MIDI keyboard

[Whit30]

HI all. Registered to get a little advice as I’m considering a kinda special purpose midi keyboard.
Not looking for a DAW/software controller necessarily, I have that covered for my needs with a little 25 key job.

I’m looking for something to trigger 2-3 Yamaha Refaces Via standard 5 pin midi. CP piano, YP organ, CS synth. Great sounds in these things but I can’t really get on with the mini keys. Just want something with full sized keys to jam on the Refaces with.

Right now I’m using an old KorgX5D synth. The keys on it are pretty good actually as far as sensitivity goes, but their travel is kinda short and I’d like to upgrade the feel to something a bit more piano like without going to the extreme of fully weighted piano action. Something closer to the feel of the Fatar keys on my Grandmother.

the basic criteria:
1. at least 61 nice playing full sized keys with velocity/aftertouch, with a more pro feel than the old Korg
2. mod and pitch wheels
3. regular 5 pin midi out
All the other typical bells and whistles for daw/computer use like programable knobs, faders, pads, usb midi, etc are nice but that’s not really what I wanna pay for. I want to put the money more to a pro key feel more than that stuff.

budget would depend on how high I’d have to go to get a better keybed than the old Korg, which again isn’t bad, just a kinda shallow throw. Back in the day it kinda split the diff between amateur/hobby gear and top of the line pro equipment. Guess I’d spend up to $500 or so if the action beat the old XD. Otherwise I guess I’ll just stick with what I have.

 

[Whit30]

A few models I’m looking at are the

Alesis V161-full sized keys,semi weighted, velocity and aftertouch, pitch bend and mod wheels, midi out $299
Novation LauchKey 61 MK3-Synth action, velocity only, midi out, pitch & mod wheels $279
M-Audio 61MK3-semi weighted, pitch & mod, velocity only, midi out $199
Arturia Essential 61-Synth action, velocity only, pitch & mod, midi out $279

So hard to know how much of an upgrade if any these are without playing them.
The old Korg has velocity and aftertouch, so looks like out of these I’d want to try the Alesis and the M- Audio

If anybody has any experience with these or similar I’d appreciate your input, thanks.

 

[Biggles]

Welcome

Drop the Arturia, or upgrade your choice. The Essential keybed sucks, its wooly, has indifferent responses and the whole keyboard feels cheap and nasty.

I tried a Launchkey just before Covid hit and it seemed a well made keyboard with a pretty good feel to the keybed, next to it was an Impulse that felt even better and the spec says that this model has assignable aftertouch.

Cannot comment on the M Audio unless you are referring to the Keystation which I tried and discounted due to its power hungry issues, keybed feel reflected in its cost. The Oxygen keybeds though do get good reviews and recommended on this forum.

 

[Whit30]

@Biggles
Thanks so much for the quick response!
Assume the Impulse is a Novation product?
Ill look into those and the Oxygen.
thanks again for helping me narrow things down.

 

[Whit30]

Another issue has come up with a lot of these devices-power.
Seems most of them are only powered by usb, with no 9v wall wart or on and off switch.
I wanna be able to plug it in a power strip and leave it and turn it on and off with a power switch.
Dont want to always have some rechargeable power device like a laptop or rechargeable usb thingy to worry about Keeping charged up.

 

[Biggles]

It was the M Audio that I tried that needed its own powered USB socket, it would not run connected up to my Laptop or iPad.

So do check the power requirements of the short listed keyboards.

 

[happyrat1]

Take a look at Monoprice controllers on Amazon.

Great value for the money.

 

[Biggles]

Good to have you back Gary.

 

[happyrat1]

Just lurking.

Gary.