Feel like I'm playing a piano. Really like the feel and response. My favorite thing to do, is plug into my iPad and open garage band. The violins, Grand piano and synths are all top notch professional. Utilizing all the 88 keys. I just bought a iPad air 2 off Ebay for $ bucks. It's got all the sounds I need. The Hammer 88 has all the feel I need.

I LOVE this keyboard!! The price was extremely affordable. It feels just like all the grand pianos I play. Being a trained pianist, it was important for me to get, not only a weighted keyboard, but one that felt like a true grand piano. This one feels just like a nice grand piano. Of course, every grand feels a little bit different. Steinways in general, I find, are a little "stiffer" and tighter, but other than that this one does the trick marvelously!!

I am using this with Apple MainStage and a MacBook Air M2. I purchased it with high hopes that it would provide a realistic weighted keyboard experience, but unfortunately, it falls short. In particular, it does not pair well with Spectrasonics Keyscape, which is my primary piano sound at this time. No matter how I adjusted the velocity mapping (both in Keyscape and the M-Audio software) the action never felt right or realistic. Additionally, certain notes (Bb3, C#4) exhibited inconsistent velocity response, occasionally triggering full velocity unexpectedly.

Pros:

• Excellent build quality
• Smooth and well-designed pitch and modulation wheels
• Sleek, no-nonsense design that pairs well with controllers like the Korg nanoKONTROL2
• Relatively inexpensive

Cons:

• Subpar weighted key action that lacks realistic throw and key bounce
• Inconsistent velocity response, with certain notes "barking" at full velocity out of context with others
• Nonlinear MIDI velocity response, suggesting poor calibration
• Wider than necessary due to curved side panels, making it incompatible with the Gator 88-SLIM case (requires a larger, more expensive case)
• No aftertouch

I am replacing this with the Studiologic SL88 Grand, which features the Fatar TP/40 Wood keybed, a more realistic weighted action, a smaller width, and aftertouch. Though it costs more than twice as much, the improved feel and features justify the price. I will miss the pitch/mod wheels, however.

If you're a trained pianist (especially in jazz or classical) and require nuanced expression, you may want to skip this lower-tier weighted controller. Otherwise, it's an acceptable option at its price point.

Some keys start degrading over time, which results in a clicky sound and a loose feeling of the key. It almost feels like perhaps a screw is loose where the key is mounted. Anyway, this issue causes a serious loss of immersion and enjoyment when playing, because you keep feeling and hearing these random clicky loose keys.

After three years of using it moderately in my studio for hardware sequencing sketch pad the hanging notes problem has now (7-24_ become intolerable. I used to take it out on some bookings but wouldn't dare now even with a MOTU unit with a "panic" button (note off kill switch). I own a 2002 Ninja EX500D and have never had to use the kill switch! Hah! I found out that the note off intermittent problem is not unique and like others hope there is a firm ware fix. I have other controllers to take out so I guess the Hammer 88 will be disassembled for study. John Poole

This is the second one of these I've bought. 'Nuff said.

I was looking for a no-frills 88-key controller to use in my home studio, mostly for notation software, DAW programming, and general piano practice. I've owned the Hammer 88 for a couple years now and it has done all of these really well. I'm intending to use it for an upcoming anniversary party and hopefully other similar gigs in the future.

Pros:
1. Includes some basic features (pitch/mod wheels, etc.) necessary for controlling non-piano VSTs.
2. No extra bells and whistles, just a clean, classy look that makes it feel a little more like an acoustic instrument.
3. The velocity response is very even between the black and white keys.
4. It's got substantial weight, but it's not back-breakingly heavy.
5. Super easy to connect to the computer and start playing.

Cons:
1. The action is fairly loose overall, especially in the black keys. They have quite a bit of left-to-right play, which often results in physical clicking noises. This isn't a huge turn-off for me, but it's not exciting at this price point. I wouldn't use this board in a recording situation where we needed to capture an acoustic sound source in the same take.

If I ever need to replace it, I'd probably treat myself to something like a Doepfer LMK or Kawai VPC1, but for now I am quite content.

Very impressive. The hammer action feels so good. Built like a tank. No build in synth to go obsolete in a few years. Was plug and play. Using an Ipad and a PC. I built a desktop to slide the keyboard into so that I could have a shelf to put speakers and computers on. See photo

After reading the stellar reviews on the quality of the piano action, I was pretty hyped to get one under my hands. Ease of use was highly touted, and I can hardly argue with that, but one serious omission leaves me in a state of disbelief. With all the assignable functionality that is does have, I completely fail to grasp why midi channel isn't one of them!!? The ability to change synths at the change of a channel has been a mainstay of my rig, whether using modules or vsts. I do love the action, and would give a higher rating had it not been for this remarkable omission. Perhaps a software upgrade could offer this much needed function - I would certainly be happy to see it. The plus/minus buttons should default to midi channel, but the only option is to change it in the preset editor on your computer. A near miss on a near perfect bang for the buck product.

I have owned too many weighted stage pianos over the last 25 years, Kurzweil PC/SP's, Roland RD's, Korg SV1/GrandStage/Kronos, Yamaha CP/Motif. Several years ago I decided to try the controller + VST instrument route. I owned 88 key controllers from Arturia, Nektar, and Novation before trying the Hammer 88. Bingo! I have been using the Hammer 88 for the last several years (a record for me) and here is what I like about it:

1. The Action - a surprisingly authentic "grand piano-ish" type of feel that is definitely not too light but heavy enough to push back a little for powerful playing technique. I would say the feel is heavier than an acoustic upright like a Yamaha U1, heavier than a Yamaha C Grand, but slightly lighter than the feel of a Kawai grand piano...so just right for a controller IMO. The action buries the super light Arturia's and Roland's I have played.

2. The Simplicity - Some of the stage piano/workstations I have owned are amazing instruments, but just too darn much fuss for what I want to do. It does not get simpler than this. 2 wheels, 2 buttons, and a fader. Simple.

3. The Editor - The software editor for adjusting the settings is plain and simple to use, but also gives the options to adjust the velocity curve (although better done in your VST settings), functions, and zones of the controller.

4. The build - MDF base, Metal Body, Plastic End caps. Very solid construction with metal!.

5. The Look - It's a black slab like other controllers, but with a little more shape, height and substance.

6. The Price - Enough said

7. Midi - USB and 9 pin outputs

8. VST Intruments - The bundled VST instruments did nothing for me. Let me make this simple for you...go get PianoTeq with the Steinway and Electric Piano packs. Done.

My grandson has advanced his skills as a violinist and pianist into the area of composition--mostly classical style. His parents and I were concerned that he only kept the compositions in his head and never wrote anything down. His dad works at a university and visited with a professor in the music department. Along with advice from Nich at Sweetwater, we decided to get him a piano-realistic keyboard midi controller and some notation software. Nich recommended the M-audio Hammer 88, and that is what I got my grandson for Christmas. After expected delays and frustrations with software installs, Dad and Grandson got the new gear working and the Grandson is delighted. Therefore, I am delighted.
Thanks to Nich (and the other sales engineers) for his advice and patience.

Out of the box it was a nice sturdy piano that felt okay, personal opinions aren't much to a review, but the build quality seemed exceptional. It's a bit on the heavier side but I don't know how different that is from other digital piano/ midi controllers. The keys felt sturdy but oddly the black keys wiggle left and right. The mod and pitch wheel feel sturdy and I haven't had problems with them. Out of the box i understood the 4-5 star reviews.
I bought this on nov 5, 2021 and around dec 14-26 I started to hear a few of the black keys start to make loud cracking noises upon quickly releasing the keys. My aim was for a quieter piano, this is starting to be a louder one. It looks like some keys are coming loose. I'm no brute, this happened on its own. I hopped online to find if the problem existed for others. I found the one and only youtube video of someone with the same issue. I started reading reviews on other sites saying the piano likes to have problems quickly later on such as keys dropping out, weak usb midi port, etc. Now feeling like i want to return it I realize I can't because I'm 10 days or so over the 30 day return mark... Then, upon a couple of bootups into my pc, the hammer-88 doesn't feel like being recognized everytime so I have to unplug it and plug it back in to recognize it. And this wasn't a big deal until the piano started to disconnect from the pc automatically. I know I didn't damage the weak usb midi port, it's in an area that isn't accessible and I haven't touched it since I plugged it in. There hasn't been any major hardware/software changes to my pc so I'm starting to feel like this piano is much too expensive for maybe a year or 2 at best... if it lets me play it... The piano I'm upgrading from is a yamaha p-115 that lasted 10+ years of hard abuse and was around the same price. My yamaha YPT-300 still almost works like new and thats older. I was misguided by the many good reviews about the piano. Perhaps these are reviews from out of the box, not long term? Mine isn't even long term.
Additionally, the free software that comes with the piano needs internet to activate. It uses the ever so scammy iLok Manager. I primarily use an offline computer, in order to use these programs i would have to buy the iLok dongle which is like 46 bucks on amazon! No way!
On a personal note... I'm always reluctant to go with warranty fixes. These problems happen sporadically and I doubt that in the weeks or months that the process takes I won't get the piano back with the person on the other end saying they couldn't find the problem. 30 days is just not enough to get a proper experience with intruments as expensive as these. This came after trying 2 Roland RD-88's in a row that both had 1 or 2 keys that would play louder than the rest. Luckily, i returned those within the 30 days. This piano is starting to be a hard let down on someone that has a thin wallet.

Keyboard is solid and sturdy without weighing a ton. Very gig-friendly in that regard. My personal favorite aspect is the no-frills design. It's a piano keybed and that's all.

Unfortunately as a piano keybed it suffers from a couple of (IMO) design flaws. The keys are a tad heavy, and the velocity range is extremely limited. There are velocity curves you can assign with the software, but no matter which you choose, you get a very limited range of response from the keys. Trying to play anything with a wide range of dynamics is impossible with this keyboard.
I've used it to trigger VST pianos and hardware digital pianos and sound modules, and the issue with limited velocity range is the same.

If you want a cheap option for hammer action and aren't concerned with dynamic range, this may be the keyboard for you. If, however, you want the full experience of playing a piano from whisper soft to angry loud, keep searching.

Great feel. super excited to continue to learn with this

I have played bass guitar in a band for several years and took up keyboard/piano about a year ago. I purchased a Roland Juno DS76(synth keyboard) figuring that it would be fine to learn on and capable of adding to the band's mix. As my keyboard skills have grown, I wanted to add a hammer action keyboard to the mix. I was initially looking at the Studiologic 88-key Hammer weighted keyboard controller. The Sweetwater website suggested the M-Audio Hammer 88 as an alternative, and as I compared the two I decided to go with the Hammer 88. The M-Audio Hammer 88 is the perfect fit for me. I don't need a lot of bells and whistles because I get those on the Juno DS. The Hammer 88 is just a good, solid Hammer Action keyboard. It compares very favorably with a Steinway upright I have played, with the added benefit of being adjustable via the software. Time will tell how it stands up to use, but it feels like a very solid keyboard. Quality out of the box is outstanding.

The M-Audio Hammer 88 is an excellent product, although being my first MIDI controller, I'm still getting used to the feel. While I play jazz piano, I was having problems getting the right sound using GarageBand with my Yamaha PC-125.


It really feels like a real piano - the Yamaha PC-125 has significantly lighter touch and that patented Yamaha sound that many jazz pianists (myself included) love. But with the Yamaha (which is intended for gigs, not so much for use as a controller) I'd have a hard time getting a piano sound that wasn't really reverb-y. The Hammer does not have a problem with that, except that certain notes seem to create these overtones, even with the modulation wheel all the way down.

Anyone have any suggestions for the last problem??

To sum things up, I'd call it 4.5 stars out of 5; I think it's just taking me a while to get used to the harder feel of the Hammer. Very happy with it by and large.

I mean seriously - if you're a pro pianist, you're not playing a $... controller over USB on an iMac. I am, though, so this thing is close to perfect. The action is nice, the keys feel "real", and it's the cleanest looking controller around. Make sure you've got room, too - it's BIG. I just wish it power button..

I decided to purchase this controller after reading copious reviews about it and other far more expensive ones. The demo video was the clincher for me... I just really liked the piano player in it (Professor Joel Holmes), and figured that if he could sound so sophisticated, nuanced, and precise in all aspects of a beautiful performance, then the controller would meet and exceed my needs. Besides, it was also the lowest price of all solutions I was considering. The result? Well, it is such a quantum improvement over my old Yamaha digital pianos that I have decided to get rid of them and update my keyboard gear. This thing feels like the real deal, and I can't imagine being happier with a purchase. I have not tried the Kawaii and have heard great things, but this thing is about 1/4 the price... I suppose that the main advantage that I can see for the Kawaii is the three pedal arrangement, as opposed to only one pedal on the M-Audio, but I'm fine with it. For my needs, this is a home run. It looks to be built solidly and was very easy to set up. A complete pleasure to play.

this not a real piano Hammer keys, this is robbin hammer,if you are a real Pianist you dont buy this it.the keys is terrible, i just realize this keys didnt come with aftertauch.

Most keyboards have hundreds of knobs & sliders, which is great for those who need them. I like to have the most minimalistic setup possible so I wanted something with a good key bed, weighted keys and at least 1 modulation wheel. This checks all of my boxes. It's kind of tall since it's hammer action but I managed to tuck it away under my desk.

Works great, feels great and does what I need without requiring an involved setup process. Plug it in, get to work. I hope it lasts for the long haul.

I'm not sure when making an affordable weighted controller, with hammer action and mod wheels, went out of style, but thank god M Audio jumped in and filled this void.

Admittedly, the action is a bit stiffer than you find on Yamaha or Roland weighted controllers, but it still feels great, and truth be told, I've gotten used to it.

I bought this to try in my studio, and I could tell immediately I was going to keep it. The price point is so reasonable, I'm considering buying a second one to leave in a road case, and use for my live gigs, since I use MainStage for my live sounds, and don't need internal sounds.

I highly recommend this controller

I am disappointed with this controller. I was willing to forgive the hideous red sparkly translucent pitch and mod wheels (I removed the red fabric strip), and bulky size to get a good weighted action, but the action is not great. It feels too slow and the keys wobble and clunk audibly.

I have bought and been disappointed by M-Audio products before. I guess I was hoping by now their manufacturing quality would have gotten better, but their Prokeys 88 piano action was not much different, 12 years ago, to give one example.

I am probably going to sell this keyboard.

I am an indie artist in two man group so needless to say a lot of production is done on the keyboard. We needed something with a full range of keys and great response so our keyboard parts would be more lively, this keyboard delivers! Expected the keys to be bit sticky out of the box but honestly its ready to go without much break in time. The keys are responsive and no latency issues! The best part was ordering from these guys probably the best customer service I have ever seen, Todd gave me a call same day as my order to have a chat about music and let me know my order had already shipped! I"ll be a loyal customer for life, other businesses should take notes!

I really like this controller. It's well-built, it's professional, and it feels very nice for what it is and what it costs. However, if you are looking for grand piano realism, this is not it. The action is much too light, and the key travel just isn't quite right in terms of depth, resistance, and rebound. It makes it hard to control. If you practice at home on a digital keyboard so you can play live on grand pianos, then you need something with a more realistic action for authentic touch, expressiveness, and to develop proper control. Nothing I practice on this board translates to the grand piano. This is a huge issue for me because this could lead to unnecessary mistakes and injuries when playing on a real acoustic grand. If you're like me, you need to check out some of the offerings from Kawai, which are more expensive, but they will allow you to build proper technique and practice repertoire properly because they focus on authentic action. For the serious professional or student, this controller alone just won't cut it.

With all that said, I'll hang on to this keyboard. It is great for playing with electric keyboard sounds, and it's great for the gig where you need to bring your own board but you don't want to take your super expensive board and controller out of the studio (which for me, that's the case). I'd pair this with a module and it would do the job. But if I'm trying to practice serious jazz or classical technique and repertoire, this won't cut it if you need to take what you practice to the grand piano later.

I was looking for a keyboard that had a piano feel. Or use this keyboard to record music in a home studio environment. My intentions were to get something a little lighter Then my old keyboard. It is quite a bit lighter than my old keyboard, however it was heavier than I expected. I would give this five stars but there"s always room for improvement. It has been very good keyboard and I would recommend others purchasing it. Good feel easy connection easy play!

I am a first time purchaser on Sweetwater and saw the keyboard for a solid price. I have been playing for well over 12 years or so, so my primary key specs that I mainly look for is the fully weighted, hammer action keys, while offering solid compatibility with all of my DAW softwares, GarageBand, Logic Pro etc. The keyboard indeed nails it all. The 88 key hammer action captures solid dynamic responses from my playing, and plug and play support with my Mac for instant music creation. The bundled softwares such as Ableton and Hammer 88 Editor however, were unusable for me as I'm blind and uses screen-readers to get around my computer, and those softwares were not accessible for me. Would have loved to tweak with velocity curve a bit to fit my liking. The pitch bend and modulation wheels are rubberized and has a great texture on them, and a single fader works for volume adjustment, which I cannot reprogram without the hammer 88 editor. The main reason why you would want this midi controller is if you are going for the high quality, real piano style keys like myself but also for those who look for fully weighted keys with key-bed that's soft and responsive. I would have wished to see more faders, programable buttons and what not but this does the job, and I do tend to work a lot with various DAWs on the computer, which is where those extra controls above the keyboard would come handy. Sweetwater was so generous to also include the M-Audio accent module controller with the keyboard, completely free of charge. So for those who are wanting to use this keyboard like a regular stage piano without computer dependency, it's a solid option. Overall, I am very satisfied with this keyboard and the built quality, the keys themselves and usability wise for my piano playing and music production needs.

It is serving my modest needs. It sits on a custom stand with a custom manuscript bracket connected to Kurzweil piano modules and going into a hardware sequencer. I have an Anatek Pocket Curve in the stream but the default curve seems fine- not too hot nor laborious. Drums are programmed via a custom pad not the Hammer 88. The sustain pedal transmits on channel 1 which is all I needed. It is a piano module controller. I use the box which does fit in the back of a FIT when I go out on bookings. Roy Scheider would have warned me, "You're gonna need a bigger case" once he saw it breaching the steps of my porch.

We have been moving around quite a bit and during the travels we had to pass my beautiful piano to a family member. In its place, I bought an M-Audio Standard keyboard controller to fit into my current work space. The M-Audio controllers are top-notch instruments and I have nothing but positive things to say about them.

Still, I really missed the feel and expression of a hammer-action keyboard that addressed the pianist in me. I kept looking at instruments to fulfill my desire to get a hammer-action. Then, I had my, "What have we got here?", when I heard that M-Audio was planning to release the keyboard I had been searching for (price-being a very important part of it). I stayed in touch with my Sales Specialist, James Masterson, who has always been a valued resource for me. His feedback about the keyboard was invaluable.

So, I made the purchase.....and waited.

The keyboard arrived in perfect condition and I un-boxed it.

This keyboard is heavier than the non-hammer controllers, by quite a bit, so be careful when moving it. Also, I'd suggest you buy a heavy-duty stand that has a wide range of height and width settings. Due to this keyboards increased thickness, flexibility in setting the height is important.

The look and feel of the keyboard is excellent and the sounds are superb. Don't know of any other keyboard of it's type that delivers the features, expression and value that this keyboard.

That said, if you are serious about purchasing a high-quality Hammer-Action Keyboard Controller, look no further....this baby delivers.

I am having TOO MUCH fun playing this controller

Thanks M-Audio and Sweetwater.

Wanting to save some miles on the Yamaha CP4 and Roland RD-800 that I have, I decided to give this keyboard a shot for use in the studio for recording. I use it with Pianoteq, which is a really good plugin with the best pianos I've found for recording purposes. The Hammer 88 feels very nice... probably 90-95% as good as the Yamaha and Roland keyboards. I do use the Yamaha sustain pedal with it as am not fond of the M-Audio pedal. The piano does not come with a pedal, I just happened to have both. After a few months but many hours of use, it appears to be holding up just fine. It is nice not to have to be constantly tearing down my other pianos in my studio to take to a job. This way, I can just leave the Hammer 88 set up all the time. AJ at Sweetwater was helpful with this choice as he has been with others, and so far, so good with the Hammer 88. I would recommend, especially for the $... price point.

I bought this keyboard to replace a Roland RD700NX at church. I loved the Roland, but found it difficult to create different layers of sounds. In addition, it was covered in knobs, dials, buttons and faders. On occasion, I would come to church only to find out small children had made their way to the stage and had fun changing all of my settings. I had been waiting to take the plunge with Mainstage and a midi keyboard. I loved the simplicity of this one. Other than a mod wheel, pitch wheel and volume fader, there was nothing on it that could be changed by curious children at church. I have an m-Audio code 61 at home, so I can compare the two. I love both. The M-Audio Hammer 88 is built like a tank. It is solid and the keys are fully weighted. They play great... If you are wanting to change your keyboard setup and want to try out Mainstage or other midi programs, this is an awesome keyboard to play. You can buy a mini controller like the Korg NanoKontroller 2 and make all your adjustments from it. Great keyboard for the price. Hard to beat. I would highly recommend this keyboard controller.

GREAT keyboard. Happy Birthday to me! This is as close as you can get to "real feel" piano keyboard. My fingers already feel better, if you need a hammer-action controller and can't spend $800, $900,$1000 or more BUY THE HAMMER 88.
...The software package is a very large bonus. Thanks Ryan (Ashby) super service from You. Thanks for your time and effort.

2 year warranty doesn"t mean anything for this item. I tried shipping back this product that I haven"t even owned for a year, but I"m not even able to send the product back to get fixed because the item is too big. Waste of 400 dollars. Waste of shipping cardboard, styrofoam, bubble wrap, tape and my personal time. Extremely disappointed. I"m a daily player and teacher. One morning I had trouble with almost a whole two octaves not sending sound through my interface. 14 dead keys from middle C two octaves up. Worse buy thus far.

I have to be honest, although this keyboard spec'ed out perfectly for what I was looking for, I was reluctant to get it, because I'd purchased an M-Audio fully weight 88 key controller before and was very disappointed with it. But I figured I'd roll the dice and go for it. I am blown away by it! The action is absolutely wonderful. I've played many digital pianos and been less than impressed, but with this controller, I don't even think about it (and that's a good, good thing). The slide control is extremely useful to me and the mod wheels (critical to what I do) feel sturdy and well-made. Gigging with this unit for the first time next week, but rehearsals have gone fantastic with it. Also a shout-out to Alex at Sweetwater for being attentive and making sure the whole experience went smoothly. If you want something that can feel like a true grand piano, but can also allow you to play blistering guitar leads, this controller is for you. Bravo!

I have to say I was very impressed and surprised with the quality of this controller especially for the price !
I have been playing a Roland A90EX 88 key hammer action keyboard in my studio for a while now and a few days ago one of the hammers broke in half so I needed a controller fast but did not want to spend a fortune on a new one since I planned to have the Roland repaired. After reading all of the reviews I could find on the different controllers out there I decided to try the Hammer 88 thinking for the price it can't be much but maybe it would work until I have my Roland repaired. My first impression after unboxing it was that it was surprisingly well built but for me the real test was how well does it play. After getting it all connected I fired it up with Pianoteq 6 which is my favorite piano VST I began to play and was disappointed because it just did not play right and then I remembered several reviews I read about the velocity settings so I downloaded the editor software and played around with the velocity and sustain pedal settings and VIOLA ! it plays as good as my Roland A90EX and way better than my Akai MPK88.
Now I am going to use this controller and sell my others. I have to say the documentation with the editor software although it is very basic and easy to use M-Audio should have better instructions on how to use it. Overall I am very happy with the Hammer 88 and would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a 88 key hammer action keyboard but if your looking for pads and faders and knobs on you controller then this one would not work for you.

I came to Sweetwater with a different keyboard in mind, however, the features of the Hammer 88 gtabbed me enough to step up to it. Now that I am playing this MIDI keyboard, I know I made the right decision. The touch, feel, utility and flexibilty can work for musicians of all levels.

So far so good. It feels great and was able to hook it up to my Yamaha reface cp and start playing the rhodes sound in style. The specific power supply is hard to find it you want use it away from the computer but I found out that my outlet adapter and a usb cable works fine which is an easy way to power it if you don't want to his power it by computer. For some reason I had to set up a preset in the editor for my Yamaha to work with the hammer88. M-audio support said it was probably because it is a mini piano so I had to set the range and velocity. Also you have to use the free preset editor if you wish to try the different velocity curves. Not a big deal but just another reason this isn't maybe the ideal live controller. This thing will serve for every new sound I get either vst or hardware and it's made me play my digital rhodes way more since it has the feel now. The amount of expression and dynamics weighted keys bring is amazing! They will feel sluggish if you've never played weighted keys before like me but after just a few days I got the feel for it and now I prefer it much more than any other key bed I own. Obviously not great for synth s and organ type sounds but for any piano type instrument sound this is a very smart buy. It will pay itself off in the end!

I've used other 88 key M-Audio controllers before like the KeyStation and Oxygen product lines, but man. The Hammer 88 blows them and others brands away!!! I like the feel, responsiveness, and feedback from the keys and the fully weighted action. M-Audio's product info and videos are spot on with this controller. I can't recommend this controller high enough for someone looking for an 88 key controller with exceptional piano feel.

So...I had a Keystation 61. I was pretty happy with it, but I felt like the velocity sensitivity was lacking. The Hammer 88 keyboard solved my problems. It has a Preset Editor that lets you set the velocity curve, and lets you transpose zones, select a MIDI range for you expression pedal... so many options. It honestly just FEELS better than my Keystation as well. When I bought it, I thought it was a bit spendy, but the difference is well worth the price, and the velocity sensitivity is way better than my Keystation. It feels like a real piano to me, and the options in the presets are amazing.

The feel of this controller is wonderful. In my opinion it is much more playable and less sluggish than the Native Instruments Knotrol S88(to give a point of reference). The feature set is limited but if you simply need 88 hammer action keys I don't know what can compete with the Hammer 88 at this price. The included software is very generous as well and the sounds are useable and fun to play. The music stand could of been a bit more robust but this is minor. Satisfied customer.

I made quite a discovery with this keyboard ($400)....this keyboard is just a controller keyboard so it has no sounds of its own but it has free downloads for sounds that you can install on your computer and if you play it this way, the USB from your computer powers it.....it also has MIDI Out which lets you play any keyboard or sound module that has MIDI IN from it......when you're talking 88 hammer action keys, this has the nicest key action and keys that I have ever played, and I've played them all (many at music stores but just the same).....

It also has pitch bend and modulation wheels that light up and a volume slider......these keys have the perfect piano action and are totally silent....at 38.5 pounds, it's a winner.....

This keyboard has made me play more than ever from the inspiration of the way it plays.....I'm in love with those keys.....this also needs an AC to USB adapter as it comes with a USB cable....this is all you need to power it but if you connect it to your computer, your computer will power it through the USB cable....

I'm very impressed with the action on this keyboard.....I've played so many keyboards with weighted keys over the years and this is by far my favorite....it's also 38.5 lbs so it's super easy to move......the keys are completely quiet also which I like very much....it feels very solid and the pitch bend & modulation wheels light up (nice for dark venues).....

You cannot get a better sounding midi at this price. The Hammer Weighted keys will make any classical pianist more than pleased, while someone that is more of a midi/programmer type will still be able to lay better hooks and chops with the smooth keybed. Definitely would recommend for somebody building a home studio looking to get good ideas out and discover more from their sound.

I have always wanted an 88 note weighted controller for my live stage rig. I am running MainStage so I really don't need any onboard control. If I were running a DAW, I might feel differently. However, for this application, I needed exactly what the "Hammer" offered. I've tried other 88 note controllers, notably the Arturia Keylab 88 and the Nektar LX88. I didn't care for the Keylab's touch and many of the functions were difficult to program. The Nektar was very light and small, but the semi-weighted touch was difficult to play with accuracy or feeling. By the way, I've also used a Roland RD-300 and a Nord Piano 3 as controllers. They are both much heavier, require a separate power supply and the keyboard action is not as good!

The minute I connected the Hammer, it felt great. It is simple and has excellent touch. The keybed is quiet and consistent. I checked the velocity curve (out of the box) and it had difficulty registering less than 10 and you really had to hit it to get to 120. I simply adjusted for it in the MainStage. The feel of the modulation wheels is excellent and both are lighted.

The software that can be downloaded from M-audio works really well. There was very little that I wanted to change, but if I needed to, I could.

If I were to quibble about minor issues, the surface of the keys is very plastic feeling (I think that will change as I use the keyboard). Also, there is no easy way to change pitch in half steps. You can change change octaves (that's the default), but not chromatically.

In short, the Hammer 88 is a great looking and awesome feeling keyboard. For me, it was exactly what I hoped it would be. This is the most "bang for the buck" I've seen in this type of equipment.

While it doesn't have the hardware feature set of other similarly priced keyboards (drum pads, knobs, faders), this isn't what the Hammer 88 sets out to provide.

What it DOES try to provide is a realistic 88-key hammer-action control surface, and boy, does it. I'm actually having to work a bit to build playing muscles in my hands, as my other synths all have dinky keybeds that feel like toys and require a significantly lighter touch.

Plugging this thing into Komplete and playing their grand piano plugins is a marriage made in heaven.

For 400 bucks, if what you need is a solid workhorse keyboard that provides maximum key count and a realistic weighted "feel" when playing, I doubt you could do better.

Two things...Humans have the ability to adapt and manipulate their environment and no hammer action controller "feels like an acoustic piano". I wish advertisers would stop insinuating or claiming that. I also wish that wasn't such a buzzphrase for consumers. I've played some great pianos as well as some great keyboards and I gotta say they're not the same....but I digress. The action on the Hammer 88 doesn't feel like an acoustic instrument, like every other controller or stage piano. (haven't tried the Kawai VPC but I've heard it feels acoustic) After a couple of hours I'd found a velocity that felt nice with the Kronos and found it to have a very consistent and playable feel. (you can change the velocity via the Hammer 88 preset editor. They should let folks know.) I think of it as a rubber piano and I mean that in the best possible way. It plays fast and dynamic and not like a wood instrument. You can't review something after three days and speak on durability, but it feels solid.
Included software: Very good! You could start a home studio with this setup. Ableton live lite with very good emulations of bread and butter instruments. I kinda went neo-soul crazy with it. no synthy stuff, which I believe to be a good choice. All in all a no-brainer (after three days and one gig..lol)

I like the board but the editor software is not available as promised without any form of communication as to the release date or contacting technical support because you need a support number which Maudio has not given me...It is new so I guess they are working on it but until then I am giving this a 4 instead of 5 because I expect more out of Maudio....As far as the feel and functionality it is great but because I am also an owner of the key station 88 I am use to Maudio keeping thier promises...I will always buy Maudio products but I need more communication as to the functionality of the editor software. If you like piano's you will love this board and I love it but I am expecting the editor software so I can use the electronic functionality of the keyboard...I have no way to program the buttons to my specifications yet but hopefully in the future...