Electronic Musician review the Edirol PCR-M1 USB/MIDI keyboard controller and are impressed by its compactness: “The beauty of this unit is its compact size: at just less than 18 inches wide, 9 inches high, and 1.12 inches deep, it is slightly wider than a notebook computer and incorporates 25 standard-width keys. Though they are shorter in height and have a shallower action compared with full-size keys, they feel surprisingly sturdy, as do all the front-panel controls.” (That’s 45cm wide, 22cm high and 3cm deep, for all you Metricians out there.)

The main concern with compact keyboards is the quality and responsiveness of the keys. The PCR-M1 scored well here: “the PCR-M1’s keys felt quite good — light but not flimsy. The timing response was excellent, even when I played with both hands as fast as I could.” The reviewer didn’t like the “detented” knobs on the unit though — these make it difficult to alter parameters smoothly over a wide range. It’s down to personal taste, really.

The conclusion is very good, other than some small gripes about the included editing software: “The PCR-M1 is solid and user-friendly. It works as it should, and using it was fun and hassle free. Edirol should, however, consider adding some PCR Editor basics to the printed material. I’d also like to see different graphical user interfaces in the editing software for the various models. Other than the minor annoyance with the detented knobs, I was very pleased with the PCR-M1.” Overll, this keyboard rates 4 out of 5.

Buy PCR-M1 at SameDayMusic.com