CME XKEY AIR 25 Electronic Keyboard

Product Information

polyphonic aftertouch is only compatible with some apps (anymoog for ipad for example) so you have to switch often between mono and poly. The contents of this article are subject to worldwide copyright protection and reproduction in whole or part, whether mechanical or electronic, is expressly forbidden without the prior written consent of the Publishers. I tested my Xkey37 with all my favorite iPad synths, like Animoog, SampleTank, WaveGenerator, iVCS3, and several Arturia ones, and it worked perfectly, with no discernible latency.

I realised instantly it and I were doomed, there was something really disconcerting about the lack of travel compared to the wild scaling of velocity, it just felt all wrong. Most purchases from business sellers are protected by the Consumer Contract Regulations 2013 which give you the right to cancel the purchase within 14 days after the day you receive the item. The keys were scaled on an old model of a “woman’s” piano (apparently, piano keys used to be a relative item, based on the desires of the purchaser versus an industry standard).I wanted to make a more mobile setup, so I connected a power bank and a bluetooth midi adapter to my keystep 32. I had issues with other previous portable USB keyboards that I have used over the years (One example was an M-Audio 25 key unit that did not stand up to portable use). With my non-bluetooth version, I usb wire it to my Mac and it works (just as any complient MIDI device should). It provides 25 full size, velocity-sensitive keys with polyphonic aftertouch, is 100% MIDI compliant and is powered and upgradable via a single USB cable, no batteries required.

I remember stopping by CME’s booth at TMEA, seeing the XKey for the first time, and showing them the Miselu C. if so you probably know its a really cool thing, and/but is a completely different feel/experience than conventional keys controller. At first, this scheme seemed like it would take some getting used to, but I felt like it would be better than the mini keys which I really dislike. The sustain keypad, along with the similarly styled modulation and octave controls, is retained on the Xkey37, so it is still usable in situations where it would be impractical to employ a sustain pedal, but the addition of a traditional MIDI output means you can now use this Xkey with any MIDI sound module, without there having to be a computer involved. You can also set global parameters, including disabling the poly aftertouch, and upgrade the firmware (my tests were performed with v1.Whatever your particular use might be — programming ‘finger drums’, occasional keyboard parts, or music-making on the move — CME’s Xkey offers a very elegant and affordable solution.

The spacing and depth of Xkey's keys mirror those of a piano, but the height of each key is lower (meaning less travel too), and there are gaps between the keys.Last summer, Web MIDI was announced, and over the last year, programs have been adding it: Noteflight, Flat. I didn’t test the Xkey with the iPad simply because I never felt serious music making should be made on the iPad. I was concerned that the whole product might feel a little flimsy due to it’s weight but it’s pretty solidly built, with thick plastic keys and a brushed aluminium body.