Nektar Masterkey 61

Masterkey 61 is a USB controller keyboard from Acorn Instruments, Nektar's budget line. 61 velocity-sensitive keys, a fader and four knobs assignable to any parameter, plus a red LED display for checking settings.

Five controls you will actually use

Controllers with twenty knobs usually end with the owner remembering what three of them do. Here you get one fader and four knobs — exactly as many as you set once and remember: level, cutoff, resonance and a reverb send. The rest happens in the DAW anyway.

Pitch and mod wheels, not a joystick

Rubberised pitch bend and modulation wheels can be assigned to DAW parameters and behave predictably while playing: pitch springs back to centre, modulation stays where you leave it. The sustain footswitch input senses pedal type, so it works regardless of polarity — the pedal itself is sold separately.

KEY FEATURES

• 61 velocity-sensitive keys
• Fader assignable to any MIDI parameter
• 4 assignable MIDI knobs
• Rubberised pitch bend and modulation wheels
• Three-character red LED display
• Sustain footswitch input with pedal type sensing

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

• Keyboard: 61 keys, velocity sensitive
• Faders: 1, assignable
• Knobs: 4, assignable
• Controllers: pitch bend wheel, modulation wheel
• Display: LED, 3 characters
• Connectors: USB, sustain footswitch input
• Note: sustain pedal not included