Native Instruments
Komplete Kontrol M32
$129Cheaper
Released 2019-03
Best MIDI Keyboards · head-to-head
Komplete Kontrol M32 vs Oxygen Pro 49
A sourced, side-by-side comparison. Komplete Kontrol M32 is cheaper at $129. Every spec and price links to its source.
M-Audio
Oxygen Pro 49
$299
Released 2021
Which is better: the Komplete Kontrol M32 or Oxygen Pro 49?
On the specs we track, they're closely matched. The Komplete Kontrol M32 is the cheaper at $129.
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Full spec sheet
✓ marks the stronger figure where "more" — or "less", for price and weight — is unambiguously better.
| Spec | Komplete Kontrol M32 | Oxygen Pro 49 |
|---|---|---|
| US price | $129 | $299 MSRP / street price |
| Brand | Native Instruments | M-Audio |
| Released | 2019-03 | 2021 |
| Keys | 32 | 49 |
| Key type | synth | semi_weighted |
| Drum pads | 0 | 16 |
| Knobs | 8 | 8 |
| Faders | 0 | 9 |
| Aftertouch | No | Yes |
| Connection | usb | usb_midi_din |
| Bundled software | Komplete Kontrol software, Komplete Select, Ableton Live Lite, Maschine Essentials | Ableton Live Lite, Pro Tools First, MPC Beats, AIR Hybrid 3, Mini Grand, Velvet, TubeSynth |
| Release | 2019 | 2021 |
Sources — Komplete Kontrol M32: native-instruments.com (verified 2026-06-19). Oxygen Pro 49: m-audio.com (verified 2026-06-19).
What's the difference between the Komplete Kontrol M32 and Oxygen Pro 49?
Where the two actually differ on the specs we track (7 of 8). Matching specs are omitted.
- Keys: Komplete Kontrol M32 32 vs Oxygen Pro 49 49
- Key type: Komplete Kontrol M32 synth vs Oxygen Pro 49 semi_weighted
- Drum pads: Komplete Kontrol M32 0 vs Oxygen Pro 49 16
- Faders: Komplete Kontrol M32 0 vs Oxygen Pro 49 9
- Aftertouch: Komplete Kontrol M32 false vs Oxygen Pro 49 true
- Connection: Komplete Kontrol M32 usb vs Oxygen Pro 49 usb_midi_din
- Bundled software: Komplete Kontrol M32 Komplete Kontrol software, Komplete Select, Ableton Live Lite, Maschine Essentials vs Oxygen Pro 49 Ableton Live Lite, Pro Tools First, MPC Beats, AIR Hybrid 3, Mini Grand, Velvet, TubeSynth
What reviewers say
Sourced tester consensus for each — the "what people who used it think" layer, not just specs.
Komplete Kontrol M32
Only one whitelisted, hands-on tester (Engadget) covered the Komplete Kontrol M32 in its five-controller roundup. Engadget praised its studio-grade build, satisfying clicky buttons and encoder, best-in-roundup touch-sensitive knobs and an Arturia-rivaling keybed, but flagged that it failed on Windows 10 out of the box (needing a firmware update), has no pads, and is barely portable at 18.7in/2.3lb with fiddly Ableton transport setup. (1 sourced review, 1 lab-tested.)
Praised: Studio-grade build with satisfying, clicky buttons and encoder; Best touch-sensitive knobs in its class; keybed in the same league as Arturia; Integrates seamlessly with NI's Komplete Kontrol software.
Flagged: Failed on Windows 10 out of the box; needed a firmware update; No drum pads; Barely portable for its size/weight (18.7in, 2.3lb); fiddly Ableton transport setup.
Oxygen Pro 49
Two hands-on reviews of the Oxygen Pro 49 survive verification: Sound on Sound (May 2021) and MusicRadar (27 May 2021). Both recommend it as a feature-rich, competitively priced controller, and both flag the light, springy keybed and the time needed to learn the feature set. Neither outlet published lab measurements. Note that MusicRadar's build-quality passage is a verbatim reprint of Sound on Sound's text under its 'The web says' heading, so chassis assessment rests on one independent source, not two. No claim is made here about coverage by outlets that were not fetched. (2 sourced reviews, 2 lab-tested.)
Praised: Backlit pads are a highlight — responsive to varied playing pressure and triggering reliably across their surface; Smart Chord, Smart Scale and the arpeggiator add real performance value, including for non-keyboardists; Generous bundled software suite for the asking price.
Flagged: Keybed is light and springy — Sound on Sound also calls it noisy, with plasticky clatter at the bottom of the stroke; Steep learning curve, with many features buried behind the Shift button and menu-diving; Documentation for many features and software tie-ins is sparse.