Battle

As a beginner producer and keyboardist, this is the perfect budget keyboard. Keys are a bit noisy but you stop noticing it while playing and I was surprised at how nice they feel, being semi-weighted, so seems more than fair at this price point. Only wish is that it had some endless encoder knobs since I've noticed they're hard to find without spending $100 on another midi controller. If I knew that would be the case I would've considered spending more on the Native Instruments Komplete Kontrol A49 for $219, but still spending an extra $100 for some knobs and maybe a better key bed seems like a stretch. So, if you don't think you'll need knobs/faders/pads or are planning on getting another controller with them (which is what I did for pads), I'd highly recommend this Keystation.

Clicks are a bit loud but bearable. Software for changing mouse settings (like lights and key binds) doesn't work great and isn't very intuitive. But once you've got things set up how you want, it's a very cool mouse.

Bought for my first pad controller as a beginner producer. I didn't want to believe QuestForGroove's negative youtube review of the MPD218 but unfortunately, he seems to know what he's talking about. I'd recommend checking out his videos before buying this or any other pad controller. On my controller, there was one pad that was noticeably less sensitive than the others. Also, the pads in general were not as sensitive as I had hoped. You had to give them good intentional taps but I suppose some people may like that. Both of these factors resulted in pads often not registering my taps. I've heard the quality control with the MPD218s is very hit or miss now more so than when it was first released. So I may have just gotten a bad one. And still, it was useable and a great tool for creativity. The rubbery feel of the pads is nice and would've liked to keep them had it not been for the sensitivity issues. But, I ended up returning the MPD218 for a Maschine Mikro MK3 and the pads are much more sensitive and consistent. I wouldn't recommend the MPD218 unless you feel like rolling the dice on getting a quality batch. There are other pads in this price range I'd try instead like the Presonus Atom or the Xjam Pro.

Knobs and fader are quite wobbly. They feel like loose teeth. Knobs also turn with little steps and not smoothly which makes finer adjustments tough. But not impossible because the slower you turn the knobs, the finer the adjustment on your computer, which is also weird to get used to. Also important to note, the editor software for the controller is an .exe file which doesn't run on Mac and I was looking forward to changing the knob light settings. Otherwise decent product. Buttons feel nice and the position indicator lights around the knobs are a useful feature that I wish more controllers implemented. Works as a midi controller so could be a okay option if you get a good deal on it. But I got it for $30 off and I'm still returning it.

The look of the controller is very cool and inspiring. I really wanted to like it but I had issues with inconsistent sensitivity between pads and an error code that would brick the device unless restarted multiple times. It seems like Native Instruments is a small international company making luxury products, operating at their limit. Because of this, their quality control, compatibility, customer service, and ability to improve products is lacking compared to what I expect from companies these days. They make cool stuff that is very enticing but if anything goes wrong, and there’s a higher likelihood it might, they’re an inconvenience to deal with. I went with a Novation Launchpad X instead and am much happier with it and the company.