I am deep into my exploration of inexpensive portable controllers for serving my life as a touring musician with the best midis. Between vans, planes, buses, cars and killing time back stage, the need for a portable MIDI controller has never been more important to me, especially ones that rank as best keyboards. I have looked at several small MIDI Controllers and have purchased several since I get so much use out of these great inventions. Since I own some other M-Audio gear and enjoy how easy it is to sync with my various programs, I decided to give the M-Audio Oxygen 25 MK IV USB Keyboard MIDI Controller a try and see how it stacks up against some of the other Portable MIDI controllers under $200.
Some of my thinking on purchasing so many MIDI controllers even though many of them are very similar (beside the amount of buttons and knobs and the feel of the keys and ease of programming – all worthy differences in choosing to own a few options) is that most of these little portable MIDI keyboards come with pro programs like Ableton, Logic and Pro Tools. With the cost of some of the programs being close to the cost of these portable MIDI controllers, its a no brainer for me just to stock up on MIDI controllers while collecting valuable software in the process.
The M-Audio Oxygen MKIV MIDI Controller comes with Pro Tools Lite which is an excellent and necessary program for producers and serious song writers and well as the powerful Ableton Lite and a few other programs. The M-Audio also has very nice, full sized and sturdy velocity sensitive keys with 8 velocity sensitive trigger pads and 8 programmable knobs for mixing and manipulating effects, tracks and plugins.
Software Included…
ProTools | First | M-Audio Edition – Based on the same music creation and audio production tools that artists, musicians, producers, engineers, and mixers rely on every day.
Eleven Lite – The ultimate plugin for in-demand guitar amp & cab modelling.
Ableton Live Lite – Produce, perform create – edit your musical ideas in a seamless audio/MIDI environment.
Twist – Combining a dynamic interface, an advanced pattern generator, and onboard effects, Twist 2 is your toolkit for serious sound design using simple, time-saving controls.
Eighty Eight Ensemble – Add an exceptional recreation of the Steinway 9-foot CD 327 grand piano to your productions.
Xpand!2 – Premium multitimbral workstation offering four active sound slots, or parts, per patch
In addition to all that, M-Audio Oxygen MIDI Controllers now also come with VIP 3.1 which is an impressive and expansive instrument and effects collection that is worth the money of the entire MIDI Controller by itself. What is really nice is that the VIP 3.1 Instrument and effects collection syncs perfectly with the M-Audio Oxygen MIDI Controller and takes no effect to have mapped perfectly on the M-Audio Oxygen MIDI Controller.
Pads, Knobs, Buttons
While some of the other Portable MIDI controllers have more pads, knobs and buttons, I find the 8 velocity sensitive pads and 8 knobs to be the perfect amount for the size of the board. Sometimes when MIDI controllers have too many knobs and pads, I find it to get cluttered and too easy to accidentally hit something you don’t intend on hitting. The layout is nice on the M-Audio Oxygen MK 4 MIDI controller.
Wheels are turning
The pitch wheel and modulation wheel are solidly built and located in an ideal space.
Loops and Sounds
The M-Audio Oxygen MK IV MIDI Controller comes with Touch Loops which is an expansive sound library with plenty of Loops and Sounds to use for almost anything you can dream of; a nice addition for sure!
M-Audio Oxygen 25 MK IV USB Pad Keyboard MIDI Controller Features:
- Versatile MIDI keyboard controller powered by USB connection to computer
- 25 full-size, synth-action velocity-sensitive keys
- 8 velocity-sensitive trigger pads for beat production, clip launching and more
- 8 assignable knobs for mixing and manipulating plug-ins/instruments
- Now Includes Pro Tools | First and Eleven Lite for all new and existing customers, as well as Virtual Instrument Player (VIP)
- Octave Up and Down
- Intelligent Mapping
- Pitch and Modulation Wheels
FAQ Frequently Asked Questions
