Hello all
I am looking for a good MIDI Keyboard/controller. Not a specific brand, but the minimum specs with a good Quality/Price.
I suppose 49 notes (semi-weighted...) is enough, with Octave change, Pitch bend and
Mod wheel. Which other controls (pad, transport...) are really useful
to get the most with orchestral samples ?
My Roland A30 (88 notes) is a bit...tired., and the mod wheel is rather useless.
Maybe the subject has been discussed elsewhere.
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MIDI Keyboard/controller
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Hi Elepa,
There are as many opions as there are keyboards out there (probably even more opinions).
You should take the time and check out a few keyboards yourself in your favourite musicstore to find out if you like the keyboard action and the controllers.
Best,
Paul
Paul Kopf Product Manager VSL -
On the contrary, I find, that there are not many "controllers" out there. There are many synths with MIDI capability, so you end up with lots of sounds that you don't use. I use an AKAI MPK 61, at the moment. The keys are kind of "springy", but you can get used to them, I guess. I don't have access to a store, where I could try before I buy, and I didn't want to take the chance on the MPK 88. I am partial to wheels, so ROLAND, with their joy-sticks, is not an option for me. YAMAHA continues to be an enigma. For some strange reason, has discontinued their KX8, and seem to gave refused to do a replacement. I maintain, the original DX7 had the best synth keyboard ever mad. They dropped the ball with the DX7 ii; total waste of time .... narrower keys, hence "shorter" octave-span; I ended up playing ninths instead of octaves. Kurzweil keyboards have a pretty nice feel too, but once more, they also have sounds you don't need. Novation; joy-stick. I'm still hoping
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///. I maintain, the original DX7 had the best synth keyboard ever mad. They dropped the ball with the DX7 ii; total waste of time .... narrower keys, hence "shorter" octave-span; I ended up playing ninths instead of octaves.///
The DX7, DX7S, DXIID,DXIIFD all had the same keyboard, infact Yamaha used this keyboard up to the SY85, even Korg used it in the M1, Wavestation and 01W etc. I have been changing keys on these since 1984 so I know the part number is NB107540 for a C key. I can't always recall what day of the week it is, but for some reason I can remember the part number for a DX7 middle C key !
The problem with using a DX7 as a controller, is that it does not produce any velocity above 112.
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Yes, Andyjh, the velocity was another of the "strangeties" about the DX7 saga. Re the keyboard, maybe my hand grew! lol I didn't have the opportunity to try the KX8. I actually played a KX88 once, and it felt really good. Have you had any opportunity to play either of them? What controller are you using now?
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Oh yes the KX88, about 20Kg of lead weights - long before hammer actions were invented !
My keyboard of choice now is the Kawai MP10, the ultimate wooden keyed hammer action. Though it is a stage piano, not just a master keyboard.
The best 5 octave keyboard is one made by Fatar, but a particular one, it was used in synths like the Kawai K5000, Novation Supernova, Quasimidi Raven/Cyber 6 - recognizeable by it's long textured black keys (I use the K5000 in the studio).
But for VSL, it needs to be 88 keys.
