At £155, the CME Xkey Air 25 isn’t cheap but if you’re looking for something a little different, or need polyphonic aftertouch, this is the one for you.Arturia’s continuing advance into the hardware market knows no bounds and their new, portable controller definitely punches above its weight. It will play nice with Windows but it requires a WIDI BUD USB dongle to work. Along with the keys, there’s a pressure-sensitive modulation switch, sustain button and two octave shift buttons.ĬME’s Xkey Air 25 is designed to work with Mac devices, both desktop and mobile. This gives you much more control over expression and is especially unusual for a small MIDI controller. Unlike channel aftertouch, which affects all notes at once, polyphonic aftertouch happens on a per-note basis. However, the inclusion of polyphonic aftertouch may make up for it. The body of the Xkey 25 is incredibly slim at only 16mm thick so the full-size and velocity-sensitive keys have a very short stroke. It’s also class compliant – just connect Bluetooth and away you go. Instead of being powered by USB it’s got a lithium battery inside for 10-plus hours of continuous use. The Xkey Air 25 is indeed wireless, with low-latency Bluetooth 4. While you’re here, you may enjoy this video from Attack on YouTube.
As always, products are listed in order of ascending price. If you’re in the market for a new controller, jot down what you need and your budget, and then go to town with this list. The bonus is that 25-key controllers are affordable as well.
Depending on your production style and genre, you might want to get down with backlit drum pads, MIDI-mapped knobs or even some built-in samples.
The great thing about modern MIDI controllers is you don’t have to stop with keys. As dance music producers, most of us can get by with a 25-key MIDI keyboard for playing in one-handed basslines, melodies and chords. Unless you’re a keyboardist with the kinds of chops to impress the audience at Carnegie Hall or blow away the musos down at the local jazz bar, something a little smaller is probably ideal. Need some MIDI keys but not a great big keyboard? One of these affordable mini MIDI controllers, each with 25 keys, could be just right.
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