petal wrote:
So, in short, I'm looking for a midi capable keyboard with sloppy/well-used hammer mechanics feel. Any suggestions

?
Cheers,
Thomas
There are several options, depending on your needs and budget.
Do you want internal sounds,- something like a digital piano or workstation type keyboard acting as your MIDI controller or do you want a controller only ?
The best controller without internal sounds, no sliders, knobs and buttons but w/ a dedicated piano action out there might be the
KAWAI VPC-1 which is also great looking in a studio.
It´s build to play virtual instruments and comes w/ velocity curves for serveral hi end piano sample libraries as well as Modart Pianoteq physical modelling piano software.
Just introduced @NAMM and now on Musikmesse is the
Physis (Piano)
K4 which comes w/ a graded hammer Fatar action and it´s a fully fletched masterkeyboard for DAW- and live- usage.
It will be available in may.
Later there will come a 76 keys version w/ a lighter touch but also weighted hammer keybed.
I think the difference will be somewhat Fatar TP40GH wood vs TP40H (subdevisions: L or M = light or medium weighted)
There are more options in the DP department:
Cheapest w/ great action is
CASIO PX-5S for about a grand in EUR or less in dollars.
Disadvantage,- no expression pedal input so you need a Midisolutions Pedal Controller unit to attach a expression pedal for outgoing MIDI.
Otherwise the PX-5S has all you need and sounds great itself too, covering all the bread & butter stuff not included in SCOPE.
Yamaha CP-4 Stage is an idea too as well as
Studiologic NUMA Concert ...
I haven´t played it because it´s brand new,- but the most promising "budget" digital piano to me is the
KAWAI MP7 !!!
Comes for EUR 1.499.- and will get a bit cheaper after some time I think.
But it kills already for the actual price because it´s triple sensor keybed like the CASIO PX-5S as also 256 voice polyphony, but offers all the pedal and switch connectors needed in a MIDI controller and great sounds too.
MIDI masterkeyboard features in KAWAI stage pianos are excellent and these are very easy to learn instruments in addition,- practically self explaining.
There´s also the heavier MP11 which is also much more expensive so the bang for the buck is the MP7 as were the MP6 vs the MP10 years ago.
Kawai makes their own actions and their acoustic pianos are sampled for every note and in 6 or more velocity layers,- so it´s only a matter of taste if you prefer Kawai or another brand digital piano.
You can go higher quality and then get 2-5% better sound but pay twice the price.
The internal sounds are always cool and good enough for gigging and in the studio, when not being satisfied, you can use software as the alternative.
The MP7 DP is cheaper than the VPC-1 is !
hope this helps
Bud