Alesis QX49 Review - Reviews - Music Tech Magazine

In a market that is becoming increasingly crowded, has the new QX49 got what it takes to stand out? Mike Willcox investigates.

Price: £120.00
Manufacturer: Alesis
Website: http://www.numark.com

Given the abundance of controller keyboards out there at the moment there’s a lot of choice for those wanting a single controller solution for the home or project studio. Alesis has a lot of experience in such kit so, justifiably, has always been a contender in this field.

The new QX49 packs a lot more punch than its cheaper sibling, the Q49. Its eight assignable faders, four pads and eight rotary encoders combine to give real depth of hands-on control over your favourite piece of software, be it a soft-synth or a DAW.

There is the option to run the QX49 from a 9V transformer (not supplied), but it’s assumed you’re going to power the keyboard from the USB socket around the back. The back panel also features two MIDI sockets – Computer Out and Keyboard Out. These enable you to send a signal directly from the keyboard to an external device and/or (depending on your settings in the Advanced menu) to route a MIDI signal from the computer (when connected via USB) to another device.

Control freaks
Given the decent complement of controllers adorning the control surface, we were somewhat disappointed to find only a sustain pedal input and not an expression pedal input as well on the rear panel; those of you looking to input clav parts with a wah effect or big, swelling Hammond Organ tracks and so on will have to create workarounds utilising the other controllers.

To the left of the control surface is an LCD and nine rubber buttons for navigating your way around the QX49’s various functions. Under these are two backlit Octave Shift buttons that remain illuminated to indicate that you’ve transposed the keyboard up or down (up to four octaves). Sturdy- feeling pitch and mod wheels are located under the function buttons.

Key facts
The 49-note keyboard itself feels pretty solid, with little side movement to the keys (that said, you wouldn’t want to be playing any piano concertos on it). There also isn’t aftertouch, but you’d be hard pushed to find this feature at this price point in any case.

The eight assignable faders feel smooth to the touch and are in keeping with the generally sturdy construction of the QX49. The four backlit pads in the centre of the control surface have a great feel to them, as do the eight assignable rotary encoders. The overall feel of the controllers is arguably a lot more positive than some of Alesis’ competitors’ products.

The sequencer transport controls to the far right-hand side of the control surface double as selectors for the three separate zones that can be defined for multi-splits and the three groups of parameters that can be saved with each preset. Each zone can be mutually exclusive, or overlap, and can be assigned to different MIDI channels.

Zonal options
We had a bit of a head-scratching moment while setting up the transport controls as there’s no mention of how to set them up in the manual. But Alesis support talked us through the process and as a result have now added control maps and support files on the Alesis website. They have also assured us that an amended manual is on the way.

The QX49 is bundled with Ableton Live Lite Alesis Edition, making it a very attractive proposition for those looking for a cost-effective basic DAW solution. We really liked the combination of versatile controllers and program options, including the nifty Null function that prevent any parameter values automatically altering when you switch presets. MTM

8/10 Verdict - A versatile, well-built, all-round controller keyboard that represents good value for money – particularly given the bundled Ableton Live Lite software.

Why Buy? + Good-value controller keyboard + USB-powered + Decent range of controllers + Solid construction
Walk on by - No expression pedal input

Score: 8/10

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This review first appeared in Music Tech Magazine issue 101
Filed under Control Surfaces, Hardware, Hardware Instruments, Reviews

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Alesis Alesis QX49 Review

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