88 key controller <$500 recommendations?

[zircon]

I'm in the market for a new MIDI controller. Really, I don't need a lot of bells and whistles. My Edirol PCR-30 is great feature-wise, but it's too small for what I'm doing now; also, generally, I don't use its knobs or sliders very much. It could have just 4 sliders and one or two knobs and I'd be happy. So I've come up with the following options./

* M-Audio Keystation Pro 88 - $400
This looks almost too good to be true. Tons of front panel options, separate mod + pitch wheel, fully weighted hammer action, four keyboard zones, etc. I'd get this in a heartbeat, but I've heard that M-Audio's build quality isn't the best - eg. the keys feel "cheap". Is this true?

* M-Audio Keystation 88es - $200
Barebones... I think this one would work for me, but it's semi-weighted as opposed to the Pro 88's fully weighted. How big of a deal is this?

* Fatar Studiologic SL990Pro - $450
Fully weighted, looks VERY solidly built. But there are no extra features at all, and it's something like 45 pounds. It better feel real good for that price.

Any others I'm missing here? Of the bunch, the Keystation Pro 88 looks best... but I'm just not sure.

Also, unfortunately there is no music retailer like Guitar Center anywhere close to me (Philadelphia) so I have no way of testing out any of these things. I gotta buy on reviews and word of mouth alone.

[birrbits]

hard to go wrong with novation imho

[Cygnus X-1]

Well, if you want a realistic (close to an acoustic piano) keyboard feel, then IMHO the M-audio are not good enough. Their action is very good if compared with a semiweighted board but nothing compared to other hammer action boards.
If I may, I have a couple of suggestions of my own:
(1) Casio PX-110 now for $400 at Samash. Awesome action you will not believe it. This one is a digital piano (32 note polyphony may not be too good these days, but if you use it with something like Pianoteq, who cares) with a 3-layer stereo sample per key. I'm getting one myself very very soon. Construction is all plastic, so, you might wanna think twice if you plan to gig with it.
(2) If you just want a controller then you should try the CME UF8. Very cheap, but with great action. Yamaha is their distributor in the US, and it's rumored that CME uses the same action as the Motif ES-8. It's built and weighs as a tank, very solid.

Good luck.

[zircon]

The UF8 is $600, which is a little out of my pricerange - I did look at that one though. As for the PX-110, that sounds interesting. Polyphony is totally irrelevant for me since I'm using this strictly as a MIDI controller in the studio. Thanks for the suggestions; I'll take them into consideration.

[leonard]

Casio PX-110 now for $400 at Samash. Awesome action you will not believe it.

+1

helluva bargain! You won't believe....your fingers. I am soooo glad I wasn't snobbish on this one. Great action, totally owned the other products that were mentioned, and you can't beat that price.

[zircon]

I did more research on the PX-110 and it looks wonderful! Unfortunately, however, there's no modwheel/pitch bend which I consider pretty important for my purposes

[Stupid American Pig]

Ive got a Keystation pro 88. And while I have been generally happy with it(got it Bstock for 299 at ZZounds) some of the knobs have stopped working in the 2 years I have had it.(3 to be exact)

[Cygnus X-1]

I did more research on the PX-110 and it looks wonderful! Unfortunately, however, there's no modwheel/pitch bend which I consider pretty important for my purposes

Sure, but you can still connect 2 assignable pedals I think.