Review: K-Board USB MIDI Keyboard from Keith McMillen Instruments - SoundsAndGear.com

SoundsAndGear.com: Checking out the K-Board mobile/mini usb keyboard from Keith McMillen Instruments. Works with iOS, Android, Mac, and PC. It supports tilt/pressure sensitivity, velocity, pitchbend, sustain, toggle, and octave up/down. Great mobile controller that's durable and doesn't take up a lot of space.
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[@orbithesun1]

The K-Board iOS editor is now available at the App store. It's free!

[@SoundsAndGear]

orbithesun1 Very nice :)

[@orbithesun1]

SoundsAndGear.com yes it is! :)

[@re8837]

Great overview; thanks! But next time could you use demo sounds that are higher in pitch? Hard to hear bass on laptop speakers.

[@SoundsAndGear]

+John Smith Thanks for watching!

[@nachodiaz4837]

maybe the bass is ok but you need to listen to it through a proper sounding speaker. like earphones at least ?

[@goatghost]

Great demo!!! Really comprehensive and descriptive! I'm thinking of buying a K-Board to use with a laptop, breath controller, and Samplemodeling's Sax Brothers VST, for live "sax" playing. The iPad saxes you were playing actually sounded pretty decent. I'm curious as to what software you're using (as well as what iPad you're using, since it can handle all those virtual instruments so well).

[@SoundsAndGear]

The app was Korg Gadget, really cool app :)

[@goatghost]

Awesome. I'll have to get a hold of that one. :-) Thanks again!

[@pedrohernandez422]

Thanks for the review. I'll be getting one soon. FYI, the QuNexus by the same company is basically a k-board with more outputs (including the MIDI you mentioned wanting at the end). It's just $100 more! It came out first but then they released this one for those of us who just need USB and didn't want to pay that much more. Curious if you'll ever review the QuNeo?

[@SoundsAndGear]

+Pedro “Complejo” Hernandez Yeah that one is nice, it also has cv output on it. I won't be reviewing the QuNeo

[@alunmauve]

I took a look on the App store and there already is an iOS K board editor. But to find it, you need to search for it ('K-Board Editor') under iPhone only. It was updated 23rd December 2014, so it was def there when you did this review - just hard to find! Thanks for posting this up. I am still torn between the K-Board and the CME XKey25 for traveling with my iPad. Can't make up my mind! K-board is smaller and nearly half the weight but I have big hands. I'd like to hear from a keyboard player what it's like to play using the K-Board. There's no shops near me where i can try them both out : (

[@SoundsAndGear]

Ahh ok, I never search the iphone downloads that's probably why I missed it. And yeah, I wanna check out the Xkey too, I also don't have small hands lol. I like the kboard because it's like a dual controller, but I'd love to checkout the full keys on the xkey. I loved it when I first saw it years ago at NAMM but I've never used one personally.

[@stuffmcb1568]

Thanks for the demo! I just purchased the K-Board. This helped a ton, really excited about what it can do. What software are you using in the demo?

[@SoundsAndGear]

Thanks for watching, I was using KORG Gadget in this video.

[@MichaelGehrlein]

Hi! Great Video! Many thanks for it! But which software do you use on your iPad? Best regards Mic

[@SoundsAndGear]

Thanks for watching. I was using Korg Gadget in this video

[@MichaelGehrlein]

@@SoundsAndGear THX!

[@SinisterSinner7]

Hope to see more uploads like these in the future ..

[@SoundsAndGear]

Thanks

[@fred.chapman]

Saint John, thanks for the in-depth demo! Page 15 of the user manual mentions a "pressure disabled return value" setting in the editor. If you turn that setting off, it might solve the problem with the instrument going silent after the keyboard exits from pressure mode. files.keithmcmillen.com/downloads/k-board/K-Board_Manual_v1.0.pdf

[@SoundsAndGear]

Cool, thanks for watching and for the tip!

[@SinisterSinner7]

Great demo and review my friend. Thumbs up.

[@SoundsAndGear]

Thanks for watching

[@hutl]

Awesome review, I'm buying one now. BTW, they make another version (QuNexus) which has midi and cv connections but it also costs twice as much

[@SoundsAndGear]

Thanks for watching, yeah I wanted to checkout the QuNexus also.

[@cfcreative1]

nice jam happening i was waiting for it to loop hahaha

[@SoundsAndGear]

Thanks for watching

[@DanielRodriguez-is9ku]

Great review , what program did you use on your iPad ?

[@SoundsAndGear]

+Daniel Rodriguez Thanks for watching. I'm using Korg Gadget.

[@ej1mshan]

Yeah, nice. I've seen stuff like this before from Korg "Nano Key's" or something. I'd like to see if the upper and lower part of the keys could be used independently. Is that a mpc studio I see back there?.

[@SoundsAndGear]

***** Yeah, these are soft keys though, which is cool. Yeah I've had the Studio for a while.

[@ej1mshan]

Thanks. Any luck we could see a Sounds & Gear review MPC Studio? :-)

[@SoundsAndGear]

***** Not sure, maybe if I get a Ren, I don't use the studio very much. But like to keep up with the mpc development.

[@panayotistountas2702]

Maybe the best review for K-board but I really don t understant why all the reviews treat midi controllers (and especially small ones) like they are standard laptop keyboards.. It s just unbelievable!! The first thing someone wants to see is HOW MUCH sensitive K-Board is to velocity, aftertouch, tilt/pitchbend messages..All the other features I can find them via a simple google search! (The only thing that I can t find to be honest is if the k-board has polyphonic aftertouch like Qunexus).

[@SoundsAndGear]

Thanks for watching, I talked about the sensitivity

[@RedCatHabitat]

great stuff dude!

[@SoundsAndGear]

Thanks for watching!

[@SoundsAndGear]

Cool man, glad you like it!

[@newjack2166]

Hello ALL and especially SAG!! I need someone's (anyone's) help and I know there's more than one way to skin a cat, but this video--the keystep-- does what I would most want to do with a foot controller. You know . . . being able to repeat the sequence along with the drum at the varying scale degrees I ii iii IV V vi but all while I'm playing guitar. What equipment would I need? Is there a software equivalent to the keystep without the keyboard? Am I simply describing the Trio pedal? Wishing everyone stays well.

[@SoundsAndGear]

not sure, not a workflow I am familiar with

[@InTheHeadSetVR]

the pads, they feel like a computer key board buttons or rubber buttons?

[@SoundsAndGear]

They are rubber pads.

[@InTheHeadSetVR]

SoundsAndGear cool thanks, i been using my computer keyboard, kinda use to the feel.... Hey what app you using that has all them vst, i need that set up!

[@SoundsAndGear]

I think it was Korg Gadget in this video.

[@InTheHeadSetVR]

SoundsAndGear thanks g, im look into it.

[@SoundsAndGear]

No doubt

[@harryliangTV]

Anybody know why the sustain button always gets notes on infinite sustain stuck on garageband, logic or garageband iOS?

[@SoundsAndGear]

Harry Liang I'd definitely suggest hitting them up man!

[@harryliangTV]

Yeah, I did.. Their chat guy Dave said this is something Apple has to fix and I need to go through the logic forums because Midi monitor says it's sending the correct signals. But I found no answer there. BUT my nanokeys and akai keyboards all work with iOS garageband, mac logic/garageband. So I went back to guitar center and showed them the problem with a new k-board on their own computer on garageband. So they said just return it for now and buy it again if they come out with a update to fix. Real frustrating.

[@SoundsAndGear]

Harry Liang Ahh that sucks man.

[@tradehut2782]

Does this connect to usb 3 on laptops? Also is it compatible with REAPER daw ?

[@SoundsAndGear]

Should work with any usb port, and I haven't tried it with reaper but it's a general midi device so it should work

[@tradehut2782]

+SoundsAndGear.com thanks, is there any latency?

[@SoundsAndGear]

That will depend on your computer/interface.

[@mupersan82]

Can it show the notes that are playing from the DAW?

[@SoundsAndGear]

I don't think so, been a while since I messed with it.

[@TheWaspist]

which usb cable should i buy for this?

[@SoundsAndGear]

It should come with the proper cable, if not, hit them up, I think it's a general sized micro usb but I'm not sure.

[@arcademcFLy]

can this work as a link with maschine

[@SoundsAndGear]

Trap BEATS For Stars ★☆ It's just a midi keyboard so it will work with pretty much any software once you plug it in via usb.

[@aidanvinum]

Will this controller work with mpc Live?

[@SoundsAndGear]

Haven't tried it, but I don't see why it wouldn't.

[@josephsmalejr.7057]

could you use drumsticks on there because it would be cool to have an electric xylophone on my kit

[@SoundsAndGear]

+Joseph Smale Jr. I'm not sure, I haven't tried it, that's sounds interesting though.

[@josephsmalejr.7057]

Are the pads soft or are they hard really like gel feeling

[@SoundsAndGear]

+Joseph Smale Jr. sorta in between, not super soft, but not hard, like a soft rubber

[@teeblack06]

nice little setup

[@SoundsAndGear]

teeblack06 Yeah it's a cool little controller man.

[@Bboyinisl3gal]

would it work with maschine?

[@SoundsAndGear]

Bboyinisl3gal Yeah, it's just a midi controller so it will work with anything on your computer most likely.

[@supercandycream]

What software are you using on the ipad ?

[@SoundsAndGear]

***** KORG gadget

[@DanielRodriguez-is9ku]

+SoundsAndGear.com what exact software were you using because I'm getting a lot of korg gadgets popping up

[@SoundsAndGear]

+Daniel Rodriguez There is only one Korg Gadget app. That's the actual name of it.

[@GuitarsAndSynths]

why are these so expensive compared to the Arturia Keystep which has more features and costs $100 less?

[@SoundsAndGear]

Came out a while back, maybe the build quality and technology (touch based keys) you'd have to ask them directly though, I can only guess lol.

[@graviton9282]

There’s a k board and a qunexus. Different features...

[@rolfjohansen5376]

I am slutz after these devices and like to sit at my local coffiee-shop

[@SoundsAndGear]

thanks for watching