Roland AX-1 Controller

Well, I have to agree with the others that the manual is a little on the "terse" side...newcomers to MIDI would be absolutely bewildered, even with the little "MIDI Guidebook" pamphlet that comes with it. Knowing the concepts of "LSB and MSB" will make a big difference. You can get alot of info (I got about 10 pages worth) from the Roland site if you look in their "Product Information Archive" under AX-1 AND the A-30 keyboard controller which is programmed in exactly the same fashion.

Keyboard action is okay and once you understand how it wants to be programmed its relatively easy to split the keyboard...I wouldn't want to do it in a hurry though (like onstage between songs)!
By the way..for those complaining that the MIDI plug falls out, that little plastic dohickey beside the MIDI port is a strain reliever for the MIDI cable (or for an AC supply) - you just wrap it over and under the clampy things..if your cables' too thick it unscrews so you can get the cable under the tines and then clamp it down. At least that's what I hope its for...everything seems to be alright :-)

According to the manual it will send key aftertouch messages to those modules which understand them but I haven't tried it yet.

The batteries last a long time...my first set went about 25-30 hours.
The programming I did continues to stay in memory for the present but I've only had it for about 6 weeks. So far so good.

Have always found Rolands' site to be a bit maze-like..found most of my info in the "Product Information Archive" under "AX-1" and "A-30" (a different controller keyboard that programs the same way).

Find it a bit overpriced but priceless in fun value...you can get up and MOVE with it - wanna-be guitarists can find a good patch and rock with it using the mod-bar and the ribbon controller. Watch out tho' your left hands gonna get even more lazy while your right plays those leads and bass lines:-)

Manual is terrible. Everyone has said that, it's true, it's not that we're all dummies. The manual is written by engineers for other engineers working on the project. Expect to spend hours experimenting and decifering. I recently purchased a JV1010 and from that I guess the 1999 product manuals are better...too bad this isn't a 1999 product. Once you get everything set up, however, it's a breeze to use :) Split the difference : 5

Midi capabilities excellent. No expansion. Again, if you can figure out how to use it, you're golden. But....

The AX1 is all about expressiveness. A super ribbon controller and potentiometer more than make up for aftertouch, and there's a data entry knob by thumb too. And a sustain button. Yeah!

...can't say yet...

0.

Welllll...for the same price, you can get a Fatar with aftertouch. You can't dance around the stage with a studio logic, but for a midi controller...

Yes Yes the manual is hard to understand, the AX-1 has no sounds of it's own. I have mine setup where each of the initial 16 patches are set to midi channels 1 thru 16 respectively. Then I route the AX-1 thru a midi patchbay to a Korg synth playing a combination sound. That way, I can click up and down thru the AX-1 programs thus changing midi channels on the fly and accessing different sounds quickly. NOTE: This involves having the midi patchbay filter out the patch changes automatically sent by the AX-1. I could disable patch changes on the Korg synth, but I also use the patchbay to change the combination for each new song.

The keyboard action and quality is good. I started with a Korg RK-100 which was not touch-sensitive. Then I had a Roland AXIS which was great, but had a 5-pin proprietary XLR cable to a fotswitch. Which was also nice to have a sustain etc.. footswitch. Ultimately, I neede my controller to be battery operated, because I now use a NADY MIDI wireless rig! No MIDI cable for me. NOTE: NADY sold the WML-50 MIDI wireless rig to MIDIMAN who I think still sells it. This is an expensive option however, as the WML-50 cost me about $400, then you still need a guitar wirless to go with it. IF you want the whole story, e-mail me at tony@beg.com

Reacts well to velocity, but has no aftertouch.

Well, my AX-1 was pretty reliable, until it fell off the stage at a gig. The case survived well, but soon after it started playing parts out of key, or not at all. I sent it back to Roland, and it was over 3 months before I got it back. The tech kept trying to fix it. Finally he replaced the main board. I just ordered a Black one as a backup, as this controller is important to my show. I have the AX-1 wireless, with a wireless headset mic, so I am out in the crowd!
No sitting behind a rack of keyboards for me. Guitarists look out! I may be standing in front of you!

Well, now I have had mostly good support from Roland. I did have a bad experience with the Tech who worked on my AX-1. I feel this was an isolated incident, where he was over his head.

I love the freedom that this instrument brings me. Every band i was in before I used the remote keyboards, no one knew who I was. Plight of keyboard players and drummers. Now EVERYONE knows who I am.
I am right out there with the Guitarists...Kicking A%* and Takin Names. I like everything on the AX-1. It could use aftertouch but that's about it. I have managed to get it to do what I need.

I've been using the Ax-1 for about 3 yrs. Love it. To solve your MIDI cable problem, when it comes lose during your hottest riff, try taking the cable and stringing it between your shoulder strap and the pin where the strap connects. Obviously, use the pin near the keyboard's high-end notes, near the chorus/reverb buttons. You end up using about one foot of MIDI cable but the security you get in return is worth it. I revere this keyboard and I hope Roland will come out with an infrared emitter so that one day we will be free of MIDI cables altogether!

chiaface7@usa.net

Manual is bad.
Watch out for the midi cable. It has a tendency to fall out
of the connector right in the middle of your hottest riff.
I'm looking for a solution to solve that problem.

Good touch on the keys.

One of the hardest things is figuring out how to porgram it because the manual is so poor. To save those who read this review from the frustration I had here is how to program the AX-1.

Press PATCH to turn off the patch mode
Press PROGRAM CHANGE
Enter the number of the sound you want (i.e. 63)
Press ENTER
The AX-1 will now be playing this sound.
To put it into a preset patch number,
Press and hold the WRITE button and press the Patch number you want this sound in.
If you wnt/don't want Reverb and/or Chorus after you have done this
turn them on or off and then press WRITE adn the Patch number again.

These are the basics. The Roland EX10 that I am using to cotrol my AX-1 has many variations
of each preset sound. I haven't figured out how to get those variations into the AX-1 yet. But
when I do I'll let you know.

I've only had it a couple of weeks. But it really has met my expectations. I would definitely replace it.

This is a midi controller so you need an external sound source. Thats something that needs to be pointed out with people that are unfamiliar with the ax1. The ability to edit with the ax1 is much more simpler I think. Id have to say i agree with others about the manual it is a little hard to understand.

The ax1 features the ribbon controller wich is great for expressive realtime controll I used to own the korg trinity + before i switched to midi controllers it had the ribbon and so does the ax1 so this is really a plus.I personally love how the ribbon is on the neck so its like a guitar and much easier to use. The 32 patches make it great to get around. No on board sequencer that has to be hooked up externally. All in all the features are great an awesome throw around light weight keyboard, very portable nice for people like me that dont want to be stuck behind a stack of keys and want to move around.

Some instruments you can make sound so real.This board is very expressive. I am into the industrial/techno scene thats what we play so this is nice for those kinds of sounds,reacts very nicely.

Yeah id say you can definatly depend on the ax1,just make sure if your using the battery route verses the ac adapter you have fresh batteries but its not something to worry about. All in all very dependable yeah id use it without a back up. 1 thing though on the strap the plastic pieces on the ends of the shoulder strap seem to sratch the heck out of your board make sure you put something over them I taped mine up.

I think roland is a great company they make good boards. I havent had to deal with customer service too much but i called once about custom cases for the ax1 and roland was great about it.

I have to give the ax1 an overall high rating cause I just fell inlove with this peticular board its so versatile, very light, a joy to use, nice for those who like portability and are on the move. I also love its features, and the way it looks it is the only one that looks like a guitar that i know of that makes the ax1 very unique. I love the colors it was released in it really makes you stand out in the band poeple seem to love it. 1 thing to note I had to shop around for mine they seem to go fast and they were reintroduced for a short time wich will make them limited editions. The red one is now and the black one will be soon i beleive, I bought one of the last ones the guy had when I bought mine so i was happy to get one. You have to act fast awesome board i loved them so much i bought 2 the red one and the black one i also have a roland pc 200 mk 2. If you like the flat style boards and like the versatility of the ax1 then the mk2 is another choice from roland.

This is a controller keyboard designed for light weight and quick on-stage access. Thus there is no display screen or many slide/dials. Once setup, it is pretty easy to use. But setting up is the part that is not easy, so I gave it a 7. I am using the AX-1 to control my Korg TR Rack. What the manual does not say is how to change bank for Korg synthesizers. So I actually had to read through the international Roland manual and half of my TR Rack manual before finding a solution. Those who are in the same boat as I am, here is the solution: Korg's banks A is C00=0, C32=0; bank B is C00=0, C32=1, bank C is C00=0, C32=2; bank C is C00=0, C32=3. Roland could've included this information on their manual, since not everyone who uses the AX-1 will use it to control a GM or GS module. Lastly, the AX-1 does not come with an AC adapter, and I cannot find an AC adapter with 9.0 V and 80 mA of output. So I will be stuck with using on-board batteries for a while. The battery idea is great for gigs, since it eliminates another wire. But for home use, I don't want to waste my precious Duracell batteries. Supposedly 6 new Duracells will provide 32 hours of use. But it's still pretty expensive if I used it day after day.

I love the features on this controller, especially the ribbon and volume control. Before getting the AX-1, I've been controlling my TR Rack with Kurzweil PC-88, with which I have to adjust the TR Rack volume on the rack itself. Also, for Trinity synthesizers, playing them without ribbon just doesn't do justice for some cool sounds and effects that Korg has programmed for the ribbon. Oh, did I forget to mention, its portability! That is the NO. 1 reason why I purchased the AX-1, because I want to dance and move around when I play, not standing rigidly behind a huge keyboard and keyboard stand.

The ribbon on the AX-1 helps me to get more expressive with the sounds on my sound module, as compared with the pitch bend wheel. I can trill and bend some plucked instruments much more realistically with a ribbon than with a wheel. Oh, and since I can dance while playing the AX-1, it addes the expressiveness of my body on stage.

I just got the AX-1 4 days ago, so I can't give a fair judgement on its reliability. There has been opinions on the reliability of the releasible strap mechanism, that it disengages itself during usage. Right, this hook will disengage itself if it is not installed properly. However, I tightly clamped one end (the end with larger hole) of the strap to the release mechanism with the provided nut and washer, orienting the opening of the release mechanism upwards. That way, the weight of the keyboard will rest on the mechanism opposite of its opening, thus preventing it from falling off. Again, this procedure could've been outlined in the already long manual to prevent any dissatisfied customers.

If it were lost or stolen, I would buy it again, since it is very useful to a gig keyboardist like me who play 40 to 80 events each year. Again, it is the only keyboard that can be played without sitting on a stand, so there are no alternatives for me to from which to choose. And I love just this feature, since I can dance freely to music while I play keyboard with this toy. I wish it had a foot pedal control option so I can play piano sounds with it with both hands. This beast totally helps me make music. In fact, I feel like a better musician playing on the AX-1. Last piece of information: I've been wanting to get this toy for half a year, but searched everywhere: chain stores, online stores - no luck. I was plagued by joy when I saw two AX-1's available in Guitar Center when I walked in to check out some monitors. Guess what? I walked out with the AX-1 instead of the monitors.

The AX-1 is one of the coolest controllers on the market and ideal for people like myself who are more proficient playing with our rigt hands than our left. It gives me an excuse not to develop left hat technique right away. Being a controller, there are not preset sounds, but being a master controller there are patches. It is possible to set up 32 patches that can move to the appropriate patch at the touch of a button. 32 patches will get you through more than a traditional set. Although the manual is cery difficult to understand - 1st column in english, then the next 5 are in different languages, so you get one column of information for every 2 pages. Which gets me to the manual - it is lousy. It couldn't be any more terse than it already is. They expressed themselves using an economy of words. (Restating the last sentence in Roland-ease - "Short Sentences") Fortunately, it is fairly intuitive to use - for the obvious stuff. Programming can never be done without spending some time in the manual.

Since this is a controller - there are no sounds. But it does allow for more realism in the sound source that you are using. It works well with any type of music. Why, because the unique way the assignable ribbon controller/mod lever work together. This I guess you can call an onboard effect. This controller understands velocity, aftertouch, but I do not think polypressure. It causes you to take your lead playing to the next level.

Haven't had it long enough to determine it's dependability, but Roland has a good reputation. I never travel without a backup.

If it were stolen, I probably would not buy it again. It was an impulse buy... I would probably replace it with something like the Roland AX33 76 key semiweighted controller instead. I have been playing a little over a year and have some other cool pieces of equipment: Yamaha RX series Bass Guitar Yamaha DD-50 Digital Drums Yamaha QS300 (The most underrated keyboard on the market) Roland PMA-5 Roland SP-202 Roland PC-200 MKII controller Roland AX-1 controller
I think the strap holder that they devised is lousy. The design is an easy way to undo/redo the strap. Caused mr to drop the AX 3 times today. So I took off the quick release and fed it to the dog. Since the AX is the only strap-on on the market now - it doesn't compare.
I wish you had the option to add a sustain pedal.