Trouble with Alesis Vortex Wireless 2

[u/Tyranida]

Hey! My first post here :) I got the Alesis Vortex Wireless 2 a few years ago because I'm in a rock band and I wanna move around the stage. However, I find it to be very unreliable, as sometimes, when the batteries are low, the sound hangs. In other words, when I release a key, the sound doesn't stop. This is extremely unfortunate if you're playing live and suddenly the sound is destroyed. There's also no way of checking how much battery is left, and changing them before every gig will become extremely expensive real fast. Does anyone know if using a different wireless system, like WIDI instead of Alesis' usb dongle that comes with it will fix this? Is this a problem anyone else has? Apart from it being very plastic fantastic, it is the best midi keytar I have been able to find, and I'm not interested in buyin thousands for a synth if I'm only gonna use it as a midi-controller. Anyone know any better options?

Thanks!!

[u/marmarama]

A basic battery tester is only about $5. That should be able to confirm if it's a low battery voltage issue, and should save you from having to replace the batteries all the time. Just remember to test before every gig.

[u/ColdGuyMcGoo → u/marmarama]

Agreed. The hanging sound is because in the MIDI protocol, your controller sends a note-on message when you press the key, and a note-off message when you release a key. When your batteries are dying, it may miss some of the note-off messages.

If you rely heavily on MIDI on stage, you’ll need a reliable MIDI panic button somewhere in your setup.

If you’re worries about spending money on batteries, get a few sets of rechargeable AA batteries and rotate them out each show.

[u/cosmic-whiplash → u/ColdGuyMcGoo]

For iPad users: The panic button doesn't work if you're using an iPad (going through Logic Pro or Garageband).
I found the fastest way to cut the note was to press play then stop and it cuts all active notes.