Are there many 88-key controllers with wheels at the left?

[Mighty Motif Max]

Hi all,

 

I'm looking around in preparation for buying an 88-note controller or board to use with a rack. It would be much more lightweight than hauling my Motif plus a rack (besides, I wouldn't need the rack then). Anyways, it appears to me that the only hammer-action 88-key controller out there that actually has pitch and mod wheels to the left of the keys is the M-Audio Hammer 88. That doesn't have much in way of buttons or things for program changes. Regardless of price! Same with all the mid/lower-end keyboards; only the Montage 8 and Forte (which is now unavailable it seems) have them. Is this really the case?

 

 

Thanks,

 

Max

[drawback]

The Doepfer LMK series does, but there are also a bunch of controls to the left, making it a very wide controller.

[AnotherScott]

it appears to me that the only hammer-action 88-key controller out there that actually has pitch and mod wheels to the left of the keys is the M-Audio Hammer 88....Same with all the mid/lower-end keyboards; only the Montage 8 and Forte (which is now unavailable it seems) have them. Is this really the case?

Korg Kross, Casio PX560

[Docbop]

Have you checked out the NI KOMPLETE KONTROL S88 it has a lot of controls for a 88 key controller. Link below:

 

NI S88 webpage

[aellison62]

Roland RD-88

[stoken6]

And Roland A88mk2. Also the Korgs: Kross, Krome, Kronos, Knautilus...

 

Cheers, Mike.

[AnotherScott]

And Roland A88mk2. Also the Korgs: Kross, Krome, Kronos, Knautilus...

I mentioned the Kross,but the other three Korgs have a joystisck, and Roland has a paddle.

[Mighty Motif Max]

Roland RD-88

That has the wheels above the keybed.

 

And Roland A88mk2. Also the Korgs: Kross, Krome, Kronos, Knautilus...

 

Cheers, Mike.

Out of all of those, the Kross 88 is the only one with wheels.

 

 

To be clear, I"m not talking about Roland/Korg/Studiologic joysticks - they"re useless for filter sweeps etc because they spring back. And most of the controllers don"t have two expression pedal jacks to bypass that issue. I"m talking about one pitch wheel and one mod wheel, on the left side of the keys and not above.

[Mighty Motif Max]

it appears to me that the only hammer-action 88-key controller out there that actually has pitch and mod wheels to the left of the keys is the M-Audio Hammer 88....Same with all the mid/lower-end keyboards; only the Montage 8 and Forte (which is now unavailable it seems) have them. Is this really the case?

Korg Kross, Casio PX560

 

Thanks! I wish those were full-sized instead of mini wheels, if only for the same reasons as liking long-throw faders - finer control.

[Mighty Motif Max]

The Doepfer LMK series does, but there are also a bunch of controls to the left, making it a very wide controller.

 

Thanks, I wasn"t aware of that one. That is one long keyboard.

[Mighty Motif Max]

Have you checked out the NI KOMPLETE KONTROL S88 it has a lot of controls for a 88 key controller. Link below:

 

NI S88 webpage

 

Thanks for that! I hadn"t realized that they supported 5pin midi. Nice weight too. That"s looking nice.

[Reezekeys]

That NI controller looks nice but it's definitely geared to the musician invested in NI software. And too bad for you if you already paid for any of the instruments they're throwing in for free! Or should I put it, "free."

[Spider76]

Is having the wheels to the left of the keys (not above) an absolute prerequisite? If not, the Viscount Physis K4 has 3 wheels, faders, and about 392 MIDI, USB and pedal connectors. Oh, and it's blue.

[Brad Kaenel]

Korg Grandstage

 

 

If you don't mind "alternative" sticks and levers:

 

Yamaha CP88

Nord Stage 88

[drawback]

Max, how important is the action to you? Too many weighted 88's have the same... you know, the F word.

[Mighty Motif Max]

Is having the wheels to the left of the keys (not above) an absolute prerequisite? If not, the Viscount Physis K4 has 3 wheels, faders, and about 392 MIDI, USB and pedal connectors. Oh, and it's blue.

 

Yes, I'm afraid it is. If it wasn't there would be plenty of nice options I would be interested in. I find the wheels above to be clunky and I have to majorly change my technique to account for that, assuming they're even within a finger's reach of the keybed anyways (most are not).

[Mighty Motif Max]

Korg Grandstage

 

 

If you don't mind "alternative" sticks and levers:

 

Yamaha CP88

Nord Stage 88

 

All of those have the wheels or controllers above the keybed instead of to the left sadly.

 

I've tried the CP88 and I don't know, I just feel like the whole stick thing doesn't give as much control as a nice full-size wheel does.

[Mighty Motif Max]

Max, how important is the action to you? Too many weighted 88's have the same... you know, the F word.

 

I'm not only playing piano at most gigs or at home. My favorite action is definitely the Kawai ES8 (RHIII), but as a more general action I like the balanced hammer (BH) action that's on the Motif XS/XF and Montage 8. It's not plasticky but it's pretty fast as well. I end up playing a good bit of synth, brass, strings, etc on the main keybed (though I usually bring a semi-weighted board for organs etc). So not a super heavy hammer action. An all-purpose hammer action that isn't super heavy would be great.

 

 

Believe it or not, I've managed to go this long without actually playing a Fatar TP40 or TP-100 (although I briefly tried a Nord Stage 2 HP which I think has the 100?).

 

Examples of actions I do not like:

Korg Krome 88/Kross 88 action (NH) - too "squishy"

Roland FA-08 (Ivory Feel G) - too heavy, really slow

Roland RD-2000 (PHA-50 Progressive Hammer Action): loose but with a slow rebound - really odd

 

 

I'm not expecting a premium action on a controller obviously but just a good all-around light-ish hammer action. Honestly, something like the Kurzweil SP6 would do the job except the wheels are in a bad location.

[Brad Kaenel]

Korg Grandstage

 

 

If you don't mind "alternative" sticks and levers:

 

Yamaha CP88

Nord Stage 88

 

All of those have the wheels or controllers above the keybed instead of to the left sadly.

 

I've tried the CP88 and I don't know, I just feel like the whole stick thing doesn't give as much control as a nice full-size wheel does.

Korg Grandstage

 

 

If you don't mind "alternative" sticks and levers:

 

Yamaha CP88

Nord Stage 88

 

All of those have the wheels or controllers above the keybed instead of to the left sadly.

 

I've tried the CP88 and I don't know, I just feel like the whole stick thing doesn't give as much control as a nice full-size wheel does.

 

 

Ok, got me

 

Go vintage â Kurzweil PC88. Big wheels, right where you want 'em

 

Or Kurzweil PC3K8 / PC3A8

[stoken6]

Or Kurzweil PC3K8 / PC3A8

+1. Kurzweil's workstations make great controllers.

 

Cheers, Mike.

[CEB]

First thing that popped in my head was this.... I guess I"m a Boomer.

 

https://reverb.com/item/8214594-yamaha-kx88-midi-master-keyboard-controller-88-key-weighted-piano-kx-88-30880

[Reezekeys]

I'm very much enjoying the mint-condition KX88 I found at Sam Ash for $99 a few years ago. Being from the 1980s, its midi implementation is basic and its controller programming methods are rather unique, and perhaps not well suited to modern-day midi rigs. It is one very substantial-feeling keyboard though, with a fairly fast action that's a lot of fun to play. I cannot imagine bringing it to a gig - my days of shlepping a 63 lb keyboard (about 100 lbs in the Calzone road case I used to have for my previous KX) are long over!

 

(It does have the wheels on the left though!)

[Al Coda]

I'm very much enjoying the mint-condition KX88 I found at Sam Ash for $99 a few years ago. Being from the 1980s, its midi implementation is basic and its controller programming methods are rather unique, and perhaps not well suited to modern-day midi rigs. It is one very substantial-feeling keyboard though, with a fairly fast action that's a lot of fun to play. I cannot imagine bringing it to a gig - my days of shlepping a 63 lb keyboard (about 100 lbs in the Calzone road case I used to have for my previous KX) are long over!

 

(It does have the wheels on the left though!)

 

KX88 has a nice action,- but I sold mine too late 80s because of limited MIDI features, length and weight, especially when using a pro flightcase.

99 bucks is a killer price though and I´d buy one again for such offer and just only for the home.

Together w/ the Miditemp PMM88E MIDI matrix router/ processor I still own, it would make a killer controller,- but that also rules w/ any other MIDI keyboard offering a great action.

 

A.C.

[Marzzz]

Roland A-80 has both the wheels and the usual Roland thingy:

 

http://www.prodigalsounds.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014%2F2%2FA80_Mod_001.jpg

 

There is one currently on Reverb, but local pickup in FLA

[EscapeRocks]

That NI controller looks nice but it's definitely geared to the musician invested in NI software. And too bad for you if you already paid for any of the instruments they're throwing in for free! Or should I put it, "free."

 

True, however, all my Arturia stuff is NKS compatible. It makes things very nice when setting up Arturia instruments to be able to scroll thru them easily on the S88Mk2. Most of them have the preview sound as well so simply scrolling will play a snippet.

EVen if not using it onstage, I use my S61 Mk2 to setup my software instruments for ease of programming.

[Mighty Motif Max]

Now there's the M-Audio Hammer 88 Pro to consider. I keep reading reports of keybed issues, screen failure, and sustain input problems (all within a year of usage) with the Komplete Kontrol MKII boards, which is seriously concerning.