OT: Plz suggest a good 88-key midi controller for my studio

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Styles Bitchly
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OT: Plz suggest a good 88-key midi controller for my studio

Post by Styles Bitchly » Mon Feb 14, 2011 3:28 am

I'm getting into doing my own keys work a bit more these days using VSTi pianos and organs for backing tracks. I'd like to pick up a nice 88-key midi controller with superb touch sensitivity and preferably weighted keys...none of that plastic junk or toy-like stuff you see with Casio's, some Yamaha's, etc. Additional features to control patches, etc. would be nice. Lastly, USB connection is desirable. Any suggestions? Cost isn't an issue. Thanks. :)

ubermnd
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Re: OT: Plz suggest a good 88-key midi controller for my studio

Post by ubermnd » Mon Feb 14, 2011 9:34 am

i've had some of these before. solid build and excellent action.

http://www.cme-pro.com/en/product-list.php?bc=2

fishmonkey
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Re: OT: Plz suggest a good 88-key midi controller for my studio

Post by fishmonkey » Mon Feb 14, 2011 11:48 am

ubermnd wrote:i've had some of these before. solid build and excellent action.

http://www.cme-pro.com/en/product-list.php?bc=2
the problem with CME stuff is shit firmware and crappy technical support...

worth considering as basic cheap controller keyboards, but don't get one if you want to depend on any of the more complicated features that they tout...

ubermnd
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Re: OT: Plz suggest a good 88-key midi controller for my studio

Post by ubermnd » Mon Feb 14, 2011 2:14 pm

fair but i have never had any issues with it. the keyboards i used were simply control keyboards. i have other controllers for everything else. having owned several weighted keyboards over the years i think they are pretty spot on for the price. you are right about the extended feature sets so maybe these wouldn't be right.

Cezband
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Re: OT: Plz suggest a good 88-key midi controller for my studio

Post by Cezband » Mon Feb 14, 2011 3:26 pm

if cost's not an issue, and playability is top priority, just buy a really nice digital piano. Pretty much all of them do the USB midi control thang these days.

It won't sort you out for knobs and sliders, but as far as I can tell from the research that I've done (and I've done a little bit of snooping) you can either get good piano feel or assloads of controls, but never both. Maybe someone can prove me wrong. :(
Live 7.0.18 | Axiom 61 | Launchpad | Homous | Nanokontrol | Saffire 6 | Ibanez Jazzmaster Bass | Biscuits
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Styles Bitchly
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Re: OT: Plz suggest a good 88-key midi controller for my studio

Post by Styles Bitchly » Mon Feb 14, 2011 4:04 pm

I was looking at those M-Audio Key-Station Pro units. That's kinda what I'm looking for, at least in appearance. Are they crap?

Cezband
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Re: OT: Plz suggest a good 88-key midi controller for my studio

Post by Cezband » Mon Feb 14, 2011 4:36 pm

I haven't played the Keystation Pro (local shop doesn't have them :( ) but I've read a lot of good things. Last I checked, they were the cheapest hammer-action weighted keyboards you can get. Apparently the in-built piano sound is reasonably tasty too. Just don't confuse it with the Keystation ES (semi-weighted).

Of course, this is all second-hand information...I'd love to try one out because I'm very interested in getting one too but apparently Oxford is too snooty to stock anything other than ridiculous uprights made in Germany... :( Sorry dude!
Live 7.0.18 | Axiom 61 | Launchpad | Homous | Nanokontrol | Saffire 6 | Ibanez Jazzmaster Bass | Biscuits
Soundcloud (solo stuff) | One Gear Go (my band)

rikhyray
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Re: OT: Plz suggest a good 88-key midi controller for my studio

Post by rikhyray » Mon Feb 14, 2011 5:41 pm

Probably the best you can get are Doepfers
http://www.doepfer.de/home_e.htm
Akai, Roland, Yamaha have some good 88 keys
M audio is bit cheesy (the chassis flexes). CME not too bad for money, forget about its USB- unless you write drivers yourself , OK using regular midi.

Styles Bitchly
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Re: OT: Plz suggest a good 88-key midi controller for my studio

Post by Styles Bitchly » Mon Feb 14, 2011 5:53 pm

rikhyray wrote:Probably the best you can get are Doepfers
http://www.doepfer.de/home_e.htm
Akai, Roland, Yamaha have some good 88 keys
M audio is bit cheesy (the chassis flexes). CME not too bad for money, forget about its USB- unless you write drivers yourself , OK using regular midi.
Man, thanks for that link to the Doepfer site. They've got some awesome gear! I wasn't aware of them but I'm going to have to absolutely buy some of their stuff.

rote fahne
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Re: OT: Plz suggest a good 88-key midi controller for my studio

Post by rote fahne » Tue Feb 15, 2011 11:03 am

I bought a fatar studiologic 880 some years ago, for 280 pounds sterling.

The new version is 990, you can buy for about 450 euro's.

They are hammeraction and very solid.

I agree, the Doepfer are much nicer, but more expensive as well.

http://www.fatar.com/studiologic/pages/intro_cat.htm

I actually never used it. :lol: It plays a little too heavy for my feeling.

And now I stopped making music. :lol:

If you lived here you could pick it up at my home for 50 euros.

I live just outside Amsterdam.

I am not going to sent it anywhere, cause the thing weighs 20 kilograms, and I dont have a car.

Sent me pm if you are interested.

rote fahne
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Re: OT: Plz suggest a good 88-key midi controller for my studio

Post by rote fahne » Tue Feb 15, 2011 4:48 pm

rote fahne wrote:I bought a fatar studiologic 880 some years ago, for 280 pounds sterling.

The new version is 990, you can buy for about 450 euro's.

They are hammeraction and very solid.

I agree, the Doepfer are much nicer, but more expensive as well.

http://www.fatar.com/studiologic/pages/intro_cat.htm

I actually never used it. :lol: It plays a little too heavy for my feeling.

And now I stopped making music. :lol:

If you lived here you could pick it up at my home for 50 euros.

I live just outside Amsterdam.

I am not going to sent it anywhere, cause the thing weighs 20 kilograms, and I dont have a car.

Sent me pm if you are interested.
I got one reaktion, so the keyboard is reserviert to that person.

rikhyray
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Re: OT: Plz suggest a good 88-key midi controller for my studio

Post by rikhyray » Tue Feb 15, 2011 5:23 pm

Doepfer uses Fatar keys, so does Novation, Clavia and many other companies. There are different qualities/prices of Fatar keys and Doepfer uses the top. The industrial Doepfer look is not everyones taste, probably the most widely used Fatar keys, specially by touring pros are the Clavia keyboards.
The controllers labeled Fatar were never that great,suffering from flexy chassis and other issues, I guess another reason why they started to market the complete controllers under different name (studiologic), keeping the brand name Fatar exclusively for "raw" keyboards.

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