Akai Advance 61

Unprecedented Control of Your Virtual Instruments
This is the way to do it! Akai Professional’s Advance Keyboards is like nothing else you’ve ever played. All three models—the Advance 25, Advance 49, and Advance 61—give you unprecedented playability and unrestricted manipulation of any virtual instrument with our exclusive interactive, full-color display, complemented by performance-friendly hardware controls. Available in 25-, 49-, and 61-key sizes, they Advance Keyboards deftly fuse the power of software instruments with the live playability of a keyboard workstation, so you can create like never before. The dividing line between software and hardware instruments is finally gone!
The Advance Keyboards transforms computer-based plugins into an entirely hands-on playing experience. The keyboard surface features an integrated high-resolution full-color 4.3-inch display, providing real-time control and feedback of all virtual instruments. The screen instantly adapts itself to the selected plugin’s controls, delivering immediate 1:1 access to the instrument and various editable functions. Better yet, the Advance Keyboards works with any VSTi virtual instrument. Using the Advance Keyboard’s custom-designed Virtual Instrument Player (VIP) software application, your entire VSTi library is controlled by one application. VIP operates as a plugin inside any major digital audio workstation (DAW) or as a stand-alone application on both Mac and Windows operating systems.
Sophisticated but Easy to Use
Dedicated physical controls are thoughtfully included, with our RGB backlit, velocity- and pressure-sensitive pads on each keyboard surface. Rubberized pitch and modulation wheels provide simple, direct note manipulation with musically natural action. Easily-gripped, continuously-variable endless knobs let you make adjustments with granular or dramatic effect. Our custom semi-weighted, velocity-sensitive keybed supports aftertouch, making it the ideal keyboard for seasoned live performers and studio producers alike.
We Give You Everything You Need
Included with each Advance Keyboard is the Virtual Instrument Player (VIP) application. VIP gives you immediate access to any virtual instrument in your collection, with or without a DAW—a powerful way to play virtual instruments live or integrate them into a recording session.
VIP software users can also create setlists that provide on-demand access to your customized instruments for stage performance and studio work. By simply pressing a single button on an Advance Keyboard, you can adapt to song changes as the live performance progresses—without ever reaching for your computer. That’s what you want!
You’ll also love VIP’s facilities for hyper-fast instrument and patch browsing, key zone splitting, layering of up to 8 instruments per VIP instance, expansive custom mapping capabilities, and support for any VSTi plugin. You can run as many instances of the Virtual Instrument Player as your computer allows. VIP runs as a VSTi, AU, RTAS or AAX plugin, allowing you access to VSTi's in virtually any DAW, such as Pro Tools, Logic Pro X and Ableton Live. With the Advance Keyboards, you get uninhibited access to any virtual instrument in your library without losing focus of the instrument in front of you. Nothing else can do that for you.
The Advance 25 Keyboard comes with a 16GB download of over 10,000 sounds from industry-leading developers at AIR Music Technology, SONiVOX, and TOOLROOM RECORDS. This comprehensive collection of nine plugins provides you with an instant palette of contemporary, sought-after sounds for both live performance and studio production.
Advance Keyboards Highlights
Keyboards for advanced virtual instrument performance
Integrated 4.3-inch high-resolution full-color screen with dedicated interface buttons
Screen provides 1:1, real-time feedback of plugin parametes
Includes Virtual Instrument Player software for unprecedented virtual instrument preset
management, control mapping and multi patch creation
25 Premium, semi-weighted velocity-sensitive keybed aftertouch
8 large, endless and continuously variable control knobs
8 velocity- and pressure-sensitive MPC pads with RGB illumination
Dedicated pad bank, transport control, octave, and performance buttons
Note repeat, time-division, pattern arpeggiator, and tap-tempo buttons
Rubberized Pitch and Modulation wheels
Expression pedal and footswitch inputs
USB and 5-pin MIDI Input/Output for use with any MIDI capable software or hardware
Functions as a standalone controller
Included sounds: Vacuum Pro, Loom, Hybrid 3, Xpand!2, Velvet and Transfuser by AIR Music Tech, Eighty Eight Ensemble by SONiVOX and exclusive artist launch packs from TOOLROOM RECORDS (downloads). Plus 100's of other VI's and sounds from a growing list of partners, available for purchase, downloadable from the VIP Store
Available in 25-, 49-, and 61- key sizes
Virtual Instrument Player Software Highlights
Plays virtually every VSTi-compatible plugin
Operates as a standalone virtual instrument player for your computer
Also operates as a plugin within any AU, VST, or AAX compatible DAW
Organizes your plugin collection with intuitive browsing by plugin, artist collection, instrument type, timbre, and more
Access, edit and mix up to 8 virtual instruments at one time
Setlist feature lets live performers switch between patches from any plugin instantly from the keyboard
Extensive key zone splitting, custom mapping, and instrument mixing options
Pre-mapped to hundreds of industry-leading virtual instruments
Unlimited instances of VIP may be run in a DAW