Polar vs. Full Key TI for small studio

[Alf]

Hi there! (First post Yew! :p )

Yeah i just wrote up a way big thred and lost it all b4 i could post it :( ...

So basic rundown -

I have a cramped studio and am about to buy a polar or a TI full key.
This will serve as my controler as well as my main go to synth...

I will not always live in a cramped studio but for now...

Now i find the polar more attractive looking, it would fit in easyer space wise and IF (really big if) i ever gigged it would be way easyer to get around... But are 37 keys really enough for my main controller?

Now the Full key TI would be good as a contoller due to the extra keys, but it is really big and im not sure whether the extra keys would be wasted on me (although i am thinking of getting piano lessons next year) Also the writing is really dark (Not sure if this is an issue for anyone) ...

So whats your opinions on this?, has anyone got one and wished they had the other or using one of these as there main controller as well as go to ?

Thanks,

Ben

[Timo]

Hi Ben!

If you were to start piano lessons, then the full 61-note version might perhaps be best.

Polar/Indigo's are great for a small footprint, portability and they aren't too bad for using as smaller midi controller keyboards for a software studio.

If I didn't already have a workstation/controller keyboard, I think I might have gone for the full width Virus. As it is, I already had a Korg Trinity which serves as my master keyboard, and the Indigo (same size as Polar) is for jamming with, and tweaking the hell out of sounds, which it serves very well. However, I would be lying if I said there weren't occasions where I've wanted to stretch my fingers further than the number of keys would allow.

All plusses and minusses. I guess no-one can really decide but yourself, as it's such a personal choice. What might be good for one person might be perceived as awful or unusable for another.

[AlexHall74]

Hey Timo,

I'm with you on liking 61 keys. I had a 25 key M-Audio Axiom for a few weeks and I felt very cramped, and I am lousy pianist. I am considering eventually getting a Novation Remote 37SL as a MIDI controller for my laptop rig, but this is a far way off, until a price drop anyway. I've often thought about getting a very basic, 88 key piano key action MIDI controller too.

But in all the midst of this indecision, 61 keys does the job very nicely. You can transpose the keys with the click of a button and be where you need to be. Plus, the Virus 61 key keyboard (on my KC anyway) has a fantastic feel. Even if the synth sucked I would keep the keys, but luckily both are good!

[Doc Jones]

both Timo and Alex make some very good points. I kind of went in the other direction - I have a TI desktop and use my novation x-station 25 for key input (when travelling). This is great for portability, but not so good when you want to work with more octaves (obviously). Like you, I am taking piano lessons, so for that, I picked up a studio logic 880 pro weighted key controller. It's 88 keys, it's heavy, it takes up a lot of room . . . and I love it. The key feel is identical to a real piano. I use it now as my main controller and only use the x-station when I am going on the road. So long story short, definitey give the polar/weighted keyboard some thought as well.

[Alf]

Thanks for all the relpys guys!!!!

I have decided to go for the full 61 key :)

Should be here in a week or 2, CANT WAIT !!!

[AlexHall74]

Good luck with your Virus!

Let us know how it goes !