M-Audio has introduced a new mobile MIDI USB controller that serves as the followup to the company’s popular Oxygen8 controller. The US$179 O2 features 25 full-size, half-action velocity-sensitive keys, 8 assignable knobs and 8 assignable buttons, mod and pitch bend, input for a sustain pedal, and the ability to draw power from USB or off of a 9V adapter.
The O2 features a built-in 16 channel MIDI interface and MIDI Out port. It also includes an assignable volume slider, five non-volatile memory locations, octave buttons, and a three-digit LED screen. It’s class-compatible with Mac OS X and Windows XP, so it works without needing to install drivers. System requirements call for Mac OS X v10.2.8 or later.