Best 37 midi keyboard?

[nevermind25]

Need to buy a 37 keyboard with the best key action. Don't care about additional features, like knobs, faders, pads. Deciding between Korg Microkey2-37 and IK Multimedia iRig Keys 37 / Pro. Heard that the korg has a very decend key action with good velocity response, despite the keys being in mini format, but people seem to be liking the iRig just as much.

 

[anotherscott]

"best action" can depend on your use. The CME XKey Air has polyphonic aftertouch.

 

[Biggles]

Welcome.

I had a play on a Korg last year and it seemed OK with a nice feel to the keys but they are small and I mean really small.

Cannot comment on the iRig.

Can I ask why you specify 37 keys as that does limit the products available?

 

[happyrat1]

Try the Arturia Keystep. Only 32 keys, but amazingly good keybed for a mini key controller. They use Fatar keybeds.

Gary

 

[nevermind25]

"best action" can depend on your use. The CME XKey Air has polyphonic aftertouch.

yeah, that's out of my budget, but seems like a nice keyboard)

 

[nevermind25]

Welcome.

I had a play on a Korg last year and it seemed OK with a nice feel to the keys but they are small and I mean really small.

Cannot comment on the iRig.

Can I ask why you specify 37 keys as that does limit the products available?

thanks for comment on korg. i'm looking at 37 range because my work space is limited, i had a 61 keyboard before but ended up selling it because it was just very uncomfortable to use on my table. i feel like 25 keys is just way too limiting, but 37 seems to be the right middle ground between compact and providing enough range for me.

 

[nevermind25]

Try the Arturia Keystep. Only 32 keys, but amazingly good keybed for a mini key controller. They use Fatar keybeds.

Gary

thanks a lot, i'll look for more info about it

 

[SeaGtGruff]

There sure isn't much in the way of 37-note keyboards, is there? At least, not with full-size keys. It's kind of weird that controllers typically jump from 25 keys to 49 keys, then 61 keys, because it leaves a gaping hole between 25 and 49. I've considered getting an iRig KEYS Pro, so if you do decide to get one-- or even if you just find one on display in a store that you get a chance to try out-- please do post about it.

 

[Biggles]

I am going on a tour of the Manchester shops on Tuesday so will look out for an iRig, a music store in the City Centre has a fair amount of iRig and Korg kit, its the store where I played the Korg Micro-key.

Will take images and post a review of anything interesting I find.

Note to self, as my Mrs is off to London for the day I am free to roam, and I must not buy anything expensive!!!!

 

[nevermind25]

There sure isn't much in the way of 37-note keyboards, is there? At least, not with full-size keys. It's kind of weird that controllers typically jump from 25 keys to 49 keys, then 61 keys, because it leaves a gaping hole between 25 and 49. I've considered getting an iRig KEYS Pro, so if you do decide to get one-- or even if you just find one on display in a store that you get a chance to try out-- please do post about it.

okay, today i've been to a music store and tried the keys on a few keyboards, and... well, i'm really disappointed with iRIg Keys Pro, they feel very cheap, like on a kid's toy synth. the korg is also not very good. first of all, keys are indeed very small, but not just shorter, also thinner, the black keys are about 4-5mm, it's insane. the action was a little better than on irig, but still leaves a lot to be desired. keep in mind, i didn't have an opportunity to connect them to anything to check the way they respond to velocity, i can only tell about the feel. there weren't a lot more midi keyboards there. but among what was there, the action of alesis v keyboard felt the best out of the bunch, sad thing for me is that alesis has no 37 variants. i'll consider getting one of those. just 25 or 49 isn't ideal for me... also i didn't have a chance to check the komplete kontrol a25/49 keyboard, i heard people say that komple kontrol keyboards have very good keys, although i heard that about big s61/88 variants with hammer keys, a25/49 and upcoming m32 have spring action as far as i know. maybe m32 will be a good choice though, but it's not in shops yet. someone here recommended here an arturia keystep. also didn't have a chance to try it out today.

 

[SeaGtGruff]

It’s outside of your budget, but there’s also the 37-key Alesis Vortex keytar.

Edit — Sorry, I guess you mentioned it in your post? It somehow missed my eye.

Edit — Or I guess you weren’t talking about the keytar, were you? Anyway, if you don’t want to play it like a keytar then I suppose you could make a stand for it so you can play it like a regular keyboard. (I’m assuming its bottom side might not be designed for lying down flat like a regular keyboard which is why a custom-built stand for it might be necessary.)

 

[nevermind25]

It’s outside of your budget, but there’s also the 37-key Alesis Vortex keytar.

Edit — Sorry, I guess you mentioned it in your post? It somehow missed my eye.

Edit — Or I guess you weren’t talking about the keytar, were you? Anyway, if you don’t want to play it like a keytar then I suppose you could make a stand for it so you can play it like a regular keyboard. (I’m assuming its bottom side might not be designed for lying down flat like a regular keyboard which is why a custom-built stand for it might be necessary.)

no, i didn't mention this one anywhere. seems like a very nice keytar, but yeah, 1 - out of my budget, 2 - not really for my needs. i'd prefer something more conventional. i'm looking for a compact solution, but this thing isn't really compact thanks to that tail on the side)

 

[nevermind25]

alright, i'll probably buy the alesis v49. i really like the semi-weighted key action on it. 49 isn't ideal for me, since it takes more space than i'd prefer, and this one is even longer due to the side panel, but it's right on the edge of what i could tolerate on my desktop, .
also heard some people praise Icon iKeyboards, but i don't have any in my country, can order from abroad, but can't try it out, it's described as semi-weighted, but i can't find any thorough info on how exactly it feels, spongy-squishy, or solid like alesis.

 

[Biggles]

DO NOT buy the Alesis.

I bought one of the V models (a V49 as it happens) and it was terrible. Whilst the action felt OK just out of the box or in store when I tried before I bought, once I connected it up and played ythe velocities were all over the place, play one note hard and I got a quiet note, play another note soft and gentle and it was so loud my ears bled (a tad of exaggeration there maybe but you get the picture). It was totally useless for any serious music.

So I sold it on and am still looking for another and I have a Keylab and an Arturia at the top of my shopping list which is one of the reasons why I am going shopping on Tuesday to have a play at what is on display.

 

[nevermind25]

DO NOT buy the Alesis.

I bought one of the V models (a V49 as it happens) and it was terrible. Whilst the action felt OK just out of the box or in store when I tried before I bought, once I connected it up and played ythe velocities were all over the place, play one note hard and I got a quiet note, play another note soft and gentle and it was so loud my ears bled (a tad of exaggeration there maybe but you get the picture). It was totally useless for any serious music.

So I sold it on and am still looking for another and I have a Keylab and an Arturia at the top of my shopping list which is one of the reasons why I am going shopping on Tuesday to have a play at what is on display.

holy sheesh that's terrible to hear... omg, i'm lost at this point then...

 

[anotherscott]

Now that you're looking at 49s, I'd look at Samson Graphite 49 and Behringer Motor49.

 

[nevermind25]

Now that you're looking at 49s, I'd look at Samson Graphite 49 and Behringer Motor49.

behringer sure seems like a very cool thing with it's motorized faders and installed memory for their position, but thing is i don't really need knobs and faders, i don't do live playing, i sit down and slowly compose, and i prefer to use mouse to tweak everything, i don't really tweak anything during recording a part, so all those fancy features would just be there without me using them really. so the only thing that is really important to me is that keys feel nice. i like when keys are hard to press and aren't squishy. unless i have a chance to try a keyboard out in person i'm not going to be sure if i'll like the keys. sadly, i don't have any of either behringer motor or samson graphite in town(.

 

[anotherscott]

Feel can be subjective, but FWIW, I thought the Samson Carbon felt awful and the Graphite felt quite nice.

 

[happyrat1]

I REALLY cannot emphasize enough how well built the Arturia Keystep is!!

It has a solid metal chassis, a Fatar keybed and built in sequencer and arpeggiators.

It sells for a reasonable amount and I have owned controllers from M-Audio and Alesis in the past and the Arturia has the best action of any of them bar none!

If you require a mini controller then do yourself a favor and get one!

Gary

 

[nevermind25]

I REALLY cannot emphasize enough how well built the Arturia Keystep is!!

It has a solid metal chassis, a Fatar keybed and built in sequencer and arpeggiators.

It sells for a reasonable amount and I have owned controllers from M-Audio and Alesis in the past and the Arturia has the best action of any of them bar none!

If you require a mini controller then do yourself a favor and get one!

Gary

alright, i'll think about it again. doesn't it have mini keys? just, when i saw the size of minikeys on korg microkey and akai miniplay i was really put off because they were not just shorter but also very thin. i don't have fat fingers, but even for my slim hands black keys with 5mm thickness is nuts. if the arturia keystep's keys aren't thin like that then that'll be very good.