Alesis’s Q MKII MIDI keyboards promise no-nonsense performance at a low price
New 49- and 88-note models joined by the super-compact Qmini
GEAR 2021: Alesis’s Q series MIDI keyboards might be short on bells and whistles, but what they do offer is “an amazing price-per-key ratio”. Today sees the launch of two updated models - the Q49 MKII and Q88 MKII - and the all-new Qmini.
The idea with each keyboard is to offer no-nonsense performance. With its 32 mini keys, the Qmini is very much the baby of the family - you also get octave, transpose, pitchbend, modulation and sustain buttons - while the Q49 MKII and Q88 MKII both have full-size keys and proper pitch/mod wheels.
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All the models are plug-and-play over USB, with the Q88 MKII’s 5-pin MIDI port also enabling standalone operation (providing you plug in a power supply). This largest model also benefits from semi-weighted keys - the other two have synth-action keys.
The Qmini Q49 MKII and Q88 MKII are available now priced at £40, £75 and £180 respectively. Find out more on the Alesis website.
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I’m the Deputy Editor of MusicRadar, having worked on the site since its launch in 2007. I previously spent eight years working on our sister magazine, Computer Music. I’ve been playing the piano, gigging in bands and failing to finish tracks at home for more than 30 years, 24 of which I’ve also spent writing about music and the ever-changing technology used to make it.