That keyboard post I promised earlier. Home studio is ready now or what is the correct word. But there is always something that could be changed. Been looking for 61 keys midi keyboard. There isn’t “that is the one” keyboard on market. Native Instrument’s Komplete Kontrol S61 would be nice but you have to you Native Instrument’s own plugin to get the scales functionality. Novation’s SL61 mk3 don’t have too much functionality with Cubase and I haven’t been too happy with Novation’s keyboards before. Arturia’s Keylab 61 would just be what I have but with more keys.
Then I remembered I still have M-Audio’s Axiom Pro. It is quite old but it has my favorite keys. Only semi-weighted keys I have had. Stopped using it because I didn’t have room for it. Didn’t think too much of it because I thought it wouldn’t work well as DAW controller because it is quite old. But Cubase 12 introduced new Midi Remote functionality which allows you to map controllers to Cubase’s functions. So it was time to give Axiom Pro a change.
Transport controls and moving from track to track worked when I set correct profile. I was bit surprised. I didn’t expect it to work. Basic track controls (solo, mute, record, monitor etc.) had to be mapped in midi remote. Mapped sliders and knobs to quick controls. Got basic controls mapped. Keylab can do more but I don’t like its keys as much as I like Axiom Pro’s keys. Keylab with hammer action keys or semi-weighted keys would be nice. Haven’t seen any 61 key midi keyboards hammer action keys. 88 key version have those but not 61. Don’t have room for 88 keys.
Getting back to Axiom Pro made me realize how much feel of keys means when you play. Axiom Pro gives more control and feel more like playing with real instrument even when you play software instruments. I think people miss that aspect with midi keyboards and that is why we don’t have hammer action on midi keyboards with 61 or less keys. My “that is the one” midi keyboard would have 61 keys with hammer action and today’s basic DAW integration almost all new midi keyboards have. I don’t need arp or sequencers on midi keyboard. I understand eurorack connectivity is nice but hardware sequencers are better for that. Good keys and enough buttons, knobs and sliders is all I need. Axiom Pro is almost the one. It lacks in DAW integration but I value good keys over DAW integration.