M-Audio Oxygen Pro 49 £189
M-Audio’s Oxygen controller keyboard range now has a Pro division. Jono Buchanan enjoys some fresh air
CONTACT WHO: M-Audio WEB: m-audio.comKEY FEATURES 49 velocity sensitive semiweighted keys (with aftertouch) and pads (with Note Repeat), 8 assignable knobs, 9 assignable faders, Preset and DAW buttons for auto-mapped DAW and plugin controls, Smart Chord and Smart Scale Modes, Arp with Type, Octave, Gate and Swing controls, USB bus power and MIDI connector, plus MIDI Out
What really sets the‘Pro’ apart is its array of performance controls
For years, M-Audio’s Axiom Pro-61 was my controller keyboard of choice. It blended cost-effectiveness with immediacy and, at the time, its design and functionality felt fresh and slick too. Time passes and the Axiom Pro is long gone – replaced by M-Audio’s Oxygen range. So successful has this series been that the current Oxygen line-up is the fourth iteration of the brand. However, having checked out the features and design of some of Oxygen’s competitors, M-Audio have now returned to the drawing board and now offer a ‘Pro’ range to sit atop the Oxygen tree. These new keyboards don’t replace the current line-up but instead offer a more feature-rich alternative.