Open Box IK Multimedia iRig Keys I/O 49 Level 1

Arrived in the mail. Installed four brand new AA batteries but the batteries option in the back doesn't power up the unit. It does work when the power switch is on USB and the unit is connected to the iPad Pro. From what I've read online, others have experienced the same problem. I will be returning it to the Guitar Center store to see if another instrument might work. I did hook it up and integration with Logic Pro for iPad isn't as straightforward. SampleTank seems to work effortlessly. The instrument itself has a nice feel to it and plays well. I hope my issues can be resolved because you can't beat its mobility.

I decided to purchase the iRig Keys I/O 49 keyboard because of its amazingly small dimensions. I have been using a massive 88-key MIDI controller for a while now, and it's just so cumbersome to work with. The iRig keyboard fits almost anywhere, and makes it possible to sit at a desk and enter MIDI notes while my mouse, qwerty keyboard, and monitor all sit on the same desk. Before buying this keyboard, I was forced to use a keyboard stand turned sideways to my desk to hold my keyboard controller. Though the iRig 49 lacks some of the bells & whistles of the more advanced controllers, its size makes it a valuable addition to my MIDI setup.

I decided to purchase the iRig Keys I/O 49 keyboard because of its amazingly small dimensions. I have been using a massive 88-key MIDI controller for a while now, and it's just so cumbersome to work with. The iRig keyboard fits almost anywhere, and makes it possible to sit at a desk and enter MIDI notes while my mouse, qwerty keyboard, and monitor all sit on the same desk. Before buying this keyboard, I was forced to use a keyboard stand turned sideways to my desk to hold my keyboard controller. Though the iRig 49 lacks some of the bells & whistles of the more advanced controllers, its size makes it a valuable addition to my MIDI setup.

I bought this because I already had the irig keys 37 pro and was super happy with it. I figured this would work equally well and have the octave more. I use something lightweight to travel and practice. I'm an intermediate piano player. Unfortunately, however, I'm quite disappointed. It does not work nearly as well as the smaller 37 key version. It has issues being recognised by my iphone and my ipad. After every use I need to unplug everything again and reconnect in the right order and even then sometimes it won't work. So, no plug and play at all. Plug and hope and wait and then (maybe) play. I googled a bit and found that lots of other customers also have the same issue. Support, however, can't help. Also, you can only listen to the sound through earphones. That is really a shame. It would be better to just plug in your ipad or iphone and play. But for some reason (support says because it has I/O) this is not possible. So, you will have to wear earphones even if you are at home. And thirdly, it randomly drops notes. If you play for 60 seconds, it will drop one note on average. That is not a lot and I still can practice. But it still is very annoying. I love the ikey rig 37 pro and can highly recommend it. However, this newer and more expensive version with 49 keys is a failure.

This seems to be a controller with a lot of potential, if IK Multimedia will fix all the glitches. But so far, that will not even acknowledge any of the issues I listed as problems. If you want to get a sense for the support you will get, I encourage you to try it for yourself before you buy any IK product. There is no phone, chat, or email support - only a ticket system. In my personal experience, replies are typically come very slowly, if at all.