What are some good midi-keyboard options?
My current gear is a Digitakt and a couple of Moog Mother 32s.
I mostly play around without a computer, so a usb-midi keyboard is not an option.
I know about the Arturia Keystep - and it looks nice. Is there anything similar on the market?
(Yes - I know google, and so far I have found those from Doepfer and synthesizers.com)
My gear is in the living room, so a neutral look is a plus! Arpeggiator is also a plus. 2-3 octaves is ok.
Cheers
I really like StudioLogic. Classy looks with lot’s of options. But nothing really small. 73 keys is their smallest. This is a hammer action keyboard, might not be for everybody. Though it’s adjustable to a certain extent.
Novation has their Impulse series and M-Audio makes some decent ones too. But none of those are really neutral. Most come with pads and/or RGB backlit stuff.
An odd one out maybe, a Roland A-300/500 PRO. Costs 200 euro and has polyphonic aftertouch and lots of controls. Faders, pads, encoders and transport buttons. Doesn’t look too flashy as well.
It’s hard to fault the Keystep … though there are a few niggles - good value - sorta unique - CV friendly - small/smart - maybe missing having a dial or two to tweak stuff - but it’s immediate as it stands but it’d be better paired with a poly synth like blofeld to justify some of its capabilities
you can sequence on one channel and play on another so it could give you options for two monos (assuming one on midi is possible)
Xstation: 2 midi din outs, battery powered option, USB, audio interface (2 inputs), arpeggiator, lots of knobs and faders, option to use it as a synth. Can be found on eBay.
Key step: slim profile, fun arpeggiator, sequencer, midi din.
I’m also looking for a standalone midi keyboard. The keystep looks good but I’d like an actual mod wheel rather than a strip. Any suggestions? (2-3 octave if possible)
Keystep is good, its sequencer is great, but the keys aren’t full size and it’s a mod strip rather than wheel as you say.
The Roland A300/A500 mentioned above are really good controller keyboards (I use an A800). But they all use Roland’s combined pitch/mod controller that is sprung in both axes. So you can’t adjust the modulation and leave it in position as you can with a conventional mod wheel, it always springs back to zero. Might be a deal breaker for you.
Guessing the Keylab Essential 49 is too big?
Yeah, the sprung mod wheel would be a no no. 49 keys would be too big (I want the keyboard to sit in front of and control my Nord lead a1 rack)
The Novation Impulse 25 is about the only other small keyboard controller with proper MIDI DIN sockets that I can think of. There might be some others out there.
The impulse looks good on paper. Does anybody have one and can you comment on it’s quality? I use ableton live as my DAW and so the integration aspect with ableton is also appealing.
Echo that. The Impulse 25 looks exactly what I need for working with Logic…
Anyone have experience using the komplete kontrol s series with hardware and no computer?
Trash you can’t assign midi channels to devices without it being connected to the computer.I bought a power charger thinking as per the manual you cant do it. Like who makes a midi controller that can’t control midi assignments as a stand alone. Definitely don’t buy trying to sell mine.
Keith McMillen K-Board Pro 4 and Linnstrument for untraditional