M-Audio Axiom 61 Advanced 61-Key Semi-Weighted USB MIDI Controller

Dolphin ID: 8136

Total MIDI Control

Manufacturer SKU: 9900-51413-10
Showing: M-Audio Axiom 61 Advanced 61-Key Semi-Weighted USB MIDI Controller
Take It Away
Other Options Available
M-Audio Axiom 61 B-Stock
£ 189.99 GBP inc VAT
1 in stock
  • Product Description
  • Reviews
  • News
  • Videos

Eight rubberized trigger pads are ideal for creating drum tracks and firing samples. Nine sliders and eight endless rotary encoder knobs put you in total control of your software studio. There are also 15 MIDI-assignable buttons—including six transport controls—assignable wheels, foot pedals and more. Programming is a breeze with dedicated front-panel keypad and backlit LCD screen. 20 memory locations store your setups and the free Enigma editor/librarian software lets you manage an unlimited number on your computer.

  • Get Into the Action - The Axiom series of mobile USB MIDI controllers has everything it takes to get the most from your MIDI software and hardware. Semi-weighted action complete with aftertouch gives you great feel and expression for both synth parts and pianistic passages. Eight rubberized trigger pads put your drums at your fingertips for programming with feel—or easy fire samples or visual effects.
  • Total MIDI Control - Assign the eight rotary encoders to mixer controls like panning and effects sends, or to any synth parameters you want to control. Map the nine sliders to software mixer faders or drawbars on your virtual organ. 15 buttons*, pitch and mod wheels, and sustain and expression pedal jacks round out a tour de force of MIDI domination. Assigning controllers is simple, yet has the power to let you delve as deep as you want. Each controller can map to just about any applicable parameter in the MIDI spec, including independent channel addressing for each. The possibilities are limited only by your imagination. * six buttons on the Axiom 25.
  • Intuitive Front-Panel Programming - M-Audio Axiom MIDI controllers all feature a large backlit LCD screen for visual feedback—and the 61-key and 49-key models also place a 10-key pad right on the front panel for direct, intuitive programming. You’ll also find 9 dedicated front-panel function buttons to easily access common operations like preset / program change or MIDI channel +/-, octave +/-, and transpose +/-. Use the Controller Mute button to prevent parameters from jumping when you change them, for example, then press Snapshot to transmit all current settings. 20 non-volatile memory locations instantly save and recall your favorite presets—and you can manage an entire preset library on your computer via SysEx dumps and our free Enigma software editor/librarian for PC and Mac.
  • Mobile Operation - The Axiom series is extremely compact and lightweight and all models are powered directly from your computer’s USB bus. Choose the size that’s best for your needs, then take your music anywhere you want to go.

Features

  • 61-key velocity-sensitive semi-weighted action keyboard with assignable aftertouch
  • 8 trigger pads, 8 rotary encoders, 9 sliders, 15 buttons (including 6 reassignable transport buttons)
  • 15 function buttons and backlit LCD screen for total front-panel programming
  • Built-in USB bus-powered MIDI interface including standard MIDI In and Out jacks
  • 20 non-volatile memory locations; compatible with free Enigma librarian/editor software

Specifications

  • MIDI Data from variable controllers
    • MIDI Controller Number
    • RPN/NRPN
    • Program, Bank LSB, Bank MSB
    • Pitch Bend
    • GM/GM2/XG SysEx Messages
  • MIDI Data from buttons/switches: - MIDI Controller Number
    • Note On
    • Note On/Off toggle
    • RPN/NRPN
    • MIDI CC On/Off toggle
    • Program, Bank LSB, Bank MSB presets
    • MIDI Machine Control
    • GM/GM2/XG SysEx messages
  • Size: 38.4 x 11.2 x 2.6 inches; 97.6 x 28.5 x 6.6 (cm)
  • Weight: 11.7 pounds; 5.3kg

Compatibility

  • MME
  • Mac OS X Core MIDI

System Requirements

  • Windows
    • Pentium 3 – 800 MHz or higher (CPU may be higher for laptops)
    • 256 MB RAM
    • DirectX 9.0b or higher
    • Windows XP (SP1) or higher (Windows 98, Me, NT, or 2000 not supported)
  • Mac OS
    • Macintosh G3* 800/G4* 733 MHz or higher (CPU may be higher for laptops)
    • OS X 10.3.9 with 256 MB RAM,
    • OS X 10.4.2 or greater with 512 MB RAM

*Native USB port required; G3/G4 accelerator cards are not supported.

Not bad at all

Chris Ware
November 30, 2007

Rating: 8/10

I bought one of these a while after they were released so can't comment on the waiting period - it came within a few days. I am a big fan of "no-nonsense" looking equipment and aside from the blue LEDs (maybe I'm just old fashioned but would have preferred green or orange) this didn't disappoint. The controls are very well laid out and labeled, and there are plenty of them too as you will see from the specs.

The rotary encoders can't really be faulted - they're ratcheted to enable tweaks of 1 unit, but I found them equally capable of making sweeping changes without too much of an irritating clicking noise. Especially useful is the configurable "acceleration" on them (you turn faster and the value increments/decrements faster than just linearly).

The faders seem equally, if not more, useful but feel slightly fragile in that they can wobble a bit from side to side (plus the bit on the top comes off if you pull it, but can easily be attached again with no ill effects). This doesn't really affect their use. Making small tweaks with these is more difficult than the knobs though.

The buttons are, well, just buttons, but as with all the controls you can program them to do just about anything, plus they are easy to trigger and good quality.

To me the drum pads feel like an afterthought - I don't play a lot of drum stuff but found it difficult to get a good velocity from them without hitting them hard or turning off the velocity curve (and just having a fixed velocity).

Onto the most important part - the keyboard. This is quite nice and the keys are well made. However they do wobble from side to side a bit, and in fast pieces you can hear them moving. If you're doing a lot of fast keyboard solos I'd recommend an unweighted keyboard with shallower keys - it seems a bit easy to mis-hit the adjacent key on this board (but maybe I'll get used to it). The aftertouch is good - not easy to accidently trigger, nor difficult to get the full range out of. It is programmable to any controller number (maybe you want to pitch bend when you press they key harder) and the display shows how hard you're pressing in real time.

There were just a couple of other "faults" I found. Firstly, there is a slight delay after keying in a program number before this is transmitted over MIDI - so care needs to be taken doing this live. In fact, I found if I carried on playing while waiting for this, it sometimes cancelled and left me with the current program, no change. I haven't found this a major problem, and you can always assign the programmable buttons to change the program which happens instantly.

The other problem was a slightly flimsy USB port - the cable wobbles around a bit and is easy to pull out. I haven't had it fall out on it's own or a bad connection while properly inserted yet though. While on the subject of USB, the supplied drivers work well, although it has to go through the setup process every time you plug it into a different USB port.

For the price this is brilliant - couple it with some software synths (like for example Korg's Legacy collection if you're into classic synths) and you have a modern, flexible setup at a fraction of the price of "the real thing". Oh, final point - the latency over the USB link is practically non-existent, any delay (any I can't say I've had any, only read about it) is purely the fault of software.

Review: Axiom 61

Mark Mulkeen
July 28, 2006

Rating: 9/10

This is my second midi keyboard/controller and I can't be more pleased with it. The keys are big, semi weighted. The action feels nice. The trigger pads are a nice feature. I've not used them extensively but they certainly seem to work well once you've broken them in. The encoders are nice too. They make a clicking noise as you turn, while that may annoy some, it's good for accurate turning and with eight encoders you have a great deal of functionality. The faders by the side of them are again pretty good. They're quite thin but slide well. There's nine of them so you can have alot of control. With programable memory, transpose, octace, pitch bend, modulation, this keyboard would be a good buy at any time and I can't recommend it enough. Finally the keyboard is very big and sturdy, for me it's not the 'prettiest' controller out there but it's certainly one of the best.

Review: Axiom 61

Mark Mulkeen
July 28, 2006

Rating: 9/10

This is my second midi keyboard/controller and I can't be more pleased with it. The keys are big, semi weighted. The action feels nice. The trigger pads are a nice feature. I've not used them extensively but they certainly seem to work well once you've broken them in. The encoders are nice too. They make a clicking noise as you turn, while that may annoy some, it's good for accurate turning and with eight encoders you have a great deal of functionality. The faders by the side of them are again pretty good. They're quite thin but slide well. There's nine of them so you can have alot of control. With programable memory, transpose, octace, pitch bend, modulation, this keyboard would be a good buy at any time and I can't recommend it enough. Finally the keyboard is very big and sturdy, for me it's not the 'prettiest' controller out there but it's certainly one of the best.

Worth the wait

Tony Draper
June 23, 2006

Rating: 9/10

I originally ordered my Axiom 61 in March, when they were supposed to be released. Having received mine today, after 3 and a half months' wait, I have to say that it was worth the wait.

Unpacked, the original thing that struck me was the lack of an instruction booklet. (Possible that mine is a one-off, but all it had was a 'quick start' and a 'presets' document). As a user of Mac OS X, I knew that it should just run straight through core MIDI, and that's exactly what it did. Powered off the bus, I plugged it into a spare USB slot and immediately loaded up Logic Pro, and there it was, ready to go. The faders and knobs were automatically mapped to the most-often used parameters and worked great - not fiddly to use at all. The knobs are ratcheted so slight tweaks are easily achieved.

The keyboard itself is very small and tidy and laid out very well. Light too (4kg, so my courier informs me) which makes it extremely portable. One thing to note is that the keys are a little plasticky - to get the full velocity out of the keys u really have to whack them, and it does feel a little dangerous. However it's very easy to play and the performances that it produces are subtle and effective. The aftertouch facility also works fine, but again feels a little delicate.

With the lack of an instruction booklet I'm kinda struggling to navigate the buttons under the screen, as they're not exactly clear to use. However, having only had it a couple of hours, I can't really complain!

Definitely one of the most competitive MIDI controllers out there right now for the price, and combining assignable knobs and faders with semi-weighted keys and aftertouch is a winning combination.

  • Midi Keyboards: Why? How?…. & 5 of the Best!

    Why & How and a round up of some of our most popular MIDI keyboards ranging from the super small to the super controllable!

  • Join M-Audio's New Public Beta Program

    As part of the team, you can download the latest pre-release drivers, request features and interact with M-Audio's online community.

  • M-Audio Launches Overdub - Comic Book Style Online Guide!

    M-Audio announced the UK launch of Overdub, a new comic book style 'guide to studio production' from M-Audio explaining the techniques and technology behind major recording equipment product categories.

  • Edirol new releases for 2007 available now!

    The new Edirol products introduced at NAMM 2007 are now available from our web site.

  • Part 3: Section 1: MIDI controllers

    Long live software instruments! Gone are the days when you needed a stack of keyboards to create tunes, as everything can now be done inside your computer at the click of a mouse. However, do you really want to be playing all of that software with a mouse? Wouldn’t you rather be doing it all with a proper piano type keyboard? Eh? So doesn’t that mean a return to piles of keyboard again, the very thing that software replaced? No! All you need is one keyboard to control every soft instrument you own! So you’d better make sure it’s a good one, right? Yes, and fortunately, or unfortunately depending on your viewpoint, there are loads of different sorts to choose from so we will discuss all of them here. And if you already own a keyboard but need extra control, don’t worry, because in Section 2 we’ll be looking at some keyboardless controllers that will enhance your desktop music making no end…

  • M-Audio's New Wireless Controller Line Includes MidAir 25 and MidAir 37 Wireless MIDI Keyboards

    M-Audio recently announced the release of the new MidAir line of wireless USB MIDI controllers and interfaces--including MidAir 25 and MidAir 37 controllers. Featuring wireless technology from Frontier Design Group, MidAir products are designed to meet the needs of performers who desire more freedom of movement, as well as studio musicians who are looking to eliminate long cable runs and clutter.

  • Ableton Announces Axiom Support

    Ableton and M-Audio are pleased to announce that Live will soon be updated to support the new Axiom series of keyboards, which will automatically control many of Live's features via built-in mapping.

  • Ableton Announces Axiom Support

    Ableton and M-Audio are pleased to announce that Live will soon be updated to support the new Axiom series of keyboards, which will automatically control many of Live's features via built-in mapping.

  • M-Audio releases new Axiom Keyboard Controller series

    At the NAMM show M-Audio introduced the new line of Midi Keyboard Controllers, called Axiom. The Axiom 25 kicks off the more advanced Axiom line. Built around an even more rugged chassis, the Axiom 25 includes 25 semi weighted velocity sensitive keys with assignable aftertouch, eight MIDI trigger pads, six reassignable transport buttons, 20 non volatile memory locations and more. And for the user that needs more keys and controller options, the 49key Axiom 49 and the 61key Axiom 61 complete the new line.

Competition - Have your say

Have your say and submit your own product review on the M-Audio Axiom 61 Advanced 61-Key Semi-Weighted USB MIDI Controller
Please let us know what you think of the M-Audio Axiom 61 Advanced 61-Key Semi-Weighted USB MIDI Controller or any other product on our site. The best review chosen from all that are submitted this month will win a fantastic pair of M-Audio IE-30 - High-Definition Professional Reference Earphones with Dual-Driver Technology worth £189.00 M-Audio IE-30
  • Alternative Products
  • More Like This

Edirol PCR-800 61 key USB MIDI Keyboard Controller

The Edirol PCR-800 sets new standards in Portable MIDI Control. Introducing the next generation of EDIROL’s popular MIDI keyboard controllers. In addition to providing more physical controls than previous models, the PCR-800 also offers new innovative and intuitive controls. This controller is solidly built, and optimized for both music production and live performance.

Web Price: £ 199.00 GBP inc VAT

Availability: 10+ in stock

Buy Now More Info
 

M-Audio ProKeys Sono 61 Portable Digital Piano With USB Audio Interface

Designed to bridge the gap between writing, performing and recording, the ProKeys Sono 61 portable digital piano with audio interface delivers everything that you need to make music whenever inspiration strikes

Web Price: £ 199.00 GBP inc VAT

Availability: 10+ in stock

Buy Now More Info
 

M-Audio Keystation 61es 61-Key Semi-Weighted USB MIDI Controller

The Keystation 61e is a 61-note USB keyboard with velocity-sensitive, semi-weighted keys that is designed to easily integrate in any computer music environment.

Web Price: £ 109.99 GBP inc VAT

Availability: 5 in stock

Buy Now More Info
 

Behringer U-CONTROL UMX61

The Ultimate Studio in a Box: 61-Key USB/MIDI Controller Keyboard with USB/Audio Interface, 50 Software Instruments and Ableton® Live Lite 4 BEHRINGER Edition

Web Price: £ 94.95 GBP inc VAT

Availability: 4 in stock

Buy Now More Info
 

E-MU Xboard 61 Pro USB/MIDI Controller Keyboard

The new E-MU Xboard™ 61 USB/MIDI Controller features 61 premium full-size keys with aftertouch, 16 programmable real-time control knobs, 16 new patch select/program change buttons, Xboard Control editing software, and also a full version of E-MU's Proteus X Version 1.5 Desktop Sound Module with over 3GB of sounds, including a new custom bank of E-MU's finest performance keyboard sounds!!

Web Price: £ 189.00 GBP inc VAT

Availability: 3 in stock

Buy Now More Info
 

M-Audio Axiom Pro 61 USB MIDI Keyboard with HyperControl

Advanced 61-Key USB MIDI Controller with HyperControl Technology, which automatically maps the keyboard’s 65 controls to commonly accessed parameters in digital audio workstations including Pro Tools®, Cubase, Logic and Reason, as well as software instruments.

Web Price: £ 329.99 GBP inc VAT

Availability: 1 in stock

Buy Now More Info
 

Yamaha KX61

USB keyboard studio with Steinberg integration includes Cubase AI4

Web Price: £ 292.00 GBP inc VAT

Availability: 1 in stock

Buy Now More Info
 

M-Audio ProKeys Sono 61 Portable Digital Piano With USB Audio Interface

Designed to bridge the gap between writing, performing and recording, the ProKeys Sono 61 portable digital piano with audio interface delivers everything that you need to make music whenever inspiration strikes

Web Price: £ 199.00 GBP inc VAT

Availability: 10+ in stock

Buy Now More Info
 

M-Audio Keystation 61es 61-Key Semi-Weighted USB MIDI Controller

The Keystation 61e is a 61-note USB keyboard with velocity-sensitive, semi-weighted keys that is designed to easily integrate in any computer music environment.

Web Price: £ 109.99 GBP inc VAT

Availability: 5 in stock

Buy Now More Info
 

M-Audio Axiom Pro 61 USB MIDI Keyboard with HyperControl

Advanced 61-Key USB MIDI Controller with HyperControl Technology, which automatically maps the keyboard’s 65 controls to commonly accessed parameters in digital audio workstations including Pro Tools®, Cubase, Logic and Reason, as well as software instruments.

Web Price: £ 329.99 GBP inc VAT

Availability: 1 in stock

Buy Now More Info
 

M-Audio Axiom 61 B-Stock

The Axiom 61 is an advanced 61-key USB mobile MIDI controller with semi-weighted action and assignable aftertouch.

Web Price: £ 189.99 GBP inc VAT

Availability: 1 in stock

Buy Now More Info
 

M-Audio Axiom 61 Advanced 61-Key Semi-Weighted USB MIDI Controller

The Axiom 61 is an advanced 61-key USB mobile MIDI controller with semi-weighted action and assignable aftertouch.

Web Price: £ 199.99 GBP inc VAT

Availability: 1 in stock

Buy Now More Info
 

M-Audio Axiom 61 Advanced 61-Key Semi-Weighted USB MIDI Controller

The Axiom 61 is an advanced 61-key USB mobile MIDI controller with semi-weighted action and assignable aftertouch.

Web Price: £ 199.99 GBP inc VAT

Availability: 1 in stock

Buy Now More Info
 

Help us with your Feedback

  • If you need help or have a question for Customer Service, Contact Us
  • Is there any other feedback you would like to provide? Click Here
 

Email our /images/specialists/Computer Specialist

RSS Feeds

Axiom 61 Advanced 61-Key Semi-Weighted USB MIDI Controller RSS Feeds...

Sign-Up

Sign up now for special offers & industry news...

Optional extra lists you can sign up for...