I just spent some time playing a new M-Audio Axiom 49[I am interested in the Axiom 61].
This keyboard has USB and standard MIDI ports..It has initial and after touch. It has rotary knobs, sliders and pads. It has a number pad. It has a big back lit screen.
And most important , it has a nice semi weighted key bed [piano style keys].
It has 4 zones[finally ].
All of the controllers, pads, rotary knobs and sliders have selectable sensitivity settings to suit the user..

I am thinking about setting up this board to use with my laptop, utilizing my soft synths, sequence playback programs and arranger programs[JammerLive and OMB]. With 4 zones I will be able to keep a zone dedicated to my B4, another to my Piano of choice[Super Quartet].
I will still have 2 zones left, one could be my GM/GS zone and the last for OMB/JammerLive..

There is no template preset for this, so I would have to put some effort into setting this up..but it sure sounds like it could be promising.
There are enough controller knobs , sliders , pads to set up the arranger start/stop, fills , intros and endings, and variations..I am pretty sure we could even assign our favorite styles to pads etc..
Check it out and tell me what you think..

Everything feels solid and seems to be well made. Oh yeah...it weighs 12 lbs!!!
The list price for the 61 key model is $379..
http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_us/Axiom61-main.html

Here is the Axiom 61 manual[pdf].

http://www.m-audio.com/images/global/manuals/060331_Axiom_UG_EN01.pdf

Of course they have it now after I sold my MIDJAY

Sell that T2 toy and never look back as Frank R. always says.

Fran
Out of curiosity, did you check out the new CME's in your research ?

Bernie

Bernie, I did not get a chance to try one yet.

Bernie, it looks like the VX series is 4 zones , but the UF series is not..The UF is in the price range of the M=Audio Axiom 61..

Why would you call the T2 a TOY?.... just because it has little pictures under the keys?

Fran, you will never look back.

What about the Roland A37. It has 128 memory location for full keyboard/midi setups. Plus you have a long enough keyboard to assign fills, intros , etc. to the lowest octave of the A37. Works good enough for me. Keybed is not to bad may be not as good as the G1000 but good enough.

Fran when I saw this post I thought I lost my mind....oh well!!!

Fran, I recently purchased the M-Audio "Oxygen 49" controller -- for use both as a faux-arranger and a MIDI controller. The stores did not have the Axiom board then -- did you by chance try both the Oxygen and Axiom, and if so -- any thoughts as to "how good" the weighted KB model is compared to the other? I find the Oxygen keys a bit stiff, but usable. There is only $50 difference tween the two. I am tempted to turn mine in on the Axiom but cannot find one to audition. SInce I generally use a Yamaha 9000 for fun playing at home, I am used to that (rather good) "synth" KB. And I am wondering how the Axiom might compare to -- for example -- the Roland A-37 and other weighted controller boards.

Whatever insights you might have at this point are welcomed.