Arturia Keylab 88 (love it!)

[Prime Mover]

Just got an Arturia Keylab 88 the other day, and I'll put out a shout for it... great unit, better made than expected, flawless operation, LOTS of features. But one of the best things is the integrated laptop tray. This is the most ergonomic way I've ever worked with a keyboard and a laptop, it positions the computer almost exactly where I need it to be, my hands aren't tilted or too high like other workflows, good for long hours!

I've been mostly setting it up for live stage usage with MainStage, so I haven't tried it with DP yet, I'm a little unclear how I'm going to use relative encoders in DP (if possible), but I'm actually not a huge controller freak (and I prefer faders by a lot anyway), though it should be interesting to explore.

After 16 years of using my old Alesis QS8, I feel like I'm finally joining the 21st century!

[bayswater]

Agreed. I needed a new keyboard a while before the 88 was announced and got a Keylab 61. If I had to do it now I'd pay the extra for the 88.

The latest update of Logic (10.2.2) will automatically map the controls on the Keylab 61 to the Logic screen controls. Perhaps there is or will be an update to Mainstage that will do the same with the 88.

[MIDI Life Crisis]

Nice!

[musicman691]

I've started looking for a new controller as the key action in my old Motif 7 is getting stickier and stickier as the days go by. I've had it apart to try and fix it and that helps for a little bit but after a few days things go south again. Was looking at this Arturia keyboard and I like most of what it does and the Fatar actions are golden but.........

There's one major thing I don't like and that's with the pitch bend and mod wheels up where they are. Simply not comfortable for me for long term use. I make major use of the mod wheel in particular for switching Leslie speeds as well as for more normal mod wheel uses. With the wheels up there I have to tilt my arm up at an awkward angle so I don't hit the octave buttons below them (been there/done that on a trial). And this is a shame because I like so much this keyboard does.

[Gravity Jim]

There's one major thing I don't like and that's with the pitch bend and mod wheels up where they are. Simply not comfortable for me for long term use. .

That is odd. My KeyLab 49 has the octave buttons above the wheels, as you'd prefer. But it's not 88 keys (I have a Yamaha for that).

I really love my KeyLab, too. I managed to break one of the stop cleats inside the keybed, called Arturia, and was amazed to find the keybeds have a three year warranty! They're sending me a new one for self-install. Big ups.

[MIDI Life Crisis]

I just hate it when mod wheels spring back to center position. Put a notch in so you can find it but most often I want to maintain the mod wheel setting and free my hand up for something else.

[stubbsonic]

I've started looking for a new controller as the key action in my old Motif 7 is getting stickier and stickier as the days go by.

I've got one of the new VAX MIDI controllers on the way. Should arrive in the next month or two. If you aren't in a rush, you can hang on and I'll post a detailed review after I get mine. I am taking quite a few things on faith (and based on other people's very adamant recommendations)-- but the price was good (kickstarter backers got a great deal). A few improvements in the design brought the price up a bit, but it is still a great deal.

A few features: high-resolution velocity measured at the hammer and not the key; polyphonic aftertouch; affordable; all hardware and software open-sourced for third party enhancements; USB plus MIDI DIN i/o; and, it is configured to play nice with MainStage.

http://vaxmidi.com

[musicman691]

I just hate it when mod wheels spring back to center position. Put a notch in so you can find it but most often I want to maintain the mod wheel setting and free my hand up for something else.

The Korg device does that; it's not really a mod wheel and not really a joystick either - some kind of lever thingy. Now pitch bend I like with the spring.

[MIDI Life Crisis]

Pitch bends HAS TO return to 0. I don't know anybody who can get it right on the nose...

[daniel.sneed]

When we're at it: *some* keyboards' pitch bend DO NOT return to perfect 0.
That is to say each time you make a bend, your tuning gets off by a few cents. And that is a real pita...

[stubbsonic]

I really enjoyed the smaller pitch & mod ribbons on the SP76. I had other complaints about that keyboard, but thought that part was really cool.

[bayswater]

When we're at it: *some* keyboards' pitch bend DO NOT return to perfect 0.
That is to say each time you make a bend, your tuning gets off by a few cents. And that is a real pita...

My K2000 did that. But a shot of isopropyl alcohol fixes it.

[MIDI Life Crisis]

When we're at it: *some* keyboards' pitch bend DO NOT return to perfect 0.
That is to say each time you make a bend, your tuning gets off by a few cents. And that is a real pita...

My K2000 did that. But a shot of isopropyl alcohol fixes it.

Two shots and you can't tell the difference between any two notes (nor do you care).

[musicman691]

When we're at it: *some* keyboards' pitch bend DO NOT return to perfect 0.
That is to say each time you make a bend, your tuning gets off by a few cents. And that is a real pita...

Is that with the internal sounds or a vi? I've had that happen with some vi's and the pitch bend in my Motif 7. Even though the bend does return to zero according to snoize MIDI monitor there are some vi's that don't always return to zero with the bend wheel at rest (the internal sounds of the Motif are okay in this regard).

[Shooshie]

When we're at it: *some* keyboards' pitch bend DO NOT return to perfect 0.
That is to say each time you make a bend, your tuning gets off by a few cents. And that is a real pita...

My K2000 did that. But a shot of isopropyl alcohol fixes it.

My K2600 is 14 years old now, and its pitch bend still returns to Zero. Could be luck, but I'd guess they put some design into that.

Side-story: I keep the K2600 in a drawer under a desktop that folds back to form a full-length lyre. There's a piano-hinge joint right over the middle of the K that runs full length. Recently our kittens got up on my desk and turned over a full glass of Coca Cola, some of which ran through the hinge and onto the Kurzweil. It ended up running or dripping between the keys. I'm worried about the long-term effects of a glass of Coke in your Kurzweil, though I did pour out all I could (possibly running it once more through any parts that it passed through on the way down), and it didn't seem like there was that much in it. Most had gone on the floor. Talk about a fuming, steaming cat owner!!! I got so mad at them that they did it again just for spite! Yep, a 2nd glass. Mostly just ice and a little melted ice water in the bottom that time, but it's the thought that counts. Yes, my cats love me! (They really do; who can blame them for wanting to turn over a glass of sweet fizzy liquid with those cubes of cold stuff?) Anyway, I'm doing some soul searching... Kittens or Kurzweil? If it survives, maybe both. At least, it missed the mod wheel and pitch bend.

Shoosh