So I just got a Roland A-49 a few days ago based off all the good things I have read about them, other Roland midi keyboards, and also trying out an A300 in a shop.
The problem is the lower 2 octaves of the keyboard creak a bit when the key is let go and the upper 2 octaves (starting bang on the C) creak a ton!
Is this normal?
This is far worse than my old Maudio Axiom.
Roland A-49 creaking
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- KVRist
- Topic Starter
- 33 posts since 24 Feb, 2013
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- KVRAF
- 5752 posts since 29 Sep, 2010 from Maui
I bought an A300 fairly recently, I'm pretty happy with it. While
its not going to be pre-configured anywhere other than in Sonar,
it works perfectly well and can be set up to work with whatever.
Good build quality, programmability etc... Actually supports the ACT
functionality in Sonar if you happen to want to use that for some reason.
You do have to put it in a special mode to send midi out which is kind of
annoying.
I do like the 32 key layout and size a lot. It was also quite cheap to buy
brand new as Roland controllers seem to have somewhat faded into obscurity.
Oh and no creaking here...
*It also supposedly supports some rare aftertouch feature, at least according to pianoteq.
Although pianoteq is the only software I've seen thats able to make use of it.
This is a good controller, the biggest problem with it, I believe, is that its was pretty much
designed to be used with Sonar. Now that Roland no longer owns Sonar, the main marketing
avenue for it has evaporated.
-Cheers
its not going to be pre-configured anywhere other than in Sonar,
it works perfectly well and can be set up to work with whatever.
Good build quality, programmability etc... Actually supports the ACT
functionality in Sonar if you happen to want to use that for some reason.
You do have to put it in a special mode to send midi out which is kind of
annoying.
I do like the 32 key layout and size a lot. It was also quite cheap to buy
brand new as Roland controllers seem to have somewhat faded into obscurity.
Oh and no creaking here...
*It also supposedly supports some rare aftertouch feature, at least according to pianoteq.
Although pianoteq is the only software I've seen thats able to make use of it.
This is a good controller, the biggest problem with it, I believe, is that its was pretty much
designed to be used with Sonar. Now that Roland no longer owns Sonar, the main marketing
avenue for it has evaporated.
-Cheers
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- Banned
- 12368 posts since 30 Apr, 2002 from i might peeramid
unqualified pessimism here -
been a long time since i've owned a midi controller/keyboard, owned a lot.
imo, if you've ever met a plastic keyboard that didn't make more noise in the mechanism than you get out of the speaker, marry it and raise a family. it seemed to me the entire industry is totally unaware of how noisy hollow keys are when released.
i used to think, maybe fill the keys with some foam or balsa, and modify the springs with felt or something.. one would have to modify it personally to actually put care into these products people manufacture and sell with a straight face today in order to make them serviceable.
back in the old times, you could pull up midi keyboards and find little gray rubber pads over the contacts. you would need to remove these and use alcohol to clean all the eyelashes et al. that invariably were attracted to them. keys stopped working, a bit of maintenance, keys start working again.
but the last controller i bought (edirol, sort of roland) has some new fangled system where attempting to do this is futile. i took my edirol through an airport (slimline = "portability"?!) and now only one key works, with no response whatsoever to maintenance.
so basically, my advice is to make the best of what you can find, don't expect quality to be handed to you at any price, and if possible, cull the manufacturers from the gene pool so that sometime in the future, maybe human beings can not screw each other up the ass for a living.
hth
been a long time since i've owned a midi controller/keyboard, owned a lot.
imo, if you've ever met a plastic keyboard that didn't make more noise in the mechanism than you get out of the speaker, marry it and raise a family. it seemed to me the entire industry is totally unaware of how noisy hollow keys are when released.
i used to think, maybe fill the keys with some foam or balsa, and modify the springs with felt or something.. one would have to modify it personally to actually put care into these products people manufacture and sell with a straight face today in order to make them serviceable.
back in the old times, you could pull up midi keyboards and find little gray rubber pads over the contacts. you would need to remove these and use alcohol to clean all the eyelashes et al. that invariably were attracted to them. keys stopped working, a bit of maintenance, keys start working again.
but the last controller i bought (edirol, sort of roland) has some new fangled system where attempting to do this is futile. i took my edirol through an airport (slimline = "portability"?!) and now only one key works, with no response whatsoever to maintenance.
so basically, my advice is to make the best of what you can find, don't expect quality to be handed to you at any price, and if possible, cull the manufacturers from the gene pool so that sometime in the future, maybe human beings can not screw each other up the ass for a living.
hth
you come and go, you come and go. amitabha neither a follower nor a leader be tagore "where roads are made i lose my way" where there is certainty, consideration is absent.
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UltimateOutsider UltimateOutsider https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=216800 - KVRian
- 810 posts since 5 Oct, 2009 from Portland, OR
I have an A-49 and it doesn't creak. Nice keyboard.
