[LAU] Master keyboard

[Leigh Dyer]

On 17/01/11 23:46, Gabriel M. Beddingfield wrote:
> On Monday, January 17, 2011 05:27:59 am Louigi Verona wrote:
>> I use M-Audio Oxygen series, Oxygen 8 and 65. Works
>> really great, no compatibility problems. M-Audio is
>> known to usually comply with standard MIDI and standard
>> USB.
>
> Correction:  M-Audio is known to work fine with Linux, after
> you install the 'midisport firmware loader.'  This is
> included in most distros (esp. Debian/Ubuntu),[1] though you
> will have to install it yourself.  This is very easy to do.
> I have a Midisport 1x1 and an Oxygen 49 and they rock.

It's only the older M-Audio devices that need the firmware upload; 
AFAIK, all of the current models are class-compliant right 
out-of-the-box without needing any firmware uploads. Unfortunately it's 
not always easy to tell what does and doesn't need the firmware. The 
page for the firmware project has a list:

http://usb-midi-fw.sourceforge.net/

but there are three revisions of the Oxygen out there now, for instance, 
and I think (but don't know for sure) that it's only the first version 
that needs the firmware.

There's not a lot of USB-based MIDI stuff out that isn't class-compliant 
-- the only device I can think of off-hand is the Novation Launchpad. 
I'd take the approach of finding a keyboard that suits your needs (size, 
feel, features, etc.), and then doing some Googling just to make sure it 
works under Linux.

Thanks
Leigh