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Author Topic: M-Audio Axiom 61(2nd Generation)  (Read 14762 times)
elwoodblues1969
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« on: March 31, 2012, 11:44:50 PM »

After having let go of my old Axiom Pro 49 board(you know..the obnoxiously white,"Buck Roger's Edition"-style one)..well..that particular model was quite a luxury for my old Reason version 4..as you merely plugged it in & it instantaneously configured itself to my DAW...& the key-bed was tasty as well.
As nice as it was,the 49-keys wasn't the best idea purchase-wise,but at the time I was brand new to DAWs & I felt I needed the Hypercontrol technology,to make my transition from software to hardware,easier...but since the Axiom Pro line was so expensive,I settled on the 49-key version for $500..if memory serves.

As for the new 2nd generation of the Axiom line..well..it's not all that much of a downgrade from their flagship Axiom line,as like the Axiom Pro line,you get the same size screen with real time feedback,piano-style keys and as for configuring the new Axiom to your DAW,it's merely a matter of clicking on the Auto Detect icon in your DAW's preferences page & presto,job is complete.

This keyboard is wonderfully compact-yet solid..weighing in at nearly 14lbs & the build quality is superb.The tactile aspect of the keys is truly inspirational...as they are indeed,keys that are sculpted very similarly to that of a real piano,with a light,semi-weighted response...which is comfortable enough for a piano ballad & fast enough to shred,Jan Hammer-style.
Cool

It's a very sharp & elegant piece of PC hardware,with a charcoal gray finish...complete with a wide array of knobs,buttons & faders that are nearly as fun to touch as a pair of boobs. Evil

The best part of this magnificent keyboard,is that the street price is $399 & I managed to score this beauty for $299(new).


-Thom


* M-Audio Axiom 61.jpg (142.67 KB, 404x404 - viewed 1535 times.)
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Oren
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« Reply #1 on: April 01, 2012, 12:46:04 AM »

Handsome bit of gear, Thom. Hard to believe they can sell it for such a low price!
I like that honeycomb detail at the ends.
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Marc JX8P
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« Reply #2 on: April 01, 2012, 02:42:19 AM »

I have two of the 1st gen Axioms - the 25 key and 61 key versions. Very nice, play well. The only thing that I'm not too fond of is that they're quite heavy (although admittedly very stable and sturdy as well) and the rounded edge doesn't really rest well on a stand when it's tilted slightly forward.
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Also known as Marc JXP
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« Reply #3 on: April 01, 2012, 01:49:58 PM »

I had the 25 key version of the 2nd Gen Axiom for a while...  But then an "incident" happened involving my poor kitty, who I accidentally locked in the studio one night.  I had to throw the Axiom away.  Eh--the past is the past.  Smiley

It's really a shame, as it was the perfect size to have right on the desk in front of you to audition sounds (I would use the Yamaha Motif XF8 right next to me to actually play anything, since the keys feel SO much better, and there are 88 of them, but with the Axiom I didn't have  to turn my body, so auditioning with it was awesome).  Honestly, what I liked MOST about the Axiom were the drum pads.  Smiley

It's a good piece of gear, but one thing I really didn't like about it was the keyboard action.  It just felt like a toy in comparison to the Motif, but it was useful nonetheless.
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elwoodblues1969
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« Reply #4 on: April 01, 2012, 02:57:20 PM »

I had the 25 key version of the 2nd Gen Axiom for a while...  But then an "incident" happened involving my poor kitty, who I accidentally locked in the studio one night.  I had to throw the Axiom away.  Eh--the past is the past.  Smiley

It's really a shame, as it was the perfect size to have right on the desk in front of you to audition sounds (I would use the Yamaha Motif XF8 right next to me to actually play anything, since the keys feel SO much better, and there are 88 of them, but with the Axiom I didn't have  to turn my body, so auditioning with it was awesome).  Honestly, what I liked MOST about the Axiom were the drum pads.  Smiley

It's a good piece of gear, but one thing I really didn't like about it was the keyboard action.  It just felt like a toy in comparison to the Motif, but it was useful nonetheless.

Granted,this Axiom doesn't have the ideal amount of semi-weightedness that I generally prefer,that is to say,not quite as solid as my Kurzweil PC3LE6,but the full,piano-style keys really make a difference.

Finding the perfect key-bed feel(if semi-weighted is your thing),is very few & far between & is very expensive,usually.

I used to be all about 88-key hammer action keyboards,but I grew tired of really having to pound on the keys so hard to get the results I wanted and those keys were just too heavy to perform the many different types of music I do.

The best action I've ever felt,was from the Korg SV1 stage piano/organ...but 2 grand for something I would use as a midi controller was just too over the top.

I've wanted a 73-key midi controller for quite some time,but they're restricted to only a few select brands-which of course,really limit my options,with regard to DAW related compatibility & functionality.

I find that 61 keys pretty much cover most,if not all the tasks in the studio...for me,anyhow.
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Marc JX8P
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« Reply #5 on: April 01, 2012, 03:48:36 PM »

I had the 25 key version of the 2nd Gen Axiom for a while...  But then an "incident" happened involving my poor kitty, who I accidentally locked in the studio one night.  I had to throw the Axiom away.  Eh--the past is the past.  Smiley

Grin Poor kitty - still, I suppose it could have been the Motif so at least it must have made the right decision!

Have you tried the Novation stuff? I'm quite fond of my Remote 61 MkII and they have smaller variants. Also - if you want to audition stuff, you might also consider things like the Steinberg CMC-PD or the Korg NanoKeys.
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« Reply #6 on: April 02, 2012, 04:09:52 AM »


Grin Poor kitty - still, I suppose it could have been the Motif so at least it must have made the right decision!

Yeah... well, I didn't exactly tell the whole story. Smiley But I don't know... I feel like I should leave the rest of it "a family matter".  The short of it is that it was as much my fault as hers, and my cats are my kids.  I love them far more than any keyboard.  What'r'y'gonna'do?  After a little money for repairs, the Motif is fine.

Yes, the CMC-PD is on my list.  Right after I get some monitors.  Currently, the plan is to get Focal's CMS-50s or CMS-65s... not sure which yet.  Expensive... yes, but I'm sort of a fan of the "do it once, do it right" mentality.  I have patience, do my research and save for what I want, rather than trying to hurry and just get what I can afford at the time.  I'm still using a pair of computer speakers and a decent set of headphones.  Believe me, no one knows better than me how badly I need the monitors and some room treatment.  I just don't want to buy cheap, and then have to buy again relatively soon afterward.  Smiley

One more good month of jobs at work, and I should be okay to get some speakers.

Anyhoo--back to the Axiom.  It's a good controller for the price for sure.  I can't help but wonder though, why you can't just  use the Kurzweil for this purpose, Thom--if it has better action, and already has 61 keys?  Maybe you like a lot of DAW control from your keyboard and the Kurzweil doesn't provide that.  Is that what it is?  Or are you supporting two separate studio environments?
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elwoodblues1969
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« Reply #7 on: April 02, 2012, 05:43:39 AM »



Anyhoo--back to the Axiom.  It's a good controller for the price for sure.  I can't help but wonder though, why you can't just  use the Kurzweil for this purpose, Thom--if it has better action, and already has 61 keys?  Maybe you like a lot of DAW control from your keyboard and the Kurzweil doesn't provide that.  Is that what it is?  Or are you supporting two separate studio environments?
[/quote]

At one point,I was using the Kurzweil as a midi controller,but there is no easy transition from the midi mode,to the on-board mode.Also,if I am working on a song in my DAW..I cannot switch from midi to audio tracks while using the Kurzweil,as it's either one,or the other.
The difference between the two keyboards in terms of the weight difference is negligible,since their both in the semi-weighted category and the most import thing for me,is full size keys and both boards have piano-size keys.
There is also a preset configuration for Reason 6 in my Axiom,as well as several more DAW control knobs,buttons & faders..which makes recording on my PC an absolute joy & I couldn't be happier with it.

It's been my experience that hardware workstations that are designed to be a multi-tasking-all-in-one solution,always fall short in some way and as such,are not a complete solution.

On a side note...if you're agonizing over which size of the Focal CMS monitors to get in relation to the proper bass response,you may want to consider going with the smaller CMS-50's and then adding a sub later on down the road,if need be.

I had seriously considered Focals at one point,but paying extra for aluminum cabinets..combined with French manufacturing,doesn't necessarily make them more accurate than anything else in that price range...which is why I decided not to sweat over scraping up the extra coin to be able to buy them.
Each company has their own methods & reasons for using whatever casing materials they see fit,but there are many ways to achieve the same end result.
Most companies don't even use aluminum in their cabinet making and the only speakers I ever owned that had better mid range clarity than my Adam A7's,were the Equator Audio D5's & they were only $300 for the pair...but the difference in clarity between the two,is negligible.

If October creeps up before you end up buying the Focals,you should seriously consider the Adam F7's..which will be $400 cheaper,with probably no compromise in accuracy,whatsoever.

Just some food for thought...
« Last Edit: April 02, 2012, 05:46:26 AM by elwoodblues1969 » Logged

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« Reply #8 on: April 02, 2012, 01:56:48 PM »

Ah, I gotcha.  Well, not to open an old wound, but with the Motif I'm able to switch between whatever track I want, whether the sound originates from a soft synth like omnisphere, or the audio engine of the motif totally seamlessly without any effort or trouble on my part.  For me it's not one or the other--it can both act as a midi controller for any track, and an audio source for it's own tracks without any thought given to it by the operator.  Granted, that hinges on a few things being installed and set up correctly, and it requires a host that supports VST3 (there's only a couple of those--Cubase and Pre-sonus I think, and MAYbe Fruity Loops).

That said, I TOTALLY understand all your troubles, and don't mean to dredge it all up again.  I'm all for doing whatever works.  If it ain't broke, don't fix it.  Sounds like between the Kurzweil, Reason, Pre-Sonus and your Axiom, you're all set to go.

The only thing I can't do as easily with the motif as I'd like to is run quickly through lots of different sounds and that's only because of it's size.  I have to keep my hand over to the side on the keys, while I switch sounds on front of me.  That's what I loved my Axiom for--it was all right in front of me.  Alas...  Smiley
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