M-Audio Axiom Pro 49

I sold my Korg PadKontrol and MicroKontrol to buy this controller and Im sooo glad I made the move to M-Audio.

The Axiom is an excellent 'All-In-One' controller/keyboard which now sits directly infront of me in the studio and handles most of the tasks I throw at it very well. I was amazed how quickly I got this machine up and running without running into any problems and the need of much manual reading.

I use the controller with Ableton Live 8 mostly, I didnt need any extra software before I started and the m-audio drivers also worked brilliantly without fault. I also have Protools in my studio and have tested it briefly and the results are just as good there, which makes this controller even more special when you think before, to have this much control over protools would have cost thousands of pounds.

I found hypercontrol to be the best be 'the best thing since sliced bread' for me. Even three weeks into using it everyday, it still brings a smile to my face when I realise that yet another task can be carried out with a few button presses, all in front of me, sometimes whilst even playing a part on the keyboard at the same time. I can really see me ditching my mouse and keyboard because of this, it's amazing!

As for the build, it's a very sturdy looking bit of kit, keys knobs and faders feel good and when playing, the after-touch feels nice especially on the pads. The keys on the Axiom Pro feel different to any other keyboard I have felt before. In my opinion they feel like a reel piano, and have an almost like a woody feel to them and good weight. This is new to me and I am still getting used to this new feel under my fingers, but I will get used to it and am not finding it a problem.

I thought the Axiom Pro was well priced (as most m-audio products usually are) and definately good value for money. I would recommend to anyone looking to buy a keyboard controller at this time. (Posted on 08/10/2009)