Is nowadays music industry really built to make things simpler?

[PastorTheDoctor]

One of the best keyboards is the Elka MK88
https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=c ... lka+mk88&*
Made in Italy. I had it and loved it but had to sell it for reasons...

You truly blew my heart away when you said Elka: my Italian pride, I really got moved
Back in the days we made such good products, if you think of Farfisa or Binson (both used by a legend like Rick Wright), it's a pity that now only Viscount has remained (I bought the Physis K4-EX and... oh my god )
I need a 61-key keyboard, so I would opt for the Elka MK55. Hope to find it used.
How did this keyboard work with later technologies? I saw it doesn't have MIDI IN, but a MidiMerge would be sufficient, don't you think?
I noticed it is difficult to find, but I have some contact that may help me.

I like Roland keys (they make their own (almost all other brands use Fatar or lesser known chinese stuff), their width is a little bit shorter than usual, only a problem if you have big fat fingers. The travel is fine, they are fast to play.

For once in my life, having thin fingers is an advantage to me
Thank you rod_zero, before writing here I've tried a lot of keyboards, but no one fits with my necessities (or yes, but f***in software I hate!)
I've already written to my store, and I'm going to try it

[chk071]

Actually, i ordered one of those 2 days ago (Novation Impulse). What's wrong with Automap though? Seemed fine, when i looked into it.

Got my Impulse today, and also tried out Automap. Turned up to be quite a mess... the Automap server application crashed when i executed it with normal user rights, every time i clicked on "Configure Studio One" or "Configure Cubase". I then started it with admin rights, and configuring the DAW worked then, and it created automap DLL's for all my plugins. Also configured the Impulse in Studio One then, according to the instructions, but, in the DAW, the automap software didn't find any plugin parametes to map... guess i'd also have to run my DAW as an admin users, which needs another activation for Studio One. I then decided that it is not worth the hassle, because the implemented MIDI lean thing in Studio One has everything i need anyway. But, guess what, Studio One only saw the automap DLL for Spire now, because, obviously, the plugin ID for both is the same or something... so, i deleted manually all the automap DLL's for my plugins, which took about 20 minutes, because i also had to delete the DLL's in the folders i need admin rights to write to, so, always had to type in my admin password... jeez, what a PITA.

Unfortunately, therefor, i cannot really recommend to use Automap, unless you have a user account with admin rights, because, i guess, that's where all my issues hailed from. Shame. Really disapointed from the implemented mapping functions of the manufacturers so far. M-Audio's DirectLink is very weak too, and unsupported. Maybe Nektar's stuff is a bit better.

[whyterabbyt]

because i also had to delete the DLL's in the folders i need admin rights to write to, so, always had to type in my admin password... jeez, what a PITA..

give your user account rights to the folder then.

http://www.addictivetips.com/windows-ti ... ownership/

[chk071]

Actually, i could have as well just logged into the admin's account, and delete the files there. And, i also could have just searched for "automap" in the explorer, and find all DLL's with automap in their name listed. But, as all good things, you always think of them too late.

According to the internet, there's also a better solution deleting the automap DLL's, from within the automap software, but, i didn't relly managed to do that either. Maybe one day i'll try to figure that software out a bit more deeply. But, so far, it has been a bit annoying, to say the least.

[bluzkat]

Have you looked at the Nektar Panorama P6? See here:

http://www.nektartech.com/panorama-p4-p6.html.

These work as advertised, I love mine, but I'm a guitarist.

[solomute]

Musical industry is a pile of lies starting from the music itself (some crap rap,etc) and ending at hardware. For example the most common lies about digital pianos is that the heavier the key action the closer the digital piano is to the real piano. In fact the lighter is the digital piano's action the more costly it is, for example yamaha avantgrand. In order to reasearch on that topic search piano+downweight. Normal downwight should be 50 gram but what is provided by digital pianos lower than kawai vpc1 is 80-120 gram.

[solomute]

Bitwig used its customers as beta testers for years. Stick to tracktion software. It seems honestly built.

[solomute]

If the world were honest highest quality would be affordable for everyone. Industry produces some product to get benefit. If it gives all at once then it can close its business and for that reason you have to pay a lot for highest quality and who can pay a lot? Definitely the chosen ones. And the outcome of this will be bad and not interesting music because music itself becomes a business.

[Tj Shredder]

One of the best keyboards is the Elka MK88
https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=c ... lka+mk88&*
Made in Italy. I had it and loved it but had to sell it for reasons...

You truly blew my heart away when you said Elka: my Italian pride, I really got moved

I need a 61-key keyboard, so I would opt for the Elka MK55. Hope to find it used.
How did this keyboard work with later technologies? I saw it doesn't have MIDI IN, but a MidiMerge would be sufficient, don't you think?
I noticed it is difficult to find, but I have some contact that may help me.

I recently had aquired two MK88, they are really old (almost 30 years?). One was completely rotten and broken inside, the other was working, exept for the only reason I got it - polyphonic aftertouch. I hoped to combine the two. Also very sturdy instruments don't last forever...

My advice, do not buy a keyboard unless you tried a multidimensional polyphonic expression controller like Roli Seaboard or a LinnStrument. it might not be your cup of tea, but I am a very happy user of a LinnStrument, its a game changer. Suddently synth sounds start to breath and live... I might never touch keyboards again... (I am not a native keyboard player though, come from violin and fretless bass...)