Roland A-49-WH Midi Keyboard Controller White

Really difficult to navigate from the getgo. The instructions didnt even properly state how to turn on so I had to call Manny's customer service, and that guy then had to internet search the problem. Then needed a software upgrade from Roland before I could get any sound. I have an RD2000 and this is was easier than the midi. I can't stand tech devices which require a whole acrobatic act before they even power up. I had read reviews about what software was included but the instrument I got came with other software. There was no sample in store and the reviews stated that the keys were wighted and felt close to a real piano. I felt that the keys were toylike. And you have to invest in knotakt or other sampling software to get any use out of it. You could probably get ... MoreReally difficult to navigate from the getgo. The instructions didnt even properly state how to turn on so I had to call Manny's customer service, and that guy then had to internet search the problem. Then needed a software upgrade from Roland before I could get any sound. I have an RD2000 and this is was easier than the midi. I can't stand tech devices which require a whole acrobatic act before they even power up. I had read reviews about what software was included but the instrument I got came with other software. There was no sample in store and the reviews stated that the keys were wighted and felt close to a real piano. I felt that the keys were toylike. And you have to invest in knotakt or other sampling software to get any use out of it. You could probably get cheaper midis which perform the same or better function. Or go more expensive and get a better one. I returned mine because it was tedious and difficult to learn. I would rather invest my time in learning something else.

The Roland A-49 is a nice, compact keyboard. I was looking for simple midi keyboard with not too many bells and whistles. I am very happy with it. I particularly like that it draws power via USB (one less cord to worry about).It was not recognised by my Apple computer out of the box. I had to download the drivers for the latest Mac operating system (Mojave) and then complete the configuration using Apple's Audio MIDI Setup app. This app comes with every Mac in the Utilities folder in the Applications folder. I had not done this before, so it took a little while to figure out, but it all went smoothly.

Excellent MIDI keyboard! 10/10

This MIDI keyboard is absolutely awesome and I would recommend it to anyone looking to upgrade their keys.It's 49 keys, which is the perfect amount really for production - without taking too much space up but whilst still having excellent playability and a good octave range if you are looking to learn keys on it.The D-Beam functionality looks great from YouTube videos but I haven't actually gotten round to even checking it out yet, i've been so focused on the playing side of things.The action is tremendous and probably the best on a set of MIDI keys that you would find at this price point, it feels great and the keys spring back up in such a nice way. The keys feel nice, glossy and smooth. They're also a great size, they're not mini keys which is great as I have ... MoreThis MIDI keyboard is absolutely awesome and I would recommend it to anyone looking to upgrade their keys.It's 49 keys, which is the perfect amount really for production - without taking too much space up but whilst still having excellent playability and a good octave range if you are looking to learn keys on it.The D-Beam functionality looks great from YouTube videos but I haven't actually gotten round to even checking it out yet, i've been so focused on the playing side of things.The action is tremendous and probably the best on a set of MIDI keys that you would find at this price point, it feels great and the keys spring back up in such a nice way. The keys feel nice, glossy and smooth. They're also a great size, they're not mini keys which is great as I have bigger hands and long fingers which means I can take advantage of having a more realistic piano size.It feels solid and durable, there is a bit of weight to it though so I would say this would be for a home studio setup mainly but that's ok. Don't expect to be carrying it around places.The setup is nice and easy, you do need Roland drivers but these can be found on their site with a quick google search and they can be installed in literally about 2 minutes flat. I saw a lot of people complain online that it comes with a disc and most PC's don't have CD drives now. This is such a mute point, everything is available online.PMT also delivered this the day after I had placed the order which was AMAZING! 5 stars all round :)

Ideal Midi Keyboard

At the price point I believe this is the best midi keyboard. It has a minimal design, without too many knobs or pads. And the keys feel great compared to other keys at this price point. Perfect for the musician who just wants the best keys possible at an attractive price point. To my knowledge there isn't anything that comes close to this at under 200. When this was made, it had all the best features. I would like them to add blue tooth, I think all midi controllers should have this now. ( That being late 2016, but at the time this was designed it was not common. ) Also you have to install the firmware to make it work correctly, which seems unnecessary. And the infrared controller is not super useful, I'd rather have an xy touch pad. While the infrared controller ... MoreAt the price point I believe this is the best midi keyboard. It has a minimal design, without too many knobs or pads. And the keys feel great compared to other keys at this price point. Perfect for the musician who just wants the best keys possible at an attractive price point. To my knowledge there isn't anything that comes close to this at under 200. When this was made, it had all the best features. I would like them to add blue tooth, I think all midi controllers should have this now. ( That being late 2016, but at the time this was designed it was not common. ) Also you have to install the firmware to make it work correctly, which seems unnecessary. And the infrared controller is not super useful, I'd rather have an xy touch pad. While the infrared controller can work, the resolution is not great enough to be as useful as other inputs at this price point. Maybe if they replaced the sensor with a more accurate way to interact with no touch then it could be more interesting. In summary, I wish I was buying this exact version but released in 2016 with blue tooth and a more useful input than than the infrared sensor. But I'm still buying this, because there is nothing better in terms of how the keys play and feel. It has the perfect weight. And you really don't want fully weighted keys unless they are perfect. To me these keys feel perfect.

Pitch Bend is only 4-bit. FOUR. MIDI spec calls for 14-bit.

I hope Musicians Friend publishes this because everyone needs to know this keyboard has a useless Pitch Bend.Unbelievably, the Pitch Bend resolution of the A-49 is only 4-bit. This means that no matter how slowly you move the pitch stick, it jumps 512 values at a time along the entire -8192 to +8192 pitch bend range. 14-bit would be jumping 1 value at a time. Even the cheapest no-name MIDI controllers do 7-bit pitch bend which jumps 64 values at a time. So the pitch bend of the A-49 sounds like a bad video game when you move the pitch stick slowly. It's really terrible, since this is marketed as a pro-level controller. I verified by examining the MIDI messages that this unit is sending in real time. It's so unbelievable in this day and age that Roland would sell a ... MoreI hope Musicians Friend publishes this because everyone needs to know this keyboard has a useless Pitch Bend.Unbelievably, the Pitch Bend resolution of the A-49 is only 4-bit. This means that no matter how slowly you move the pitch stick, it jumps 512 values at a time along the entire -8192 to +8192 pitch bend range. 14-bit would be jumping 1 value at a time. Even the cheapest no-name MIDI controllers do 7-bit pitch bend which jumps 64 values at a time. So the pitch bend of the A-49 sounds like a bad video game when you move the pitch stick slowly. It's really terrible, since this is marketed as a pro-level controller. I verified by examining the MIDI messages that this unit is sending in real time. It's so unbelievable in this day and age that Roland would sell a 49 key controller with 4-bit pitch bend resolution... this is such a joke. Also there's no aftertouch.I really should have gotten an Arturia Keylab 49 which has 14-bit pitch bend (verified by their customer support) and aftertouch for a little more money. Roland customer support won't even return my emails and there's no mention on their site that the A-49 pitch bend is such a low resolution. One would assume that since the MIDI spec itself calls for 14-bit pitch bend that every MIDI controller would follow this unless they state otherwise, but apparently Roland is not so trustworthy.

Review of Roland A-49-BK USB MIDI Controller Keyboard Black

I was looking for "Quiet mechanical noise, nice action, simple controls to let the computer do the complicated stuff, compact size to fit in nicely." I was suprised that only this Roland A-49 provided this!! And very little mention on YouTube etc compared to the competition. Why?? I'm glad I found it while searching the web, and decided to go for it inspite of virtually no serious reviews.It delivered what was promised, I love it! I would have bought 61 note if available.

Review of Roland A49 Compact MIDI Keyboard Controller

Full size keys with reasonable feel and a usable range as well as being light weight.Not as sturdy as some but still well constructed.I bought mine as a portable keyboard for practicing so not a problem for me.Despite being a fairly old model now it still has a few handy features. The combination of wired and USB midi was particularly useful for me.No banks of control knobs or drum pads but that allows it to be small enough to be very portable whilst still having 59 full size keys.Some may miss those extra controls but if, like me, you just want to play music and practice your keyboard technique whilst travelling, it’s perfect.Having to hold the S1 and S2 buttons when powering it on to get my iPad to see it is a bit quirky (and annoying) but otherwise a ... MoreFull size keys with reasonable feel and a usable range as well as being light weight.Not as sturdy as some but still well constructed.I bought mine as a portable keyboard for practicing so not a problem for me.Despite being a fairly old model now it still has a few handy features. The combination of wired and USB midi was particularly useful for me.No banks of control knobs or drum pads but that allows it to be small enough to be very portable whilst still having 59 full size keys.Some may miss those extra controls but if, like me, you just want to play music and practice your keyboard technique whilst travelling, it’s perfect.Having to hold the S1 and S2 buttons when powering it on to get my iPad to see it is a bit quirky (and annoying) but otherwise a good controller.

Roland A49 MIDI Controller

I am very happy with this product after researching many competitors. The semi weighted keyboard is archived via a spring resistance that has a great feel for different velocities. I am using it as part of a home recording studio. The unit is not quite plug in and play, having to download dedicated software first. Only after that the various LED lights will shine and it is not a fault as I first thought. I am currently using 50% of its full capability and learning day by day new features. Highly recommended.

Small and strong

Advantages:-very strongly built-very comfortable and low noise keys-pitch/modulation stick is very good to control, very precise. And contrary to what I thought, you can very easily control the modulation without affecting the pitch, it is mechanically perfectly designed for it. Well done, Roland.-very small: 18cm depth when one key measures 13cm: minimal designDisadvantages:- the two potentiometers are very small, non grippy and conical, which make fingers slide horizontally and vertically, so you will tend to always lose contact with the potentiometers. Good idea is to change the caps on them (one of my next plans).

Soft in playing & good performance

The size is okay.The set up should have been straightforward but a beat technical connecting with the DAW .The performance is perfect for me, soft and lovely to play when programming drums and arranging the sounds.Just get the connection straight forward.