49-key keyboard with 12 velocity curves, side I/O, rotary encoder, real feel and response, and more.
The inexpensive 49-key Cakeswalk A-500S MIDI Keyboard Controller shares many of the same design elements as the Cakewalk A-PRO series. The Cakewalk A-500S is a perfect controller for anyone making music at home or in a project studio with a computer. The A-500S MIDI controller will also be welcome in academic settings where you desire great sound at low cost, or for live performances and mobile recording applications.
Make Music with Your Mac or PC
You have a computer. You have inspiration. Now is the time to start playing and recording your music. The Cakewalk A-500S musical keyboard works perfectly with a wide variety of software on Mac or PC including SONAR, Music Creator, Garage Band, FL Studio, Ableton Live, Sequel, Cubase, Reason, ACID, and others. For Windows customers just getting started, the A-500S MIDI controller includes the Cakewalk Production Plus Pack. Best of all, the Cakewalk A-500S keyboard is easy to set up—if you can plug-in a USB Cable, you will be making music in no time at all.
Real Keyboard Feel and Response
With a newly designed key mechanism—taken from Roland's 30 years of synthesizer development—players can control a wide dynamic range with incredible subtlety. The new rounded keys offer superior reaction to your touch and more comfortable glissando, plus enhancements have been made to reduce the Cakewalk A-500S keyboard's already low mechanical noise and to eliminate vertical shake from key strokes. The newly developed pitch bend and modulation design offers you easier and more expressive control. All these features add up to a keyboard MIDI controller that even the most discerning player can appreciate.
Match Your Playing Style with Selectable Velocity Curves
Pick from 12 velocity curves to precisely match your playing style. As the Cakewalk A-500S MIDI controller has 4 different velocity curves and 3 kinds of sensitivity (Light, Medium, and Heavy), you can find the combination that perfectly suits you, so you can produce the precise MIDI performance and programming of a true professional. In addition, a Fixed Velocity Mode is provided where the A-500S always outputs a fixed velocity (from 1 to 127), providing practical input for drum and percussion programming in step recording.
Easy Connection to Computer (and more) with Side Panel Ports
The Cakewalk A-500S controller cleanly provides connections on the side panel so that you can easily have a computer monitor or laptop in the ideal position behind the keyboard—a must for educational use. All connections are located on the side—USB, MIDI OUT, plus separate Hold and Expression pedal ports.
3 Digit 7-segment LED and Rotary Encoder
The Cakewalk A-500S keyboard's MIDI control is provided via a rotary encoder, which is both easier and faster than using the notes for numerical values. Use the knob to set up MIDI channel, Program Change, Control Change, and more, and instantly see the values on the LED. When working with virtual instruments, you can set this knob for quick control of your favorite LFO, Filter, or other controls.
FPT Low-latency MIDI Transmission
The Cakewalk A-500S controller offers MIDI Transmission using Roland's proprietary FPT (Fast Processing Technology). You can rely on FPT for stable, high speed, low latency, and low-jitter MIDI transmission. In layman's terms, that means that subtleties of your performance are going to be captured regardless of the music application you are using. And when working with virtual instruments, FPT provides lower latencies to give you the inspiring feel of playing a real instrument.
Production Plus Pack
The Production Plus Pack is a powerful suite of music creation software that ships with the Cakewalk A-500S. It includes SONAR 8.5 LE recording software (PC only) and three high-quality and versatile virtual instruments for Mac and PC: Rapture LE, Cakewalk Sound Center, and Studio Instruments Drums.
3 Power Sources—Play it Anywhere
No matter what environment you are in, you'll be able to use the Cakewalk A-500S keyboard controller because it offers the flexibility of 3 separate power sources: USB bus power, batteries, or AC Adapter. The Cakewalk A-500S works with USB-Bus power. No power supply is required when connecting via USB cable. The Cakewalk A-500S MIDI keyboard controller can also be powered via batteries (AA type x 4) or by an AC adaptor. 3 choices of power for any situation. Batteries and AC adaptor (BOSS PSA Series) are sold separately.
