Creative Labs Prodikeys PC-Midi Keyboard

Basically all the other reviews are on the money. Pros: -a LOT of space saved on the workspace. -37 keys, which is a lot for a convenient-sized and priced midi keyboard. -the shortcut keys are pretty good and cover basically everything you could need. A little much, even. -there is no appreciable limit of output notes. I tested up to ten notes simultaneously. -the software seems interesting to work with, though not the best stuff in the world. Easy installation and setup. Cons: -the type keyboard itself isn't very ergonomic: the plastic cover over the keys makes typing on the keyboard pretty awkward. Not worth it if you don't use a midi keyboard on an occasional to frequent basis. -the keys of the type keyboard are very low and "flimsy" feeling, exaggerating the first con. I like firm keys. -the keys of the midi keyboard are indeed pretty cheap. Fine for music notation and synth programs. Don't expect to perform with it; it's made for note entry. Speaking of which, for those of you who care, the keys are smaller than piano-size, so be forewarned. -although I had no trouble with it, apparently this product does not work with many operating systems. I use Windows XP and it's fine. Take care. My summary: I'd *suggest* it to someone looking for a midi input device, but I wouldn't necessarily *recommend* it because of the uncomfortable type-keyboard setup. As it is, I'm going to use it and am glad I purchased it for use with music notation projects.

I bought this as a space saver. Little did I know it would become a time waster. This keyboard is not supported by Windows XP 64 bit or Vista 64 bit! (There are new drivers which allow you to run this on Vista 32 bit) So after spending days online trying to find 64 bit drivers I surrender. Either I can have a dual boot computer and run my music programs on both operating systems or give the PC Midi away and get a new midi controller...btw, Creative is not going to upgrade the drivers for this product. Their customer service is not helpful at all.

Works great with Finale. Plug and play first time. No setup other than install the CD. Makes keyboard entry a breeze. It has its own program, but I prefer Finale or Sibelius for composition.

I was excited to stumble upon this, as I needed a cheap music keyboard controller to recommend to people. The price was amazing (though it went up $8 the minute after I bought mine) Unforunately, even though it warned me ahead of time that there were no drivers for Vista (and I am not completely confident there are XP drivers even), I felt it was IMPOSSIBLE in this day and age that that could be true. But, sadly, after scouring the internet and trying every goofy solution proposed, I have to agree with the product definition. This keyboard just won't work in Vista, and the manufacturer clearly has no intention of putting any more effort into it. Neither do they appear to be making anything newer of the same ilk. The unit itself is what you would expect, kinda loosey-goosey and wobbly and probably not up to any serious amount of pounding. Sadly, it did not meet my needs for a less-than-$40 Midi-on-USB Musical keyboard. But only because of the lack of driver support.

1) No CD accompanied the hardware, so it took me almost a week to get the necessary info from the seller to key in and prepare one on my computer. 2) When I finally got ready it turns out the version I was given was not compatible with MS Windows 7!

Very gimmicky and cute. The main issue I had with this, was that I didn't realize how much space the (piano) keyboard took up. If you have a big desk, or a predesignated place to put the keyboard, this shouldn't be a problem. This is great for casual mixing, and small stuff. Don't expect to be using this thing for anything other then casual playing, since there isn't much range on the keys. Very useful for my own uses, but I could see it being cumbersome to anyone expecting more. Worked well with Cakewalk, FL studio and Logic. Driver install was quick and painless, and there was a plethora of support on their site.

This is an excellent and affordable tool for learning piano and even writing music. I am doing both at the moment, and this keyboard is ridiculously easy to set up and use. Everything is user friendly, from install to use of the included music programs, so you will be up and running and making music literally within minutes of opening the box. The typing keyboard is good, although the shift button sticks occasionally. The keys do not depress as deeply as in a normal typing keyboar, but they are not as shallow as a laptop. The prodikeys keys are somewhere between the two, but it feels fine. The music keyboard plays well too, surprisingly well. The key's themselves are smaller than normal keyboards, but if you are just starting out that is not a big deal. They are not overly small to the point where it becomes a problem. The pressure sensitivity of the keys is nice too, especially for a keyboard priced so low. when the music keyboard is covered, the cover acts as a wrist guard, and everything feels natural to the point you almost forget there is a little piano under your wrists. overall, i am VERY pleased and would recommend this to anyone

i got one 10 years ago. it's a nice, space saving item that is OK for programming, but rather not for virtuosic playing. however, note that it's not WIN7 (and upwards) compatible. there are no updates from the manufacturer.