The company was founded by Keith Barr, who also founded MXR (known for their guitar pedals), to bring pro-grade performance to smaller studio setups. Akai is for pros, M-audio for beginners, and Alesis the middle-child.īut way before Alesis was acquired by InMusic in 2001, it was known as a groundbreaking manufacturer of studio equipment. The only big difference is how these brands have positioned themselves in industry. Yet, they share the same technology, such as both Alesis and Akai's support of VIP 3.0 software. In many cases, these brands compete against each other in the same segment (Akai, Alesis, and M-Audio all selling MIDI controllers is an example). InMusic Brands, a Rhode Island-based company, owns Akai, Alesis, Denon, M-Audio, Ion, Marantz, and Numark, among others.

In this review, I'll look at the Alesis V49's design, features, performance, and tell you whether it is worth your money or not.Ī lot of people are surprised when I tell them that so many of the brands they know and love – Alesis included – are all owned by the same company. The Alesis V49 isn't for everyone, but if you're the right fit for it, it will be one of your favorite purchases. And the missing DAW force you to rely on your computer keyboard + mouse. There are too few pads and knobs to be useful. The synth action keys don't have the feedback of more expensive semi-weighted keys. As one of the cheaper 49-key keyboards on the market, it will make you wonder how Alesis was able to squeeze so much performance into such an affordable package. And all of this is bundled up in a design that's gloriously minimalist and modern. There are only a handful of pads, but they work well enough for most bedroom producers. The full-sized keys are velocity sensitive and highly responsive. With the Alesis V49, you finally have an answer to this question. Is there no controller that balances key quality and price? Or you have to settle for cheap keyboards with clunky keys, such as the M-Audio Keystation 49. You can either opt for expensive pro-quality controllers, such as the Akai MPK249. If you're a producer looking for a 49-key keyboard, your options are limited.

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