IK Multimedia iRig Keys Pro Mobile MIDI Keyboard with Full Size Key for iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac and PC - Black/white

Product Information

Keys have a little bit of a resistive feel. That is, the last bit of pressure before the key bottoms out is increased. It makes velocity-sensitive playing more intuitive and natural. While certainly not piano-weighted, not all keyboardists are piano players. In addition to being the smallest in its class, iRig Keys PRO is also the lightest. In fact, it's 20% lighter than it's lightest competitor, and almost 45% lighter than the average weight of its 11 closest competitors. iRig Keys PRO is small and light enough to take with you almost anywhere. Because it’s bus powered — meaning it gets its power from the device it’s plugged into (iOS, Android, Mac or PC) — you don’t have to limit your music making to places where you have access AC power. Jam, produce or practice at the beach or in the woods, out in a field or at the bus stop — anywhere, really. And when you're somewhere where there is AC power, you have the option of powering iRig Keys PRO through it’s USB port. Connect And Go

A year after the introduction of the first keyboard, IK released the iRig Keys Pro. Full size keys! Those of us with fat fingers and poor technique now had a champion.

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The Keys Pro is not the only portable keyboard out there, but it’s among the best, particularly at for those on a budget. It’s not simply an iOS add-on. It supports Android too, as well as USB to Mac or PC. iPhone 7, iPhone 7, iPhone 6, iPhone 6, iPhone 6, iPhone 6, iPhone 6, iPhone 6, iPhone 5, iPhone 5, iPod touch 6th generation, iPod touch 5, Generation, iPad Pro (12.9 " ) 1st generation, iPad Pro (9.7 "), iPad mini 4, iPad Air 2, iPad mini 3, iPad Air, iPad mini 2, iPad mini, iPad 4th generation also, keys feel a little cheap, velocity sensibility is not the best... but i was prepared for those things and they would have not affected so much my opinion on this product. To the right of the knob, two LEDs indicate mobile device or USB connection, confirming device handshakes. As an effective plug-and-play device, I haven’t experienced an issue with any connection not immediately confirmed by LED.

In terms of VFM, the iRig Keys I/O is a pretty good deal on its own, but IK has sweetened the pot big time by throwing in €750 worth of software. When it comes to portability, iRig Keys PRO is the leader in its class. Compared to 11 of its closest competitors — all compact MIDI controllers with full-size keys playable with 2 hands — iRig Keys PRO is the smallest in width and height, and among the smallest in depth. It gives you an unbeatable combination of compactness, convenience, and pro features. Weight Matters Rather than take up valuable space with regular pitch and mod wheels, IK has instead opted for a pair of short touchstrips. Likewise, the Octave shift, Program Change, and dual-purpose transport/editing buttons are touchpads. The transport buttons can be set to output MIDI Machine Control, CC and Real Time data. For much of the time that I had the iRig I used it as a generic keyboard controller and interface on my Mac, working in Reason, Pro Tools and Live, with a little bit of Logic to test the integration. The keyboard feels positive and ‘non-budget’ and the pads are robust with decent sensitivity and range. Pitch and Mod controls are on touch sliders, which I like, and the other buttons are under similarly damage/liquid-resistant flat surface covers. Alongside the sliders you have octave shifters, Program Change triggers, then three buttons that double as transport controls for connected software and internal edit controls for the keyboard. Lastly, there’s an Alt button, which toggles the other controls between their main and secondary functions.

DAW-ready of out the box

While 37 keys is just enough to play with both hands, it is enough. Octave changes require only simple button touches. Florid keyboardists may be frustrated, but as a portable keyboard with full-size keys, it’s enough. Let them carry their own Rhodes 88.

And no complaints about it being plastic-y - c'mon guys, who really wants metal and / or wood in their hand luggage? To change the MIDI CC per dial for example, enter Edit Mode, press the keyboard Knob button, then the number of the Knob you want to assign, Enter and the value. That’s a lot of key presses, but it is easier than it sounds once you get used to it. Conclusion The keyboard will run from USB power when connected to a computer, giving you a nice one-cable setup. You can also get power from four AA batteries, which is a requirement when running with an iPhone or iPad, and there’s a switch to choose this option if you want to help save your laptop batteries. A PSU is available as an optional extra (I got one in the box), which allows you to charge a connected iOS device. Although there’s battery power there’s no MIDI output outside of USB, so the iRig Keys I/O isn’t suitable as a stand-alone master keyboard for hardware. A MIDI port would also have been nice as a MIDI interface for a computer or iOS device: it would have made the iRig Keys I/O a true one-stop shop for simple studio connectivity.

Oh no! Why did I get blocked?

Although we understand the design reasoning behind it, we’re not huge fans of all this touch-sensitivity, preferring the honest tactile response of real wheels and buttons. That is, of course, a matter of taste, though, and others will no doubt love the futuristic vibe.