M-Audio Keystation Pro 88.

[npatton]

The S90ES is, unfortunately, not my favorite action. I love the sound, but it's hard to get repeated notes to play properly (trills, turns, and rapid repeated notes). I would also prefer a graded action. Haven't found it all in one package that I can afford, though...

n

[daniel.sneed]

It seems that Fatar has got good very revues everywhere.
Specially when it comes to action and velocity.

The new 88 graded hammer master keyboard *VMK-188 plus* is made also in 76 and 61 notes (all hammer !) with many controlers included.
All them are moderate prices.

http://www.studiologic.net/VMK-188plus.html

[mhschmieder]

I'm actually buying one of those in a few minutes, as long as it's in stock. I was going to hold out for the Kurzweil PC3X to see if its brand-new action meets my requirements, but now that it's been pushed back to end of January 2008 (at the earliest) my almost-two-year wait to replace my 88-key board has tested its patience to the limit. Besides which, I imagine the PC3X will probably have balanced hammer action, and be buggy initially.

The other side of the equation is pedals. I need tri-pedals and now there are three where there used to be none (ten years ago). The CME GPP-3 seems buggy and quirky but the most powerful and flexible. Wanting stability, I am inclined to go for the Studiologic tri-pedals, but must once again review my forum printouts on the caveats related to it only having two output jacks (there is a workaround involving a soldering iron). The GEM tri-pedals for the Promega and PRP series are my backup plan at this point (3 dedicated outs; whereas the CME can also instead send via MIDI).

It is hard to find controllers, keyboards, and modules that can accept all three inputs from traditional tri-pedals -- although most modern synths at least accept the MIDI CC's and interpret them in their voice programming.

Polarity is still an issue even with continuous or segmented (vs. strictly on/off) damper/sustain pedals, as it affects whether the numbers go from 0 to 127 or vice-versa (please correct me if I am wrong). Studiologic's tri-pedals come both ways and I'm not sure which one to get, if that's the way I go.

The other issue of course is the degree of resolution of the pedals. I have to check my notes which are buried right now (and which are the only thing holding up my Studiologic VMK188plus and pedals order), but I think all three pedals on the Studiologic board are continuous, that the GEM pedals (or maybe simply the piano modules and how they interpret the pedals) have up to 5 or 7 discreet levels strictly for the damper pedal (with simple on/off for sostenuto and unacorda), and that the CME pedals are all three continuous but quirky in how they jump values (like their keyboards).

[SixStringGeek]

Anybody played a CME VX8? These things look awesome - and they're Red! That is so rock!

I wonder how the feel is. Of course, for the price you could get 2 Keystation Pro 88's and a case of beer, but, look, its red! With MOTORIZED faders! And little velocity sensitive finger triggers too.

http://www.cme-pro.com/en/product-detai ... oduct_id=9

[mhschmieder]

I had the CME UF8 -- waiting on the VX8 (which was vapourware for over 18 months) is the main reason I've been without an 88-board for so long (it was supposedly "on its way from the warehouse to the stores" when I sold my UF8 ).

I liked the feel, but it's noisy. And I had the "sticky key" problem that CME is notorious for, based on a poor choice of lubricating gels/liquids. This is OK at home as you can do a few full keyboard swipes )don't cut your hands!), but at a gig, it could be a BIG problem if one hadn't verified each key was "unstuck" first.

Originally people were saying the VX8 was just more features, but more recently I have heard that it actually has an improved action.

Keyboard magazine's roundup of controllers from February 2007 is excellent, and gives top marks to the Studiologic VMK series followed by the CME series. CME's action is a bit lighter and quicker, so that made me nervous about the VMKplus as double-strikes, triple-strikes, etc. are a major part of my playing (especially when doing Brasilian styles). Yet I have heard elsewhere that the VMK escapement is similar to an acoustic piano and that it simply takes "learning" the action and adjusting one's attack and release times to get proper multiple-triggers.

The CME and VMK have different strengths, but both take wall warts, which could be a serious problem at a gig (one of the many reasons that the ubersynth PC3X appeals to me as an all-in-one solution to simplify stage setup and take the place of several separate modules and controllers).

Multiply-triggered notes are 100% impossible on Casio's Privia series (key response is WAY too slow to handle a second strike on the same key even one second later!), but I was VERY impressed by the action on one of their console models yesterday. The model number was nowhere to be seen and I didn't check into it as it isn't portable so is not part of the equation.

[mhschmieder]

The Studiologic VMK188plus has been ordered for $551 as part of Musiciansfriend's 48-hour 15% off sale that ends at noon tomorrow (Saturday), so hopefully will arrive by next weekend so I can set it up in time for our holiday gigs.

A word of warning: the person I got on the phone was slow-witted, and didn't offer information like giving me the order number or even where they were planning on shipping it, without prompting on my part.

Note that the 15% off sale is call-in only; there is a separate on-line only sale of up to 10% off that ends on Tuesday 4 December and covers an entire order.

I have separately asked Dave McM of GeneralMusic (GEM) if he can clarify some of the compatibility issues and continuous vs. momentary pedal details for the GEM tri-pedals vs. the Studiologic tri-pedals. I'll order those a bit later as there are fewer vendors that carry them.