Roland K-25M Boutique Module Dock USB MIDI Keyboard, 12-Inch

This mini keyboard is a must have if you plan on using your boutique modules in a mobile portable fashion.Build quality is good however the part in the middle which holds the module at various positions is made of plastic. So far no issues.

I bought the Roland JD-08 Boutique synth initially without a keyboard. But I wasn’t happy with the keys on the device and it was cumbersome to hook up another MIDI keyboard to it. This keyboard is definitely expensive (around $141), especially considering that the Roland synth itself without keyboard cost $399. But I decided to go for it. I am so glad that I did! It hooks up easily and makes playing my synth so much easier and much more fun. The keyboard is powered through the JD-08 (either batteries or USB cord) so no separate electric cord or batteries needed for the keyboard. I was even able to hook my UNO Synth to the Roland and was able to control both with the keyboard, either separately or combined for some really fun new sounds. The keys have a nice easy action not too tight or too loose, just right. The only con is that it is a pretty short scale with only 25 keys, but you can change octaves easily on the device to move up or down the scale. A little pricy for a short keyboard, but well worth it in my opinion.

This is a cool edition to any Roland Boutique. I deducted 1 star as it can be a little pain connecting the ribbon to the Boutique. I fear removing it from a Boutique one day will pull a wire.Needs a better way to easily connect/disconnect.

This a well made keyboard that compliments your synthesizer boutique series by Roland.Hand in Glove perfection.Is it necessary: No. You can connect your midi to your synthezither without this keyboard.Not so Hard Stuff: The ribbon is well presented in the diagram. Be patient. Follow the diagram carefully, ensure that the plug teeth are aligned and insert it. Slowly but steady.Be careful when adjusting the pin. Slowly does it.What other thing can I get to cover the synthesizer’s back? . Many wood and plastic enclosures make the boutique

I picked this up for a JD-08, and I'm impressed. The build quality is a lot better than I expected, and it's weighty with the metal sides. It also really grips to my desk, so the whole unit isn't sliding around even heavy velocity. The boutique module itself is locked in pretty well and doesn't shake while playing.For mini-keys, the feel is probably the best I've used (better than any of the Korg stuff I've used), but it's not exactly going to replace a 61 key keyboard.Only unfortunate thing about the dock is no aftertouch, but I knew that going in, and you don't really get the full experience of the JD08 with just a hand's worth of keys. For something like the SH01A, SE02, or some Juno basslines, it'd be perfect though.

HI ROLAND FRIENDS (hopefully some product designers, engineers, marketing, sales and sales engineers see this !!!)Original review follows below the big arrow thing.So I found out exactly what caused this particular key to get out of whack (and I was wrong before, it is the D# not the C# key on the bass side.This happens to be exactly where a big knob - the value knob on the JX-08 boutique module - impacts the keys when it is placed on the K-25M and pushed too far forward. This is the only knob on that design that impacts the keys, and it hits on the second black key from the bottom, D#Thus, mystery has been solved. Be careful a bit with these - I love the modularity and form factor, but there are some corners cut in terms of ruggedness - I really wouldn't want to gig with one of these keyboard docks. Maybe embrace the cheapness and make them low cost, replaceable units? Honestly they played fine to me, and I have giant hands with fingers the size of sausages. But if these were $25 instead of $100 or so, they would be much less to fret about. I've already spent more time exploring and now repairing mine than the hardware cost of the unit,So my only real complaint is the sturdiness.Also, tell the product designers and engineers that they just need to move the Value knob up to where the square light for the Portamento on is and just move that up to the right corner of the Portamento storefront space - you'll get room for a few more characters in your segment display then, too..Be awesome if you could link up multiple docks to build a super-keyboard, yeah it would be weird if there were two C-notes next to each other, but musicians would get used to it and take advantage of it actually, because it sucks to not be able to hit your high note in your left hand split and your low note in your right hand split simultaneously. And then you just transpose keys into Cmaj / Amin or another friendly key and you sell more units because people like the new scaling option - and I have to stop now.<<<<----- ORIGINAL REVIEWSo, they keys are okay - until they stop working. I have one dead key already, and one that will latch on and not latch off.It's quite useful anyway as a protector and stand for the modular unit you are using it with, and I think that blowing out the unit with compressed air may fix the problem. The rest of the keys work fine and my jumbo-sized dumbo fingers can actually play them pretty accurately without glitches or double press.I don't remember if it has aftertouch or not, but if it did, I would not rely on that either.You can use this in a studio, in a pinch, or as a portable device, but it's not a super high quality or something I would rely on. Thank God the Roland unit has buttons that can work as soft-keys so I can still hit my C# when I want to (and I want to often, I write in C# alot).That said, were I to use this on a drum machine, that missing C# (or other key) could turn out to be a vital piece of percussion that I can't access.Sure, it hasn't been in a pristine studio environment and coddled since its days of inception. But I would not rate these units of roadworthy unless you transport them yourself in a hermetically sealed briefcase.Oh, and bring along a can of compressed air just in case.Okay, I just powered mine on to see if aftertouch was available, and while trying a piece by Wim Mertens, I needed a C#, so I hit the soft key on the module (JX-08), which promptly changed the part underneath me and erased all my tweaked parameters because the module was not in NOTE mode.Sigh. Yeah, 3 stars only. One of which is purely for the protective value it provides to the module, which is only a half star because the casing still is not metal - aluminum would do - but counts as a full star because it also can prop up the module for easy access to knobs for tweaks and tweez - but also doesn't count as a full star because the spring popped out so you have to latch in the angle manually (it still works though).I'm not going to complain too heavily for the price range, you get what you pay for and if you take care of it well and don't mind getting your hands a little dirty to fix some things, it can be serviceable.Just in no way whatsoever is it rated road worthy.

ANKH ANGEL / FRANK CHESSARENDORSES :ROLAND TABLE TOP SOUND BOTIQUESimple OperationLimted Presets limited to only A BANKProgram B & C BANKSI JUST PATCH USB DATA CABLEINTO The LapTop& Use Downloadable Synth ProgramsInstead

Bought this for my Roland JX-03. A midi controller with more octaves is great, but with this you have a compact, portable synth that you can grab and use any time, anywhere. Nice, snug connection. The Keybed is pretty much like a toy though.BUT Roland should be selling this for a lot less $.