M Audio Axiom 49 ????

[sagar4848]

Hey Guys,

im looking out for a convenient midi keyboard. I produce progressive/electro house. So basically will be required for like chords and melody and stuff. I'm learning the piano right now so slowly getting the hang of playing with 2 hands. Is the axiom 49 a good keyboard??

If not, why, & can you also suggest me a good one?


Btw why exactly do these midi keyboards have pads? Like i can trigger the same samples with my keyboard keys right? So except the fact it's fun/intuitive to play on pads why do i need to have pads in my setup unless i want a complex groove?

Thank you & please help.

[botstein]

I have not had good experiences with m-audio hardware. I highly reccomend against buying that brand.
I use and typically reccomend Novation keyboards, and there is anther thread knocking about where we discussed Akai's offerings, including a nice write-up from Tarekith.

The pads are on there as a selling point- to provide some extra functionality, maybe, and to make the product seem like a workstation or like users will get multiple uses out of it. Those pads aren't on par with QuNeo, for example, and you don't need them.

I really like playing drums and percussion on 16 pads, and
dislike using keys for that. Conversely, I don't like playing melodic things on 16 pads without help from QuNeo's advanced note mode, or Ableton scripts that constrain the pads to keys like Maschine and Push have.

[sagar4848]

Ohh that's cool.

It's interesting to see how the m audio has such opposite reviews. Since so many people are like big fans of their gear. Plus its simple plug and play effortless functionality is credited. Any specific reasons y u dont like their stuff? I've heard something bout sticky keys but dont know what that exactly means. (the key don't come up as fast may be)

Though ill look into the novation keyboards. Thanks.

[botstein]

When they belonged to Avid, it was the worst. Some units were dead-on-arrival or broke within minutes of use and support was miserable - image paying $100 just to talk to them, as well as the cost of the phone call and the time it takes to wait on hold, and then receiving no help from someone who either could not or would not speak English. I complained about a number of bad support persons through their automated surveys, etc, and one of them broke their privacy policy to harass me using my home phone number. Bad, bad service, bad build quality, bad velocity sensitivity, and very short and innacurate faders and knobs.

[sagar4848]

Fuck! OK that's really fucked up. Any specific models i should check out in the novation brand? Using live 9.

[Patch]

I used an Axiom 49 for years. No problems. In fact, I only sold it a few months ago to someone on this very forum.

It was a fucking awesome piece of kit and I would recommend it to anyone.

[botstein]

Fuck! OK that's really fucked up. Any specific models i should check out in the novation brand? Using live 9.

I use Live 9 too - I use a 61slmkii but the launchkey line and the older Impulse line also have good integrations with Ableton.

[botstein]

I used an Axiom 49 for years. No problems. In fact, I only sold it a few months ago to someone on this very forum.

It was a fucking awesome piece of kit and I would recommend it to anyone.

I'm sincerely envious of your experience - that's great.

[sagar4848]

Can you guys tell me the difference between the axiom pro and axiom air? and on the net im reading that the axiom pro is not yet updated with live 9, so what's with that?

[and_leite]

I'm sincerely envious of your experience - that's great.

I own a Axiom 61 MKII and love it, I would definitely recommend it. The keys and pads are really great. I compared it with other keyboards like Novation and Akai and in my opinion it is the best especially the keys... but to be totally honest I don't like very much the faders and rotaries, but for that I use my APC40 so not biggie for me.