Keyboard MIDI Controller...looking for recommendations.

miroslav

Cosmic Cowboy
I haven't shopped for keyboards/synths in ages.
Currently I have an older Kurzweil SP76 electric piano and an even older Roland D70 synth, plus some synth rack modules.

The Roland is OK as a MIDI controller...but it doesn't have weighted keys...and the Kurzweil has pretty decent weighted action, but it has issues with the key sensitivity and it's internal touch pads. I've opened it up and cleaned the contacts a couple of times, and it will be fine for awhile, then keys start to go out and it's a PITA.

I got the Kurzweil for the piano sounds...which are pretty decent when the keyboard is responding as it should. While I have a nice Wurlitzer studio console upright piano, it will go out of tune as all pianos do, so I thought an electric piano would be a good option....which is why I originally got the Kurzweil.

Anyway...I've decided to move more into using sample libraries, and I have some really nice piano samples, but would like a decent weighted key MIDI controller, with at least 76 keys, since the Kurzweil is ailing, and the Roland doesn't have the weighted keys.

I have NO idea what's out there that is decent, for a fair price (I'm not looking to drop a $1k on a weighted key controller). I see interesting stuff from M-Audio, Alesis, Nectar, etc that is reasonably priced ($200-$300)....but not sure which one has the best feel...and which one is the most basic MIDI controller. I don't need 500 buttons/features...I just want decent keyboard action and basic MIDI options....less is more. :)

Suggestions....?
 
Watch out for where the pivot-point is situated. M-Audio has the keys pivoting about one centimeter into the into the body. This feels terrible if you are accustomed to a real piano, especially when your thumb and little finger are on black keys, which forces your other fingers closer to where the keys disappear into the body. They are cheap though, and excellent for hacking (see picture).

Regarding weighed keys, technically the M-Audio does have weights in each key, but you would never suspect it by the feel. When shopping around all the stores for a decent feeling digital piano, the Rolands and Yamahas won my approval: they even have the bass end feeling heavier than the treble end. Yamahas are way cheaper and the best value for money in my opinion, but I went for the Roland FP7 (which cost 3x as much as the available Yamahas) because I liked the simulated feel of the escapement and I had a good-paying job at the time.

You can pick up second-hand Yamaha digital pianos at excellent prices because lots of parents buy them for their kids, who then quit the piano lessons in t he first year.
keyboard close up.JPG
 
View attachment 94355


What kind of keyboard is that in the pic?

Why are there spaces between the white keys, and why are there double black keys....plus the individual white keys where there should be all black ones...???

That's an odd looking keyboard. :D


Anyway...I'm really looking for a controller...not a digital piano. I just want good piano-like action, and then I will use piano samples. I find that with digital pianos, even when I find one that sounds good...it only sounds good for some stuff.
IOW...with piano samples, I can find the right piano sounds for a variety of music...where with a digital piano, I'm locked into maybe 2-3 piano sounds.
 
As I was reading your post, my first thought was a Yamaha digital piano, too. Fully weighted and midi out, which is what you're looking for. Plus the piano sounds good on its own, if you ever wanted to just power up and practice.

There are probably some M-Audio or Alesis controller that'll do what you want.
 
I have a studio upright piano...and I figured with just a MIDI keyboard controller, it would be fairly inexpensive compared to something that is also a piano or synth..etc.

Looking at the Alesis Q88 and Q61
The full 88 would be sweet...but then the 61 would fit nicely next to my DAW work area. I would like a 76-key as the best in-between, but it doesn't appear that Alesis has the Q models in 76-key.

For under $200 new...it's tempting. It has semi-weighted keys, and the reviews are all good.

There's a few other brands....so I'm going to do some more comparisons.
 
View attachment 94355


What kind of keyboard is that in the pic?

Why are there spaces between the white keys, and why are there double black keys....plus the individual white keys where there should be all black ones...???

That's an odd looking keyboard. :D

It is an M-Audio Keystation 88es that I hacked to simplify working 19 Equal Divisions per Octave. The gaps between the white keys are due to adding a black (or grey-painted) key between the stock white keys. I have not yet worked out what to cap the white keys with in order to make them wider and close the gaps. I did consider gluing strips of electrical-duct-lid onto each key, but I could only find 25mm and 40mm wide ducts; 35mm would have been excellent.
 
Well...looks "interesting"...but I want something a bit more "traditional" in a keyboard. :D ;)

Yeah, I think I've narrowed it down a bit to where I'm going to look for something that's a 76 key, but a 61 key will be OK too.

It's not so much about performance capability, for which an 88 key would be preferred. I just want something with decent piano action, that will fit in the space I have in mind, and that's without a lot of bells-n-whistles....just gimme that MIDI Out. :)
 
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