Well the keyboard itself doesn't make sound, but the included Proteus X program does. It comes with some decent sounds and the program has many options to change a soung to your liking. E-MU also has optional sound packs for this product. I would recommend looking into them. If you would like to hear some sounds from this keyboard, check out my instrumentals: http://soundclick.com/deucegproductions.

I think the features of this keyboard are nice. There are 16 knobs that are assignable in most programs. Personally, I use FL Studio and the keyboard integrates great with it. The keys are different from playing a normal piano though.

The basics are easy. Plug it in and open Proteus X, load a sound bank, and start playing. But it does get more complicated. Proteus X is a program with many features so it may take time to learn them all. The keyboard is easy to use though.

For a cheap keyboard, it's built pretty well. I have used it for more than a year now and no problems so far.

For anybody who wants a good midi keyboard for a relatively cheap price, it's great.

Never needed it.

It looks like a normal keyboard. Not much to say here.

Owner of Deuce G Productions

Hip Hop, R&B, Rap, etc.

For it's intended purpose, the features are fine. Very easy to use and does everything a midi controller should.

Simple

The keys on this controller blow away almost any synth out there including all the really expensive Euro and Japanese ones. I don't know how EMU did it, but the feel of these keys are top quality! So much better than any M-Audio or other plastic midi controller. The X-Board keys remind of the smoothness of an Access Virus keyboard.

For $250 you can't beat it. And it has After Touch! Something the M-Audio board do not support. Some M-Audio and Edirol support programmable after touch but this is not the same.

hobby

electronic dance

Doesn't make its own sounds, it's a controller. It sounds as good (or as bad) as whatever soft synths or rack mounted synths you prefer to use.

Works great, I love that you can reprogram any of the knobs to be whatever midi CC number you want it to control and it seems to keep that configuration even if you unplug the unit and don't use it for a while. I just wish the volume slider was a CC controller as well. It'd be nice to use the volume slider to control the volume of a patch, but the volume slider appears to control a system exclusive event. The keys are good. Solid, not too soft, but not super-heavy for those of you who like weighted keys that are heavier than a real piano. I use this for synths anyway, so I don't want weighted keys.

As long as you have the manual it's pretty easy to read about how to do what you want to do.

Seems pretty solid to me, I haven't had any problems with it. The knobs are nice, solid, non-continuous pots. One thing I wish it had were threaded screw-holes on the bottom for more permanent mounting. Basically all you can do is set it on top of a keyboard stand, you can't screw-mount it into your rig like you can with most keyboards.

I got this item on clearance while I worked at Guitar Center, so I got a killer deal, but I would definitely buy another one if I was in the market for another midi controller.

Haven't had to contact EMU yet.

Looks cool, the blue LEDs make it look really modern, the whole thing is compact and lightweight, very slim lines and sleek looking.

Musician, filmmaker

Progressive Rock

It doesn't make sound ... it's a controller. Even so, the included Proteus X stuff is top-notch. Mine came with 3 extra sound sets as ... including Planet Earth, Planet Phatt and Protean Drums.

The best feature about this is the keyboard action ... perfect "synth type action" ... not mushy or too springy.

Dead simple with any of my VSTs it works great.

Lightweight but surprisingly sturdy. Doesn't feel like you are about to snap it in half.

You get a great controller, free sequencer software and a sample playback VST (comparable to SampleTAnk2 in a lot of ways) for less than the price of some VSTs alone. What's not to like?

Emus has always been very cool to me.

Well, the panel graphics are sorta bland ... whatever.

Semi-pro, been playing synths since 1976

EVERYTHING

It does not have sounds, it is just a controller

It came with Proteus X, which I had latency problems running it, and after some tweaking it kind of worked but the sounds are very middle of the road...

a bit complicated at the beginning. The slider doesn't control volume as you'd expect. The 16 patch button is a good feature but this controller does not have a INC/DEC button to change patches quickly, so audition patches becomes a bit slow

I loved the playability of this keyboard. Unfortunately it seems to lack a decent Quality Assurance. I had 2 controllers in to months. The First had some keys that did not play. I took it o the shop and they exchanged for me. The second only lasted 30 days!, it freezed while I was playing and never wanted to turn on again. I got sick of these failures and decided to return it. I got a Roland Juno-D for 200 more!

Good playability, great keys... but unrealiable...

I send EMU an email,about the slider not working on the volume. They came back after a week... Not good really

Nope. I returned 2 of them. They are unrealiable. Sorry Emu.

Active musician and producer

Smooth Jazz, and contemporary gospel

Sound is OK. Lots of latency issues at first, but managed to sort them out eventually. Lots of clipping when playing full or busy scales, and it was not a CPU/RAM issue.

This is where I had major issues, have now been through two units and returned both of them, in the process of looking for something more reliable. On the first unit, the "Zone Enable" keys stopped working after a couple of weeks and the unit started warping, despite the unit being nowhere near any heat source. I returned it and it took 3 months for them to eventually decide to replace it. On the second unit, half the keys did not work, the "Zone Enable" keys did not work, half the patch selector keys did not work and..... the modulation wheel did not work!!!!!! I kid you not!!!! Second unit also has a "rainbow" warp to it where the two centre feet at the keyboards centre are completely off the surface!!!

This keyboard professes that it does all these wonderful things, if it actually works!!!! Unfortunately I was was not able to explore the keyboard much as half the features didn't work and wasn't about to wait another 3 months for another exchange, so I opted for a refund. Currently looking at a CME 7 which looks far mor robust and solid.

Nuff said!!!!!

If E-MU gave me one for free, I would use it for decoration.

3 Months to decide to exchange a faulty keyboard for another faulty keyboard. Need I say any more.

Retuned the second unit very promptly, thought maybe the first one was a dud, but two duds out of two is a 100% failure rate. Will stay far away from E-MU products in future. I will not recommend this product at all.

Active Musician

Alternative, Rock, Dance etc.