How to remove keys from an M-Audio Keystation
Channel: Keenan Pepper
Date: 2012-06-08

M-Audio Keystations (61es and 49e) are great for xenharmonic music because they are reconfigurable to different key layouts without much difficulty. To remove a key from an M-Audio Keystation 61es or 49e, I have found it easiest to pop the key off in one motion without removing the spring first. Note that to put a white key in the spot where a black key was originally, you have to irreversibly break off the protruding plastic piece, which doesn't affect the keyboard action at all as far as I can tell.

As for where to get more keys (because you'll need more of one kind or another to fill out the keyboard with a different layout), they sell individual ones at http://syntaur.com/m-audio.html#key for $11 each but that is ridiculous. It's better to buy another used keyboard (which can even be completely broken as long as the keys are intact).