Alesis has announced that their new V and VI series keyboard controllers are now available.
Both lines offer two, four, and five octave keyboards, but the VI series offers semi-weighted keys, aftertouch, and additional controllers.
Here are the key features and differences of the two controller lines:
Alesis V Series:
- Full-sized, square-front keys
- 8 velocity-sensitive backlit pads for beat production and clip launching
- 4 assignable knobs and buttons interface with your music software
- Octave Up and Down buttons let you access the full keyboard range
- Pitch and modulation wheels deliver expressive, creative control
- Seamless, visual feedback via illuminated buttons and knobs
Alesis VI Series:
- Full-sized, square-front, semi-weighted keys with aftertouch
- 16 velocity-sensitive RGB pads for beat production and clip launching
- Assignable buttons and Assignable knobs interface with your music software
- Pitch and modulation wheels deliver expressive, creative control
- Seamless, visual feedback via LED screen and illuminated buttons and knobs
- USB MIDI and 5-pin MIDI Out offer flexible MIDI connectivity
Here’s a video introduction to the five-octave Alesis VI61:
Both the V and VI Series come with software packages.
- Both series include Ableton Live Lite, an interactive loop-based compositional and performance software program that makes use of the V and VI Series pads and controllers.
- Also included is Xpand!2 from Air Music Technology. Originally created as part of the Avid Pro Tools Creative Collection, Xpand!2 has been updated as a standalone software synthesizer capable of creating fantastic sounds, from natural instruments to intense electronic tones.
- An accompanying software editor opens the door to easily creating custom controller assignments.
- A single USB cable makes a convenient connection providing both power and two-way USB/MIDI link between the Alesis V and VI Series Controller and the user’s Mac or PC computer.
Pricing:
- The V Series are available now at the following US pricing: V25 ($79.99), V49 ($99.99), and V61 ($149.99).
- The VI Series are also available now, at the following US pricing: VI25 ($169.99), VI49 ($199.99), and VI61 ($249.99).
For more information see the Alesis site.
Finally a controller that makes since!
It makes sense too.
love me some butterscotch
No CV? After the AKAI MAX, I thought that would become standard.
The Akai Max is $500 – kinda another category.
But it’s an Alesis. That’s their thing, lower than other companies’ prices.
aint it basically the same company?
I mean, it’s nice to see a keyboard controller with that many on-board controls at the price point, but I still think putting the drum pads under the pitch/mod wheels was a dumb idea. Seems like it’s inviting accidental triggering of the pads when using the wheels, and accidental adjustments of the mod wheel when playing the pads.
Agreed. When I saw the location of the pads the controller went into my mental “don’t buy” list. I am trying to figure out why Alesis would place the pads there and the pitch/mod wheels above them. Is the board extremely thin in the front? My preference would have been pads to the top-right and pitch/mod to the immediate left of the keys.
Agreed that it’s weird, but if the pads are pressure sensitive and can send CCs they you effectively have 16 unique effect controls readily available with your left hand while you play riffs with your right. That would be pretty cool imo. Regardless, with such a unique layout you would think they would’ve stated why they went with that design choice.
Seem like a smart design choice, when you consider that the pads are probably a quarter of an inch high and the mod wheels 2-3 inches.
If you think about it, you’re not going to touch the pads when you’re using the mod wheels, but if you had to reach over the mod wheels to play the pads, they’d be more likely to get in the way because they stick up so much higher.
Exactly!
Agreed with the awkward pad placement. Especially if you have the thing up on a stand, I imagine you have to play them lightly, otherwise keyboard might come down.
This is looking like a good controller. Yeah, the drum pads under the wheels are “interesting” . Maybe the idea is that one can quickly bang out stuff with the pad situated on the same axis as the keys. I am liking the the price-point in conjunction with all the assignable buttons. That’s one thing I have found indespencible about my Edirol PCR-500: all those assignable buttons.
Looks like I just may get one of them there things soon…61 keys for me, not that I can play worth a damn, but I just can’t stand octave shift buttons.
Good price.
…I kinda wonder if Alesis will ever go back to making really cool stuff tho.
not without Keith Barr
keyboard for lefties i guess.
who even plays pads with left hand?
everybody that uses right hand for the filter swooooooosh!
ha me, a leftie! i also reverse each pad row so that i can hit the bass drum with my thumb and snare with ring
I hope the button columns work as midi CC value changers for the top potentiometers. Say I mapped the first four pots to Cutoff, Octave, Attack, Release. With the press on one of the three buttons under the desired pot, I’d quickly change the CC of the pot to sth else, retaining the other pot values – e.g. Resonance, Octave, Attack, Release.
I dond’t get it.. I already have it for 3 days now, and i’m from Hungary.. NOTHING comes to Hungary so early.. anyway, It’s a good controller and I’m having fun with it.. nice keys, but the aftertouch isn’t very impressive and the pads are of course nothing like the Akai pads imho.. But good quality and a lot control at that price point. The editor is not out yet, the website says it’ll be available shortly and you don’t seem to be able to edit it on board. definitely recommend it tho
how did this even get through R&D?, who plays pads with left hand? – ok some people do but if you are going for max sales you dont put this type of thing on the left hand side. Great for LH users but fail for everyone else – (most of the population)
maybe taking a page from the akai book? have an mpk mk1, but those pads need so much velocity that my keyboard stand would rock. solution? stick a quneo on top! the rubbery pads keep if from slipping off
Looks impressive at this price, but like others have said – those pads are in a bad place. It is like this has went into dev and production without actually asking someone, that uses keys and pads, where to put the pads and wheels. Firstly, all wheels need to be to the left inline with the keys as standard, you place them above pads or keys and you can’t use them right. I dislike all keys that place them above the keys, as sometimes you need to rest your palm to make small adjustments, and you can’t if you have pads or keys in the way – we need standardized instruments as professionals. And place the pads anywhere, above the keys, below the keys, to the right, anywhere but there. I really want the full feature set of the VI61 at that price point, yet the pad placement is a whole deal breaker!
Now THIS is a product that is dying to have a step sequencer built in to it. Look at those knobs and buttons! How can this not have a step sequencer?
As a left handed person, all I have to say is “welcome to my world”. Also: “go eat a sack of cockroaches”.
Although, I agree, pads shouldn’t be UNDER the mod wheels.
Funny, I see that Xpand!2 is bundled with these. As a stand alone piece of software that is $99. The v25 is available at Sweetwater for $89. I could by the keyboard, save $10, sell the keyboard and still have the software.
Do NOT watch the product video included here. Remember, you were warned!
Put the Micron/Miniak there, and I pay triple the price.
Definitely the right price point for a finger pounder like me!
And even primitive velocity sensing on the keys is better than nothing. Although I noted the chick in the video was hitting the pads pretty hard to trigger the samples. I hope she didn’t break a nail!
I’d write a configuration handler myself, but I’ll wait to see the production software first.
All in all, it seems like this was an internal box that a marketing type wanted to get out there, and damn the torpedoes. It wouldn’t take much effort on the factory’s part to offer configurable cases, or at least a lefty-friendly version!
finally a keyboard with pads on the right (that is left) side! i am not a big fan of looping and when playing keys and pads simultaneously i tend to choose my right hand for the keys, so this seems perfect.
what i don’t understand though: why did companies stop releasing 37-key-versions of their controllers? i would love one of these with 3 octaves of keys.
What a nice looking keyboard.