Low Price Edirol PCR-M80 61 key - USB MIDI Keyboard Controller

I've had this keyboard a little over a year, using it as my main axe on gigs. I use it with my laptop (playing plug-in instruments), and a Roland JV1010 module. AFAIK the Edirols are the only controllers in this price range that let you program your own sysex, a must for my needs: the keyboard's notes can only transmit on one midi channel (no zoning), so in order to play my JV1010 multitimbrally I use sysex to turn parts on & off and vary volume. The other controllers can be separately programmed to transmit on any of the 16 midi channels. The keyboard feel is fine as long as you're used to an unweighted synth action; the keys have good "spring" (much improved from the previous PCR-80 model). My previous keyboard was a Roland XP50 and the PCR-M80 action is actually much stiffer but I'm used to it now (the XP50's action was particularly light). There are 12 velocity curves that tailor the response of the PCR-M80 to your playing dynamics, a necessary feature in any controller IMO.

Programming from the front panel is a little tedious and convoluted as you need to press multiple buttons and keys on the keyboard to set each controller. The editing software (Mac & PC) works well and makes things much easier, although it's hard to see things on my hi-rez laptop screen; I wish they had made the on-screen display and text labels bigger.

I'm a little concerned about long-term reliability. I banged the &^%$ out of my old Roland XP50 for over ten years, and only towards the end did I have to replace the keyboard contacts (a big $13 for the whole set!), and a few of the plastic switch buttons. After about 15 months with my Edirol, two of the switches stopped working; I opened it up, and used some contact cleaner on them and now they're fine. Recently the pitch bender started acting up -- not returning to "0" after bending down. This turned out to be a loose potentiometer. I called Roland to ask a repair person some questions but they were no help -- only offering to sell me a replacement pitch bend assembly. I am a DIY-type and was comfortable fixing these issues myself, especially since the keyboard was out of warranty.

Aside from the build issues, I like the PCR-M80 a lot. It's extremely compact and light (about 8 lbs). With this and a powerful laptop playing top-shelf VIs, one could easily have a killer mobile setup (I'm old enough to remember carting a Fender Rhodes AND a Yamaha CP-70 to gigs!). There's a downside though: I've found that some people might take you less seriously when you show up with this tiny plastic-y keyboard (some of my fellow musicians refer to it as my "ironing board!"). I could care less. My back is much happier!Get more detail about Edirol PCR-M80 61 key - USB MIDI Keyboard Controller.