Alesis V49 | 49-Key USB MIDI Keyboard Controller with 8 Backlit Pads, 4 Assignable Knobs and Buttons, Plus a Professional Software Suite

EXCELLENT. I have only had this for just under a day and i knew it was a solid purchase right out of the box. What is important to note with this is that it is aimed at the music composer who wants to minimalize hardware as much as possible hence the alesis 's very small amount of features. but what it lacks in function it makes up for in build quality for sure. i traded my M audio oxygen 49, a keyboard which despite having 4 extra knobs, 9 sliders, transport controls and another feature or two, it just pales in comparison to the alesis V49's construction. The V49 has semi weight keys which feel so much more responsive, the 4 knobs are a little stiff but smooth and sit solid in the side panel, the pitch and mod wheels have a very firm slick feel for accuracy with added rubber coating for a nice grip, and the drum pads are SO MUCH BETTER then the oxygen's in terms touch and responsiveness. the assignable buttons and octave buttons are a little too clicky for my own taste but its a minor thing i can live with. The entire thing overall feels like it has weight yet simplicity with the controls sifted to the left side leaving room on your desk for your monitors or display. One of the biggest issues with controller keyboards today is having too many features for the sake of variety when we live in an age where software is king and can do so much more with the click of a mouse, and for me i prefer to keep most of my function and editing in the software and not the hardware. If you are one who wants a very straight to the point, no hassle, and very neat clean laid out keyboard then the alesis V series is for you. I have not tested the mapping software that comes with it, then again i never bother with it anyway because it can be a hit r miss situation setting things up. its easy to just plug it in and use your DAW's built in midi learn function as and when you need hands on editing done =)

This is one of the best MIDI keyboards I have purchased so far.Comparing this to the popular akai mini, it is much better in terms of quality, design and price. The keys are much thicker and smoother which is good for people who struggle to use smaller midi keyboards like myself. The touch pads are very responsive and reveals a soft touch. The Blue LED is quite bright which gives a futuristic look which will enhance your set up!Only problem, as it is much thicker and longer midi than the akai mini, it will be harder to pack in your bags and carry around for travel. However this is not a issue for me as I do not travel to studios with my midi.

First off, the keys on this keyboard are great. They are heavy like some reviews have mentioned, but are equally weighted, smooth and with uniform action. 49 keys is a very sweet middle ground between compactness (it's definitely not portable like a 25 key but doesn't require a super wide desk to use) and having the ability to play with both hands, with about an octave to spare depending what you're playing.Many reviews mention the strange and unpredictable response of the keys and drum pads - the key response can be fixed by changing the curves in the V49 editor, but I agree the pads are a little unpredictable. The octave up/down and preset buttons 1-4 are a bit cheap feeling which is a shame but expected for the value you are getting here.The Alesis V49 Editor could do with some more detailed user instructions and the UI could be more intuitive, maybe it is for someone used to MIDI but for a beginner which I believe is a key target market of this product, it wasn't clear how to assign functions to different controlsThe sustain pedal (not included) is a bit naff for this, (and not even cheap), but does the job. The sustain input jack is very stiff, the force you have to use to insert and remove a jack is a bit off-putting so this could be improved.I use the keyboard with Ableton Live 10 and it works well, the volume dials are already mapped to effects such as reverb, hardness etc. Haven't yet mapped the modulation rockers though.Overall, a great keyboard.

I bought this midi controller for my friend this Christmas. I was happily surprised when using the midi controller, it works amazingly, the overall feel is brilliant and it's a joy to use, not to mention the worth of money (seriously, you won't find the the same amount of quality in a product anywhere else for this money).The only cons I can think of is the drum pad double-registers sounds sometimes. It can be fixed with the software included. Otherwise it can be physically fixed by screwing off the back and applying tape to the pads (from the inside) to dampen the registration of your clicks (tutorials on YouTube) (have not tried this).Do not let that put you off because this is seriously a gem of a product. I would buy it for myself If I didn't already have 3 midi controllers hehe.

This item is in a class of it's own. The key bed is no clackety (cheap feel to the keys). It also has arpreggio function (which is not usual in such a cheap keyboard). I am using with Roland cloud and it feels every bit as good as using a real bit of Roland hardware (bass synths). I have a studiologic sl88 and studiologic numa compact 2, and the quality of Alesis key bed is every bit as nice as the numa compact. I got this keyboard to stop my more expensive keyboard instruments from getting the keys wrecked by the keys getting slapped for bass synth noises. I thought I was getting a cheap keybed, but have got an excellent and robust and feature rich controller. I am a reaper user.

I love this product. One problem is that you sometimes have to press the keys quite hard to get the result that you want. It was bigger than I expected and it is probably not going to fit in a normal size bag. It's really good for the price and does not feel cheaply made.