KVR Audio

underface · Post by **underface** » Mon Mar 27, 2006 3:17 am

Is USB a requirement? If not I'd suggest the Oberheim MC-2000, I've got one and I love the feel and it's one of the most well implemented master controllers I've ever come across (save for the Oberheim MC-3000.) You might want to check out some of Kurzweil's offerings as well.

PuddingBrumsel · Post by **PuddingBrumsel** » Mon Mar 27, 2006 7:55 am

hi!!

what about kurzweil ?! how much money do want to investigate?

underface · Post by **underface** » Mon Mar 27, 2006 9:34 am

Good question PuddingBrumsel.

In an effort to provide better advice, what features are you looking for? USB? Multiple MIDI ports? Do you need real time controllers (faders/sliders/rotary encoders/etc), what about MIDI filtering and transforming? And finally, but most critical, how much are you looking to spend?

HM · Post by HM » Mon Mar 27, 2006 3:13 pm

IvoryTickler wrote:i was just about to order a Studiologic 990XP on the basis of reading reviews etc. They are UK£339 and heavy, but otherwise sound OK to me. Sadly, there is no chance of trying anything like that in Glasgow before buying.

Am I doing the right thing?

no aftertouch

Adambomb337 · Post by **Adambomb337** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 1:27 am

How much midi control do the Yamaha's have?

I'm looking for something that feels like a real piano and can also record everything into a sequencer just as it's played (very accurate velocity touch and foot peddle). Does this exist?

james0tucson · Post by **james0tucson** » Wed Apr 05, 2006 9:44 am

Adambomb337 wrote:How much midi control do the Yamaha's have?

I'm looking for something that feels like a real piano and can also record everything into a sequencer just as it's played (very accurate velocity touch and foot peddle). Does this exist?

What's your price range? The Motif ES-8 should satisfy pretty much anybody.

DevonB · Post by **DevonB** » Wed Apr 05, 2006 10:20 am

james0tucson wrote:
Adambomb337 wrote:How much midi control do the Yamaha's have?

I'm looking for something that feels like a real piano and can also record everything into a sequencer just as it's played (very accurate velocity touch and foot peddle). Does this exist?
What's your price range? The Motif ES-8 should satisfy pretty much anybody.

Which has the same keybed as the P60 for $750. I also don't believe any of the 88 key keyboards have aftertouch, but I could be wrong. If anyone DOES know of one, which model, please?

Devon

Rabid · Post by **Rabid** » Wed Apr 05, 2006 12:26 pm

Studiologic controllers are very fragile. I broke mine by picking it up by one end.

Yamaha pianos such as the P series are said to have an upper limit on velocity of around 100. They play well but do not make good controllers because this limit is very restrictive when driving other devices from MIDI output.

Robert

keyman_sam · Post by **keyman_sam** » Wed Apr 05, 2006 12:28 pm

How about the VMK-188? Very good reviews from SOS and keyboard mag.

Lawnmower Of The Damned · Wed Apr 05, 2006 12:41 pm

DevonB wrote:I also don't believe any of the 88 key keyboards have aftertouch, but I could be wrong. If anyone DOES know of one, which model, please?

Devon

My Fatar SL880Pro has aftertouch.

krank · Post by **krank** » Wed Apr 05, 2006 3:42 pm

underface wrote:Is USB a requirement? If not I'd suggest the Oberheim MC-2000, I've got one and I love the feel and it's one of the most well implemented master controllers I've ever come across (save for the Oberheim MC-3000.) You might want to check out some of Kurzweil's offerings as well.

I've been looking at that, can get it for €500 + shipping. But I read the action is not quite piano-like, more like between weighted synth and piano feel. What do you think? And do you know the difference between that and the MC1000, which costs almost the same?

By the way, as far as I've been able to pick up from spending quite a lot of time researching this, the best 88 controllers in terms of action and build quality are Doepfer's (www.doepfer.de), but they're pricey - the cheapest is €750, which buys you a basic piano action keyboard sending midi on channel 1, no knobs or controls what so ever.

underface · Post by **underface** » Wed Apr 05, 2006 8:56 pm

I loved my MC2000 until lightening took it out. As far as the feel goes, it's got a pretty hard strike similar to the some of the wurlitzer electric pianos I've played on. The aftertouch was nice; no key movement whatsoever (as opposed to the extra few mm you get with most keyboards.)

krank · Post by **krank** » Wed Apr 05, 2006 9:00 pm

underface wrote:I loved my MC2000 until lightening took it out. As far as the feel goes, it's got a pretty hard strike similar to the some of the wurlitzer electric pianos I've played on. The aftertouch was nice; no key movement whatsoever (as opposed to the extra few mm you get with most keyboards.)

Could you compare it to the action of say a Yamaha electric piano - or an acoustic?

travelquarterly · Post by **travelquarterly** » Wed Apr 05, 2006 9:17 pm

My Yamaha S-80 has aftertouch and a great weighted feel. You could track a used one down for around $800. Four zone midi capability nice soundset built like a tank. Although it weighs like one too!

DrApostropheX · Post by **DrApostropheX** » Wed Apr 05, 2006 9:22 pm

I did some auditioning of keyboard actions a few months ago and quite frankly I was shocked (in a bad way) at the Roland action. I was merely disappointed with M-Audio's action (I'd hoped it'd be decent, but it really wasn't, but at least they're not charging two grand for it). The Yamaha action was really the only one I'd consider acceptable, but I was really and truly impressed with the action on the Casio keyboards -- beat the Rolands and M-Audio's hands down. I don't know if reliability or support is a concern though (the guy at Guitar Center said it might be, but that may have been because he was trying to sell an $1800 Yamaha over a $400 Casio).

What keyboard - 88 keys hammer action