Xkey 25 Air

This is a fantastic compact keyboard! I'll get into my gripes (not really any) about the keyboard further down, but for the cost, this has been a fantastic purchase, and I can totally recommend the Xkey 37!Xkey 37 vs Xkey 25Initially, I was going to purchase the 25 key model, but to do the type of music that I like (piano accompaniment), the 37 key model was much more useful. Let me say that I'm not a musician by any stretch of the imagination, but I do enjoy learning music (chords and chord progressions and how the music is put together). I use a Mac with GarageBand, and the Xkey really fits the bill.So let me get into what I really like about the keyboard:1. It's very low-profile. While it's not as convenient as the 25 key model, it's still very thin. I wanted something with full-size keys since I have big fingers, so that ruled out mini-keys.2. The free software/driver that comes with it (it needs to be downloaded) has some great features. Namely, the ability to assign keys to a lower register. For example, a song I'm trying to learn has wide range. I can compensate by dropping down an octave, but even still, I need to re-assign keys. The driver software allows me to use the bottom 11 keys (or however many I want/need) and assign them to a certain register. I think you could even do something crazy like assign a C key to a G or whatever.3. The setup was plug and play (at least on the Mac). The driver software has been extremely stable. I've not had any oddities or strangeness when running it. The other Xkey software (which provides the instrument sounds) is limited to only a few different instruments, but you can start playing music without any additional purchases. Get GarageBand (free on the Mac), and you have a huge selection of instruments available.OK, here are my gripes, and they're minor.1. Really the only gripe is that there is not a lot of "range" on the keys. They don't provide the feedback/weight that a normal piano/keyboard has, but I knew that going in. The keys do a good job with attack, you just need to get used to the feel of the keys. I would think that going between real piano keys and this Xkey would be a bit strange, but the Xkey is my only keyboard, and I'm used to it.2. I would really like the ability to store multiple keyboard configurations (key settings), but currently there is only a single setting. Luckily that has worked for me so far, but I can foresee a situation where I would either need to reset the keyboard to its defaults, and redo my current configuration. Being able to create/store/recall multiple configs would be awesome. That's really just a feature, and not a gripe, but it would be cool to have.That's it. No real gripes. The other big plus in my mind is that when I sent an email to Xkey Tech Support for the feature request I listed above, I got an email back from a real person. Even though I didn't get a timeframe, I did get an email from a person who took my request, and got back to me in a very timely manner. I like that!Feel free to post questions, and I'll do my best to answer them. I understand that I'm probably not the exact demographic that buys this type of keyboard (not a student, musician, or composer), but for a portable keyboard, I'm extremely happy with the purchase.

This is the best small keyboard!!!This thing is amazing. Was looking for a small MIDI keyboard to place in front of the monitor, as well as to throw in a laptop bag for travel. This is the only compact keyboard that I could find with FULL SIZE KEYS that fits in both places.I noted a few comments about click noise from the keys. It's not any louder than the clack or clunk from any plastic synth keyboard, and I have several synth action keyboards to compare this with. No bother at all.If you download the Xkey Plus app, you can configure the key velocity response to your liking. It is very easy to play and responds well. I don't have any issue with the minimum key travel depth.Maybe not for your main keyboard, but for actually playing a virtual instrument on your computer, you need one of these. I think it's a bit more fun to play than a real keyboard. The fast action makes it easy to glide across the keys in a way that would be difficult with real keys. For more on keyboard instrument evolution, visit the Roli website and take a look at the Roli Seaboard. Continuous touch and fingertip expression. Very cool, but they don't come cheap.The Xkey 25 is less than $100, the frame is made from aluminum, not cheap plastic. It's well designed and feels solid.If you just want to trigger drum beats or loops, maybe one of the mini-key controllers with trigger pads and mixer knobs would suit you better. I tried one of those, but returned it and got this instead. Couldn't stand the small size of the mini-keys. Overall very satisfied with the CME Xkey 25 and highly recommend it!!!There are compact MIDI trigger and mixer controllers without keys that would pair up nicely with this if you need the additional functions for Ableton Live or something like that.Oh yeah, about that orange USB cable. It's loud. But on the positive side, it helps you find it fast in the back of your computer or gear rack. And it's also long ... very, very, long.