IK Multimedia
Described by IK Multimedia as their “all-in-
one music production station”, the iRig
Keys I/O combines a MIDI controller keyboard
(49- and 25-key; we’re looking at the 49 here)
and audio interface in a single unit, designed to
be as compact as possible without
compromising on playability. It also comes with
a seriously impressive line-up of bundled
software – see Soft sell, right.
Small and mighty
First impressions of the iRig Keys I/O are ine.
It’s not the prettiest keyboard we’ve ever seen,
and it looks and feels quite plastic-y, but it
acquits itself as sturdy enough. Hook-up to
PC, Mac or iPad is done via IK’s archaic USB-
or Lightning-to-mini-DIN cable (both are in
the box), which we don’t like at all, as regular
USB cables are much more easily replaced.
What we do dig, though, is that the unit can be
powered via USB or four AA batteries (oddly,
only two are included), so you don’t have to
invest in a separate power adaptor for use with
your iPad. The included one-piece tablet stand
is another very nice touch.
Despite packing 49 full-size synth action
keys, the iRig Keys I/O 49 measures just 208mm
deep and 693mm long (the £190 25-key model
is 208x373mm). That is, indeed, about as small
as a full-spec ’board is ever going to get,
although for all the groovy promo shots of
tat-covered hipsters skateboarding around
with it tucked under their arm, it’s obviously
not what you’d describe as ‘portable’ in the
truest sense of the word. It won’t it in your
backpack like a mini key-equipped – but less
playable – alternative.
The unweighted keys are light and
responsive, with satisfying travel and minimal
lateral movement. The whole bed does bend
noticeably with even moderately heavy playing,
but that doesn’t prove to be a problem beyond
detracting somewhat from the hardware’s
perceived solidity.
Complementing the keys are eight backlit,
velocity-sensitive drum pads. These are very
IK Multimedia
iRig Keys I/O 49 €360
Combining a MIDI keyboard with an audio interface can only ever
be a great idea, but does the execution live up to the concept?
“The keys are light,
responsive and
playable, with satisfying
travel and minimal
lateral movement”
small but certainly up to the job of basic beat
entry and MIDI button control.
The onboard audio interface operates at up
to 24-bit/96kHz, and sounds good doing it.
Latency bottoms out at 7.55ms round-trip at 32
samples, and sits at 17ms at a more practical 256
samples – standard stuf for any USB interface.
On the back panel, a combi input socket
accepts an instrument-, line- or microphone-
level signal, with 48V phantom power if
required, and a Gain knob for volume
adjustment. In the other direction, balanced
quarter-inch outputs feed a mixer or monitors,
and headphones are catered to by a minijack
socket. Alongside, there’s the expected pedal
input jack for MIDI expression/sustain control.
Stripped back
Rather than take up valuable space with
regular pitch and mod wheels, IK have instead
opted for a pair of short touchstrips. Likewise,
the Octave shift, Program Change, and dual-
purpose transport/editing buttons are
touchpads. The transport buttons can be set
to output MIDI Machine Control, CC and Real
Time data.
Although we understand the design
reasoning behind it, we’re not huge fans of all
this touch-sensitivity, preferring the honest
tactile response of real wheels and buttons. That
94 / COMPUTER MUSIC / March 2018
> reviews / ik multimedia irig keys i/o 49
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