I'm as impressed as I am surprised

I've tried a few different MIDI controllers from a handful of different brands, with wildly varying results. Some were rock solid, but those came from brands you'd recognize (Roland, Novation). Others either didn't work as advertised, or worked in some respects and not others. This one's pretty darn impressive for a controller from a brand I'd never even heard of a month or two ago. Let's run this down: Build quality: plastic, but doesn't feel cheap. There's enough substance (and just enough weight) that it feels like an instrument rather than a toy. Control layout: If you're familiar with the Novation Launchpad series, you can see where this controller got its inspiration from. That's not a bad thing; I've always gotten along well with Novation gear. Control quality: Soft silicone buttons with just a tiny bit of give to them. They're a bit small for finger drumming (I like Akai-sized pads for that), but there are workarounds for that depending on your pad assignments. Doesn't feel quite as premium as some controllers I've used, but here again, doesn't feel cheap either. Compatibility: Tried with Garage Band, Ableton Live Light 11, and Tracktion Waveform. No issues with any of them. The software app even worked with my ten-year-old Mac, which is nice because a growing number of things aren't working with its older OS. Setup: Time-consuming, as it tends to be if you want to get a controller just how you like it. That said, it's not especially complex, and the aforementioned app makes things pretty easy to understand and tweak (bonus points for that). I also liked that you have multiple input styles available with a couple of simple button presses. Special mention goes to the instruction manual. While it's not the best I've seen, it's definitely one of the better ones. It was clearly either written or edited by a native English speaker, and -- more importantly -- it covers a lot of the key functions in enough depth that it's useful as a reference. If you've ever been confused or frustrated by the half-baked documentation that comes with some hardware (I'm looking at you, Roland), you know that's nothing to take for granted. Final verdict: easy to use, compact enough to fit in a messenger bag or backpack, and portable enough that you can squeeze it into a small setup when space is at a premium. I like it, and if you have the patience to really dive in, I think you will too.

- Humphrey T Bear