Akai NAMM

[yayajohn]

http://www.akaipro.com/tradeshows/wnamm ... amm%202014
I'm generally not very interested in stuff not Scope related but,
Of note: The Wireless EWI 5000!!!! Wow! (Interesting how they didn't knickname it "WEWI" )
I was actually worried that the market for EWI's was fading but I guess not.
I travel extensively (day job not music related) and I've been carrying around an EWI 4000s for almost 3yrs now and I love it, haven't had any problems with it what-so-ever. The TSA used to make me pull it out of it's case everytime it was was scanned but rarely now so I think it's in the database. Having a real instrument to practice in a hotel room is a life saver, and I get to hook it up to Scope synths when I am at home.


Dan

[Nestor]

Really awesome!

[erminardi]

http://www.behringer.com/EN/Products/MOTOR-61.aspx

far better I guess...

[Bud Weiser]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GftWINuZDCc

ICON,- they make their own keyboard action !
Worth a try for sure.

Bud

[erminardi]

yes but Behringer wins always for price
and the motorized faders are a must...

[Bud Weiser]

yes but Behringer wins always for price

Yes, but not for reliability,- except the devices coming from pre-china production era, which you recognize at the power switch on 19" rackmount boxes p.ex..
My old 8-channel denoiser I use for my TX816 is a cool piece of gear and never failed,- my 2 Protector 8-channel limiters for my old and trusty Fostex R-8 reel-to-reel are too.

and the motorized faders are a must...

I´d say, the motorized faders are great if they are accurate over a long time and not so noisy.
The motorized faders on most products, not only Behringer, are noisy and not very precise.
The motorized faders on Behringer BCF are noisy and not very precise.
I like the BCR though.

For me, as a keyboard player, the action of a keyboard instrument is the most important because that´s the physical connectivity to the gear.
Up to now, the cheap actions in Behringer controllers weren´t for me,- same w/ AKAI.
Even the drumpads on the AKAIs were crap and had nothing to do with the quality of pads you found on the older MPC machines.

Anyway,- you get what you pay for.

I only know that the other ICON DAW controllers aren´t bad,- there´s more other crap out there.

Bud

[Marco]

First I want to play a piano on the keys, do I get the feeling? Not every Keyboard can do this.
I had a m-audio 88 pro, not transporting any feeling for a pianoplay, very bad. Same with the studiologic sledge, you cant play any piano! But piano is a must have!

[siriusbliss]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GftWINuZDCc

ICON,- they make their own keyboard action !
Worth a try for sure.

Bud

And Samplitude ready!

G

[Bud Weiser]

First I want to play a piano on the keys, do I get the feeling? Not every Keyboard can do this.

You don´t want that on a 37 / 49 or 61 synth action, semi weighted or not.
You want a fully weighted action, probably graded hammer too for piano/e-piano.

I had a m-audio 88 pro, not transporting any feeling for a pianoplay, very bad. Same with the studiologic sledge, you cant play any piano! But piano is a must have!

Kawai VPC-1 seems to be the best studio-controller for virtual piano instruments (physical modelling or sample library).
But you need something on top incl. haptics for the synths, organ etc..
Unfortunately,- the market for these controllers is filled w/ crap.
Most people overlook the pivot point of the keys, so when you play a cord in a specific key and fingers are at the end of the keys, you have a hard time to trigger the note.
Now think about playing fast runs, trills or staccato chords w/ that crappy mechanics.
But that´s not all, also the sliders, rotarys and knobs are mostly cheapo material and is worn out very fast.

All these products are made for programmers, not players.

Bud

[dawman]

The Akai's seem to have the right amount of options though for smaller units.

I would kill for a rebirth of the Kurzweil MIDI Board w/ 4 x zones, polyphonic aftertouch, USB and MIDI simultaneously, Ribbon, 3 x Wheels, 8/16 PAT capable Pads, with custom destinations.......

The older I get the more determind I am to make my own. Livid sells Elements to build DIY MIDI controllers, Euro Rack adaptable.
Imagine 6 of those racked above a big 88 carved out shell, where you can choose the keybed, etc.

I hate every real Piano I ever played, and every Master MIDI Controller keyboard too, I hated playing keyboards since I was young and forced to play in the parade on an accordian, wearing gay apparel. I loved the action on my DaVinci Concertina...
Wierd I ended up doing this crap my entire life not ever liking the action.

My Oberheim synth had these crappy springs, and I was always shocked at the 3800 USD costs and such shitty action.

I am a whining beotch...

[Nestor]

First I want to play a piano on the keys, do I get the feeling? Not every Keyboard can do this.
I had a m-audio 88 pro, not transporting any feeling for a pianoplay, very bad. Same with the studiologic sledge, you cant play any piano! But piano is a must have!

I think this depends on the way you have learned to play the piano in the first place. People that have learned to play in plastic electric devices feel the opposite than you feel, that is: they are uncomfortable with real pianos and simulations of the like For musicality, nevertheless, the “real feel” is a superior choice and it gives you a much accurate playing too. There are several very good keyboard-MIDI-interfaces with the real feel of a piano today, but they are always much more expensive.

This one is great to be used as a MIDI Keyboard, and you may find it cheap:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZvRr8TibUWU

[Marco]

Hi Dan

I first played Keyboard on a dx7II, this was very good for me, after selling it, I had a crap of plastic shit Keyboards. After years I bought a real Grand piano, since this Moment my life changed, the Action is more human adapted I think, I never played better than with anything else. But after years I bought a yamaha epiano 2005, It gave me not the same Sound like a real piano, but the Keaboard was perfectly adapted to human fingers. After this, I can practice on the electric piano too.

[yayajohn]

Hi Dan

I first played Keyboard on a dx7II, this was very good for me, after selling it, I had a crap of plastic shit Keyboards. After years I bought a real Grand piano, since this Moment my life changed, the Action is more human adapted I think, I never played better than with anything else. But after years I bought a yamaha epiano 2005, It gave me not the same Sound like a real piano, but the Keaboard was perfectly adapted to human fingers. After this, I can practice on the electric piano too.

What model yamaha?

[Bud Weiser]

I would kill for a rebirth of the Kurzweil MIDI Board w/ 4 x zones, polyphonic aftertouch, USB and MIDI simultaneously, Ribbon, 3 x Wheels, 8/16 PAT capable Pads, with custom destinations...

We both are lokking in a different department anyway.
All the small MIDI controllers which now are called "masterkeyboard" suck more or less.
All the actions suck,- trigger point too deep, pivot point wrong because of keys being too short overall, noisy, keys are cheap and can break and so on.

The ICON would be the only one I´m willing to check out just only because they make their own action.

Back to our demands ...

The Physis Piano K4 and K5 masterkeyboards will be the only ones we accept.
I hope these will be in stores soon because I´d need to touch it´s faders, knobs and play it´s 2 different actions for the 88 note and 76 note solutions.

I fear you didn´t make it to NAMM and tested it,- right ?

Bud

[Bud Weiser]

I first played Keyboard on a dx7II, this was very good for me, after selling it, I had a crap of plastic shit Keyboards.

I still have a DX7mkII and a KX76 and these are the fastest triggering synth actions ever,- you fly over ´em.
Next best synth action for me is the one of my Kurzweil PC361.
I still use my Rhodes MK80 for fully weighted action, I´m familiar w/ it and it plays well after a cheap overhaul and clean job.

But I also fancy Yamaha CP-4 Stage and/or one of the Physis Piano K4 or K5 masterkeyboard models.

Bud