M-Audio Hammer 88 Pro – 88-Key Graded Hammer-Action USB MIDI Controller with Smart Controls and Auto-Mapping M-Audio

The M-Audio Hammer 88 Pro is a full-sized, 88-key, USB powered MIDI keyboard controller with graded hammer action that opens up a wide world of creativity. Taking feedback from users and artists alike, the new Hammer 88 Pro is equipped to be the ultimate studio and live performance tool. Add the Hammer 88 Pro’s natural piano feel to your arsenal and bring your music to the next level.

Features:

• Best-in-class 88 graded hammer-action keys with aftertouch and assignable zones
• (16) RGB, backlit, assignable, velocity-sensitive pads with Note Repeat for beat production, clip launching, and more
• (8) assignable knobs and buttons for controlling virtual instruments, mix plugins, DAW controls, and more
• (9) assignable faders for controlling virtual instruments, plugins, DAW faders, and more
• Preset and DAW buttons for auto-mapped DAW controls and plugin parameters
• Smart Chord mode enables playing of enharmonic or custom chord voicings
• Smart Scale mode eliminates wrong notes making it easy to craft a perfect song
• Arpeggiator with Type, Octave, Gate and Swing controls
• Ergonomically designed pitch and modulation wheels and (3) footswitch pedal inputs and (1) expression pedal input
• USB-MIDI connection and 5-pin MIDI Input and Output for connecting to external MIDI gear
• Intuitive layout featuring an OLED screen for quick control edits
• Includes music rest, MIDI editor software and a complete software production package

DAW Auto-Mapping and Performance Control
Thanks to the OLED screen that sits front and center, it’s easier than ever to search for and test sounds, map controls, and mix and edit your sessions. Hammer 88 Pro can control any DAW and automatically map commonly used functions such as Transport, Faders, Pan controls and much more! Whether you use Pro Tools, MPC Beats, Cubase, Logic, Studio One or any other major DAW, just select the map and Auto-Mapping will take care of the rest! It also instantly maps to all the virtual instruments included in the Hammer 88 Pro software bundle (Hybrid, Velvet, Mini Grand, Xpand!2, Vacuum, Boom, and DB33). These world-class AIR Music Tech plugins can be fully controlled by the Hammer 88 Pro and used in real-time as you create and mix your music.

Smart Controls
Hammer 88 Pro features M-Audio’s brand-new Smart Chord and Smart Scale technology. These functions open up your imagination and help blend your hardware seamlessly with your ideas across all 88 keys. Creating music on your computer has never been this intuitive and inspiring thanks to these workflow-centric features.

With Smart Chord activated, pressing a single key or pad will play a full chord rather than just one note. The key or pad you press will determine the root note in the chord. The rest of the chord’s properties (major, minor, etc) are determined by the settings you choose. Smart Chord also has a Custom Mode that lets you determine the chord structure that will be assigned to each key by manually playing it. For example, if you select Custom Mode, and play a 1-b3-5-b7 chord, every key will then be assigned to play this chord structure. The note of the key you press will serve as the root of the chord and all of the parameters can be edited right on the Hammer 88 Pro!

Smart Scale technology allows you to set the keybed so that only notes in the selected scale are able to be played. This allows you to play within a chosen scale without the risk of playing any “wrong” notes. You can choose from 16 different scale variations when assigning a scale to the keyboard. Smart Scale is easy to activate and deactivate and allows you to set the scale parameters you need to keep you focused on creating.

Professional Controls
Built into the Hammer 88 Pro are features that are essential to creating modern pop, electronic, hip hop, and dance music. Note Repeat and the built-in Arpeggiator open up a world of precise music production and live sound techniques to make your music sound professional.

Note Repeat allows you to hold down any of the custom-made M-Audio performance pads and hear a repeated rhythmic pattern at a selectable note division. The Note Repeat feature can be activated momentarily or can be used in Latch mode. If you choose Momentary, holding the Note Repeat button will make the note played by the pad automatically repeat. If you choose Latch, pressing any pad will cause its assigned note to repeat without you having to hold down the Note Repeat button.

The built-in Arpeggiator will affect anything you are playing on the keys from any virtual instrument in your DAW. When the Arpeggiator is activated, the keyboard will repeatedly play the pressed keys in sequence. The arpeggiator’s timing and rhythm is based on the keyboard’s time division setting and either the keyboard’s or your DAW’s tempo setting. Each note in the arpeggio will be the length you’ve selected for the time division setting; for example, if you select 1/4, each note in the arpeggio will be a quarter note. This powerful tool can operate in Latch or Momentary mode, making it easy to match your style.

Next-Gen Piano Feel
Hammer 88 Pro’s best-in-class 88 graded hammer-action keybed combines professional, graded, weighted hammer-action with advanced high-speed keybed scanning technology for an ultra-expressive playing experience. This custom keybed also features Channel Aftertouch, giving users added expression and control. Channel Aftertouch enables you to affect the sound of a virtual instrument plugin by continuously scanning how much pressure you apply to any key after initially pressing it. This makes creating the mood, dynamics and emotion you want to deliver in your music natural and fast.