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Posted 20 hours ago

CME XKEY AIR 25 Electronic Keyboard

£9.9£99Clearance
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ZTS2023
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The keyboard is plug and play, being up and running within a couple of minutes of being lifted out of the box. The Xkey models are unusual not only in their keyboard design, but also in that they transmit polyphonic aftertouch (poly pressure) MIDI messages. And since I had to add the faders outside of it anyway, it ended up being more clunky, than alternatives that actually play better. Also, if I was the teacher and I did any work at all in GarageBand (SoundTrap, Soundation) or notation programs, I would want a portable keyboard, particularly if the device I was using was a portable device (MacBook, iPad, Chromebook). At that point, you are only limited by the apps and programs that are available on your computing device.

I saw Jordon Rudess' long NAMM presentation on it from 2015 and he showed the CME software which is apparently capable of mapping any key on it to any message. The USB connects on the right top corner on the CME Xkey, which initially got me a little annoyed because I have my mouse on my right and the cables were disturbing my mouse movements. With my non-bluetooth version, I usb wire it to my Mac and it works (just as any complient MIDI device should). I tried my way through all of the smaller controllers with 37 keys available at the time, and the Korg Microkey was just be far the most playable. When I opened the package from CME, my initial reaction to the WIDI BUD, packaged in a small blister card with minimal instructions, was, “HO HUM.

I like the at-your-fingertips interface of the iPad, as well as the affordability and stability of the many great-sounding synths available for it. I do a lot drivingand have a hard time sitting down and practicing at things because I’m always on the go so this things just comes with me.

Overall, I've gotta give kudos to CME for rethinking the portable MIDI controller and coming up with the best music keyboard for iOS that I've used to date.I should also note that Xkey not only works with macOS and iOS apps, but Windows and Android are also supported. Xkey is a unique product in that it's not an exact emulation of the standard piano keyboard, but rather it's an evolution of that keyboard format aimed at modern, digital music-making. If I were creating a school MIDI lab with fixed computers, I would consider the original XKey (even above a comparable M-Audio product).

Truthfully, I think that for the typical user, the latency bottleneck will be with their computer or chosen software instrument and not likely the Xkey Air. As with most BLE MIDI devices, it is instantly detected by the iPad and connects with a single touch. The spacing and depth of Xkey's keys mirror those of a piano, but the height of each key is lower (meaning less travel too), and there are gaps between the keys.There are a few others too, but some one them I tried out at guitar center and I hated the keys probably worse then I would hate xkey. I didn’t test the Xkey with the iPad simply because I never felt serious music making should be made on the iPad. Great care has been taken to ensure accuracy in the preparation of this article but neither Sound On Sound Limited nor the publishers can be held responsible for its contents. Computer Music magazine is the world’s best selling publication dedicated solely to making great music with your Mac or PC computer.

Keyboardists have longed for a more portable rig for years and this keyboard fulfils that need with a multitude of uses. I had a Line 6 Mobile Keys 49 keyboard for my first-generation iPad, but that product has been discontinued, and it won't work with newer iPads that have Lightning ports. Ultimately I am extremely happy with the keyboard and find it a great new music keyboard on itself, maybe not in the strict classical piano way but still very expressive. The fact that a keyboard can be so compact and yet still have full sized keys makes it perfect for practicing tough riffs in the hotel room, or simply composing with a low profile.Burl Audio, under the direction of owner/designer Rich Williams, has developed some of the best new recording equipment over the last eight years. The keyboard also consumes very little power, helping your laptop or tablet battery last that bit longer. Using it in a static installation, however, it doesn’t take long before you start hankering after another octave, if only to be able to get your bass notes further away from the rest of your chord voicings.

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