M-Audio Oxygen Pro Mini 32-Key MIDI Controller

M-Audio Oxygen Pro Mini 32-Key MIDI Controller

The M-Audio Oxygen Pro Mini is a 32-key USB MIDI controller that compresses the full Oxygen Pro production workflow – keyboard, pads, faders, knobs, transport and intelligent composition tools – into a unit just 40 cm wide that fits in a laptop bag. Its 32 velocity-sensitive, semi-weighted mini keys use M-Audio’s PrecisionTouch keybed with high-speed scanning, giving a more expressive and piano-like response than the unweighted mini keys on most controllers this size. Around the keys sit eight RGB backlit performance pads, four assignable faders, four knobs and dedicated transport controls, so beats, basslines, mixing moves and DAW control all happen from the hardware rather than the mouse.

What lifts the Oxygen Pro Mini above a simple mini keyboard is the Pro-series intelligence built in: Smart Chord and Smart Scale modes, a full arpeggiator and Note Repeat, and automatic mapping to major DAWs. It is a complete sketchpad for producers who make music in small spaces, on the move, or alongside a main studio rig.

Key features

• 32 velocity-sensitive, semi-weighted mini keys with PrecisionTouch action
• 8 RGB backlit, velocity-sensitive pads with Note Repeat for beats and clip launching
• 4 assignable faders, 4 knobs and 4 buttons for plug-ins, mixing and DAW control
• Smart Chord and Smart Scale modes for playing full chords and staying in key
• Built-in arpeggiator with type, octave, gate and swing controls
• Auto-mapped DAW integration with an OLED display for quick editing
• USB-MIDI plus a 3.5 mm MIDI output for controlling external hardware

Keyboard and pads

The semi-weighted mini keys respond to playing dynamics, so soft passages and accents translate into the recording, and the compact two-and-a-half-octave span is backed by octave shift buttons for reaching bass and lead ranges. Pitch bend and modulation wheels are positioned for performance use, keeping vibrato and filter sweeps under your hand. The eight pads are velocity sensitive and backlit in RGB, with pad banks expanding their reach, and Note Repeat turns a held pad into a rhythmic pattern locked to tempo – the classic MPC-style technique for hi-hats and trap-style rolls. The pads also launch clips and trigger samples, and an included sustain pedal input on quarter-inch jack supports a standard pedal for piano-style playing.

Smart tools and DAW control

Smart Chord mode plays a complete chord from a single key or pad, with voicings such as 1-3-5 and 1-3-5-7 selectable, plus a custom mode where you define the chord yourself; Smart Scale restricts the keys to one of 16 scale variations in your chosen key, so every note you play fits the song. Together they let beginners produce harmonically correct results immediately and give experienced producers a fast way to audition progressions. The arpeggiator adds type, octave, gate and swing controls for instant melodic patterns. Select your DAW on the unit – Ableton Live, Logic, Cubase, Studio One, Pro Tools workflows and others are supported through the Preset and DAW modes – and transport, faders, pan and channel controls map automatically. The crisp OLED display shows parameter values as you edit, so changes are made by looking at the controller, not the screen.

Connectivity, software and portability

The Oxygen Pro Mini connects and powers over a single USB Type-B cable and is class compliant with macOS and Windows, while the 3.5 mm MIDI output sends notes and control to external synths and drum machines, letting the same controller drive hardware away from the computer. The bundled software package covers a full production toolkit, including MPC Beats and Ableton Live Lite as recording hosts and AIR Music Technology instruments such as Hybrid 3, Velvet, Mini Grand, Vacuum, Boom and DB-33, plus a MIDI editor application for creating custom mappings. At 401 x 191 x 66 mm and 1.2 kg, it leaves room on a small desk for a laptop and monitors and travels without a second thought. For beatmakers, songwriters and mobile producers who need real controls and composition assistance in the smallest credible format, the Oxygen Pro Mini is difficult to beat.