TempoKEY W25 Play: First play, then connect

Stabos first unpacks the carrying case, cables, and adapters. But the crucial point of his presentation is, ironically, a connection that isn’t necessary: the one to the computer. He describes the W25 Play as a compact MIDI keyboard with built-in sounds and speaker. His concise wording highlights the practical benefit:

The 25 velocity-sensitive mini keys set the scope: a small instrument for melodies, chord ideas, and short practice sessions—not a piano replacement. There are also eight pressure-sensitive pads. What’s interesting is less the number of controls than the prospect of playing right away without additional sound generation. How loud or balanced the internal speaker is in a room, however, remains unanswered.

For practice, the speaker is just one option. Stabos also shows the headphone jack and explicitly mentions quiet playing as an application. It’s unassuming but practical: Your own practice time doesn’t have to become a shared listening experience for the whole household.

His tutorial remains pleasantly open to connections. He explains the audio path to an interface or powered speakers and demonstrates connecting to a smartphone or tablet. For synth apps, he switches off the internal keyboard sounds. Playing independently and controlling external sounds aren’t matters of faith here, but different operating modes. Doing without the computer doesn’t have to be a life philosophy.

How far a small setup can grow is shown by TAETRO in two Synido-sponsored videos. For him, the W25 works as a MIDI controller; the sounds come from external hardware. In his Roland P-6 video, he connects both devices via MIDI and assigns parameters of the granular engine to the rotary knobs. Crucial for his hardware approach: He edits the assignments directly on the controller.

The musically appealing moment comes when TAETRO uses sustain to hold a granular drone and changes its sound. The keys simultaneously control a selected keyboard sample, while appropriately configured pads continue to trigger granular sounds. Thus, the controller box becomes an additional playing layer. This is more than just more convenient menu operation: sound shaping becomes part of the performance.

In his Bluetooth MIDI video, TAETRO brings together the W25, FM1, and an iPhone. The MIDI meter app mediates between controller and sound generator, because the two devices can’t initiate the connection themselves. He sets the W25 as the source and the FM1 as the destination. The laptop stays out of the picture, but this setup still needs an intermediary.

TAETRO doesn’t skip over the stumbling block: Despite the connection being displayed, initially neither sound nor MIDI transmission occurs. He checks the receive channel and fully closes the app before reopening it. After that, transmission works in his demonstration. A workable solution—but a different level of immediacy than an instrument with its own sound engine.