Amaryllis

quick question about the USB MIDI interface on the Numa... if i connect another keyboard to the Numa's MIDI In, and then connect a computer to the Numa's USB port, can i use the second keyboard to play a VST on the computer via the Numa? in other words, i want the MIDI data from the MIDI In port to go back out via the USB port, as if it was a MIDI Thru. the manual briefly mentions a MIDI Merge feature that seems like it might do this, but doesn't go into any detail about it.

i've never had much interest in arranger keyboards, but i'd honestly love to have one of these at home just for practice and trying out ideas - if only they didn't cost the same as an NS3 or an SKX Pro (just to pick two boards i'd much rather have if i was going to spend that much). but that makes me wonder if someone couldn't take the "arranger" part of the keyboard and turn it into a computer or tablet app? i know about BIAB and iReal, but those aren't quite the same thing... and a quick Internet search didn't turn up anything apart from a couple of pretty cheesy-looking iOS apps.

not sure if this has already been mentioned, but Studiologic recently released a new (free) plugin with some APs, EPs and pads: https://www.studiologic-music.com/products/numaplayer/ does anyone know if these are the same sounds that are in the Numa x Piano?

i also have the SL88 Studio, and i also had the same issue with the action: the heaviness can be improved a little by changing the curves, but it still feels slow and difficult to play, and much worse than (say) the Yamaha P-125. i believe the 73 and 88 Studio are just different sizes of the same action. if that's true, i definitely wouldn't recommend it; but there are people who really like it, so it might work for you... i also wasn't particularly taken with the joystick controllers on the SL line. the short travel range and the way the two axes are connected made it awkward to adjust things on the fly. i'm surprised we haven't heard anything about a refresh of these with the new TP/110 and TP/400 actions from the Numa x Piano range. the TP/110 in particular is supposed to be a lot better than the TP/100, based on a couple of reviews.

i suppose most people won't be buying this for the piano, but even so, i wonder if you can shift the lower manual down an octave or two when using the piano sound to get some of the missing low notes back?

that's good to know about the Dexibell version - playing the TP/100 has put me off Fatar a bit, but i'm trying to reserve judgement of the TP/400 until i play it :-) in the end also i'm not too bothered if it actually has escapement or not - none of the other boards i'm considering have it. i thought it was strange they would add it if it doesn't work properly, but there's some more discussion in that thread (along with a helpful video) that suggests it's a bit more complicated than that; maybe it's just one of those things that can't be entirely simulated on a digital piano action.

i'm very interested in the GT, so it's good to see reviews have started coming in... but i was a bit surprised to read this: this sounds like a completely wrong implementation of escapement, to the point that i wonder why they bothered - but maybe you don't notice when you're actually playing it? unfortunately none of the music shops around here seem to stock Studiologic, so it's difficult to try one in person.

Ah, I didn't know that the P-125 did audio over USB, so yeah, another possibility there... and it's even GHS! i was surprised too - i don't have one myself but i played around with someone else's and it worked well with both iOS and VST sounds, plus it has proper 1/4" TS outputs if you don't want to use the built-in speakers. for something sold as a lower-end digital piano, it's surprisingly featureful - the organ sound even has a Leslie speed switch on the sustain pedal...

depending on your price range, the Yamaha P-125 might work: it has speakers, a decent 88-key hammer action, and a built-in USB audio interface so you only need a single USB cable to carry both audio and MIDI data. it's not really a MIDI controller though, so it doesn't have any expression controls (not even pitch bend).