I have an Alesis VI25 two-octave “semi-weighted” controller w/drum pads to trigger Octatrack drum and bass samples as well as play softsynths such as Halion and Softtube Modular (both free!). It’s also great for travel, especially since it’s USB-powered. I have a nice gator case that I use for it. My main keyboard is a Roland RD-64 piano.
I like to travel and gig light, which is why the Digitone Keys caught my eye. Three octaves is plenty for the right hand for me. I know it doesn’t vibe with some people’s sensibilities, but I’ve actually been looking for a quality three-octave synth, which there aren’t many. Actually, it’s hard to find anything of quality under 4 octaves. Having a Digitone Keys and the Octatrack together would be pretty awesome for a setup where you only have a few minutes to start up and go.
For anyone familiar with the Alesis VI, how do the keys compare? For the weighted aspect, where does the Digitone Keys fall between an Alesis VI and a Roland Piano? I prefer keyboards on the more piano-action side of things, but I’ll trade semi-weighted for portability.
It’s got a very nice semi-weighted action, feels very similar to the keybed on the Moog Grandmother to me, if you know that synth. Definitely not piano action. The after touch isn’t bad, either. Unfortunately I don’t know the Alesis so can’t compare. I prefer the action on it to my Novation Impulse, and I think that’s not a bad keybed.
I’m standing right now with a friend who has a Digtone Keys and wondering why Elektron calls the keyboard “semi-weighted”. But there are no weights underneath the keyboard. “Semi-weighted-keys” are always recognizable as such, those have metal or plastic-wrapped metal underneath the single keys. The Digitone Keys here does not have this. IMHO the Digitone keyboard is a pure spring mechanism keyboard. Or are there hardware revisions of the Digitone Keys ? no doubt its a great instrument, but I would like to understand Elektron´s definition of “semi weighted keys”
I have also written to Elektron. Does anyone here know ? thanks…
Just to answer that and a handful of similair questions that I had, but were hard to find answers to,
The trig keys can trig tack sounds like on the the Normal DN.
Also, while in external mode they can trig the internal tracks while the keys play an external instrument.
Aaand you can set the multimap up to work natively from the keyboard and play external instruments/internal tracks or patches/launch patterns on a per key basis.
The keybed, mod/pitch wheel, and trig keys are all pretty configurable to the extent that they can all be actively addressing different external machines or internal tracks.
The encoders too, but the User Configurable Knobs and A-H knobs work as two sets, so they are each either working internally or externally as two separate groups. Not on a per knob basis.
Trig Keys and Keybed can be set to different octaves depending on whether you use the arrows or the +/- OCT buttons.
Aftertouch only sends to external instruments while it’s in external or multimap mode (not on a midi track unless you use the encoders/sequencer) and the arp does not send midi sadly.