Alesis VI61 - 61 Key USB MIDI Keyboard Controller with 16 Pads, 16 Assignable Knobs, 48 Buttons and 5-Pin MIDI Out Plus Production Software Included,Black

I've owned this keyboard for over 3 years, and so I thought I'd offer some insight on this controller for anyone on the fence.First off, do yourself a favor and download the Alesis VI editor so you don't have to deal with the onboard LCD to reprogram your buttons, knobs and keybed. It makes reprogramming every button a breeze. The (free) editor alone is almost worth 5 stars on its own.PROS:-Keys feel nice-Drumpads feel VERY nice - usually keyboards with drum pads usually have a feeling that the drum pads were added as an afterthought. These drum pads, on the other hand, are very responsive and durable. My MPD218 - a dedicated drumpad midi controller - only feels slightly better than these.Almost every control is reprogrammable on the keyboard within reason. You can't send CC commands from the keybed, but pretty much everything else is fair game. I can have each individual button mapped to different commands. For instance, button 1 might be a momentary CC, button 2 a program change, button 3, on/off CC, etc. Same with the drum pads, which can send CC commands and notes. In Ableton, the keyboard has the appropriate LED feedback.-Preset slots make using this keyboard for different uses/setups a breeze. Again, DOWNLOAD THE ALESIS VI EDITOR to make your life easy for modifying presets.-Reliable - this keyboard has been with me through 2 moves, a couple drops, and 3 years. Hasn't missed a beat .- It even has a 5 pin midi out port if you want to use it to control other 5 pin midi devices.CONS:- Some of the knobs have a slight jitter that appeared about a year ago. For example, say I turn knob 1 to have a CC value of 120. The keyboard might send 119, 120, 121, 120, etc. all in succession, several messages a second. Not the biggest deal in the world as it hold the value within 1 or 2 CC values, but kind of annoying when you want to set a knob and be done with it. I also don't like the constant moving on certain knobs as it can cause a little more strain on my computer if I'm already pushing it to the limits. That being said, setting each knob at 0 or 127 fixes the issue so it's not a constant thing when I have the midi controller plugged in.- This is really nitpicky one, but I'm unable to control the LED feedback on the controller no matter what I've tried. Sending midi out messages to the computer doesn't seem to do anything visually with the LEDs. Again, this is very nitpicky, and the LED feedback is automatic with Ableton, but I like more custom control. And one of the DAWs I use, Gig Performer from Deskew, doesn't automatically incorporate the LED feedback on this keyboard.Overall, this is a buy and I highly recommend this keyboard. It was a steal back when I purchased in March 2019, and even now the price is a little higher, it's still a great value. Durable, reliable, customizable. Good on Alesis for the quality product.

The media could not be loaded. This is a day one review. If however I find any cons, I'll add them later. As of now, this keyboard is FANTASTIC to say the least. Great feeling keys, nice and bright backlights, and solid yet smooth mod and pitch wheels. As for the wheels, they've got medium resistance with little to no inertia. Feels amazing when soloing.My biggest concern was the 25 key limit. As I'm working on a budget, I couldn't afford the 49 key, and the 61 would be too big for my desk. It was either the V49 or VI25 for me. I am SO glad I went with the VI series. If you're wondering if 25 keys is enough, ask yourself this question: what am I going to be playing? If you're just using it to put in simple chords into your DAW, this'll work great. As I already mentioned, soloing is what this thing is designed for. I've included a short video demonstrating a solo that requires the use of multiple octaves, to give you a good impression what it'll look and feel like switching between them. Sorry in advance for the quality, I was using my webcam as the camera and mic.As for the drum pad, the buttons are very sensitive. Good detection, and it's cool that you can trigger them just by pressing, not striking. This is where my only "con" is. If you're getting into your music while using the pitch and/or mod wheel, it's quite easy to trigger the pads and screw up your sound. I hope there is a setting within the Alesis software that I'm unaware of that will fix this. If not, it'll be something I just get used to. Either way, not really a con, just a heads up.The nobs and buttons can all be mapped to various functions within your favorite DAW. I'm using Mixcraft 7 Pro Studios and everything seems to work wonderfully. That is, after I configured the play, stop, loop, etc. buttons.Aftertouch is an amazing feature. For those who don't know, aftertouch is the ability to press into key after it's been struck and at it's lowest point. This can trigger different effects to your favorite synths. Think of it like 3D Touch for your keyboard. It's cool, but I haven't used it much.I am VERY pleased with this product and am glad I bought it. If you're on the fence and have the money, get it.**Update**After using this product for over two years, my only issue is the USB port. As I was playing, if the cable was moved slightly, it'd stop sending midi data to my DAW. At first I thought (and hoped) it was a bad cable, but I was wrong. I put up with it for a while, but it seemed to get worse. I was about ready to purchase a new, different controller. As a last resort, I took it apart to look for any problems. After examining the port, I found three out of the six solder points were separated very slightly. After a few minutes of soldering and hot gluing, I finally have it back to it's original functionality.While I still love this controller, this issue reflects poorly on the build quality and longevity of this product. If you're not a geek like me, you'd be spending $100+ on a new controller.Without a doubt this thing is great for the money, but don't expect it to last forever. :)