M-Audio Oxygen 8 v2 25-Key USB MIDI Controller Keyboard
M-Audio, which was formerly known as the Midiman, is a part of the Avid technology. M-Audio is a designer and importer of a wide range of audio products that includes digital audio work stations, keyboard MIDI controllers, studio monitors and condenser microphones. M-Audio is primarily a Chinese company. The following is a detailed review on M-Audio’s Oxygen 8 v2 25-Key USB MIDI Keyboard Controller.
The Oxygen 8 v2 is basically the enhanced and updated version of the mobile MIDI controller that was responsible for the mobile studio revolution. In the current era even the smallest of the MIDI controllers come packed to the gills with a lot of bells and whistles and Oxygen 8 v2 25-Key controller Portable Keyboard is not an exception.
Extremely compact offering mobile operation:
The Oxygen 8 v2 Portable 25-key keyboard looks very much similar to its popular predecessor, but it has got a redesign done and in fact looks much better. Though the form factor remains to be the same, thankfully, the original’s unattractive casing and logo are replaced with rather a stylish orange and silver colour scheme with a chunky styling. Front panel sports a three segment LCD that gives the information that is required for programming the parameters in a glance. The M-Audio Oxygen 8 v2 MIDI controller is fully USB powered and does not have any fragile appendages. It can be tossed in to bags without any fear of damage.
Cleverly deigned:
The entire unit has a clever design by locating the modulation wheels and the pitchbend, just above the left hand side of the keys. This kind of an arrangement makes the unit shorter making it even more compact. This compactness of the M-Audio Oxygen 8 V2 Digital Piano Keyboard is a great advantage to the controller as it needs very less desk space and can be carried around easily.
The control panel:
As in the case of the mobile MIDI controller, M-Audio Oxygen 8 v2 too is having eight limited movement knobs. Along with the 8 limited movement knobs, it also sports an all new transport control section that includes controls like play, stop, record, forward, rewind and loop. The user will also be able to transpose notes on the two octave keyboard up five octaves or down four octaves by using the large octave shift button that has a convenient place on the right of the pitch and modulation wheels. It possesses ten factory presets that cover a wide range of soft synths. The available presets can also be overwritten with user’s own set of customisable setups.
Snapshot mode and mute mode:
The control panel of the keyboard also possesses a set of controls that allows the user to access various functions of the keyboard that includes a snapshot mode and a mute mode. The Snapshot mode is where all the MIDI controllers send their value to the user’s sequencer and the mute mode is where the knobs can be adjusted and made sure that the data is not sent out. The mute button prevents parameters from jumping when they are changed and then the snapshot button has to be pressed in order to transmit all the current settings.
Advanced editing mode:
The Advanced Function button enables the keyboard to serve as a data entry device for the sake of controller assignment and similar set-up functionalities. The advanced editing mode also allows the users to make easy CC adjustments. All of them are labelled clearly. All it takes is just a couple of button pushes to access these and the other keyboard parameters. This makes the Oxygen 8 v2 perfect for composing on the go or even performing live bass lines and pads, firing samples, or triggering audio and visual effects.
Stack of features:
M-Audio’s Oxygen 8 v2 25-Key USB MIDI Keyboard Controller is stacked with a range of features that includes 25-note velocity-sensitive, synth action with +/-4 octave transposition, Dual MIDI outputs and Ableton Live Lite music.
The Enigma editing software:
The Enigma editing software allows you to set up the MIDI keyboard controller as per wish without having to resort to the Advanced editing mode where the notes of the keyboard doubles as edit buttons and function. A lot of parameter options are available that can be accessed using Enigma editing software that can be downloaded from the M-Audio website after registering your details in the site. It is M-Audio’s patch editing and library software that can be used to create customised controller set-ups. Once the software is installed, it is a breeze to operate as it has a very simple and user-friendly interface. This interface includes a graphical representation of the M-Audio Oxygen 8 v2 MIDI Electronic keyboard, making it a snap in making a choice on which button or controller needs to be edited.
All that you have to do is, double click over an assignable control and that action would bring up an Editor window. The attributes of the control can be tailored to the user’s specific requirements in this window. To add to the ease of use of the interface, a list view can also be got instead of the graphical interface. Once the process of preset is completed, it can be saved to a PC and transferred to and fro the keyboard controller at your will and wish. This is a great advantage as, with a limited memory of 10 slots, the user will be able to create as many presets as they like and then copy them across the keyboard when required. This Enigma software is compatible with both Mac and PC.
Memory:
As mentioned earlier, M-Audio Oxygen 8 v2 25-Key USB MIDI Portable Keyboard has got ten non volatile memory locations and is compatible with the free Enigma software for a computer based storage, retrieval and management of an unlimited number of patches.
Total control of the MIDI functionalities:
Oxygen 8 v2 MIDI Keyboard Controller gives the user a total MIDI control. It has proved that MIDI is just not about triggering the notes by offering everything that it takes to access all the deep parameters in software and hardware, hence enabling you to get the maximum out of them. The eight knobs can be mapped to any of the synth parameters that the user would want to program or perform or even mixer controls like volume, panning and effects send. The buttons can be assigned to trigger sample and perform anything else that is MIDI programmable. Though the assignment is simple, it allows the user to delve as deep as they would want. Each of the controller will be able to map any applicable parameter in the MIDI spec which also includes the independent channel addressing for each. In short, the possibilities as limited only by the users imagination.
Ableton Live Lite:
Ableton Live Lite delivers much of the functionality of Ableton Live which is the revolutionary, multi-award winning music production solution that allows the user to spontaneously compose, record, remix, improvise and edit your musical ideas in a seamless audio/MIDI environment. Live brings the acoustic, electronic and virtual instruments, as well as the digital audio recordings and MIDI sequences together in a single interface with unparalleled ease of use.
Warranty:
M-Audio offers M-Audio Oxygen 8 v2 two years warranty.
Verdict:
The M-Audio Oxygen 8 v2 is a fine controller keyboard that performs its duty with a great deal of efficiency. Despite the high level of sophistication of the M-Audio Oxygen 8 v2, it is pretty tiny, offering a great deal of portability and ease of use. Though it would have been highly useful if more presets are supplied, the Enigma software offered makes creation a pain free and a speedy process. The Oxygen 8 v2 in particular fulfils its mandates splendidly. It has managed to pack a great of functionality into a tiny space and is a great fun to be used. It is a great addition to the MIDI controller market and we recommend it without a slightest of hesitation.
M-Audio Oxygen 8 v2 MIDI Keyboard - Technical Specifications, Features
| Manufacturer | M-Audio |
| Model Name | Oxygen 8 v2 |
| Keyboard type | MIDI Controller keyboard |
| Dimensions (L x W x H) | 40.2 cm x 24.9 cm x 7.3 cm |
| Weight | 1.9 kg |
| Compatibility | MME Mac OS X Core MIDI |
| Minimum PC requirements | Pentium 3 - 800 MHz or higher 256 MB RAM DirectX 9.0b or higher Windows XP (SP1) or higher (Windows 98, Me, NT, or 2000 not supported) |
| Minimum Mac requirements | Macintosh G3* 800/G4* 733 MHz or higher OS X 10.2.8 w/ 256 MB RAM OS X 10.3.4 or greater w/ 512 MB RAM |
| LED display | 3-segment LED screen |
| Power supply | USB 1.1 upstream (Type B) port Optional power supply |
| Sustain pedal jack | Yes |
| MIDI Out jack | Yes |
| Memory | 10 non-volatile memories |
| Memory dump via Sys Ex | Yes |
| Software included | Enigma librarian Ableton Live Lite |
| Keyboard special features | 25-note velocity-sensitive synth-action keyboard with USB MIDI interface 8 fully assignable MIDI controller knobs 6 transport buttons also assignable to any MIDI parameter Assignable pitch bend and modulation wheels octave up/down, transpose up/down 5 top-panel function buttons plus additional programming functions on keybed All controllers fully programmable to MIDI controller number |
| Warranty | Two years |
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