Midiman Oxygen 8

USB does not work... makes it pretty hard to use.

MIDI ports DO work. Changing MIDI channels, octave transpose, etc is very easy. Other MIDI implementation is a little more difficult.

You can still use USB to power the keyboard, but it wont talk the computer. Essentially, half of its functionality is gone.

Control knobs and data slider will send MIDI controller data. You have to set these values. Kind of tricky to set up. Read the manual http://media.zzounds.com/media/Oxygen8_manual-1aed02ad1362ea835b903edf2b6e4fe1.pdf

Do not rely on this unit.

If somebody gives you one then take it. Can be used via MIDI to control sound modules or rack synths or whatever.



> If you have one and have solved the USB issue please post details here. Thanks.

Easy to setup.. seriously easy. Couple minutes for drivers. It's a midi controller, so there isn't much setup on the actual device, you'll be doing all your acoustics in the software ie. reason, ableton live, logic etc

Key are cheap and modwheel slides against plastic casing making an awful sound. It can use a pedal (1/4" jack) and it's got usb, and 2 midi ports. BUS powered when using MIDI.

Not much to say here, again, it's a midi controller.

CANNOT DEPEND ON THIS. I have been using it for a year now, and the USB port has died. OS X will no longer detect it as a midi device, I have not tried using the midi ports, as I do not have a midibox for this computer.
Totally sucks, there's no documentation on this, and no one seems to know what to do about it. My warranty is up.

Basically told me to %$#@ off.

I'm going to get a synth. Midi controllers keep sucking worse and worse.

well....

in theory its seems to be piece of cake

slight prob,its not working!!!

so much features ! you can say they just "flowing out" the keyboard!

a strange noise when I hit the buttons

can't make do with 1..have to give it 2

none

what!?
no 0!?

usb dead (like the first writer)

they basiclly told me to go to hell

go away! run & hide!!

dont even think about it !!!

they realeased a second version for this piece of crapy plastic

The installation with xp was fiddly and needed several attempts. Once it was up and running it was ok, but if you change system you have to go through the same frustrations again. Once running, it's not that easy to to edit the parameters - you have to follow the instructions very carefully and even then it can be easy to wind up frustrated.

I bought the thing mainly just so that I could use the keyboard and have a bit more control over the software. It does this quite well in that it feels comfortable, but there is a slight tackiness to feel of it and it might have been better to have spent a bit more on another 25 key machine.

It's not "expressive" - but then it's a controller so what do you expect ? Velocity and aftertouch ok.

Some keys stick a bit and this can be a real problem as the volume of some synths keeps buiding. But what really sucks is the modulation wheel. After a few months, it starting involuntarily fluctuating which screwed up every sound. Having to waste time going through the checks to isolate the problem didn't sit well with me and I wasted a lot of time trying to solve this problem.

The initial feedback was ok - advice on how to disconnect the mod wheel and a promise of replacement parts as I live in a remote area. But nothing arrived so I contacted them again. Again, nothing arrived and now, after 10 months, I have lapsed into occasional emails in their direction to see if they will ever fulfil their promise. Basically crap.

If it were lost or stolen, I'd be happy collecting the insurance money and get something of better quality from a company with better support.

It understands if you see that.

25 full size keyboard.
It is Cheap.
Often, even if a keyboard is pushed, it isn't returned.
Because of that, I perform an operation for him well.

no sounds.

It is low.
Sometimes, keyboard is hold.

A cheap keyboard.
A function except for that is good.
Only, a keyboard is pulled out, and it can't be evaluated.

Simple things are straightforward. The rest of the functionality that is listed in the manual seems too complicated and i don't know how to use its full functionality even though i use it for 6 months allready.
On windows 98 it works great. I don't have winXP but when i was on the shop to get my "fixed" pitch bend keyboard for two times, each time we connected the keyboard on the SAME computer it asked for the drivers. Even if we turned off and then back on the keyboard it kept asking for the drivers.

There is a polyphony limitation around 8 notes i think, but i don't think anyone would have a problem with this because the keyboard has only 2 octaves. The problem he would probably run are stuck notes that you have to hit again to turn off. It is supposed to have after-touch but i can't find why it isn't working. Or it is not supposed to have after-touch? i don't know. Velocity sensitivity is ok.

There is no synth of course. It works good enough for single handed playing because it has only 2 octaves. I use it for jungle/dnb and it should work with dance music. For rock, jazz, classical and anything else with rich melodies you should definetely avoid this keyboard. Velocity is working, after-touch no, but i don't know if after-touch is on its features.

You can't really depend on it. It seems that every oxygen-8 comes with a broken pitch bend wheel. The shop that i bought it nearly admited that. After two times that i send it back with the pitch bend wheel still broken, they gave me one used they have on the shop that the pitch bend wheel has the same ammount of "dead region" both up and down. I think that is the best case one can hope for with this keyboard. It had the midi/select button broken but they fixed it (really!). I think that a used one that works pretty good would be more reliable than a new one.
Of course you should definetely not go live with this keyboard even "it fits on your bag"

The company was kind and "helpful" but every time i got a "repaired" one back it was the same thing i have send them to repair. I consider myself lucky for giving them my new broken keyboard and get instead a used one they had on the shop to show to the customer.

I wouldn't buy it in any case again. I don't suggest anyone go buy this keyboard. The only thing is that you won't regret your money but if i had any chance to replace it or buy something else i would do it. It is my first keyboard and it is not that bad to get started but with some more money i would have bought something that i would liked more and maybe be more productive. I think one should spend more time shopping to find something else.

Anyone can set this thing up... just install the drivers and plug it into a USB port. HOWEVER, it's not as easy to edit parameters as it should be. A bank of buttons to select parameters would be nice. It's an excellent, cheap solution to people with no experience using midi controllers for music software, but anyone who plans on using it heavily will quickly find it limiting. Anyone who plans on using it live should simply buy something else.

Knobs and keys give Reason and soft-synths a huge advantage over using a mouse, but the keys on this unit are loose and feel like a $25 casio toy keyboard. The pitch bend wheel was broken upon arrival. M-audio fixed it, but I don't trust it, as the whole thing rattles, feels hollow and cheap. Programmability is extremely limited. I wish I had spent more time shopping before buying this. The Novation ReMOTE 25, for example, has TONS of useful features that this one lacks, including semi-weighted keys, dedicated transport controls, user-programmable templates for all kinds of software (with overlays), and a MUCH better design for the pitch bend and mod "wheel."

Well, as it's a controller, it doesn't make any sounds itself, but I will say that the aftertouch is a nice feature, and can add expressiveness to your soft-synths.

It stops sending midi signal at random. If it happens while the user is pressing a key, the computer never receives the "note off" information, and the current note plays indefinitely. As far as I can tell, nothing fixes this problem except restarting whatever software is being controlled by it. I can rarely use it for longer than 3 minutes or so before it stops controlling my software. I thought it was broken, but after sending my first one back to have this problem and the broken pitch bend wheel fixed, it still did the same thing. I sent it back AGAIN and received what was supposedly a new unit and I still have this problem. I don't know whether I got the same broken unit back and was lied to, or if the Oxygen 8 simply has this problem frequently. I have a new alienware laptop so I know my computer is not the issue. I would never, and I repeat, NEVER use this thing live.

The one positive thing I can say is that one gentleman in M-Audio tech support was very friendly and helpful. He even gave me his cell number when their office was moving, so I didn't have to wait until after their move was finished to get my product serviced. I don't know that this is common practice, but he did make me feel like he wanted to help me, and is the only reason this rating is not a 1. The rest of the support staff seems very unknowledgable and their steps of troubleshooting are not very comprehensive. As far as repair goes, When I sent the first unit back, they failed to diagnose and fix the problem of chronic loss of midi control. For this reason, I question whether I did in fact receive a new unit when I sent it back the second time. They did not pay for shipping for either time I returned it, so now I've spent nearly as much on this unworking toy as I would have on a Novation ReMOTE 25. It has been a severe disappointment dealing with M-Audio.

I can't recommend highly enough that anyone serious about their gear buy something better. This is a low-cost, portable controller, but apparently you get what you pay for. It is nearly worthless.

No problem installing the drivers (USB),I use it with Reason and had it up and running in less then ten minutes. The rotary knobs can easily be assigned to different parameters (using "set crtl" key), The manual is pretty basic.

Needles to say it's a midi controller but it connect's via USB. It has an extra slider (unlike the Evolution MK255C) but how to assign this to another parameter than master volume is a mystery so far
(5 days after purchase). And what the fuck is Aftertouch?!?

The keys are velocity sensitive (sensitivity can be altered), the knobs have a solid feel, maybe to solid

The data slider(master volume) has some kind of noize on it, when I set it at say 85 it doesn't stay there but it wobbles between 83 and 88. In other words the output on that knob constantly changes and will be recorded accordingly. The slider has a cover that can easily be taken off, super-glue this motherfucker or loose it! The other 8 are stable. There's one anomaly on the keys, when I strike one specific key (the one that has "cancel" above) it sometimes seems to 'sustain', so that it remains generating output (the sound sustains without me touching anything and no I dont have a sustain pedal and the decay in the synth is set to zero). The sound stops when I push the specific key. Not to reliable doing live sets.

Haven't tried out this feature, yet.

It get the job done, and as someone already mentioned, it's just a sofisticated mouse. Rather that than RSI!! I like it, but I need more knobs (maybe I'll go for the Doepfer Drehbank)

The fact that it has no dedicated program change buttons kills it for me. Also using the midi select button and then the keys on the keyboard to select what parameter to edit sucks! Hell it was cheap though and it does work! Also the unit only stores one setup for the knobs and changing the midi CC numbers each time you use a different softsynth is bogus!

See my gripes above. I must say that it did pave the way for the likes of the Novation remote 25, which I just got and will review at a later date.

It has no sounds, the knobs do come in handy and the wheels are nice. Has no aftertouch though.

I have had some problems with it sending random midi program changes at times, especially when using Native Instruments' Pro 53.

Well,a year ago I did email their techs and told them what it needs to have. They ignored me. A year later now and I got the Novation Remote 25, which I havent used yet, but from what I know about it, they covered my previous wish list and then some!

I had zero previous experience using a PC-oriented MIDI controller prior to buying this unit, but I had it up and running in a matter of minutes. Assigning the knobs took me a bit longer to figure out, but again, with no previous experience under my belt I had it mapped out the way I wanted fairly quickly.

8 assignable knobs, 1 slider, pitch & mod wheels... there's not much to it, but it does offer a significant amount of flexibility despite that. I'm not a keyboardist by default, so I can't fairly comment on the feel of the keys. The unit also doubles as a MIDI interface, so you can easily route your external gear through it for use with your PC. It's also USB-powered, which is nice if you're low on available outlets.

Velocity seemed to be a tad out of whack straight out of the box, but thankfully that's tweakable. It integrates well though with any number of soft-synths.

So far no problems. At a glance, the unit *looks* like it's cheaply made, but I've given it a good pounding on a number of occasions and it's held up flawlessly. I don't gig personally, but I wouldn't recommend doing so with the Oxy-8, not without handling it with extreme care at least.

One thing worth noting: I've seen this unit touted in a number of ads/articles that it fits perfectly on a standard sliding rack shelf. And that's true, the keyword being "shelf". I had a sliding rack "tray" in my rig earmarked for this unit, only to find that the Oxy didn't fit perfectly. So if you plan on housing the unit in a similar manner, be sure it's a flat shelf, not a tray like I have.

Haven't had a reason to contact Midiman regarding this unit yet.

For what it costs (mine was $129 new), I'd easily buy another if it were lost or stolen.

A friend on mine who been eyeballing the Oxy-8 asked for my opinion on it, to which I simply said "it is what it is". In other words, it's a simple MIDI controller and interface with a limited number of very useable features. It's an excellent tool for beginners and more seasoned users alike. I'd describe it as a sort of sketch pad; when paired with the proper software, it's a great way to hammer out ideas quickly, and it's portability makes it a perfect piece to take with you just about anywhere.

If you're looking for bells & whistles, this board ain't the one to roll with. And with Midiman's new Ozone recently unleashed, complete with audio I/O capabilities, the Oxy may very well become obsolete in the near future. For the time being though, as starter units go, it's hard to beat.

Pretty simple to use. It's got 8 assignable knobs, pitch and modulation wheels, and 3 octaves (technically two, but it starts at low c and goes up to high c). Hooks up either via MIDI out or via USB (which can power the unit without the use of a wall-wart). My favorite feature is the USB-power deal, but that's pretty standard for most USB devices. Didn't use the manual because it was pretty simple to figure it out.

Just a standard dumb MIDI controller. No voices, no hammer-weighted keys, no frills. It's primarliy used for interfacing with a computer, and for that, this thing is perfect. Wouldn't even consider gigging with this thing, because it'd be like trying to use a laptop as a domain controller; sure, it can be done, but it'd be stupid because it's not practical. Anyway, the thing isn't packed with features, but for $120, what more do you expect?

No onboard sounds, but it's MIDI, it'll sound like anything you want if you get the right module/plug-ins. The velocity sensitivity can be adjusted, so if you have angel-fingers, fret not.

Hasn't failed me yet. Again, don't gig with this unless you're retarded. If you ARE retarded, then gig with this bad boy to your little heart's content. It aint gonna make you look any worse than you already do.

Dunno. Had a hard time installing drivers, but such is the nature of the USB device.

I'm selling this controller because it's too small and not versatile enough. I've been shying away from MIDI to go back to my analog synths, and as such this thing hasn't seen a whole lot of use. It's great if you don't have a MIDI controller, need one for your computer-based studio, and don't want to pay a whole lot of money for one, so in that respect I loved the thing. That was the situation I was in when I got it, and it was perfect. Now that I'm not as in to MIDI as I once was, I don't get a kick out of this thing too much anymore, and as of right now, I'm awaiting a payment for it, as I've sold it on eBay.

Using Cubase, Reason etc, the setup was a breeze. I am a midi amature so Im not sure how anyone could complain about ease of setup.. required no patches for mine to work.. Its works great so I dont see any reason to patch it.

Wish it had more knobs. No biggie. If it had 12 knobs it would be a 10.. What else can you say, its a midi controller.. Unfortuneately, people want to compare midi controllers to top of the line keyboards, they seem to be confused I guess. People, this is a fancy mouse.

Not applicable.

No problems.. again, it sends midi signals, not much CAN go wrong, unless you break it.

Not applicable, have not needed any

Again, if it had more knobs, it would be rated higher. I found it easy to use and easy to play. One octave, midi controller, works perfect with laptop.. You can even throw batteries in it.

This thing was bad to set up. I was new to midi interfaces and the manual was somewhat clear, but it still took a month to get it to work. Add to that it needed a few updates from their website right out of the box! I still can't figure out why there is always that ridiculous ? mark in the midi setup box. If i recall correctly you must even call the Oxygen 8 by an alternative name because something somewhere was not up to date yet. Can i say yet that the people at midiman were quiet clueless too?

Okay, this whre this thing makes up a lot of lost ground. It is a perfect little size to use with Reason and my laptop. Theoretically it has a lot of knobs you can edit, pitch wheel and mod wheel. Nice big red LED readout. Has a lot of inputs outputs for MIDI making it very flexible. It can even run off of batteries or USB. Cool.

P.S. - I originally ranked it a 10, but mine never allowed me use all of them because it was always broken. Minus three!

The keys are full sized so that is nice but they sure feel cheap and springy. It does have a mod and pitch bend wheel but they are located above the keys not on the left like on a real synthesizer.

This is your typical cheap, mass-produced, grey market lot of trash. Why do they make and we buy so much garbage? Oh yeah, it was $140. So for that amount of money, i got what seems like a promising little keyboard, but i will have to replace it soon. Remember quality is an investment...

For a month i tried to get the thing to work. So that is what, about 30 days right? There went my store return/refund/exchange window of opportunity. For the next couple of months i'm totally consumed with it - using it a lot on my projects, right? So in this time frame i'm just happy that i can get it to work. I use the keys and sometimes the mod wheel, etc. After that initial intro period i want to edit the control buttons, i.e. get different knobs to control other parameters than preprogrammed in Reason.

Lo and behold it does not send the data to Reason for editing. I thought i was just a slow learner and could not follow directions. I asked around with Midiman (aka M-Audio) and even on the Reason discussion forum to no avail. Strange that it would allow me to tweak the knobs but won't let me edit, but it won't. On top of that knob number 7 is totally dead. Actually, it works on hot days when something inside there binds just right. It was probably broken since i got it.

Lesson one, if you plan to use something a lot buy a high grade of quality. Two, make sure everything works right and test everything before your window of return/exchange/refund runs out!

I bought this from Sam Ash not long after they came onto the market. I get a feeling this may have been a returned item that they just taped up and sold again. I said that knob 7 works occassionally. They might have tested it and thought the customer was an idiot and taped it up and but it back on the shelf. They sold like crazy initially and so they felt good about having that last one available for sale. Or maybe not, i don't think the quality was there to begin with...

Maybe it was bad timing, but this company took at least two weeks to answer tech emails. Completely unnacceptable, even for buying a $140 product. Come to think of it, they are always slow to respond.

However, i did manage to get a hold of somebody once, he tried but was petty ineffective in helping me. Granted, i didn't know much about Reason or midi, but i was hoping he would, given his support position and the fact that this thing was almost designed exclusively for Reason. I eventually spent more and more hours on it and figured out i wasn't activating the right keyboard in Reason. You see, for some reason the keyboard appears twice in the pulldown menu in Reason preferences and you must choose the second of the two. I would say it was my dopey installation, but other people have found the same problem and i have reinstalled and it happened again!

I did report the problem to Midiman but i never heard back from them.

Too bad. This could be a great product and it probably is for some and not others. What i mean is the quality is such that one out of every 8 users gets a lemon, the other 7 don't know what I'm talking about. Sure, it's only about $140, but actually its costs are quiet more because mine must be replaced. Believe me, i like the package but the overall fit and finish on this thing is awful. Maybe between now and when i bought it they have tighten up the quality control, hired more support people, and actually trained the ones who care - but i doubt it.

Vedi, vedi easy to use. Just plug in, and go (on PC at least). Editing the eight knobs, slider, etc., difficult for the novice, especially with the 3-digit display.

Features not bad for the price. I, like so many others, wish that the pitch and mod wheels where to the right of the keyboard though. Good for more simple progressions of course.

Whatever.

Plastic piece of crap. Feels cheap, key feel funny, slider isn't very accurate. Can no longer transmit MIDI commands with USB, that failed after about 2 weeks, and every computer I tested it on fails to recognize it.

Sent e-mail to midiman, but they didn't help much. Haven't called, warranty expired by now. My fault.

If you are a laptop musician, try it, but keep your reciept. Desktop musicians, or anyone with the room should probaly go with an Evolution MK249 or something.

The Oxygen is pretty easy to use really. USB connection means the keybord is auto-detected then installing the drivers takes 2 minutes. Editing and presets is easy after flicking about in the manual and once set the presets are automatically saved. The manual itself is quite good, but then a manual is a manual, who really reads them all!

This keyboard has pretty much all the features that are available to a MIDI controller. 8 hands on knobs that give great control, modulation and pitch bend and a data entry slider. It also features a digital display which helps emmensely when programming keys etc. As expected it also features touch sensitive keys too.

N/A It has no sounds on it.

only had it about a week so no problems.

N/A never needed it.

If this beast was stolen I'd replace it instantly. It brings an extra dimension to song writing and editing in my studio. If you want to record with MIDI and you've got a good sound card buy this little number and your laughing.

Loaded the software, plug in and go, no problems. I'm a novice with MIDI, so I haven't gotten into programming the various control knobs. Purchased the Oxygen 8 for a midi controller to use Cubase SX and various VST plug-ins.

Two-octave midi keyboard controller, USB interface.

No real problems here, velocity and aftertouch not great, but in some cases I was able to improve on this by tweaking settings in the VST instrument.

I'm not a keyboard player, and didn't play it hard. It was strictly an input device, and received light use. Yet less than 30 days, and a key has already failed. What a piece of junk. It goes back to the store today.

Unknown, I didn't even try.

dunno the software version.. don`t wanna loot it up either

The keyboard works pretty good.. programming the knobs takes a little getting used to.
the usb feature is great.. and midi works fine also

sounds... it has none, so we`re all done here

I only use it for gig`s and it never failed me.
been using it for over a year.. and it`s been to over 15 gig`s in moist and very hot area`s straight in from the cold.
and it never once complained! ;)
so very dependable imho

never had to deal with their costumer support.

as a final conclusion I would say
If it were lost or stolen I would probably buy it agian..
it`s the right size for bringing on stage and hooking up to your laptop...
If you are just looking for something cheap to use as controller in your studio
I would probably go for his bigger brother... more keys, bigger, more options...
so all in all it`s (imho) only good for bringing on stage or making some music on your balcony or in the garden with your laptop.

Easy to use.. (ish)

very good feature list

velocity sensitive but a bit weird.. and you need to press the keys way too hard.

Well.. I bought this keyboard instead of an Evolution and within 2 months one of the keys had stopped responding and one of the buttons was a bit on the iffy side... Very mushy feel to the keyboard and probably about the worst build quality I have seen (apart from the twiddly knobs which are rubberized and very nice)... I managed to convince the guys I bought it from to allow me to change it for an Evolution 249C.. and the difference is quite astounding... The evolution has much better build quality and much better feel.

okay.. they got back to me within a week by email.

Nice features, looks okay, just needs better touch and a vast overhaul on quality control.

Once you understand how it all works, it's very easy to program. The installation was a little confusing (I'm on a PowerBook), but once I fiddled around in OMS, I got it to work through the USB port (with reason and live)...

8 knobs that are assignable to any midi channel and control number, independant of the midi keyboard itself. NOTE: I'VE GOT THE NEW MODEL, AND KNOB SETTINGS ARE SAVABLE AS PRESETS! That was the main gripe from most people on this device. (The manual doen't mention it, though. They need to really invest in thier marketing folks...)

In this class of controller, I'd say it's really nice. The velocity is great, for me. It's not the cheapest feeling keyboard I've used. ;-) The controls feel real nice and smooth.

Mine seems pretty sturdy. I'd gig with it...

Haven't had a need...

It's well worth what I paid. It's my dream keyboard, actually. I've turned my laptop into a complete synth/seq machine. And, as it's USB powered, I can stick my whole setup in one gig bag. Nice!

It's straightforward. About as easy as it could get considering there's only one two digit display for everything.

The controller knobs work great, but the fact that you can't save configurations makes it a pain in the ass. With Encore Electronics Knobby, you get the same 8 knobs, but you can save configurations. Of course you don't get a keyboard with the Knobby.

No sounds - it's a controller

Well, mine hasn't had parts fall off yet like other people's have, but the general build quality certainly doesn't inspire confidence.

Never used them.

Even though I'm not much of a keyboard player, I do find myself rather sensitive to keyboard feel. I was happy when I took it out of the box and didn't think the feel was as bad as other reviewers have warned. But when I plugged it in, I found that the bizarre velocity response renders it almost unusable for me. Even with the velocity offset maxed out to start at 64, I practically need to hit it with a hammer to get a full velocity response out of it. Now I do tend to sequence with a light touch, but it's always been adequate with things like, say, mid-level Roland keyboards. Bottom line is I just can't get it to work for me, which is a shame because obviously there's a great need for a little two octave desktop keyboard.

Easy to use, nice to be able to program the sliders, the manual is very helpful and straight to the point. I have not used the USB driver, only MIDI out, cannot speak for how well the USB driver installs.

There are two midi outs and a usb connection. No MIDI in. You can switch between battery, usb and wall power. There is a pitch and a mod wheel, a data slider, two dedicated octave transpose buttons and a data button that puts the keyboard into programming/function select mode. 8 knobs that can be programmed to send CC messages.
It is easy to transpose the keyboard, to send specific midi commands etc. Together with for example Emagic Logic's environment, you can create a very powerful setup.

I give it 8 for features, because in theory the unit offers a lot. However it doesn't help with good ideas and features when they aren't done well, see reliability.

There are no sounds, its a controller.

The keys are light and plastic, that would do much if the velocity response was consistent, but I feel it isn't - either the velocity curve is crazy or the keys just respond differently each time you hit them. It takes a while getting used to, but it is playable.

I think you can divide the usage of this unit into two: As a controller to bring along the laptop when gigging, and as a unit for desktop musician that NEVER moves the unit. If you play very carefully on the unit and never "move" it, I think the unit will last for a year. This unit is not for bringing to gigs and transport, even with careful packing.

As another user, the data slider knob fell off when I opened the plastic bag. The octave transport buttons has stopped responding. The data slider fluctates randomly between the nearest 5 values, and so does the first two knobs. You can't have a midi controller that spits out midi data, especially when moving around in a sequencer environment and the midi controller suddenly decides to send out the value 127 on CC07 (volume)... and this happened after only one gig.

I mailed Midiman support and asked about my problems, but have not got a reply (only auto-reply).

Sorry - I will return the unit, and seeing that others have commented that it doesn't last very long, I won't be wanting another one. Its sad because the features and the idea is very good.

I give it 3 because I think it could be OK for desktop/studio-only musicians. If you plan to bring it around, I think you need to look for something more reliable.

This is a basic controller with a few nice bells and whistles on it. For $130 it does what it's supposed to do quite well. The manual is well-written and understandable.

Quite flexible-- has usb capability and works well with stand alone modules too. The keyboard action is a little stiff, but for a supplementary keyboard for doing sounds within a performance, it's fine.

Not a lot to say. It doesn't have its own sounds, but the controls for tweaking other sounds on other modules are quite good. An interesting gadget, really.

I say be a little gentle on it. Of course, I say that about all my equipment.

Not, bad. I asked a few dumb questions, they were polite and informative. Manual is quite good.

I'd buy it again. Very worthwhile. Been playing for over 30 years. Own a Yamaha PSR9000, Nord Electro, Nord 2 Rack, Roland XV5050 module, a Les Paul, Pedulla Thunderbass 5, Eric Clapton Strat, Taylor 514ce. This little guy fits right in with the big stuff.

8. Fairly easy to use after you figure out what's going on.
Numeric/function selection is though the use of the keys you hit. This makes it more compact, and you probably won't really be reprogramming a knob in the middle of playing. (Ok. not too likely, anyway)
The manual, although sparse, is written in actual english.

Keyboard is ok. 10 key polyphony.. No expansion capability. [The ability to have more than one knob mapping would be great. If this board had 360 degree rotating knobs [It'd work along the lines of the older optomechanocal mice with the wheels with the slits.] and a bit higher resistance to moving the knobs, having multiple assignments would work.
360 degree knobs so that they don't have any absolute value. i.e. go to mapping one, set knob 1 to 23. Go to mapping 2. It would also jump to 23 if absolute values were used.:

Bundled software covers a decent range.
However the one nice keyboard/sampler program that was bundled is no longer meant to go with it.

It's a midi controller. N/A.

velocity could be more spread out. An option to set the limits by tapping to enter lightest and hardest pressure would also be a nice addition.

It has a few problems. The data slider knob easily comes off as the tab for the slider sticks out of the slot by about 1mm.

Knob potentiometers are possibly either dirty or cheap..
They will randomly shift up or down by 1 or 2. This I think could be fixed by software set with a threshold before the value is affected.

They have a range where no values are affected. This is ok though, since you may want a 'rest' area for it. It could be smaller though, as these inactive areas take up 3 of the 12 'notches' indicated.
The battery compartment lid does not always easily fit in, and when operating off battery power, slight bumps may cause it to reset or lose power.

I haven't had to call them yet.

If it were stolen, I'd sit down and think about it a while before replacing it. If they were to release a new one, perhaps in black rather than the cheap tan/grey/silver sparkle plastic, and even with just the slider fixed, I would be less hesitant to buy it. If they also incorporated multiple mappings, and fixed the battery compartment, I'd be comfortable paying more for it.

It is not very intuitive programming the knobs, and it behaves weirdly (buggy?), when entering numbers.

It has a lot of things the composing computer-user will like. It does lack MIDI in, though, so you still need a MIDI-interface.

The keys react very differently to velocity and the two sections are seldom well aligned.

Upon testing several units I would say they are poorly built with a lot of flaws. Several units I have tested have had weird problems with the data-slider. The battery-holder is awful and very hard to get into.

If nothing else fits on your desk, maybe you should consider buying it.

The keyboard has few features so it's easy to use.

The action is stiff and the keys feel cheap. The USB midi is convenient. The knobs feel pretty good, better than the rest of the unit. No other device has knobs and such a compact size so I give it a good features rating.

The USB interface stopped working after 2 days. I tried it on 5 different computers before giving up. The high-F key started mistriggering after 3 days. The slider knob fell off as soon as I unwrapped the plastic. Casio toy keyboards are better built than this.

The tech support response came in less than 24 hours although the info wasn't much more than the web site already offered. They seemed surprised my unit had had problems. In the end, I returned it.

As much as the Oxygen 8 is a fantastic idea, it's simply not built for what it's supposed to do. If you wanted a keyboard to throw into a bag with your laptop, well... it'll probably break by the time you get to your destination. My advice is go to the music store and play with one before buying. Pick it up, put it down. Press a key and you'll agree with me.

Im using this with Logic and Cubase on a powerbook g4 and it installed real easy once i figured out that the first one i got was actually damaged......just follow the manual's instructions exactly and you'll have no probs.

Its great.....2 octave full size keys, pitch and mod wheels and 8 seperate controller knobs.....all quite straight forward.....what i like best about this keyboard is its size and its direct connectability via usb......perfect for the laptop traveller.

no sounds of course but i will say the keyboard and wheels are fairly stiff, perhaps they will loosen with use.

no probs yet.......not had it long enough though

100% excellence. Best support ive ever had. Very personal and totally solved my problems.......i had a defective unit which they replaced immediately.

so far so fuckin good.......my dreams have come true.....ive now got a COMPACT MIDI controller that i can travel with enabling all kinds of musical creativity. Im very very happy.

there's not much to it so it's pretty easy to use.
programming the knobs & keys is a little convoluted, kinda late 1980's...
but overall easy to use. the drivers need an update tho, u can't put the computer to sleep for example, without losing the keyboard (thus having to restart).

just a controller, so no sounds/polyphony. but the knobs & slider are great, and the portability rules. combine this with a laptop & software & you can make music ANYWHERE.

keyboard is a little stiff, but the concept makes up for it.
velocity works as advertised, the pitch & mod wheels are great.

feels pretty solid. the whole idea (for me) is to throw it in a bag, grab my powerbook, & go work...anywhere.

needed help setting up with the computer, the company was EXCELLENT. quick responses to email/tech forms.

overall, brilliant. a little thicker than i'd expected, and you wouldn't buy it for the keyboard action...but it's a brilliant idea, and i haven't missed my bigger keyboard for a second.
requests: mulitple banks for the knobs, access to the lowest midi notes (0-7 i think)