Any recommendations for a 76key, small form, synth action controller keyboard?

Not much choice around here to try out so need to go by recommendations. Space is at a premium so just looking for a nice keybed, 76 keys and no additional plastic down either side/top etc., to keep it nice and neat.

Price is £tba all depends if I can get something to fit the bill. Currently using a Roland Juno di and I don't like the keybed at all. Too clunky.

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Hail Hail and up the VSTs

if you want simple and minimal space usage there are these



also available in 76 key

you can even get the bare keybed if you fancy building it into a tight space




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MBP 17", PC 100(Nubus Protools) Motu 896, X-Station, Logic9, Reason6, Korg legacy, ACE, Alchemy, Emax II, E-Synth, Evolver MEK, Waldorf Pulse and Blofeld, AS Telemark, AS Leipzig-S

Isn't the PK88 hammer action?

I also prefer synth action keyboards, but it's hard to find them of any length.

I recall Roland used to do one (A-70?), but I've never managed to find one for sale. After years of chasing one I ended up with a Kurzweil K2600X, which has 76 keys and semi-weighted keys - not ideal, but OK.

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An Eagle for an Emperor, A Kestrel for a Knave.

Quote The Elf:

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Isn't the PK88 hammer action?

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ordinarily, yes but they also do a synth action keybed as well.. infact you can buy all the components if you fancy building into your own custom case.





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MBP 17", PC 100(Nubus Protools) Motu 896, X-Station, Logic9, Reason6, Korg legacy, ACE, Alchemy, Emax II, E-Synth, Evolver MEK, Waldorf Pulse and Blofeld, AS Telemark, AS Leipzig-S

Interesting! I can't find any details, or pricing, of a non-weighted 88 key. Do you have any more information about it?

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An Eagle for an Emperor, A Kestrel for a Knave.

Quote The Elf:

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Interesting! I can't find any details, or pricing, of a non-weighted 88 key. Do you have any more information about it?

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You're right, it isn't listed directly, but if you look through the products page and scroll down to "spares and accessories", you will see all the keybeds that are available.. there is a 76 note synth action amongst them.

The Roland A33 might be a cheaper option (second hand) but It seem to remember that Roland keybeds of that era don't age well.



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MBP 17", PC 100(Nubus Protools) Motu 896, X-Station, Logic9, Reason6, Korg legacy, ACE, Alchemy, Emax II, E-Synth, Evolver MEK, Waldorf Pulse and Blofeld, AS Telemark, AS Leipzig-S

Thanks, Chevy. Useful info all round.

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An Eagle for an Emperor, A Kestrel for a Knave.

I have an A70 and A80 (a la Vince Clarke!). They are superb but rediculously heavy. Chevytraveller is also quite right, they don't age particularly well but I know a man who keeps mine in full working order. I have searched high and low for anything that comes anywhere near the quality of these Roland boards, but nothing does.

The Roland A37 is quite good and light. I have one and the action compares quite well to my 76 key Kurzweil PC3.

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Sonar X2 Producer. Q9550 P45 8Gb DDR3, W8 x64, 1296, 2408 MkIII. Cantabile. Lenovo W530 16Gb, W7 x64, 828MkII. Kronos 61, Fusion 6HD, Fantom XR, TR-Rack, E-Synth Ultra, Proteus 2K, JV2080.

Quote Chevytraveller:

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The Roland A33 might be a cheaper option (second hand) but It seem to remember that Roland keybeds of that era don't age well.

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Well I still have a very old Roland A-30 and it works perfectly today

Best
-j

I have two A33s which seem to have aged fine - perfect working order. Decent keys, reasonably weighted, two MIDI outs and very compact. Not the most impressive for live playing, no aftertouch but do what they need to do. All plastic but at least it is heavy duty plastic. As usual rubbish pitch bend/modulation stick but I got hold of one of them a couple of years ago for £80 including hard case.

I bought the first one for £300 odd pounds, not knowing what I should pay, about eight to ten years ago when I started buying recording equipment. Now I use a CME uf7 which I got for £70 on eBay.

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www.slowworm.net

I bought the 76 waterfall keybed (Fatar I think) with the midi controller bit from here:
http://www.emismusic.co.uk/doepfermasterkeyboards.htm

Used it to build a hammond-esque controller for my Hammond XM1


end cheeks are now stained and french polished - proper wood

Now use it instead of an Axiom for gigs - much simpler.

Hi folks, still looking for a 76 key synth action with aftertouch......was looking at the CME UF7 mentioned above - reviews are very good and checked on ebay. Sadly not the £70 mentioned above......someone has one in for £250!! Wouldn't mind paying that if I hadn't heard of someone getting one at such a great price!!

Has there been anything new around that fits the criteria and is highly regarded or are we still with the names mentioned above?

Thanks for all the suggestions already posted - I have slipped off the map this past few months but hope to now get a bit of focus and get something sorted at long last.

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Hail Hail and up the VSTs

Edited by Dee (02/06/12 11:40 AM)

A bit weighty but a GEM/Generalmusic S3 perchance, 76 key semi weighted (have the s2 which is 61 keys and the keybed is excellent) (used by keith emerson of all people) and not just aftertouch but POLYPHONIC aftertouch.
Also being a workstation has a sequencer and onboard sounds if necessary (can load 2mb of AKAI/GEM samples as well) and has 2 seperatly addressable midi ports and 7 assignable buttons and faders.
Would probably be around £200 which I think is a bargain.

DGL - thanks for that mate, I'll keep an eye out.

However.....

Have seen a Roland A70 for £150. I'm presuming it would be worth my while following this up (will have to pay courier to Belfast too)? I know it's old but I've only heard positives about it and seems to be exactly what I'm looking for. Hopefully I get the SoS seal of approval before progressing with the purchase

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Hail Hail and up the VSTs

There is an Oberheim MC1000 on ebay at the mo.......Collection only from Portsmouth but mentions courier is an option.....

Semi weighted......any good?


http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Oberheim-MC-1000-keyboard-midi-controller-/27099 0492566?pt=Midi_Controllers&hash=item3f184ac396#ht_1031wt_1348

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Jonny

I have the 88-key version. Good, robust keyboard, made of steel. The feel will be different with the 76-key version; all I can say is that with the 88-key version the feel is decent (not as good as the MC3000, but okay).

The interface and programmability are a bit limited compared to fancy modern keyboards, but then there are plenty of cheaper keyboards around today that have a similar feature set. So if you don't need anything too complex and can get it cheap it would be a steal.

For courier purposes try Interparcel.

Tonight have it down to a CME UF7 or the Roland A-70 (although the latter is dependent on the seller getting back to me......which they haven't as yet).

That Oberheim MC1000 could be an option too

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Hail Hail and up the VSTs

To follow up my experiences with the CME UF7: it really was £70 or thereabouts. The flightcase I bought for it was the same price as the machine. I also got hold of the internal Firewire interface for it which works, but was quite temperamental until I got it sorted out properly.

The keyboard itself is actually rubbish. Because I am an abysmal keyboard player it took me a while to find out I didn't like it. I am not sure if my dissatisfaction is due to it being a second hand keyboard and just old and tired out, or just because I find the action too rubbery and squishy. To compare it, I MUCH prefer my cheapy A33 keyboard action, the action of my old Korg N1 weighted keyboard, the feel of an old JV90 I have and a lovely ancient D70 that I can't bear to part with and even the decidedly cheap Juno G that I use.

I think £250 would be an utter rip off for this keyboard. The case is made of aluminium and it seems quite tough, looks quite good, but even after fiddling with the velocity curves you either get full velocity bang splat bang splat or hardly anything at all. The keys seem to squish down and not respond even in the way the low-tech A33 would.

I would take the A33 any day over the UF7. Does that make me a clueless philistine?

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www.slowworm.net

Quote DGL.:

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A bit weighty but a GEM/Generalmusic S3 perchance, 76 key semi weighted (have the s2 which is 61 keys and the keybed is excellent) (used by keith emerson of all people) and not just aftertouch but POLYPHONIC aftertouch.
Also being a workstation has a sequencer and onboard sounds if necessary (can load 2mb of AKAI/GEM samples as well) and has 2 seperatly addressable midi ports and 7 assignable buttons and faders.
Would probably be around £200 which I think is a bargain.

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if you mean the GEM S3 turbo (and a 61 key equinox which was the updated one version again) I've just spotted one in EMIS bristol on their second hand bit bit. Andy used to sell their stuff brand new. it's more than what you've said though

http://www.vintagesynth.com/misc/gem_s.php

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cheers, Rob

Edited by Rob R (12/07/12 04:41 PM)

Quote Rich C:

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To follow up my experiences with the CME UF7: it really was £70 or thereabouts.

The keyboard itself is actually rubbish. Because I am an abysmal keyboard player it took me a while to find out I didn't like it. I am not sure if my dissatisfaction is due to it being a second hand keyboard and just old and tired out, or just because I find the action too rubbery and squishy.

...I think £250 would be an utter rip off for this keyboard. The case is made of aluminium and it seems quite tough, looks quite good, but even after fiddling with the velocity curves you either get full velocity bang splat bang splat or hardly anything at all. The keys seem to squish down and not respond even in the way the low-tech A33 would.

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Hi Rich!

I have to stand up a little for the CME UF range, although I've got the weighted UF8 version. For me this has worked perfectly now for some seven years since I bought the one I reviewed in SOS August 2005:

www.soundonsound.com/sos/aug05/articles/cmeuf8.htm

I've massaged the velocity response a little, but it can reliably generate velocities from about 20 to 127 with great expression, and from what I remember of playing the UF7 synth-action version that seemed no worse than many other keyboards out there, and better than some.

Having said all that, I'd have to agree that £250 for a 2nd hand UF7 would indeed be a rip-off - slightly under the £100 mark for a smart one seems about right to me, and probably slightly over for the UF8 version


Martin

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YewTreeMagic