Radial Key-Largo Keyboard Mixer with Balanced DI Outs Reviews

This is a solidly built dependable product. Small form factor which can be used at desktop or as floor unit. Good clean sound, with good gain on individual channels. Flexible effects loop and main inserts.

First of all, the Key Largo is built like a tank. You know you're holding a quality piece of gear when you unbox it. Sound is so clean even at highest gain. Wish I had pulled trigger on this years ago when it was first introduced. Such the perfect interface for combining hardware keys and virtual keys on stage. Big thumbs up. Great job Radial.

I've noticed before that I'm losing something from my synth sounds when I'm forced to send out from the "L-mono" only due to limited capacity on whatever board I'm using. Recently, I used the Key Largo box to get stereo out of all three keyboards at an open mic, sending only two cables to the board. The quality of each sound was great. I hung on single notes to let them develop - it changed how I played. The comment I got afterward was "That was wild!" Also, using this box made setup easier and quicker. Now I use it when I practice to better appreciate and use the nuances of synth sounds in my music. Nice device, thanks.

I recently wrote a review for the KL-8 and how good it was. Have been using the KL-8 for many years with IEMs. Recently I needed a small size line mixer for use when I am forced to use wedges. Enter the Key Largo. Like the KL-8, this small line mixer is simply amazing. The sound is pure and crystal clear. I haven't used the USB interface feature but I assume it is very similar to the KL-8 which works perfectly. Radial produces top notch quality products and these Key Largo mixers are as professional as you can get.

Have used it everyday in my studio for two years - works flawlessly. Using it live now and the FX loop and monitor outs are next level. Perfect heavy duty piece of kit.

The plastic power supply wall wart transformer cracked one day and radial sent me another one no questions asked.

The Radial Key largo took me from being quiet and thin to loud, full, and powerful. I love the stereo fx loop.

Radial if you're there, I think the sustain and effects buttons are not a big deal. maybe more parameters on the front. The fx switch could be external remote.

This has taken place for my interface and is an important part of my setup.

I'm so glad I talked to someone at the Radial booth a few years ago at #gearfest.

just the fact that you can have multiple things at the same time in one channel is great.
i have my piano1, piano 2 connected together
and i still have space for my software sounds using my laptop

I purchased a Key-Largo as part of a new live performance keyboard rig (including the Spacestation V.3 and Behringer B1200D). Wanted a small stereo mixer capable of running a clean signal to either the Behringer *or* Spacestation directly (you'll need different cables for each use); having the ability to send a stereo DI feed to a console from the same box is a huge plus.

After I first set up the Key-Largo, Behringer, Spacestation and plugged-in my keyboards - and confirmed that all connections were working - I slowly upped the gain on *everything* in the signal chain until they were all maxed. I was very pleased there was hardly ANY noise. Aside from a tiny bit of hiss when I floored the Width and HFQ on the Spacestation, it was all extremely quiet. Nice.

Given that I prefer to play at "jazz volumes", I expect I'll have plenty of headroom.

Just today, I connected my smartphone to the USB port on the Key-Largo, since I thought it would be nice to have a way to play some familiar recordings to "tune" the Spacestation / Behringer in venues. While I doubt I'll ever take a laptop to gigs for soft synths, it's nice to have that option as well.

Build quality of the Key-Largo will be no surprise to anyone familiar with Radial Engineering's stuff. Constructed like a tank; knobs / switches feel great, jacks are solid; very smooth, even, quiet response.

If you're planning to put the Key-Largo on one of your keyboards as I'm doing, remember it weighs 3.25 lbs. If you're using an Apex-style stand with a lightweight keyboard, you're likely going to want the K-L to sit near - or over - one of the tribars.

Have *not* used the effects loop, sustain button or MIDI ports.

All in all, a great piece of kit for my needs.

Shout-out to Sales Engineer Matt Brooks *and* the Sweetwater team who processed, packed and shipped my order; y'all totally *rawk*.

This thing has yet to arrive and I can't wait for my next string of shows because of it. Thank you once again, to my sales rep since 1995 - Brian Loney!

It sounds GREAT and it’s easy to use. PERIOD.

I"ve had it for over a month now and have had opportunities to play thru many different systems. I read the reviews where musicians said their keys never sounded better and had a little skepticism. I"ve carried a pair of Countryman 85 D.I.s for years and on tour have D&B, L"Acoustic, Clair, or JBL VRX monitors-so, I"ve gotten used to a very clean sound. I was using a UR22 interface for Mainstage and various table top mixers for that and my keys/modules (SK2/Vent, Integra7, FA-07, laptop currently) After a sound crew took my 85"s post show thinking they belonged to the house system, I decided to give the Largo a try, and lo and behold, my keys do sound better! I think it"s because it"s mixer handles transients so well- I use a lot of percussive sounds-including bells-and there is a separation of the different keyboard sounds-a clarity where they have their own space- that is noticeable. And, it"s cut down the number of cables to hook everything up. If you"re on "the fence" don"t be! Any nit picking would be- no on off switch and wall wart-even though it looks different from my others and has the most solid connection I"ve ever felt.
Of coarse I"ll give a shout out to SW and my rep, Brian Dillon. I"ve dealt with SW since the K2000 days (30 years?) and they are the best.

3 keys mixed to one or stereo out. Also monitor send for your own on stage sound. Haven"t used usb input. Stereo effects send/receive works great. Could do without the teeny switch that you gotta poke with something that isn"t generally laying around the stage.

The possibilities with this mixer are endless.

Wish I had this a few years ago, it woud"ve made my life so much simpler.

All I can say now is WHOA, like Ted (Keanu Reeves). This little mixer is making my keyboard life come alive in ways I could only imagine. Add to that the ASIO interface for recording, and you"ve got more than a friend in the diamond business, YOU are the diamond and everyone else is YOUR friend.

Can"t wait to see what I can with the recording side of this mixer. Almost makes me think

- CE stands for Canadian Engineering
- Wish I was Canadian

Cheers!

This thing is so great. I can play with three keyboards and use my computer with the radial as the audio interface and I can send it all stereo with only two XLRs to the house. Super dope

A Swiss Knife for Keyboard players!!

I bought this with intentions quite different to those of Radial, and it performs marvelously. I play both guitar and keyboards in the same band. I received the Key Largo this morning, and quickly put it through the paces before a show tomorrow night. It now sits at the end of my guitar pedalboard. I won't go into the details of my guitar rig; but using a combination of devices, the end of the signal chain is stereo and ready to be fed to front of house and/or full range monitors. (With the Key Largo, that 'and/or' can now always be an 'and.')

In total, I have connected:
Channel 1 - Guitar
Channel 2 & MIDI - Keyboard
USB Channel - Digital instrument on a tablet
Effects Loop - Stereo Mod effect chain
The monitor out is feeding an Aspen Pittman Spacestation v3.
The main out can feed FOH if necessary

Stereo modulation effects are now shared by guitar, keys, and VST instruments. The headroom is also incredible. I am unable to overload the Key Largo, even with the hottest guitar signal I can throw at it. To me, this is be biggest selling point. I have gone through three other small mixers that would overload far too easily. The Spacestation has really come to life and sings beautifully, even at ear-splitting volume with signal from the keys or guitar. If you own a Spacestation, have problems with limited headroom, need a practical MIDI solution, or just like amazing tone; buy this pedal.

I bought this device to replace another brand item that was bulkier and more suited to vocals than instruments. I thought the main benefit would be that it would fit on top of my Electro 4D and not have to carry a stand for it. Then I played through it. I thought some evil alchemist cloned all new instruments and stuffed them inside. I honestly have not heard my rig sound as good as it does through this. For club dates I use a Nord Electro 4D61 and play bass with a Traveler TB-4P running mono into a QSC K12.2. The organ/rotating speaker sounds are spot on. The clavinet and EP's became totally transparent and clear. The biggest surprise was the way it handles the acoustic piano - I swear I could hear all the string resonance going on in the samples. Usually two way speakers don't handle mid to upper high AP sounds, but this response was totally even - clear and crisp, not piercing. The bass had a ton of headroom and I felt like I was packing a 15" instead of a 12".
I've had a Radial DI box for years and most FOH guys smile when they see it. The Key Largo carries their tradition of super clean sound exactly where I needed it. If you play keys and want to improve your sound go for this unit. It's built like a tank and can handle road use easily. My only negative is that they're calling it a keyboard mixer - it should be marketed as a keyboard enhancer.

The Key Largo has been a life saver for me. I use a Macbook Pro and either a Hammond or Hammond and Virus Live. It has never failed in the 1.5 years I have been using, the fact that I can send a mix to house and send more me to my headphones or amp w/o messing up the sound man's signal is fantastic. The stability and low latency of the Key Largo as computer interface is perfect.
I also use in recording studio to run my Rhodes/Wurly/synths etc and everyone knows the Radial as a DI is unmatched in quality and durability.

This unit had the feature set perfect for my live keyboard rig:

It does the work of a small mixer, stereo DI, and USB interface, in a rugged, compact unit.

Balanced Monitor Outputs with separate Level control and ground lift

XLR Outputs for F O H with separate Level control and ground lift

USB Audio Interface for use with MainStage

3 Stereo Analog Inputs

(so far, not using external Effects Loop, but it's good that it's there!)
(same for sustain pedal feature, it would have been usefull and nice to have it come through the USB MIDI as an additional controller, but it's just a foot switch connected to a jack)

Being familiar with quite a few of Radial's other products...it did not surprise me that..

The Audio Quality is SUPERB! Plenty of level and headroom. It just has a certain open and detailed sound, very noticeable.

The USB works perfectly with my MacBook Pro (2015) Most of the time I use MainStage for my whole rig, but sometimes take out the Nord, Moog, and S90XS, and all sound great through this thing!

External power supply, but at least it is well made, better than the usual ones you see, and has a nice bright red wire, hard to miss or leave behind.

Build quality it what you'd expect from Radial, very heavy duty, solid.

There are some things that you just couldn't fit into this size like EQ, separate monitor sends per channel, etc. One useful addition would have been a channel that only goes to the monitor outs for click track, talkback or monitor feed from PA

For the features that it does have as well as it's great audio quality,
I would highly reccomend this mixer.

"El Piano"

I'm a weekend bar band keyboard player who tends to get a little obsessed with my stage sound. I play nice boards, I have lovely amplification, but I was using a cheapo mixer. Somehow I never realized that -- just maybe -- my mixer choice was coloring my sound.

Well, it was.

This little box has three things going for it. First, it's a swiss army knife of connectivity, including USB to/from your laptop, MIDI, and support for an external volume pedal of all things. Love the separate monitor and main outs. More "me" without goosing the FOH sound.

Second, it's built like a brick s*** house. I mean, this thing should last 20 years of gigging easy. A big sturdy hunk of metal with solid knobs and switches. Looks to be spilled-beer-proof, but I'm not going there.

It just screams "industrial", not plastic. It will probably outlive me.

Third, I love the sound. I put it down to over-engineering the signal chain (thanks, guys) and those creamy transformers used. They are cleaner, crisper, and handle transients oh so well. It's almost as if I took the blanket off my speakers. Really, really nice to my ears.

What they basically did was merge the functions of a quality mixer, a DI with ground lifts, USB laptop capabilities, legacy MIDI support and pedal control. Purchased separately, thousands of dollars.

Pretty amazing, in my book.

This is high-end gear at an extremely reasonable price. If you play through multiple decent-sounding boards, and have decent stage amplification, you should give this little baby a try.

Not going back to what I had before.

Im the director and keyboardist from the band Love secreto in Chicago Illinois. This product is amazing and it makes it easy for any keyrig to connect fast to any PA system without sacrificing quality

I am so far very happy with this little mixer. It's on the pricey side, but it sits well on my 88 key Nord Stage 4, provides greater clarity and headroom for volume to the FOH, and allows me to run the monitor outs through a stereo volume pedal to control volume to my powered speaker/monitor. Half star deduction for price point. Other than that it's great for it's intended use.

This is a great keyboard mixer mixer for your stereo synths, and even for your midi controller for lap top or iPad synths. I bought it specifically to utilize for its send and receive capabilities, as I can choose how much and of which synthesizers to send to the effects rack or other stomp boxes in order to craft my own sound. I took off half a star because it does not have an on/off switch, which means that you have to unplug it from the back of the unit and somehow make sure you don't lose the end of it and have to scramble on the floor to find it. It is rocksolid, however, and also makes a perfect sub-mixer for a portion of your keyboard collection. Nice work!

I really didn"t know what to expect but I knew my KORG PA4X wasn"t giving me all I wanted from it.
Set up my entire rig in the garage. I am using a BOSE L1 w subwoofer these days. Is plugged is all together. Turned the Key Largo mixer up half way and started playing. There was an immediate and dramatic difference in the depth and punch of the sound coming from the PA.
Very happy with purchase so far. ( and the thing is solid as a rock. )

Adding this wonder to your set-up perfectly satisfied my needs. I run just two keyboards in a small rig, and this could easily handle a third--so this is ideal, as going to a rack or other powered mixer likely would have left me with a lot of unused capacity. With this, however, I have exactly what I need, and it's basically fire-and-forget once all connections are made. Clever design features abound. As other reviewers have noted, it does not have a headphone out, and it's a wall-wart for power, but, frankly, this is niggling over trivialities. No power switch, btw, so when you're plugged in, it's on and stays on.

I have owned several mixers and interfaces in the past with varying degrees of success but none that made me feel that my search was over, until now.

The Key-Largo is truly everything the promotion says it is and works with no hitch or hesitation. It's super easy to operate and understand and is plug and play, at least with a Mac. I've already used it on the gig running 2 keyboards and a Mac Mini running MainStage and Omnisphere and running this out to our PA.
Considering what a DI costs this is quite a bargain and the Radial design, construction and engineering is top notch.

The only negative is the wall wart for power

I've been using this at home for a couple weeks and just had it at a loud band practice with PA last night. In both settings, it's been great, and does exactly what you would hope it does. Pristine sound quality, you don't even know it's in the signal chain. It's clearly designed to go on the floor but it also comes with little feet that you can put on yourself instead of applying velcro, (i.e., you don't have to peel them off) which is a nice touch. I put the feet on and have it on the upper corner of one of my keyboards and having a master volume control right there is very handy.

Also very handy is unbalanced 1/4" to balanced XLR conversion with ground lift. All you have to do is plug right into a snake or mixer input and you're good to go. I have not yet used the USB interface or the effects send/receive, but already this box is making my rig setup much easier and more reliable and controllable.

Two reasons why I've deduced half a star: First, man I hate wall warts and since this needs 15V DC, there are pretty much no third-party power supplies that can power it instead of the included wall wart. I'm sure the 15V is part of what gives this little box so much headroom, so I shouldn't complain too much. Second, there's a major missed opportunity here to have a global switch to convert stereo to mono. At home for practice, I like to run stereo since it sounds so much better, but at a gig, it's pretty much gotta be mono. That means I have to go through each keyboard and make sure it's configured for mono output. If there were a mono/stereo selector on the Key-Largo I could just switch that back and forth and be done.

But overall, this is an amazing option if you don't want to have to run a rack with a rack mixer.

I'm only giving a 4.5 since I've only had my unit for a week or so. Unit seems very, very solid. I've owned some other radial products, so the build quality is great. The functions here are very useful. I typically run two keyboards on my rig, but recently decided to run my wireless saxophone mic through channel 3 on a gig with any 8-piece band, and it sounded great. If I ever start performing keys sitting down (I usually stand as a horn player / keys doubler), I will integrate the sustain pedal and other options (volume pedal). Great product!

OK, if something is good enough for Jordan Rudess from Dream Theater to use, it's good enough for me... who has a rig nowhere near Mr. Rudess has :-)

I use the Key-Largo to mix down two keyboards and a B4000+ module into either one or two channels, depending on whether it's a live or a recording environment. Like the B4000+, the Key-Largo is much beefier than the size would let on. The case is thick metal. I have an expression pedal which allows me to raise and lower the volume of the entire keyboard stack. Plus, the monitor and the mains each have their own ground lift. Also, you can be as simple or as complex as you want with this one module.

The DI out's are recessed so that you can easily plug XLR cords into the ports by feel alone. Much more to say... but, if you read the manual, you'll get a feel for what else you can do with this piece of keyboard art.

The _one_ ding: a power switch would be nice.

To be fair, this is probably the only keyboard mixer that packs just about everything a keyboard player might want - and I do mean everything - into a small footprint that sits neatly on any keyboard with 73+ keys (most 61-key keyboards have very little extra real estate on the top decks for any accessories). After using this for the better part of a year, year-plus, here are my updated comments (I'll try to keep Good/Bad items paired for comparison):

Good stuff
1. Built like a small tank, it stays put pretty much wherever you set it up.
2. Plethora of input options, including USB and MIDI in for MIDI controllers that have no 1/4" L/R outputs
3. Master volume control, master sustain pedal control, master Send/Return EFX bus with individual channel control

Dumb stuff
1. One of the rubber feet peeled off within the first month of use; sticky pad lost stickiness, so I ended up using Gorilla Glue to reattach all the feet to make sure they didn't fall off again. Score a point for me!
2. NOTE: While the USB port can be used to connect the Key-Largo to a DAW on your computer or play standalone virtual instruments, the output of the USB connection is only 24-bit/48 KHz, which may be insufficient for some apps like JamKazam (latency issues). Very disappointing to discover that I could not use my Key-Largo with JamKazam, necessitating the use of either a larger mixer with better specs or buy something new, so I bought a Focusrite Scarlett 18i8 USB Gen3 - shout out to Chris Ishak for the advice!
3. Not really useful for home recording studio, since I can control most of these features within the Focusrite Control Center, or any DAW

Other issues I ran into with the Key-Largo:
1. The original power brick/wall wart that came with the mixer developed an intermittent power issue around the strain-relief plug. I ended up buying a replacement.
2. A few weeks later, the replacement fell off my keyboard onto my garage floor (approx. 3-foot drop), and broke the outer casing. Plug still worked, so I used Gorilla tape to put it back together. I bought two more spares just in case something else happened.
3. Recommendation to Radial - PLEASE, please, please PUT A POWER SWITCH/BUTTON ON THIS BOX. I hate having to unplug it all the time when I turn off all my other gear. This is the ONLY thing without a power switch on my entire rig, and it is a rather glaring omission, considering all the other wonderful features of this device.

Overall, I think the Radial Key-Largo is best suited for live performances where control is much more hands-on in the moment, when changing settings on the fly depends on finding the right input source and making the necessary changes immediately. With its Mains and Monitor outs, you can also pass your signals to the FOH engineer, and run your own monitor mix at the same time (very nice).

+ Excellent audio quality with a ton of headroom.
+ Clear, clean analog signal path.
+ Built like a tank.
+ Stereo FX send/return
+ Built in Midi
+ USB/iOS audio features

- No usb cable included, and the length you use drastically affects performance. Need less than 3ft long.
- iOS works but requires a powered USB hub and a bunch of adapters
- USB record quality is average
- No balanced inputs
- No headphone output
- Wallwart power supply, but it looks ok with the red cable.
- FX Send/Return is blend only, not 100% wet

There are some forum posts out in the wild that say it doesn't work with iOS over the USB audio. It actually does, but requires some things: 1) A powered USB hub 2) Two short < 3ft USB cables 2) A Belkin Lightning Audio + Charge Rockstar (Dual Lightning Adapter) and 3) A Lightning to USB adapter.

I know, too many adapters!! It would be better if it just worked directly plugged in to your iOS device. However, I could connect the Lightning Audio/Charge adapter to my iPhone 8. Then connect my phone charger and the Lightning/USB adapter to it. The USB hub primary connection connects to that. The Key-Largo then connects to the hub. Without the powered hub, your iOS device will say it doesn't have enough power.

** Super important, make sure you use very short USB cables. I tried originally with 6' cables between the iPhone and hub, and hub and Key-Largo and got a lot of audio glitches. I settled on two 2ft cables and the performance is great. Same goes for if you use it with a computer connection.

Once you are connected, iOS sees it as your audio interface and sends the audio over the USB channel. Pretty cool, because you can send it through your FX loop. The playback quality is really good. The recording, so-so. There are a couple really small toggles on the sides for setting the USB mode from live or recording. Live sends the entire mix back in to the USB inputs. Record mode will record the mix, minus the USB audio, so you can use a playback track, or click track to record. Helps to read the manual on that setting.

So the downsides are the wallwart power supply, though its red cable is nice. Also, I found the USB record quality pretty low, compared to my RME Babyface Pro. Its output was actually very good. I didn't like that the FX send/return was a blend only into the master mix. I wanted to have a full signal out option by turning the send knob all the way, so that I can get a purely wet signal back in from some of my reverbs. For example, using a wet reverse reverb where you don't want to hear the original sound.

I also wish it had a headphone output which would make direct IEM possible, though it does have monitor outs that would need to go to a headphone amp. Finally, I wish it had the option for balanced inputs.

For its size, price, build and audio quality, it really is the best option out there. The iOS support, although clunky with all the adapters and USB hub, does work great. The FX section is a little limited, but not useless.

The first time I sent my Moog Minitaur through this, I said, "WOW."

Before buying this, I used a Tascam Model 12 with good results, but the Key Largo is next level. All the favorable comments written by other users about the headroom, body, and clarity are true. I had considered the KL-8, but I haven't the space to have so many synths hooked up at one time, so I went with this.

As a previous user noted, the send and effects implementation is frankly useless at least for my purposes; this shortcoming, however, didn't prevent my buying it. I usually run my keyboard into pedals directly, so that's what I do with the Key Largo. If you are buying this for the send/return feature, look elsewhere.

I'm using this as a way to hook two or three synths to Logic Pro and studio monitors.

The lack of a headphone jack and the wonky foot switches are the reasons I deducted points.

If you prize sound quality and need an audio interface, you could do far worse than this. If you plan to use the send and return, you may be disappointed.

It's an excellent audio interface. It's built to last. And it handles both stereo and mono synths with ease.

RECOMMENDED with some caveats.

Got the Key Largo as it seemed like a no brainer for anyone looking to use multiple synths in a live scenario. Had been using a cumbersome Mackie mixer for his purpose. But it couldn"t even come close to handling the output on multiple Moogs pumping thick bass. Enter the Key Largo.

Headroom galore and lots note control, AND...small enough to put in the case with a keyboard.

BUT...a big but. As a analog synth player, effects are a crucial part of the equation. Reverb, lots of delays, Chorus, etc. Its rare that I don"t have something on everything. So I was beyond excited to have an effects loop with separate EFX SENDS FOR EACH of the 4 channels??? Amazing!

Here"s what they don"t tell you...Radial made the call to make the EFX SEND approximately 40% (maybe less?) or so even when the send is turned ALL THE WAY UP. Meaning 100% is actually FAR LESS THAN THAT. Noticed it the first time I used the Key Largo on a gig. Where was the delay? The feedback I was relying on as part of the sound just vanished before you even heard it.

I assumed I must have had it plugged in wrong (maybe needed TRS cables or something?). But no, sadly that is the maximum amount of WET signal you can get. REALLY??? Why???!!!

I wrote Radial to inquire about what I was hearing and was told that most keyboardists wanted to ensure their "clarity remained". Isn"t that what a mix knob is for??? If you have a EFX SEND shouldnt that be EXACTLY what"s it"s supposed to do?

I was also informed that if I want a 100% WET signal I could plug the pedals into the volume pedal inputs (which are in stereo for some reason...another oversight...who has a stereo volume pedal?). Though this takes away your ability to control which synths get effects. All 4 get everything. UGH. Lame.

Anyway, it"s frustrating. As good as the Key Largo is, the effects loop thing is a big bummer and poor designing. Back to having to figure out a way to control effects per each synth when I thought I had found the perfect solution.

Love the clean sound, compact design builfd quality but there are two things that need to be fixed.

#1: The automatic routing of monaural input to the left input channels to BOTH left and Right outputs. Really not helpfull if you are trying to run spearate outputs to R & L outs. For example, I do a number of gigs where I play left-hand bass. The sound engineer prefers a separate signal for the bass and upper keyboard. This works fine if you are using a direct box with a single keyboard and are assigning the bass patchs to R and the upper registers to L. The problem with the Key Largo is that if you run the upper registerof the main keyboard to channel 1 Left as well as another MIDI controlled keyboard to channel 2 Left and then attempt to run the bass register of the main keyboard to channel 3 Right, what you end up with the upper registers of both boards going out R AND L Output while the bass goes through only the R Output. Not so good. There should be a way to switch this off.

#2: Headphone jack. For the price I paid for the board, is it too much to ask for a headphone frickin' jack?!?!