Alesis have just announced that their Q49 MIDI controller keyboard is now shipping. A 49-note affair, the Alesis Q49 features both USB and traditional five-pin DIN connectivity, so can be used either in a computer setup, or with standalone synthesizers. Octave up and down buttons are present, as are pitch-bend and modulation wheels. There’s also an assignable data slider, and Alesis say that the Q49 allows you to send Program Change data from the keys.
When the Q49 is being used via USB, it derives its power from the computer, and so can run without an external power supply. The keyboard ships with a copy of Ableton Live Lite, and carries a retail price of $199, but will likely sell for the bargain price of around $99. For more information, check out the Alesis web site.
