M-Audio Keystation 49 MK3 - Best Bang For My Buck Ever?

**fep** · 06-21-2021, 01:19 PM

It’s a keyboard… M-Audio Keystation 49 MK3. $120

This is possibly the best bang for the buck of any musical equipment I’ve purchased. Over 1,000 preset sounds, (I’ve just been using the presets and haven’t messed much with twiddling the knobs).

The keyboard has no sounds built in, rather you plug it into your computer, download software for the sounds. The three softwares I downloaded, that come with the keyboard; 1) Mini Grand (5 pianos), 2) Velvet (a bunch of electric pianos including Fender Rhoades, hundreds of presets), Xpand!2 (about a thousand presets, organs, pianos, basses, strings, etc. etc.).

And it fits on my desk and I just slide it towards my monitor to free up some desk space.

At best, I'm a beginner on the piano. I'll be using this mostly for chord playing for songwriting. The experience of finding chords and progressions is a bit different for me than on guitar and sends me down different paths. I'll also probably use a bunch of other sounds when recording my songs.

I recorded my Garrison Fewell Jazz Improv. for Guitar exercise with the keyboard for a backing track, piano and acoustic bass presets.

**2bornot2bop** · 06-21-2021, 02:55 PM

Originally Posted by fep

It’s a keyboard… M-Audio Keystation 49 MK3. $120

This is possibly the best bang for the buck of any musical equipment I’ve purchased. Over 1,000 preset sounds, (I’ve just been using the presets and haven’t messed much with twiddling the knobs).

The keyboard has no sounds built in, rather you plug it into your computer, download software for the sounds. The three softwares I downloaded, that come with the keyboard; 1) Mini Grand (5 pianos), 2) Velvet (a bunch of electric pianos including Fender Rhoades, hundreds of presets), Xpand!2 (about a thousand presets, organs, pianos, basses, strings, etc. etc.).

And it fits on my desk and I just slide it towards my monitor to free up some desk space.

At best, I'm a beginner on the piano. I'll be using this mostly for chord playing for songwriting. The experience of finding chords and progressions is a bit different for me than on guitar and sends me down different paths. I'll also probably use a bunch of other sounds when recording my songs.

I recorded my Garrison Fewell Jazz Improv. for Guitar exercise with the keyboard for a backing track, piano and acoustic bass presets.

Fep, Fep, Fep, that’s beautiful man! I’m very excited for you. Now, try some jazz voicings on the keyboard. It’s sounding really really good! That’s what I’ve always wanted to do, provide my own rhythm tracks. I can’t wait until you find that Hammond B3 voicing. This is the start of something very fun!!! Keep at it!

**MarkRhodes** · 06-22-2021, 01:05 PM

That is a nifty piece of equipment but I have to say the best value ever for musical equipment is Reaper for $60 (even though I nearly went nuts trying to learn how to use it and I still feel like I'm in over my head more often than not.)

That said, if I had room on my desk... (I tell myself I need a bigger desk but I'm coming to realize I need a bigger room.)

**mr. beaumont** · 06-22-2021, 01:28 PM

Very cool. I might just get one of these!

**fep** · 06-22-2021, 06:51 PM

Originally Posted by 2bornot2bop

Fep, Fep, Fep, that’s beautiful man! I’m very excited for you. Now, try some jazz voicings on the keyboard. It’s sounding really really good! That’s what I’ve always wanted to do, provide my own rhythm tracks. I can’t wait until you find that Hammond B3 voicing. This is the start of something very fun!!! Keep at it!

Yes I'm excited too. And good for my old brain cells also.

Originally Posted by MarkRhodes

That is a nifty piece of equipment but I have to say the best value ever for musical equipment is Reaper for $60 (even though I nearly went nuts trying to learn how to use it and I still feel like I'm in over my head more often than not.)

That said, if I had room on my desk. (I tell myself I need a bigger desk but I'm coming to realize I need a bigger room...)

I guess we can call Reaper music equipment and in that case you are right, that is the best bang for the buck of anything I've gotten. Imagine comparing that to a fully equipped music studio in the 1970s... $60 vs a few hundred thousand.

Originally Posted by mr. beaumont

Very cool. I might just get one of these!

I'm sure you'd put it to good use.

**citizenk74** · 06-22-2021, 07:09 PM

Vet cool bit of gear. Congratulations, and play it in good health!

**fep** · 06-22-2021, 08:14 PM

Just to add, I got the 49 key version, doing the advanced math (that would be counting), that's the same range as a 24 fret guitar... E to E to E to E to E, but on the keyboard it's C to C to C to C to C (a third down from the guitar). I'm a bit on the fence as to whether I'd prefer the 61 key version and get the extra octave. The 49 key version does fit nicely between my desktop monitor speakers. This keyboard comes in 32, 49, 61, 76 and 88 key versions. I should note there are a couple of buttons on the right that shift the keyboard octaves down or octaves up, and you can hold a chord, hit the octave button, and now the next note or chord will be at the new octave.

Here's another Garrison Fewell exercise I just recorded. This time with a Fender Rhodes MK2 with chorus and the Round Wound electric bass.

**0zoro** · 06-23-2021, 05:32 AM

Very nice fep! Cool keyboard too!

**MarkRhodes** · 06-23-2021, 11:26 AM

Originally Posted by fep

Here's another Garrison Fewell exercise I just recorded. This time with a Fender Rhoades MK2 with chorus and the Round Wound electric bass.

It's Fender RHODES, not RHOADES. (The latter is how my dad's name was spelled when he entered the Navy but the paymaster misspelled it and dad wanted to cash his checks, so he went with it. I have relatives who still spell it the old way.)

**TedBPhx** · 06-23-2021, 01:06 PM

Originally Posted by MarkRhodes

It's Fender RHODES, not RHOADES. (The latter is how my dad's name was spelled when he entered the Navy but the paymaster misspelled it and dad wanted to cash his checks, so he went with it. I have relatives who still spell it the old way.)

When my Dad joined the Air Force they changed his spelling from Lawrence to Laurence. He kept it - too hard to change. They named my sister Laurayne.

**TedBPhx** · 06-23-2021, 01:10 PM

My keyboard is a Line6 Mobile Keys 49. When Line6 realized they weren’t a keyboard company GC blew ‘em out for $49. Never did learn to play but I use it like a hunt’n’peck typist to enter MIDI.