Upgrade Keyboard Controller Suggestions

[Mark1971]

HI!

I'm a producer and my primary instrument is guitar. I produce Pop, RnB and Indie pop stuff.  I also do string arrangements sometimes. I have the Alesis V61 but I have clients that come in from time to time and I'd like to upgrade to a keyboard controller that feels more like a piano. I'm looking at the Kontrol S61 (Kind of expensive), Arturia KeyLab 61 mkii and the Studiologic SL88. Is there something else I should be looking at?

 

Ty!

[MikeRobinson]

Quite honestly, I'd say that you should go to a local keyboard store, then sit down there and "play it." Don't try to select your solution from an online catalog.

Everybody tries to re-create "a piano," doing so with different hardware at different price-points. They do this in very-different ways, in order to compensate for the physical hardware that they do or do not have. "To a layman," it's pretty darned impressive what they have done . . . especially at Christmastime. 🙃

As a producer, however, your requirements might be a good bit more "rigorous," and they also might be guided by those of your clients. ("The customer is always right.") Could any of those clients' business pay for "a hardware [change|upgrade]?" And, if so, what?

Edited December 13, 2023 by MikeRobinson

[gacki]

On 12/8/2023 at 1:11 AM, Mark1971 said:

I'm looking at the Kontrol S61 (Kind of expensive), Arturia KeyLab 61 mkii and the Studiologic SL88.

Both the Kontrol and the Keylab will feel nothing like a piano. The Studiologic might get a bit closer but they don't work for me.

 

[Mark1971]

On 12/12/2023 at 8:15 PM, MikeRobinson said:

Quite honestly, I'd say that you should go to a local keyboard store, then sit down there and "play it." Don't try to select your solution from an online catalog.

Everybody tries to re-create "a piano," doing so with different hardware at different price-points. They do this in very-different ways, in order to compensate for the physical hardware that they do or do not have. "To a layman," it's pretty darned impressive what they have done . . . especially at Christmastime. 🙃

As a producer, however, your requirements might be a good bit more "rigorous," and they also might be guided by those of your clients. ("The customer is always right.") Could any of those clients' business pay for "a hardware [change|upgrade]?" And, if so, what?

Yeah, I mean that would be ideal and I may do that. Even though I hate going to stores. I'm not looking for the most piano-like keyboard. I'm just looking for an upgrade for a controller that has weighted (semi) keys so that when I have clients come in to play their parts they feel a little more comfortable. My Alesis is the cheapo version and although it's served me well; I'm not a player. I have drum pad controller now so I don't use the Alesis to create drums and percussion.

 

Thanks

18 hours ago, gacki said:

Both the Kontrol and the Keylab will feel nothing like a piano. The Studiologic might get a bit closer but they don't work for me.

 

Okay, so that's helpful info. I'll consider the Studiologic. Again, I'm not looking for something 100% piano-like but closer would be nice.

 

Ty!

[MikeRobinson]

It occurs to me that some of your [past?] [happy, of course ...] clients might be a very useful resource here. What might they suggest? And ... when they [presumably] used "the hardware you now have," what did they actually think of it? Worth askin' ...

[Atlas007]

Anyone tried the Kontrol S88?

How does the keyboard piano key action feels like? Any toughts about its polyphonic aftertouch?