Dedicated MIDI contoller

[RoadHousePiano]

I'm currently using my Nord Stage Classic 88 as a MIDI controller. I'm using GigPerformer (sometimes Mainstage) as a host for various piano, B3, EP, sytnth VST's. For synth and organ it works fine but I'm wondering if a dedicated MIDI controller (studiologic, etc) would make my piano and EP's more playable in terms of feel and dynamic range. Any help would be cool.

[Ashville.Guru]

...I'm wondering if a dedicated MIDI controller (studiologic, etc) would make my piano and EP's more playable in terms of feel and dynamic range.

Short answer: No.

 

Dynamic range depends only upon the MIDI velocity transmitted, and how the softsynth responds to it. That has nothing to do with whether the board also has inbuilt sounds or not.

 

Feel has more to do with the physical mechanism than anything else. And some of the best feeling keybeds out there are ironically not in dedicated controllers - they're in keyboards with onboard sounds. For example, Kawai's best action isn't in the VPC (controller only), but in the MP11 (stage piano). Roland's best synth action is in the Jupiter-80 (synth), not in the A-800 (controller only).

 

That being said, feel is a very subjective thing, so you might prefer the Studiologic over your Stage. Only you can find out by actually playing them both.

 

- Guru

[RoadHousePiano]

Thanks for the response. I know that the studiologic has 3 contact points per key so perhaps that may help with the responsiveness? Anyway, good info.

[Noah DC]

For what it's worth, I use a Studiologic board with Pianoteq for AP and Acousticsamples/Scarbee for EPs. I find it really brings out the expressiveness in those particular VSTs - actually, Scarbee posted on the company facebook page a while back that he recommends the Studiologic Acuna (with the TP/100 keybed) for EPs because it gets the right balance in its weightedness. It's all subjective, of course, but I tend to agree - definitely works for me.

[AnotherScott]

Third sensor will allow you to better retrigger a note more softly, and (if you're playing without sustain pedal) without silencing it in between the two triggers. It can also help with trills. Other than that, no difference in responsiveness.

[Ashville.Guru]

I know that the studiologic has 3 contact points per key so perhaps that may help with the responsiveness?

Yes, this should make a noticeable difference, depending upon your playing. As I understand, this makes repeated notes more accurate. Nothing more, nothing less. Kawai has a nice explanation on their MP11 page.

 

Speaking of Kawai, Studiologic is only the latest entry to this game. Kawai, Casio, Physis have it in their latest DPs, and I wouldn't be surprised if there are others with this feature. Again, note that many of these models with 3 sensors have internal sounds as well.

 

- Guru

[RoadHousePiano]

For what it's worth, I use a Studiologic board with Pianoteq for AP and Acousticsamples/Scarbee for EPs. I find it really brings out the expressiveness in those particular VSTs - actually, Scarbee posted on the company facebook page a while back that he recommends the Studiologic Acuna (with the TP/100 keybed) for EPs because it gets the right balance in its weightedness. It's all subjective, of course, but I tend to agree - definitely works for me.

Very cool, I actually use all the VST's youv'd mentioned.

[RoadHousePiano]

I know that the studiologic has 3 contact points per key so perhaps that may help with the responsiveness?

Yes, this should make a noticeable difference, depending upon your playing. As I understand, this makes repeated notes more accurate. Nothing more, nothing less. Kawai has a nice explanation on their MP11 page.

 

Speaking of Kawai, Studiologic is only the latest entry to this game. Kawai, Casio, Physis have it in their latest DPs, and I wouldn't be surprised if there are others with this feature. Again, note that many of these models with 3 sensors have internal sounds as well.

 

- Guru

Thanks for the info.

[AnotherScott]

I know that the studiologic has 3 contact points per key so perhaps that may help with the responsiveness?

Yes, this should make a noticeable difference, depending upon your playing. As I understand, this makes repeated notes more accurate.

All it does is allow to you restrike a note without your having to allow the key to lift as high before the restrike. As I mentioned above, this means you can more easily restrike a note softly or do rapid (especially gentle) trills, and (if pedal is up) not have to hear the sound stop before sounding it again.

 

Your Kawai link is interesting in that it also talks about how it "allows the sound of a single note to be gradually layered without the previous tone being lost." But that's not a function of the 3rd sensor per se. Nord does something similar in their 2-sensor boards (they call it "dynamic crescendo"). Though with two sensors, it could only happen with the pedal down, and with a 3-sensor board, it could also happen with the pedal up. But the key here is, that's a software thing. It's not like the presence of a third sensor will automatically give you this behavior, it depends on what your sound source does when it received two consecutive Note On events without a Note Off in between. It *could* be programmed to essentially layer another instance of the sound (or otherwise simulate the effect of re-striking a string that is already vibrating), but it might not.

[Ashville.Guru]

...But the key here is, that's a software thing. It's not like the presence of a third sensor will automatically give you this behavior, it depends on what your sound source does when it received two consecutive Note On events without a Note Off in between.

Quite true. OP uses softsynths, which are typically ahead of the curve in this regard, but it's good to check.

 

Now that I look around, I notice that the Yamaha CP4, the Roland FP-30 also have 3 sensors in their action. So that makes pretty much all the major DP players except Korg, if I'm not mistaken. Interesting.

 

- Guru