CME XKEY AIR 25 Electronic Keyboard

Product Information

Because of the lowered height of the keys, the entire unit is very compact, with its total height being about 5/8'. On the topic of using a wireless adapter with a KeyStep, does anyone have recommendations for a good battery for the KeyStep? Finding a keyboard for a mobile music-making rig is all about compromise — if you want something very small and portable, you generally can’t have full-sized keys and will have to be prepared to dispense with some facilities. So here I have it, connected with the supplied USB charging cable, in effect being a wired unit but almost double the cost.

It’s really inspiring that the technology is progressing to the point where the physical connections and configurations are being pushed aside and more focus is being placed on the actual playing.The Bluetooth connection is great, with no latency (when it works), but on a number of occasions it would drop or simply refuse to connect. Really wanted to like it because of the format, but the velocity response was too uneven and random for me. The pitch bend and modulation are a little vague and inconsistent – it feels as if the buttons are there purely to fit with the design as a wheel or a knob would be too awkward… if not more effective. In fact it’s incredibly lightweight, making it transportation-ready and easy enough to slot in wherever space is a problem.

This is a future-proof controller that’s really more of a studio “director” or “headmaster-in-charge of all things bleepy-bloopy” – not your grandad’s MIDI.Achtung: das Bild ist irrelevant und falsch, das Mini Keyboard hat 25 Tasten und demzufolge nur 2 Oktaven !

Overall, I've gotta give kudos to CME for rethinking the portable MIDI controller and coming up with the best music keyboard for iOS that I've used to date. Packaging and product design are both reminiscent of Apple and the keyboard certainly sits well within a Mac setup. 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. 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.

It’s great for the tour bus and hotel room but can equally be used by producers in a compact studio setup to avoid the need for a pull-out drawer on your desk. Obviously, I’m not the only person to have felt this because CME have now launched the Xkey37, which, in addition to an extra octave’s worth of keys, also features a detachable multi-function ‘Xcable’ connector that offers a traditional MIDI output and connections for both sustain and expression pedals. Once any changes have been made, they can be saved to the unit so there’s no need to alter them again.