An idea for ultimate controller keyboard

[Juho L]

Full lenght 88-key MIDI-keybooard with selectable weighted/semi-weighted action. The weighting would be switched mechanically by electronic motor(s) and it could be controlled by MIDI. It might not be the lightest keyboard around, but I'm sure people would buy that thing if it would work without major flaws.

The problem with that invention would be the costs of R&D. If one wants to make this kind of system work perfectly and be reliable it needs huge heaps of capital and the risk of losses is of course big. Only company that could afford that risk is Yamaha. Hear me Yamaha, make my idea come true (with 1% royalties).

But wouldn't this kind of keyboard be cool? You could switch through patches and the weighting would change to suit the patch you selected.

[Merlot]

defenitely would be cool, but the weighting would either have to be done with hydraulics, or airdraulics if it is going to change on eatch patch. I could maybe see one coming out where the user could adjust weight, by keys that are maybe spring-loaded.

Who knows! :D

[AlexHall74]

On a different note I am hoping that someday (soon!) a nice MIDI controller such as the one mentioned by Juho above be invented that also...

1. Had a plethora of knobs/faders that control common synth functions (LFO, Amplifier, Ring Mod, FM, Osc 1, Osc 2, Osc 3, etc) and are grouped somewhat logically AND

2. Have a software interface that interprates what soft synth the controller is currently manipulating AND

3. The controller lights up an LED on each bank of knobs/faders that is available in the current softsynth.

SO

I fire up Virus TI VST (in theory) and all the appropriate groups of knobs have an LED lit up on them but when I switch to Virus C VST the LED on the Hypersaw group would go out as that filter is not available in Virus C VST, and so on and so forth for Subtraktor, Malstrom, Kontakt, FM 7, etc.

There would be a MOTHER-LOAD of knobs on this bad boy to speak to every popular soft synth out there, maybe instead of dedicated groups and LED "dots" there could be generic groups that have an LED display on it and the display would react to the soft synth and thus LABEL each generic group appropriately.

Yamaha, Get my drift?

Thoughts?

-AlexHall74

[Tomer=Trance]

leave controlers,lcd screens and leds out of it
it only makes the keyboard more expensive.

anyway juho
give me an affordable 72/88 keys wighted keyboard im fixed.
that new m audio one is defently not affordable and its not very good either.

[Juho L]

defenitely would be cool, but the weighting would either have to be done with hydraulics, or airdraulics if it is going to change on eatch patch.

Choosing the easy way(tm). Hoho. A simple electromotor would be cheapest, quitest, easiest, lightest and most reliable. It's not impossible, the mechanism would just need to be really clever. Tricky, but possible.

About to Alex's idea: Sounds good, but would be really pricey. The keyboard mechanism itself would be expensive enough for most users. No-one would buy it if it would cost like over 2000 euros. I'd just hope loads of knobs and eight sliders (perfect for Hammond and mixing). Nothing fancy - just the knobs.

[Merlot]

that new m audio one is defently not affordable and its not very good either.

If you are talking about the keystation 88, you are right! What a waste of money that thing is. I played one locally and it had cheap keys, and the actions defenitely not what weighted keys should be. The jeys on it were not even lined up vertically. Some had more play than others. OK i'll stop now.

[Juho L]

give me an affordable 72/88 keys wighted keyboard im fixed.

There will be a 76-key weighted keyboard released in NAMM. I don't remember though by what manufacturer. Edirol maybe?

that new m audio one is defently not affordable and its not very good either.

That M-audio 88-key controller is affordable as it gets (or are you just trying to grope one for 20 bucks?). The price is explained by the quality that is just utter crap.

76-key semi-weighted version of that M-audio thing with the same price tag and I'm happy.

Edir: After reading that Merlot's comment I began to wonder: Was this M-audio thing that 450 euro controller or something else?

[Merlot]

Edir: After reading that Merlot's comment I began to wonder: Was this M-audio thing that 450 euro controller or something else?

I think we are talking about the same one. 88keys with some knobs and sliders. Shitty action, plastic keys. Yup, same one :wink:

[Juho L]

I think we are talking about the same one. 88keys with some knobs and sliders. Shitty action, plastic keys. Yup, same one

Yup. I still wonder what's Tomer's vision of an affordable fullsize weighted controller. Those things really are not cheap and won't get cheaper than that M-audio thing. Tomer sohuld start digging 800 euros or more if he wants good 88-key piano controller.

[Merlot]

I just use a yamaha digital piano(P90) for my weighted keys. Little expensive, but you get the piano sounds plus a nice controller.

[AlexHall74]

Merlot wrote:
I just use a yamaha digital piano(P90) for my weighted keys. Little expensive, but you get the piano sounds plus a nice controller.

That's a damn good idea!
Yamaha's piano sounds real nice.

Pricey, but damn effective.

Does that model come with a pitch & mod wheel?

[Merlot]

Does that model come with a pitch & mod wheel?

No, I just set my Oxy8 on top of it and use its mod and pitch wheels. If you want the mod and pitch wheel, and have about twice the money to spend get the S90. It has expansion slots so you can put the Yamaha expansion boards in it too.

[Juho L]

Those Yamaha keyboards are nice. And let's not forget Roland FP-2 - Good keyboard and that Fantom X piano.

[Tomer=Trance]

anybody talked about midikeyboard with sliders for hammond?
http://www.doepfer.de/D3.htm
:P

their masterkeyboard http://www.doepfer.de/lmk2.htm
is supose to be rock solid and very high quality
and around 1k.... :?
edit:the master keyboard is around 3999!!! 8O
the PK88 model is only 799...i guess its made in lower quality.

any expirience with fatar keyboards? i heard they are supose to be one of the best in the market. making keyboards for access aswell.

[Juho L]

The Doepfer controller have been around for a long time. It's too expensive and unfortunately too Hammond.

[Tomer=Trance]

http://alesis.com/products/qs8.2/
i saw recomended this as an affordable 88 wighted keys.
around 500 euro 2nd hand.
any expirience?

[Juho L]

http://alesis.com/products/qs8.2/
i saw recomended this as an affordable 88 wighted keys.
around 500 euro 2nd hand.
any expirience?

I had QS7. Sounds are what you can expect from a synth of that age (althoug some improvements have been made on that .2 update, but still very much the same). The keyboard on QS7 was really bad. It snarled and crackled when you played it. All ways had to fear when it gets broken. If that QS8 series has the same quality keyboard, I'd leave it be.

[Tomer=Trance]

studiologic/fatar wighted keys start from 1k
isnt there an affordable keyboard out there made for nice old tomer?! 8O

[DIGITAL SCREAMS]

Actually Novation have announced some nifty looking controller keyboards at NAMM.

For softsynth people.....this looks cool doesnt it >> http://www.sonicstate.com/news/shownews.cfm?newsid=1885

DS

[Juho L]

For softsynth people.....this looks cool doesnt it >> http://www.sonicstate.com/news/shownews.cfm?newsid=1885

Indeed it does but again a keyboard for handicaps. It's really bizarre: Everyone is wondering why there are not 76 key controllers and still no-one makes those things! There would be significant market for those keyboards.

[Tomer=Trance]

the novation looks cool and defently a softsynth controler.
it accualy comes with a kstation engine aswell.

to juho:why do 72 and not do 88?

[Merlot]

here's another one.

http://www.sonicstate.com/news/shownews.cfm?newsid=1942

[Juho L]

to juho:why do 72 and not do 88?

There is no such thing as 88 key semi-weighted.

[Tomer=Trance]

i dont remember what i meant exacly....
anyhow more affordable fully wight should be designed.

[Panopticon]

airdraulics

is that a technical term?

*cough*pneumatic*cough

[Panopticon]

to juho:why do 72 and not do 88?

There is no such thing as 88 key semi-weighted.

Er, yes there is.
http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_us/Keystation88es-main.html

[Juho L]

Er, yes there is.
http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_us/Keystation88es-main.html

Great! There is such thing afterall. Too bad no knobs... But it's not very expensive, which is a good thing and also a bad thing. Cheap is usually rubbish.

[Tomer=Trance]

it is rubbish.

[Panopticon]

Er, yes there is.
http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_us/Keystation88es-main.html

Great! There is such thing afterall. Too bad no knobs... But it's not very expensive, which is a good thing and also a bad thing. Cheap is usually rubbish.

Ok Juho, I think I found a good semi-weighted one: this stuff is pretty decent.

http://www.arbitermt.co.uk/studiologic/vmk88.htm

[Merlot]

http://www.arbitermt.co.uk/studiologic/vmk88.htm

Studiologic. Doesnt Fatar make they keys? If so, should be a nice board! :wink:

[Tomer=Trance]

studiologic is fatar.
their keybaords are very expensive and very good.

[Merlot]

studiologic is fatar.
their keybaords are very expensive and very good.

Thought so, and yes I agree, they are very nice indeed.