Gearank

NB: This product has been discontinued - for a list of 49 Key MIDI / DAW Controllers on our current recommended list, please see: The Best 49 Key MIDI Controller Keyboards,

If you like Nektar controllers but can't afford the Panorama P4, then this is your choice.

It has 8 knobs, 9 faders, 9 buttons and 6 dedicated transport control buttons.

It supports the following DAWs

• Reaper
• Garageband
• Logic
• Sonar
• Cubase
• Reason
• Digital Performer
• Nuendo
• Studio One

Key features:

• Keys: 49 synth-action with velocity sensitivity.
• Pads: 8 which are velocity sensitive.
• Arpeggiator: No.
• Motorized Controls: No.
• Bundled Software: PreSonus Studio One Artist.
• Power: USB powered.
• Connectivity: USB and TRS input for sustain pedal.
• Control Hardware Directly: No.
• Compatibility: Mac OS X 10.7 or later + Windows 10, 8, 7.
• Dimensions: 34" x 13" x 4.2"
• Weight 7 lbs

Pros

One attribute that came up in positive reviews was the sensitivity and the control you have with velocity curves meaning that you can get this to be as expressive as you want. Another one is that many users are quite pleased with how easily it integrates with most DAWs.

Cons

A complaint that came from a few musicians with a piano background was that they didn't like the feel of the keys - perhaps they didn't understand the difference between piano-action and synth-action keys before they bought it.