Roland A-800
PRO 61-Note USB MIDI Keyboard Controller
- 61 Velocity sensitive keys
- 45 Assignable knobs, sliders and soft switches
- 8 assignable dynamic pads for finger drumming or MIDI triggering
- Bundled with Sonar 8.5 LE Music production Software
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Was £325, Save £36! Now £289
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Product Information
Cakewalk A-800 PRO 61-Note USB MIDI Keyboard Controller
Roland have now welcomed the Cakewalk brand into the Roland group of companies and one of the first releases under the amalgamated brand is a new range of USB/MIDI keyboard controllers. Today we'll be looking at the flagship model - the A-800 Pro 61 key Controller keyboard which essentially is the same keyboard used on the Roland Juno D.
The general feel, build quality and cosmetics of this keyboard leave you in no doubt that this is a classy piece of kit, but possibly the best feature is the Active Technology Control button which, when used in conjunction with Cakewalk DAW software, maps all of the core functionality of the software to the knobs, sliders and transport control on the keyboard allowing you to control the DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) from the A-800 keyboard itself...
All 61 keys are velocity sensitive, there are 45 assignable knobs, sliders and soft-switches plus 8 dynamic pads for finger-drumming or MIDI triggering.The keyboard is powered not from an A/C adapter but from the USB bus once connected to either a PC or Mac (The A-800 is compatible with both). It also has the latest drivers for Windows 7 and Macintosh Snow Leopard and comes with a bundle of Sonar 8.5 LE music production software plus 3 virtual instrument soft-synth plug-ins (Rapture LE, Cakewalk Sound Center & Studio Instruments).
Reviews
Age: ??
Location: The darkest depths of the Nevada warehouse
There are plenty of modestly priced keyboard controllers on the market at the moment - most at entry to mid market level, so why is it worth spending even more of your hard earned beer tokens on the Cakewalk A-800 Pro 61 note keyboard controller ... ?
Having tried the A-800 against other recognised brands the answer for me is plain and simple ... quality ... Yes you can get cheaper keyboard controllers, but thanks to the merger between Cakewalk and Roland what you are effectively getting with the A-800 Pro is a Roland keyboard. In fact this is exactly the same keyboard that is used on the Roland Juno G (that incidentally has an RRP of over £800) and once you actually start to play the keyboard the difference is so apparent ... The response of the keys, the aftertouch control and the sheer quality of the build screams class ...
So if you want a keyboard controller that has a full 61 note keyboard that can perfectly capture all of the nuances and subtlety of your playing style -then this baby will fit the bill perfectly. But the benefits don't stop there ... This keyboard also has a secret weapon up it's sleeve with the ACT (Active Controller Technology) button, when you use this keyboard with compatible Cakewalk software, by merely pressing this button it will automatically map all of the core functionality from the software over to the variety of knobs, buttons and sliders on the A-800 Pro. So you can control virtually everything on your DAW from the keyboard including transport controls ...
If you need convincing further then I suggest that you make your way to the Nevada Music Warehouse and check out this little beauty ...