[LAU] Which keyboard to buy?

[James Stone]

On Tue, Jan 15, 2008 at 10:55:57PM +0100, Arnold Krille wrote:
> Hi all,
> 
> I am planning to by a second keyboard (once I really talked my wife into it:). 
> The primary reason to do so is that a keyboard with faders and knobs costs 
> less than for example the M-AUDIO UC33E 
> (http://www.thomann.de/de/evolution_uc33e_usbcontroller.htm).
> So I am thinking about a keyboard in the 49-keys range, either the M-AUDIO 
> OXYGEN 49 (http://www.thomann.de/de/maudio_oxygen_49.htm) or the EVOLUTION 
> MK449 C (http://www.thomann.de/de/prod_zoom_AR_166415.html).
> Has anyone recommendations in regard to stability, usability and 
> linux-/standards-compliance? (I remember a time when m-audio-devices seemed 
> to need a firmware?)
>

My preference would be for the evolution over the oxygen. I
tried both 4 years ago or so and the oxygen8 had very spongy
action and was almost impossible to hit full velocity. One key
broke in less than a week! Of course it may have been a bad one
but those sorts of things really put you off!

Evolution 249c has a much nicer action IMHO, has been very
reliable, and on the occasion where I thought it had broken
after 3 yrs or so, I got some excellent support and one hard
reset later it was completely back to normal! 

On the other hand I thought evolution had been taken over by
m-audio so things may be different now.. Try both if you can!

James