Help picking out a new keyboard, please!

[sweetdiss]

Hello!

I recently bought the MO8 and it is fantastic! It's perfect in my studio.

However, I'd like another smaller, more portable keyboard for taking with me to live performances with my band.

Since I'm used to regular pianos and my MO8, though, I don't want one that doesn't have weighted or semi-weighted keys.

So here's my question - Is there any such thing as a keyboard that is both portable (61 keys would be perfect) AND has weighted or semi-weighted keys?

Thank you!

 

[Sargas]

As far as I know, 88-key keyboards are the only ones with weighted keys. However, there are quite a few keyboards with fewer keys that are semi-weighted. Though I'm not sure if it's mostly 76/73-key keyboards, or if it's common among 61-key boards as well. I'll see if I can find something online.

Okey, I'm done researching, and I actually found way more than I expected. At first sight, there seemed like there was no such thing as a semi-weighed (or weighted) 61-key keyboard, but then I started looking into MIDI controllers, and found quite a lot (I actually think some of the ones I found are a bit more than just a controller, but I'm not 100% sure)

I kinda forgot to change the language on the site, so some things are in swedish, but the most important text is still in English at least

Korg M3-61
Kurzweil PC361
CME UF60
Novation Remote 61 SL
Novation Remote 61 SL MKII
M-Audio Axiom 61

And this one surely surprised me the most, I never thought I would find anything like this....:

Fatar VMK-161 Plus

I've reaaally never heard of a 61-key WEIGHTED keyboard before, I was pretty sure they didn't exist :S.... Oh well, seems like I was wrong.

As you never mentioned either budget or if you wanted to use it on its own, or as a controller, I gave you pretty much everything I found

Hope it helped

 

[sweetdiss]

Thank you for your detailed and helpful response! I really appreciate it! : )

Here's some more information -

I'll be using it primarily for live performances.. I'm not even sure exactly what a "controller" keyboard does! I'd just like to be able to plug it into an amp on stage and go, so I don't need any midi or computer-y features. Also, I'd like it to have a nice selection of voices (organs, pianos, synths...)

As far as budget goes, I'd rather not spend any more than, say, $600. That MO8 was a pretty big purchase for me and I'm just looking for something small that sounds good on stage.

Also - I've been reading about "graded hammer action" keys and things similar to that... what does that mean? How does that compare to weighted? I guess by weighted or semi-weighted, what I mean is I don't want the light, flimsy keys that you get on boards that cost $100. I just want the keyboard to "feel" somewhat like a real piano...

Thanks again!
- Nate

PS - Also, I suppose it doesn't have to be 61 keys. 76 would be fine, too... the main concern is how heavy the thing is! I'd even take an 88 if it were fairly light to carry around...

 

[jpscoey]

Hi there Nate,

I posted a reply to this same question you asked on keyboard player forums... I ain't gonna re-type all - you can read it there !!!

 

[sweetdiss]

Hahaha, hello again jpscoey! I thought I'd get more information if I tried to cast a wider net! : )