M-Audio, a provider of digital audio solutions, has announced the Radium keyboard, the latest in their line of Midiman Keystation USB MIDI controllers for electronic musicians.
The USB keyboards let users control their sequencers, software synths and MIDI hardware with a direct connection to your computer via USB. There’s no MIDI interface required because the keyboard is the MIDI interface.
Due early next month, the Radium will have a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of US$299 and will be compatible with Mac OS 9 and Mac OS X. The controller boasts eight MIDI-assignable knobs and eight MIDI-assignable sliders that augment its 61-note keyboard. The Radium offers users real-time control of any 16 MIDI parameters within a variety of music software applications.
Five user-definable preset banks extend this control to 80 MIDI parameters of the user’s choice at the touch of a button, according to Adam Castillo, M-Audio’s marketing director. The keys have a second layer of functions, allowing users to program MIDI control information directly from the black and whites.
The Radium also has a built-in USB MIDI interface that communicates 16-channels of MIDI data directly with your computer without the need for a separate MIDI interface. Two separate MIDI Outs send data to external gear — one from the keyboard and one from the computer.
Additional controls include pitch wheel, modulation wheel and octave up/down keys that extend the range of the 5-octave keyboard. The unit can be powered via the USB port or via a 9V DC power supply for standalone operation.