I can't believe the poor quality of midi keyboards today

[thecontrolcentre]

I love my (16 year old) Mk1 RemoteSL ...
been thinking about getting a second one.

[Uncle E]

That’s the best version. They went downhill from there, although I’ll admit that I’m partial to the looks of the MK2.

[liquidsound]

My Kx88 is still in perfect conditions after 36 years. It’s the only thing I kept after giving all my hardware away.

[pantoum]

I have a few MIDI controllers at the house. I want to use my Akai MPK249, but it has keys that only play 127 velocity most of the time. I've tried disassembling and cleaning the contacts, but it hasn't helped. My next attempt will be to apply graphite paint on the contact strips, but taking the thing apart is a tedious project and I really hate wasting a Saturday morning doing it for the 4th time. BTW, the MPK249 is in perfect shape so not abused. These days I use a Roland A-49 for sound design and a Roland Juno DS-88 for piano work. Both are best for the price in my opinion.

[Biome_Digital]

Actually I have to say Arturia's Keylab is probably the best one I've had. Solid construction, nice metal wheels, good keys.

[spacepluk]

I have a Komplete Kontrol S61 mk2 and I like it a lot except for the aftertouch that feels a little bit wonky.

I was thinking about getting the keylab to give it a try, but then I found this in gearslutz... Any idea if they have fixed that with the latest firmwares?

[thecontrolcentre]

I love my (16 year old) Mk1 RemoteSL ...

That’s the best version. They went downhill from there

Good to know thanks What did you think of the SL Compact version?

I’ll admit that I’m partial to the looks of the MK2.

Me too. I always fancied the no keys Mk2 version. Looks really good.

[cryophonik]

I love my (16 year old) Mk1 RemoteSL ...
been thinking about getting a second one.

DItto. I don't have a real need or space for another one, but every time I see one pop up on my local craigslist, have to resist the urge to buy it. I totally agree with Uncle E - it's the best hardware synth controller ever made.

[Uncle E]

Good to know thanks What did you think of the SL Compact version?

I never tried it or looked into it. The fewer controls made it pointless for me.

Do you know of any sites with good Remote SL Templates?

[thecontrolcentre]

Do you know of any sites with good Remote SL Templates?

Afraid not. I do use the SL with my hardware & vst synths, but I usually just map what I need mapped for that project. If I do find a good download repositry I'll be sure to post about it.

[thecontrolcentre]

I never tried it or looked into it. The fewer controls made it pointless for me.

I think the idea was portability. It has one less screen too.
Only asked coz I spotted a nice clean one for £100
Thought it might make a good controller for some of my hardware synths ...

[cryophonik]

Do you know of any sites with good Remote SL Templates?

I have a bunch that I’ve made for various hw synths that I’d be willing to share (e.g., Slim Phatty, SE-1X, Minitaur, Pulse 2, Peak, Typhon, Sub37, Prophet Rev2, Prophet 6, etc). And, yes, I’ve made them for knobby synths like my Subsequent 37 and Prophets because (1) my SL is well out of reach of those synths and sometimes I just want to switch on the fly to control them remotely and (b) they’re dead easy to make with the editor and a CC list.

[zerocrossing]

I gave up on MIDI controllers and just use an old General Music S2. It’s significantly better feeling than anything I’ve used before, including a Remote SL 61, which I keep in a closet in case anything goes wrong with the S2.

[bmanic]

Every thread that I found that mentioned it said it was the best. That's ok it worked out.
Edit: going back through this thread I saw someone complain about it on the first page. I must have dismissed it after reading others rave about it so many times.

The Remote SL provides a ton of features that people love (the earlier Remote SL's are some of the best controllers for hardware synthesizers ever created). Their opinions are probably biased because of that.

If you want a fantastic piano feel for not a lot of money, find an old Kawai MP9000 or MP9500. You should be able to get one for less than $500. The Yamaha P-85 and P-95 are nice, as well. They don't feel as good as the Kawai but the built-in speakers make them vibrate like a piano, which is satisfying.

.. and I'll add here the Roland FP-30 or FP-30x. Fantastic basic piano feel for almost no money.

[Uncle E]

I have a bunch that I’ve made for various hw synths that I’d be willing to share (e.g., Slim Phatty, SE-1X, Minitaur, Pulse 2, Peak, Typhon, Sub37, Prophet Rev2, Prophet 6, etc). And, yes, I’ve made them for knobby synths like my Subsequent 37 and Prophets because (1) my SL is well out of reach of those synths and sometimes I just want to switch on the fly to control them remotely and (b) they’re dead easy to make with the editor and a CC list.

That would be excellent! Maybe I can use your templates to build ATC-1 and OB-6 templates off of. If you need them, I found templates for MKS-80, MKS-50, and JV-1080.