M-Audio Hammer 88 Pro MIDI Keyboard Controller

The M-Audio Hammer 88 Pro bridges the gap between a realistic piano controller and a full-featured production workstation. Its 88 velocity-sensitive, graded hammer-action weighted keys replicate the feel of an acoustic piano — heavier in the bass, lighter in the treble — while aftertouch and assignable zones let you shape virtual instrument response with nuance that flat-action controllers simply cannot match. Beyond the keybed, 16 RGB backlit velocity-sensitive drum pads with Note Repeat handle beat-making, clip launching, and sound triggering, while 9 assignable faders, 8 knobs, and 8 buttons put mixer levels, plugin parameters, and DAW transport at your fingertips.

Integration with Native Instruments' Native Kontrol Standard (NKS) elevates the Hammer 88 Pro beyond a basic MIDI controller. You can browse, preview, and load NKS-compatible presets and sound libraries directly from the hardware, and choose from three curated Komplete 15 Select bundles to get started. Smart Chord and Scale modes help with composition, the built-in arpeggiator adds rhythmic possibilities, and pitch and mod wheels provide real-time performance expression. Connectivity covers all bases with USB, a 5-pin MIDI output for hardware synths, three footswitch inputs, and an expression pedal input. The included software package — MPC Beats, Ableton Live Lite, and several AIR Music Tech instruments — means you can start producing immediately out of the box.