Getting a new MIDI controller (Doepfer)

[Randall Flagg]

After a month spent on the fu*king and piece of fuc*ing shit M-Audio 88es keyboard controller, I've decided to buy a new MIDI keyboard.

This time I'm not saving any money, I will pay as much as it takes to get myself a GOOD Midi controller with great piano hammer mechanism.

After some time I found about Doepfer, german keyboard makers (among other stuff). Does anyone have any experience with their gear? I know for a fact that a lot of Remote Control Productions composers use it (including Zimmer). So it must be good ,right :D

This is what I had in mind... a bit expensive, but I'm really not saving any money this time...

http://www.doepfer.de/lmk2.htm

[paulifra]

I did have a look at some of your posts, and concluded you make use off platinum software.

As a audio card you make use of the emu 1212 and behringer 2031a.


My opinion is you have ( i think ) the wrong priority, to invest much money in a keyboard.

Remember if you use platinum, a more professional audio card and especially bigger quality monitors, you will get a sound you never heard with your equipment that you are using now.

So i will give you he advise ,buy a better audio card and monitor, you will be much happier

[Randall Flagg]

THe problem is in my M-Audio keyboard that is really not-playable ,I hate it, so I am forced to buy a new keyboard.And since I'm buying it, I don't want to change it every year or so, I wanna buy a keyboard that will last years and years, and Doepfer seems like a good choice.

I know E-MUs and Behringer are not top gear , especially Behringer :D ,but they are decent enough to work with. But for sure my next upgrade will be a new sound card and better monitors ;)

[stmiller]

After a month spent on the fu*king and piece of fuc*ing shit M-Audio 88es keyboard controller, I've decided to buy a new MIDI keyboard.

This time I'm not saving any money, I will pay as much as it takes to get myself a GOOD Midi controller with great piano hammer mechanism.



Yamahas are nice, but not cheap. They have good action. Might be easy to find a used S90 or something like that somewhere.

[Zphyr]

I got a Korg Triton-Extreme (88 keys) and was pretty disappointed with the velocity resolution...doesn't pick up when you play slightly harder.
Speaking of keyboards, i came accross this one, that looks like it came from the future
http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/jan05/articles/openlabsneko.htm?print=yes
Dont know how good/bad it actually is though...

[Randall Flagg]

Sounds like it has many interesting new features, but I've never heard of it...

[paulifra]

Of course randall i know what your problem is, but the price of the doepfer is heavy.

One of the most important for me is the keyboard feel. I don't want heavy 88 note keyboards.

At this moment i make use of the korg oasys and it is a fantastic feel and light playable.

The keyboard from the past that is most like the korg oasys in my expierence is the Yamaha ex5 keyboard ( 76 note ).

That's not so stange because rumours tell me that korg make use of ( in origin ) yamaha produced keyboards.

As zphyr wrote in can imagine that becasue 88 not keybaords are always heavier to play, so there is maybe an other feel in the velocity.

I only can advise you before buying a doepfer to try for instance a yamaha ex5 board, or an other yamaha board like already told here.

To my opinion there are no better keyboards then yamaha if you look at playability and light feeling, you can also look at the chinese cme keyboards, i did have one in the past heavier to play but professioanl made keyboards like now one else exept yamaha makes them.

Yamaha is also involved in the international european distribution of these cme keyboards ( so i heard )

I am absolutely convinced that a yamaha or a cme keyboard will meet the specifications what you expect from a top quality keyboard, and maybe cheaper to realise.

An used yamaha ex5 here in europe is half the price of a doepfer new. Worth to try and i can tell you without any risk it will not satisfy you.

Hope this helps

[satchriani]

I've not had the opportunity to play a Doepfer, but I have played the CME's, Yamaha, and Roland.

If you're not concerned with a bunch of midi faders, the Roland RD-700sx is pretty amazing; the best piano feel I've...felt lol. Nice, natural keys.

The CME's have very heavy keys. Not very soft and light. They do require a bit of force to get them to engage. Although some people don't mind this, and get used to it. Apparently their velocity layers fall short.

Casio also has some nice action.

[kstevege]

I did have a look at some of your posts, and concluded you make use off platinum software.

As a audio card you make use of the emu 1212 and behringer 2031a.


My opinion is you have ( i think ) the wrong priority, to invest much money in a keyboard.

Remember if you use platinum, a more professional audio card and especially bigger quality monitors, you will get a sound you never heard with your equipment that you are using now.

So i will give you he advise ,buy a better audio card and monitor, you will be much happier


EMU 1212 is not a good audio card? It uses the same converters as the Pro Tools hardware. Plus its ASIO driver is top notch. Behringer 2031A are great monitor for the $500 and under price range. I own them myself for my home studio. I have compared them to just about every monitor up to $1,000 and they truly stand on their own - they actually sound as good any monitor up to $1,000. Don't be fooled by the name brand.

Your advice is not good advice at all.

[Wolfy]

THe problem is in my M-Audio keyboard that is really not-playable ,I hate it,

What is exactly the problem in the 88 keys?

[Randall Flagg]

What is exactly the problem in the 88 keys?

Velocity levels are terrible.Some keys are "softer" than others, some black keys are really not playable.I hear a lot of M-Audio Keystation 88es have reported the same problem... I'm sure as hell not buying M-Audio keyboard again.

[Wolfy]

Flagg,

It is some what right id talking about the 88 Key station, BUT I know of a few HOLLYWOOD composers that actually are giving hell in ways of use to the M-Audio 88Prokeys and they even stated that it is a good Keyboard only if used for composing. About the keys not having speed /flexibility on the attack, it is new , I have not heard of that. Check out Bryan Tyler, and Junkie XL, this guys use that 88prokeys keyboard and the Oxygen 8 as MIDI. I will see what else I find out about malfunctions in that specific keyboard.

In a less words. Investigate on the PRO 88 keys, it was going head to head with a few new Yamaha keyboards out there. Plus it is 600euros. It was rated a good choice in the Keyboard magazine not to long ago.

[Randall Flagg]

Brian uses KeystationPro 88 ? I know Trevor Rabin said he is using it, but maybe he got money to say that :D

[Randall Flagg]

Ok, here is a small update :D

I've updated my keyboard drivers (from 2006) with a new version from M-Audio.com.

Series II or something like that....

Now Windows recognize my keyboard as "Keystation 88ES" .It's not "USB Device" anymore.

And the MIDI velocity and sensitivity is 100 times better on the new driver.It's not the best keyboard in the world, but I can actually play and sequence on it.

So , no new keyboards for me right now ( I'm so glad I can save some $$$ ) :D

[libingfeng]

CME UF8
88 Key Hammer-Action Weighted Keyboard
I am Chinese, I have one UF8 ,the cost performance very good ,so i like it , choose it , because i have not much many , the price is CNY 3888.00 in China .