MIDI Controller Keyboard & Digital Performer

[MediaComposer88]

Hello all,

I'm looking for a new keyboard that will play nice with Digital Performer. My options are the Akai MPK88, the upcoming Arturia KeyLab 88 and the upcoming Nektar Impact LX88.

Do any of you guys have experience with the following brands/types (if more than one, how do they compare)? What are your opinions concerning key-bed feel and build quality? How would you rate the customer service? And how well do these controllers in accordance with Digital Performer? I'm on DP8.06.
- Akai MPK88
- Arturia KeyLab 61 (or 49/25)
- Nektar Impact LX61 (or 49/25)

Any insights would be great, and other recommendations are welcome as well of course.

Cheers!

[bayswater]

I have the Keylab 61. The feel of the keyboard is pretty much the same as the old K2000 if you're familiar with that. The MIDI support is good, although there is no polyphonic aftertouch other than on the drum pads, which I would have liked. The weakness for me is that some functions, like changing the transmitting MIDI channel are easier done in the software that comes with it than on the keyboard controls themselves. As for working with DP, every key, button, knob and slider on it is programmable, so if DP can do it, the Keylab can do it.

[Guitar Gaz]

Hello all,

I'm looking for a new keyboard that will play nice with Digital Performer. My options are the Akai MPK88, the upcoming Arturia KeyLab 88 and the upcoming Nektar Impact LX88.

Do any of you guys have experience with the following brands/types (if more than one, how do they compare)? What are your opinions concerning key-bed feel and build quality? How would you rate the customer service? And how well do these controllers in accordance with Digital Performer? I'm on DP8.06.
- Akai MPK88
- Arturia KeyLab 61 (or 49/25)
- Nektar Impact LX61 (or 49/25)

Any insights would be great, and other recommendations are welcome as well of course.

Cheers!

Depends on what you mean - if you want all the buttons and faders to function in DP then you will have problems - I have an Akai MPK25 and the play, record, and fast forward etc don't really work that well in DP8 - its fiddly and not worth the hassle. They work perfectly in Reason of course. So I don't know - but if you mean the action and the build Akai's are good, but I prefer the semi weighted M-Audio Keystation 61es.

Some of the newer controller keyboards may work better with DP - but most only have templates for Ableton Live, Logic, or Reason....

[FMiguelez]

Perhaps you should also consider:
http://global.novationmusic.com/

I own two SL MKII, and they work great with DP.

I don't really care much about the action of the keyboard (if I want a piano-feel I play a real piano). I mostly care about sending MIDI CCs or automation accurately from the controller to DP. And with Automap's dual flavors, they work beautifully.

[daniel.sneed]

+1 on SL mkII Novation keyboards.

I have a 25 and a 49. They do fine with DP8.

[MediaComposer88]

That's some great information guys, thanks!

I did consider the Novation SL MKII, but I'm mainly looking at models with 88 keys (mainly because I'd like to have my keyswitches right there). Good to know it works great with Digital Performer though!

[James Steele]

Well I have a cheapo M-Audio Axiom, but I did get the transport buttons to work fine with it. Also have an old school Oberheim Xk... which I will NEVER let go of! It reminds me of a better time when things were made of wood and metal... not plastic!

[MediaComposer88]

Well, based on too much conflicting stories on build, quality control, and costumer support, I decided to take a different route: buying a separate control console (Livid Instruments for instance) and opting for a MIDI keyboard without an array of knobs/faders.

Do any of you guys own (or have experience with) the following models:
- Roland A-88 (seriously considering this one now)
- StudioLogic Acuna 88

[mhschmieder]

They had a Studiologic Acuna at GC earlier this week and I was shocked at how flimsy it is and how spongey the keybed feel is -- especially compared to the VMK series that I used to own (but got rid of due to not having any MIDI zones and also having very coarse MIDI parameterization as well as non-continuous graded action broken into four discrete sections of the keyboard which in my mind defeats the purpose of going graded vs. balanced).

[MediaComposer88]

Hi mhschmieder,

Thanks for your opinion on the Acuna, I'll keep that in mind.

[Gravity Jim]

I am a fan of the Arturia boards. Just today I replaced my Player 25 with a Keylab 49. Metal and wood chassis, a very comfy feel. I don't think you can go far wrong for the price, and they come with some great sounding software.

ADDENDUM: the software that comes with the KeyLab boards might be incompatible with DP8 under Mavericks. Installing it consistently crashed DP, uninstalling it made it go away. This is just on my system, YMMV, etc., but note that my system just doesn't crash. It runs for months, even years, without blowing up.

[mhschmieder]

I now have Arturia's earlier 61-key controller (similar to KeyLab), BeatStep, and SparkLE. All are of a similar metal-and-wood build quality, and MIDI Monitor proves them all to be very complete MIDI implementations with no jumping of values like on most MIDI gear. That makes a HUGE difference to me in terms of getting a very organic performance.

I still haven't seen their 88-key model anywhere, but it apparently is a mid-range vs. high-end Fatar controller wrapped in their superior housing, so it doesn't sound very competitive vs. something like the Kawai controllers (except on price point). Still, it likely has better feel than the Akai, which they have at the local GC and which feels spongey like an M-Audio 88-key controller every time I try it again. I really had my hopes up for that one at the time. Since I've never owned it, I can't vouch for its MIDI implementation, but the MIDI on the synth-action Alesis series was way inferior to the Arturias in terms of large jumps in MIDI CC values e.g.

[JMVideo]

I'm in the market for a new MIDI controller so thought I'd resurrect this excellent thread...

Has anyone had any experience with Behringer keyboards? Their new 61 looks pretty nice.
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/Motor61

I was about to pull the trigger on the Arturia, but I don't really need 5000 crappy synth sounds that I'll never use. I assume that's what the extra $100 is for?

[bayswater]

I got the Arturia after hunting down many of the 61 key controllers and trying them out. There were cheaper ones that felt cheaper, and looked cheaper, but among those that I ended up considering seriously, they were all the same price, and the Arturia looked the most flexible and useful. I don't use the sounds. But I don't use every feature of anything I have, except maybe guitars.

[monkey man]

I like what I've seen of BarfRinger of late... which is nothing... in person, that is.

The company's DAW controllers and el-cheapo eKits look very promising 'though, especially, as you'd expect from B'Ringer, considering the prices.