JamieT

Thanks for posting this mini-review. I am very surprised that there is such low coverage of this product launch. Previously, the cheapest option to get Zen core sounds was the MC-101 groovebox (I think). Now you can get them on this $350 USD keyboard.

I love my CT-S1 - it is my favorite MIDI keyboard controller. I have it connected with my iPad via the Casio Bluetooth Adapter.

The Behringer Flow 8 might be a good (and inexpensive) option. https://www.behringer.com/product.html?modelCode=P0DNM

I had the same thoughts about his voice. It still sounds great, but many of these songs were started (recorded?) 20 years ago. I saw Bono last year (promoting his book) and he sounded great, but he used some clever "tricks" to make things easier (e.g. on some songs, his keyboard player sang the high notes and he would shift to the lower harmony).

My preference changes by the song, so I created a playlist that includes selections from both mixes. In truth, I don't hear much difference between the two mixes for many of the songs and (in hindsight) I found the comparison process to be a waste. According to what I have read, Peter Gabriel worked on this album for roughly 20 years and after all that time he still couldn't make the final decisions and finish "an album" so he released 3 different albums and said "you decide." Putting aside this complaint, I think the album is good. I don't think it is a great Peter Gabriel album (many of the reviews I have read are far too glowing). It is better than his recent releases (Up, Scratch My Back, etc.) but that is a very low bar. In 5 years this will not be remembered like PG 3, PG 4, So, or Passion (his excellent albums).

Thanks for the clarification. I looked at the instruction manual online and there is something called a "bend lever" on the left side that functions like a pitch bend wheel.

I realize that the Continental is designed primarily as an organ (i.e. waterfall keys), but how the heck do they not include a pitch bend and mod wheel??? It has 38 built-in synth sounds and people are going to want to use this as a MIDI controller for their sound modules and soft synths.

Would anyone consider using one or two Xkey keyboards as a substitute for a waterfall action keyboard (since there are no MIDI controllers currently sold with this action)? The keys only travel a few millimeters, but they are full size and have rounded edges on all three sides which should facilitate palm smears and other organ playing techniques. Xkeys only are available in 25 and 37 key versions (boo) but perhaps two 37-key Xkeys could be configured as small upper and lower manuals?

I like having the two keyboards close together but could see how others might prefer a bigger gap between the two. Both keyboards rest on a thin piece of wood (that rests on the arms of the keyboard stand). I could use a wider piece of wood (so that the lower keyboard could be offset further left or right. I could also add a second piece of wood (thicker) to the back-half of the board to raise the rear keyboard relative to the front one. The vendor also sells an add-on set of arms for the stand but I am cheap and a piece of wood from the hardware store was much less expensive.

I've been very fortunate. The CME WIDI products are very reliable for me. I don't use MPE which would require transmitting more data over MIDI and might "strain" things. Channel-pressure works fine. No latency that I can detect.

iPad-based setup with 2 MIDI keyboard controllers. Arturia KeyLab MkII 61 and CME Xkey air 37. Stay Slim keyboard stand. Everything connects to the iPad via Bluetooth including sustain and volume/expression pedals (both pedals are connected to an iRig Blueboard). The iPad is connected to a Korg PlugKey audio interface (1/4 inch TS cable to a DI box to FoH). Total weight is less than 32 pounds / 15 kilos. I am playing in a rock band, so I can forgo some of the nuance that I might achieve with a hammer-action keyboard.

I am going to make a generalization and would appreciate your responses / thoughts... Most of the history of advances in music technology resulted in new types of music that could not have been made previously. The electric clavinet, subtractive synthesis, FM synthesis, guitar pickups, wah pedals, etc. We all know songs and performances that could not exist without a specific new music technology. It seems like almost all of the recent advances in music technology result in music being easier and cheaper to make rather than new/different. Expensive recording studios have been replaced by software and a halfway decent computer. The ability to play an instrument has been replaced by quantization. The ability to sing has been replaced by vocal processing. Drummers? What the hell is a drummer in current music recording/production? Etc. Because of this, almost anyone can create a song without significant hurdles, pre-requisites, or investment. Because of this, there are over 100,000 new songs uploaded to streaming services each day. Because of this, it is extremely difficult to cut through the noise and find the new artists that deserve our attention, support, and time. When it was expensive to make an album, music labels would invest in promoting promising artists (they already had spent big $ in the studio). Now, I have no idea how things are supposed to work.

This one looks very interesting to me. A bit heavy (8.25 kilos), but folds up very compact. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MYRHUEW/?coliid=I2SWSB76DBNXWB&colid=1NIVPYIK7FOPS&psc=1&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it

I also have the Arturia Keylab MkII 61 and I noticed a different velocity curve for the black keys (play louder) compared to the white keys. I am currently following Stokely's suggestion to combine 2 or more controllers. For a non hammer-action keyboard, I really love the Casio CT-S1. It is has built-in sounds (several are decent), but I use it as a MIDI controller. It is cheap (less than $200 USD) and you can get it in different colors that look great. It also has built-in speakers and an audio-input so you can use it as a "mini-monitor." Casio offers the CT-S400 for a bit more $ and it includes a pitch-bend wheel (if that is important to you) but alas only in black (looks a bit cheaper compared to the CT-S1 in my opinion). I also ordered the Studiologic SL Mixface which has 9 faders, knobs, and buttons. It will pair with my iPad via bluetooth. I think it should be illegal to sell a keyboard controller with 8 faders - who hates the 9th drawbar??? 🙂 You could also use the Akai MPD218 for 16 pads (people seem to like the Akai pads).

While your definition makes sense, It is contrary to almost everything else that I have read. See https://hub.yamaha.com/pianos/p-digital/a-quick-guide-to-weighted-keys/ and https://pianotone.ca/fully-weighted-vs-semi-weighted/ and https://www.sweetwater.com/insync/keyboard-actions-explained/ etc. Are all of these sites wrong?