NAMM 2020: Artesia’s Xpad MIDI controller looks portable and playable

(Image credit: Artesia)

NAMM 2020: A nice little surprise from Artesia - a new portable MIDI pad controller known as the Xpad. The latest member of the Xkey family, this offers 16 velocity- and pressure-sensitive pads with multicolour-colour LEDs.

You can set up six banks of pads and switch between them, and there are also six assignable buttons and six assignable rotary encoders.

Xpad will be available in February, and we hear that the price should be around $120. Find out more on the Artesia website.

Artesia Xpad features

16 velocity and pressure-sensitive pads with 2-color LEDs inside
Pad bank buttons with 2-color LEDs to switch 3 independent pad banks
6 encoders to send continuous controller messages
1 bank button with 2-color LED to switch 3 independent banks of the pot
Edit button (single LED) for each pad or encoder to change the note number or value
Type button with 2-color LED to set encoder cc/pitch/after touch or pad note/program/MMC
USB to host
TRS MIDI Out
Footswitch

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.