Timothy

6 de diciembre de 2024

M-VAVE SMK-25

I bought this because I wanted a battery powered wireless controller with bluetooth midi. Basically, something I can stuff in my backpack along with a few other battery powered synths/grooveboxes and have a nice small keyboard on the go. This was one of the few options I found and it is by far the smallest (unless you get into devices that don't have actual keybeds). Shockingly, it's also one of the lowest cost.It is pretty powerful right off the bat, connecting immediately to my other bluetooth midi devices (CME adapters) with no effort. It worked immediately. I got a bit frustrated at first because the manual is terrible and there was no obvious way to switch MIDI channels -- I was stuck on channel 1. Well, I did some research online and found that there is a companion software "MidiSuite." The M-VAVE website doesn't support SSL (in the year 2024) so it looks sketchy as hell, but it's fine. And it's powerful. You can reconfigure every single aspect of the entire device. Every pad, knob, and button can be reconfigured in any way you want, on any midi channel you want. You can then store these configurations in 8 presets on the device, or any number more on your computer. So there you can see there's a potential issue. You could use 8 presets and set up 8 different MIDI channels if you just assign them all to the same channel. But then the other 8 you can't do anything with (if you need to). Well, if this was a more expensive controller, I'd be more upset, but it's cheap. So it's fine.So basically, if you think the configuration options are lacking, download the companion software, it will unlock a lot more.This is at its heard a bluetooth midi controller and it connects, as I stated earlier, effortlessly to other class compliant bluetooth midi devices. But you may want to use this controller in other ways. You can connect the USB to the computer (it has a USB 1.0/2.0 USB-B connector type -- the old "printer" connectors -- instead of a more modern USB-C, but whatever). When connected to the computer, it will act as any other MIDI device and can be easily routed into your DAW. It also has a way to use the footswitch jack as MIDI out. I don't completely understand how that works because, again, the manual is terrible. But I'm guessing it's similar to the 3.5mm MIDI standard, just coming out of a 1/4" jack size. So that would mean you'd need a 1/4" to 3.5mm (1/8") adapter, which are easy to come by. Again, I'm just guessing, I haven't tried it yet. Also, in this mode you lose the footswitch, but it does allow MIDI out without having to use wireless or USB.Hardware wise, the keybed is alright. Not the best, not the worst. Just fine for the price. Velocity sensitive (and you can configure curves and upper/lower limits in the software). The pads feel great and have velocity and aftertouch. The touchpad pitch and mod "wheels" feel terrific. They are perfectly sensitive and accurate. They feel just as good as my Arturia and ASM keyboard touchpads. The knobs are endless encoders, so there is no "jump" when you switch patches. They have a nice resistance so feel very precise when turning them. They send single CC steps unlike some other controllers that step in 2 (ahem Korg ahem). The transport buttons by default support MCP (as well as the second layer of pads), which was a bit of a surprise feature. I don't really use MCP anywhere, but I know others that do. You can control many DAW transport functions by mapping those. I remapped them all to MIDI notes or CCs in pushbutton/toggle mode.The display is just a 3 digit 7-segment display, like you see in a lot of Roland gear these days. Very little information is presented, but it does tell you at a glance which preset you are on, the current CC value, etc. Again, this thing is cheap so I can't complain.All in all, this thing is a beast for the price and rivals much more expensive options in some ways. But, don't expect it to do *everything* a more expensive controller would do, it is a low cost option and probably will never have a software or firmware update ever and the company might disappear in a couple years (or not, M-VAVE has lasted longer than a lot of others so far).All in all, glad I bought it.One last thing, the Amazon listing is wrong, the company name is M-VAVE, not M-WAVE.Ver más

36 personas la encontraron útil

Quincy DeVille

28 de mayo de 2026

Works as stated. Easy plug & play!

Excellent value and quality for the price. This M-Wave is a great solution especially for when you are on the go or traveling. Can connect and use whenever inspiration strikes. I like using the arpeggiator function and I combine it with a Mac book, and other synths/keyboards on my rig. You can use it for performance or just jamming around, developing song ideas. The build quality for the price is good, so no complaints. Obviously you have to spend a lot more money if you want weighted keys and other pro features. It’s plug and play and it works as specified. I am still using and enjoying this midi controller.Ver más

david

8 de marzo de 2023

Portable Bluetooth Beast!

I’ve been shopping around for a while now for exactly what this unit has to offer and I couldn’t be happier to find it. I can throw this in my backpack with my iPad Pro or MacBook Pro and run it completely Bluetooth, no wires at all or I can use the USB port if I’m at my mixing desk to plug in a quick idea for a track. The thing is rechargeable as well so no need for batteries! So easy to use right out of the box (so long as you’re familiar with wireless MIDI). I couldn’t be happier with this unit and I use it almost every day. I’ve been considering buying and additional unit for my son because he loves playing with it too and he’s only 2! Thanks for providing such a wonderful product in this price range! I can feel free to kick back anywhere anytime and have some wireless keys to feed into whatever platform I choose!Ver más

1 persona la encontró útil

AM H.

22 de junio de 2023

Great midi keyboard contoller

I recently purchased the M-WAVE 25 Key USB MIDI Keyboard Controller and it is an absolute game changer. This device has revolutionized my music production, making it easier than ever to create professional sounding tracks. I especially love the 8 backlit drum pads, which provide an intuitive way to program beats and rhythms. I found it simple to connect to my computer via USB and set up was a breeze. It is also extremely lightweight and portable, so I can take it with me anywhere. Overall, I highly recommend this MIDI Keyboard Controller, especially for those on a budget. The only caveat is that it does control editor for mac. There’s no manual or information included.Ver más

Jenny

28 de febrero de 2023

The Ultimate Review and Unofficial Guide to The M-VAVE MIDI Controller

Interested in making music on iOS? This MIDI controller is THE easiest way to get started and get to the fun part - making music! It's also well constructed, surprisingly configurable, and best of all: no wires!Most music creation setups require a fixed workstation with cables snaking everywhere, but the handy thing about iPads is how mobile they are. Until now, making music on iOS also required a setup with at least 2 cables, plus a $40 adapter from Apple. You might even need to add a powered USB hub in the middle of all that. Good luck playing music on your couch!That's why I was so excited to find this keyboard controller - it uses low energy bluetooth to connect to your iOS device wirelessly and that's all you need to get up and running! Just switch the power on, a couple of taps in your music app of choice (NOT via the usual bluetooth settings page - connect to it within your music app!) and you can start creating your next song!As for the keyboard itself, it's quite well made for the price. It uses minikeys to keep the size down so you can toss the controller and an iPad in a backpack and work on the go. The keys feel very good at this price point, and are velocity sensitive so you can add dynamics to your playing. The knobs are also solid and spin infinitely. The pads have a good feel to them as well, a bit of give but don't trigger with minimal pressure, so there's no accidental hits. The only misstep are the pitch bend and mod strips; they work adequately but it may not be the tactile response you're used to. There's 8 knobs and 8 pads, but a single button press for each switches their controls to a second bank or 8 each and essentially doubles the number of controls you have!Extra features that you might not expect to find on a controller at this price point include an arpeggiator that can be controlled via the keys, a smart chord and smart scale system (play chords with one finger! Never play an off-scale note again!), and the ability to change velocity curves for the pads and keys from the controller itself.This product is not made by one of the big names in music devices which saves you some serious money. It also means that the documentation is a little sparse - but I'm here to fill in the gaps so you can get the best experience for the best price! The controller comes with 8 presets that are preconfigured pretty intelligently - preset 1 follows the classic MIDI setup of having keys transmit on MIDI channel 1, and the pads, representing drums, on MIDI channel 10. Works right out of the box.But if you want more control, there's a free iOS app that gives you virtually complete control over every input on the controller. It's called "cube suite" - and make sure you search of it in the app store just as I typed it there because the app store is not smart about searching for apps. cubesuite, all one word will give you zero results. This app is well done but has some minor rough edges - expect minor spelling mistakes and the very occasional "what does that mean?" That said, I've always been able to get it to do what I need.On opening cube suite, if your controller isn't immediately recognized (the official name is the SMK25), hit scan nearby devices at the bottom, and it should find and connect. Tap the SMK25 icon and then you'll be taken to a screen with two sections. The top, "GLOB" for global, exposes the controls in app form that you can also control from the keyboard, namely, the arpeggiator, smart scale/chords, and key and pad velocity. Nice to have, but you can change those settings from the controller, so it's not strictly necessary.The last tab, "Preset" is where things get interesting. There's 8 presets on the controller. This is where you select what preset the controller is using (also can be done on the controller by pressing 2 buttons together and then pressing one of the pads - 8 pads, 8 presets!), but more importantly you can make changes to the controls in the bottom section of the screen (USER CONFIG) - the keys, pads, knobs, pitch/mod strips, and transport buttons - and then use "Persistent save" to save those changes to the selected preset, giving you ultimate control! You can even set the exact color you want the Pad LEDs to be - and I have to say they look very slick.How to change what the controls do: USER CONFIG has 5 tabs, each representing a type of control. So "Pad" lets you customize the pads. And oh boy are they customizable: you can set them to send lots of different type of MIDI commands. Send notes, program changes, momentary CC signals, toggle CC signals. Depending on the type of signal, there are appropriate subsettings to change as well. For example, in CC toggle mode, you can say what 2 values to send each time you "toggle" the pad by hitting it - send 127 and 127 (full on), send 0 and 127 (full off and full on), send 43 and 87 (I don't know why, but you can!).At the top of the section is "Pad Index" - this is which pad you are editing, and then all the possible things you can set it to are below that. Tap the pad on the right to select which of the 16 pads you want to change. The same is true for knobs. Keys are a bit different - you set what channel to send the keys over, and then can set what note each key will send. Note that this is one off the few poor UI experiences - for example, MIDI values can range from 0 to 127 and rather then letting you type in the number, you have to navigate a drop down list with 128 different entries, one for each number. Not a huge deal since you will only be occasionally changing the controls on the controller, but it isn't ideal. And if you are changing the controls very often - time to upgrade and get a serious MIDI controller that makes it easy to program it to your heart's content!Anyways, once you have the controls the way you like them, hit "Persistent Save" to save the preset back to the controller, and with just 2 button presses on the controller, you have your preset ready for jamming!Just to give you an example of how powerful this amount of control is, here's my setup: Presets 1 through 4 have been customized by me to send on the same channel number. So preset 1 sends on MIDI channel 1, 2 on 2, etc. This allows me to put different instruments in my music software and have them listen only on those channels. So I can hit the pads on channel 1 and get some drums going, then by pressing the preset change button and then pad 2 - now I'm playing bass on the keys! I can switch super easily and get back to the fun part - writing and playing some tunes!Alright, if you've stuck with me this long, here's my summary: this controller is well made for the price, highly configurable even if it's not the fastest process, but most importantly - EXTREMELY EASY to get up and running with ZERO wires. It's got a 2000 mAH battery (with charging cable) that lasts longer than my iPad's battery and I'm really enjoying it.Get it for making music anywhere - an iPhone and this keyboard in a backpack lets you make music on the beach, at the park - anywhere. Get it for kids and teens who want to get into music without a huge upfront cost. Get it for noodling on your couch.Just Get It!

Ed B.

12 de septiembre de 2023

Absolute BEST small keyboard!

For many years I’ve been on the fence about purchasing a small portable keyboard. I play in an 80’s cover band, and my primary rig involves Reason running on a Mac Studio, using a Nektar Impact LX61+ as my primary controller. Before a gig, and sometimes during a break from the stage, I need a simple way to rehearse chords and solos. Having another full setup isn’t convenient. I needed a Bluetooth solution so I could just use my phone or iPad and simply rehearse. The M-Vave is the perfect solution. I can easily connect wirelessly and not worry about cables or adaptors or anything else. It simply WORKS. I got the completely black model and I LOVE IT. Just be sure to get the CubeSuite iOS app, which allows for much easier editing and programming.It has been such a treat connected to my iPhone that I’m THIS close to incorporating it into my live stage performances. The latency is extremely minimal and definitely not a hinderance. There’s just a small detail I have to work out with shifting forward and backward through tracks - need to reassign two of the pads to possibly send MIDI machine control (MMC) instead of a CC value, and I haven’t figured this out yet.If you are on the fence like I was, don’t wait any longer. Just BUY THIS ONE! The pitch and mod ribbon strips are a bit frustrating to deal with but still fully workable. With 25 velocity sensitive mini keys, 8 velocity sensitive pads, 8 infinite rotary encoders (not “knobs” with a finite start and stop position)… I mean come on! For such a low price?! This is a no brainer. BUY IT!Ver más

5 personas la encontraron útil