M-Audio Axiom 49 2nd Gen 49-Key USB MIDI Keyboard Controller

used it with Ableton, very versatile and I was excited about what I would be able to do with it, but then some of the keys stopped working and as I looked into this online, I found that it is a common issue which some users have been able to resolve, but not me. It's worthless to me now, surely not under warranty anymore so I don't know what to do with it.

I think everyone keeps thinking the axiom's always have the blue screen of death but that's why M-audio made the 2nd generation out of it. For me, it is an amazing controller, very nice feel on the keys, all the faders and buttons work and feel perfect. It just took me a few seconds to download the directlink for cubase 5 which worked perfectly and inmediately. I can control anything for whatever virtual instrument I am using. Just give a nice read to the manual and you'll be riding this baby. No regrets, awesome price, awesome design, incredible machine. GO FOR IT

I got the first generation of this keyboard. It was awesome at first, all the features made it pretty attractive for the price. After about 2 months I got the "blue screen of death" and it stopped working entirely. I called the guitar center that i got it from and they said to contact m-audio. After checking out the forum on the maudio site I realized that a lot of people were having this problem. I sent emails and complaints but heard nothing back. I am a broke college student so im pretty angry that i blew my money on this. M-audio screwed me and a lot of other people over. Don't fall for it.

The M-Audio Axiom 49 2nd generation is a great little controller for those times when you don't need your real keyboards. This thing is complex and sends/receives midi messages of all kinds and flavors. The DirectLink auto mapping feature is cool. Push one button, you have control of your DAW's mixer section - I use Logic - push another button and your software instrument pops up on the screen. Push another button and the Ax automatically maps to controls like filter, resonance, etc. on the instrument. It does not map perfectly to non-Apple software instruments, but it does ok and can always easily be reassigned. Easy to read and multiple messages LCD display, also. The keys feel OK, they say they are "semi-weighted" and they are, but it's obviously spring activated. They feel good though, and the octave switches allow you to set the range up or down a few octaves with only a very slight pause. Sliders, buttons, knobs and wheels are all rubberized, as are the pads. The controls feel great and they don't feel cheap. The Ax is USB bus powered and does not need an external power supply for operation. I installed the drivers and such, went to the M-Audio website for the correct Direct Link software for Logic, and installed that. Plugged in the USB cable, turned on the Ax, and began playing with no further set-up required. Highly recommended!

I recently upgraded to this from my Axiom 25, first gen. I was considering buying an Axiom 49 Pro, but decided against it due to the price. The first thing I noticed about it is, it felt like a real keyboard. Not just a lightweight piece of plastic. The faders, knobs, and pads felt very authentic, and I liked the performance of each. The LCD screen was useful in supplying information I needed. I really liked the DirectLink functionality. The semiweighted keys were where my issues started, though the issues were tiny ones. I felt as if the keys were sticky, not wieghted, but breaking them in a bit fixed that. I also don't like the sensitivity of them, as the velocity is an issue. This may be a DAW problem as Pro-Tools had no issue. It is a really fine controller, supplying both the functionality and design I have come to expect from M-Audio products. Kudos, M-Audio. Another great product is sitting on my desk.