Radial Engineering Key Largo

I
t might seem to have a simple,
functional premise, but there’s a
lot more going on as you dig down
into Radial Engineering’s Key
Largo. Aside from the three stereo
input channels there’s USB I/O (up
to 24 bit/192kHz), MIDI I/O (via
USB), stereo FX send/return, separate
monitor and mix outputs, volume pedal
connectivity and footswitches for
effects bypass and sustain (explained
below). All of this is delivered in
classic Radial style: unfussy, built like
a tank, compact and well laid out.
The three stereo analogue inputs
(left jack = mono/centre pan) offer
plenty of gain, so even your most weedy
synth can get a hearing. The audio
path quality is as high as you’d expect
from Radial, and there’s no hint of
noise at high gains, except from the
source. The channel controls are
simple: gain and EFX send level. The
send/return amp path is happy with
line level FX units and stomp pedals.
The stereo mix runs in parallel to
Monitor and Main outputs, each with
independent level and ground lift
controls. Again the signal path is of
excellent quality, allowing your keys/
synths to blend without any colouration
conversion is great and makes the
Key Largo something of a one-stop-
shop for keyboard musicians,
especially with MIDI I/O.
Key Largo is a well-thought-out,
fl exible and high-quality tool for the
performing/recording keyboard/synth
musician that, besides the lack of
headphone monitoring, fi lls the
DAW interface slot on top of
integrating a multi-instrument setup.
It’s not cheap, but then fi tting a
mixer and interface of this standard
into an easy-to-use and highly durable
package never is.
or loss. These are preceded by a stereo
volume pedal insert. For performance
use, the dual outputs are a boon for
those with their own separate monitor
rig, which could be a headphone amp
as the Key Largo lacks this capability.
As a performance tool, the Key
Largo is designed for fl oor as well as
desktop use, which is why there are
footswitches for EFX return switching
and sustain pedal output. The latter
allows the player to skip taking a
separate sustain pedal and just run a
cable from Key Largo to their
keyboard, thus keeping the setup
‘localised’. The PSU input is
accompanied by a cable clamp to
prevent the power loss potential that
comes with stage fl oor situations; it’s
the little things that really count!
Modern keyboard performance
inevitably requires a computer, and
the Key Largo’s USB interface
presents a stereo input (with EFX
send) as the fourth mixer channel,
with the summed output available as
a recordable stereo input at the
laptop/tablet. The USB mode can be
switched from ‘Live’ to ‘Recording’
modes so it acts as a normal
recording interface. The AD/DA
THE PROS & CONS
+
High quality
analogue audio
path with plenty
of headroom
USB I/O for great-
sounding AD/DA
interface and
MIDI to boot
Built to live on
the road as well
as the studio
-
If it had a
headphone
amp, it’d be damn
near perfect
FM VERDICT
8.9
Quality, durability and
fl exibility meet in a stompbox-
format mixer that bridges
analogue and digital realms
both live and in the studio
THE PROS & CONS
+
High quality
analogue audio
path with plenty
of headroom
USB I/O for great-
sounding AD/DA
I
t might seem to have a simple,
functional premise, but there’s a
lot more going on as you dig down
into Radial Engineering’s Key
conversion is great and makes the
Key Largo something of a one-stop-
shop for keyboard musicians,
especially with MIDI I/O.
or loss. These are preceded by a stereo
volume pedal insert. For performance
use, the dual outputs are a boon for
those with their own separate monitor
interface and
MIDI to boot
Built to live on
the road as well
as the studio
-
If it had a
headphone
amp, it’d be damn
near perfect
+
High quality
analogue audio
path with plenty
of headroom
USB I/O for great-
sounding AD/DA
interface and
MIDI to boot
Built to live on
the road as well
as the studio
Radial Engineering Key Largo | Reviews
89
FMU328.rev_radial.indd 89 22/01/2018 13:53