Ensoniq SQ1. Not here. Finally, more MIDI ports would let us use one of these as the centerpiece of a studio rig.

None here.

Too soon to tell, but the pitch wheel thing and the flimsy keys make me nervous.

Don't know.

I didn't buy it. I really wanted to like it, and I drove for almost two hours to get to a store that sells them. In person, this keyboard was a real let-down. The reviewers of Keyboard magazine liked it, but they like everything from major manufacturers now that they're owned by a big corporation. I'm not sure how anyone who's used to playing a piano (or any piano-weighted keyboard from other manufacturers) could like this. If you're not a pro and you don't care about accurate feel in the keys, there are many other options out there for you. Especially on the used market: Kurzweil's SP series are lightweight and come with good sounds. The new Studiologic controllers are not cheaper, but they're lighter and feel better. Roland's A37/A70 (76 keys) or RS9 (88 keys) are cheaper and better. (You have to put up with the stupid Roland paddle, but at least the RS gives you lots of great sounds.) Alesis QS7, Roland JV90, Ensoniq SQ2, Korg 01W, etc., all are cheap 76-key synths that make great controllers. So I'm not sure who this controller is geared toward. Certainly not me.

Generally, the operation is pretty straightfoward here, but it's not perfect.

The good:
- bus-powered; all you need is a usb cable to get up and running with a PC
- passed the plug-n-play test, allowing me to play through the keyboard just by plugging it in (without any prior setup - this on a G4 with garage band, for those curious)

The bad:
- any more than basic keyboard functions need setup before working (like the transport buttons)
- mostly, for all the buttons and knobs on the thing, the menu controls are all done with multiple button pushes and dual-function buttons. With just a little more hardware and some better labelling, I think the number of times I had to consult the manual could have easily been cut in half or eliminated--especially considering the relatively few things there are to set up on the keyboard istelf

For what this thing is designed to do, it mostly succeeds; it's supposed to be minimal, and it is, with no extraneous features to drive up that nice low price tag. Someone looking for track control and a keyboard for midi entry will find most of what they need in one device, whith the bonus of a mechanically well-executed hammer-action to make it feel pretty good.

That said, there are some fairly basic things missing here: Aftertouch, and another midi port or two might be well-received by someone considering this as a primary controller in a studio with more than just a computer.

And though it's easy to see the cost-cutting reasons behind having no tone generating of any kind on board, I have to admit that for the considerable space this beast eats up (it ain't small, especially in the vertical dimension) I found myself wishing more than once that it could at least muster a basic piano sound without needing a companion computer or device. That's getting nitpicky, though, and for the price I can't consider this a legitimate complaint.

Unfortunately, here lies my main beef with this keyboard, and what is ultimately a fatal flaw. Without mincing words, the velocity response sucks. This is especially frustrating because of how nice the keys FEEL to the touch: I was surprised to find the action comparing favorably to a Motif ES8 nearby in the store. The problem is that the upper end of the range is reached far too quickly; what should be a stiff medium hit peaks out the velocity to 127, and any variation in velicity above that is lost completely. The Different velocity curves you can choose from help a little in the softer end, but ultimately don't change the range. As a result, playing at normal levels (for me...and I don't consider myself a hard player) had the velocity levels maxed out most of time, and getting any dynamics from the keyboard required a very conscious effort to play as softly as possible.

Ultimately, this puts a considerable damper on my ability to play expressively using this keyboard, and that was more than I was willing to put up with, so, back it went.

There were other minor annoyances too, such as the pitch shift having less-than-adequate centering, and poor tactile feel for the faders and knobs. (again, it's cheap, so I can't complain too loudly)

I didn't really have this thing long enough to hve a valid opinion here, but it did seem to be sturdy and well enough made to stand up normal use, and it didn't seem to have any problems while I had it.

I hate to say it, because I like M-Audio's thinking behing this device, and much of it is well done, but I couldn't recommend a Pro 88 to anyone. The velocity problem is just too glaring, and dectracts significatly from it's expressive capability?which is, after all, the point. It's cheap, but the money is still better spent on a used controller that won't limit the player to feathering the keys.

Well, I got one of the first units in at Sam Ash so I assume it's version 1.0. The driver was bit difficult to load in OS9, blew out my whole OMS setup the first couple times I tried. Some of the faders and knobs are preprogrammed for MIDI volume and the yamaha nsustain pedal powered up with the right polarity. No AC adapter included so I had too use USB.

Keyboard action is a bit spongy. Response is slow making it difficult to play fast 16h or 32nd notes. I liked it better than most Roland controllers but not as much as Yamaha. No aftertouch, but I've come to not expect this from a weighted controller.

If you're a serious piano player this isn't the controller for you. But if you're used to synth action and simply want a little more weight to play piano patches plus you need some programmable faders and knobs at this price point it's tough to beat.

Not so happy, I've goot some keys that don't come up after I play them. They get stuck down in the keybed. I wouldn't gig with this at all.

When it first came out company reps were plentiful on the net. Now that many users are reporting problems they've become scarce.

It's so cheap that if it gets lost or stolen I might get another. I've been playing for 26 years and am a studio musician. It's a great deal for the money but I would've paid a couple hundred more for a better keybed.

The Keystation is very straight forward and simple to use, especially with Ableton Live and its Midi Learn feature. The manual is enough to get you up and running right away but you may want to download the more advanced manual from M-Audio.

The keyboard action is good. I tested the Yamaha Balanced Hammer Action several times on the S90 and S08 and that may be better if you want *true* Piano action, but for a good all-around 88-key synth that won't give you finger fatigue, this one is by far the best of them all.

No aftertouch. That's the only down side.

It is built rough, tough, and seems like it will hold up well. The knobs and sliders feel very good.

If you email them they will respond quickly.

I feel confident that this was the right purchase. USB powered, 88 key, weighted controller with a lot of solid knobs/buttons/sliders and a clear blue LED display for $499. You can't beat it. I do not feel I sacrificed performance for price. I would have paid more for this controller! No complaints at all.

Straight out of the box the keystation works with windows xp no problem there! The manual it comes with is basically a "quick start guide" however there is an adavnced version available at the M-Audio web site. I am a MIDI producer so I found the manual in the box to be of nopt much use. I went and downloaded the advanced one.

OK, OK, OK, let's get something clear on this MIDI controller's action! I'll just make one point on this. If the Keystation 88Pro interests you, then go and TEST one for yourself. Personnally I was waiting on something like this to come out on the market. The Radium 61 was the only option last year.

When I saw the Keystation online I quickly placed a phone call to Charlie my Guitar Center Dealer and he placed his LAST ONE(hint: they're selling!!) on hold for me. Before I went to the store I went to this website and read the first three reviews and it basically turned me off. However, I wanted to see for myself so I went to the store. I tried the one on display and was amazed!! I picked up a brand new in the box for $450 even and left to the studio.

*If this controller is going to your FIRST weighted keybaord then GET IT!!! If you are experienced on weighted piano keys then you might find a gripe or two. This is my first weighted keyboard but it is not the first one I have tried though. It's been a week now and I only have one compliant (I'll discuss that later)

The MIDI options on this thing are built for the professional MIDI producer!! You can basically control everything on your PC/MAC with this!! Also you can download Enigma to have unlimited storage for this controller!!

Well this will be short since there are no sounds in a MIDI controller. It comes with 9 different velocity curves for you to choose from however I do not believe that aftertouch is present in this controller.

I needed something like this last year when I finally bought Reason. I ended up with the Radium 61 and was going to buy the UC-33 but since the Keystation arrived I now use the Radium as a backup and I have all the controlls I'll ever need with Enigma of course!!

5 for expressivness: because you can choose to gruop controllers or instrument zones and the MIDI mute is a "must have" for MIDI producers.

0 for no sounds

I won't give a good rating here because this is my master controller for my permenant studio. Since I produce mostly Hip Hop, R&B and jazz this controller is unlikely to see any giggin. That's what we have D.J.'s for!! Feel me


However so far in the studio this board has been just bloody marvolous!!

f**k em' for now I'm satisfied!!

LOST: I'd rebuy STOLEN: I'd rebuy
Overall I give it a 9 for one reason i did not mentioned earlier.

When you use the MIDI mute on this device and adjust a controller I fell that the display screen should show the value of the controller I am adjusting so the we can get more precise valuse before disengaging the MIDI mute function. Instead the screen shows 'OFF' on;y showing that all the controller outputs are switched to OFF but does not show you the values of the controllers you are adjusting... big downside from a 10 to the overall 9!!


GREAT BUY!!

E. Kapone

The Programability is great. Lot's of knobs & Sliders.

Probably the best feature for feature midi controller period.

The keys are HORRIBLE! This plays like crap.

I can bet that the keys will break very easy if you are not careful.

After playing with it it was great for programming, but in the performance area this keyboard feel unbelievably cheap, especially the sharp (Black) keys. So it was returned.

I am 50-50 on this. Features it is amazing, but playing the board just plain suck. It's not for me, but I can really see the appeal for this board.

I just got this out of the box, and it's pretty straight forward. I'm new to the MIDI world with about 13 years of classical and jazz piano training.

Can't say without really having experience in the MIDI realm.

NOTE: This does NOT come with a power adapter and must be bought separately. You can use the USB cable though to power it up.

The feel of the keys are a little strange. Instead of a "weighted" feel of the keys, they're more of a "hammer-action." Check out musicman73's comments at http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=18;t=009922;p=4 for a more exact take.

I tested this keyboard at 3 different Guitar Center locations and found that they all had inconsistent feeling in their keys. It's a very subtle thing that I think only a person who's been playing a standard piano for a while will recognize. It occurs when you hit the keys firm to hard and you'll feel a "bounce" after you hit the key as though the counter weight in the unit is bouncing back into place from the force.

I'm not exactly sure what the reason for it was, but it would be more or less noticeable on different keys on different keyboards. There was no consistency! When compared to a Triton logic or a Fatar SL-990, the feel of those keyboards was much more consistent and "solid" than the M-Audio.

N/A

Here's the deal:

At my price that I bought from Guitar Center, what other options do I have available that has 88 weighted keys? The only other controller out at this time is the Fatar SL-990 PRO, but that doesn't have all the nobs and whistles and the action on that is a little more consistent (but I wouldn't say more realistic to a real piano).

For bang for the buck, you have to go for this if you're looking for an 88 key weighted controller. The Fatar SL-990 was $350 for me (only $50 bucks cheaper), and just doesn't cut it in comparison with the M-Audio 88. You'll never find a midi keyboard with today's technology that will be EXACTLY like a real piano. You just have to deal with shades of imperfection.

BOTTOM LINE: When you buy this, make sure you try out different boxes of this to find the M-Audio 88 with the best consistent action. Each keyboard has different keys that are much "springier" than others. Do it in the store if you can, so you don't have to keep coming back lugging the unit back. The differences are subtle, but are undeniably there.

If you have immediate questions, you can find my contact information at my website: http://www.JeffersonKim.com

Fairly easy to use. I'm using version 1.0
Editing patches is easy with the patch editor. What sucks is that it can only store 10 of them.
The manual sucks.

The keyboard action isn't the greatest, but it's ok. The keyboard can be split up to four zones, but unfortunately, there is no aftertouch. The AC adapter doesn't come with it. Duh

N/A, it's a controller

Not sure if it would hold up in a gigging situation. I've heard reports of broken keys.

Overall it's a decent unit. The action isn't the best, neither is the missing aftertouch and adapter. But at 499 it's still a pretty good value.