Where to start...MIDI USB Controller keyboard.

[joanba]

Hi,

I'm new to this site and I've arrived here after looking for a midi usb controller with a decent piano keyboard at an affordable price. It seems that this kind of product does not exists anymore. Maybe I'm an strange guy but I'm tired to carry a lot of keyboards, amplifier, stands, etc. and I ensure that at night after a concert is a nightmare. So I'm looking for a device with the following specs:

- 88 note keyboard, if possible with hammer action ( www.fatar.com has this mechanisms, in different qualities and I suppose prices ).

- Light weight. I suppose that the keyboard is the key of the weight: more quality on the keyboard more weight on the keys. There is a design compromise here.

- USB connection, and if possible USB powered !!

- Enough controls to have an useable instrument: some knobs, faders, pitch and modulation wheels, pedals, etc.

Until now I've only found one controller with all this characteristics: Studiologic VMK 88, but it seems to be obsolete and it's not possible to buy it anymore. Also I have not seen any unit at all. There are other similar things from M-Audio but they don't have enough controls.

I don't know if this is the right place to put this question but probably you have any experience or previous projects with this characteristics. What is the starting point that you recommend ??

Regards,

JoanBa

- No need for sound, only a MIDI Controller. Any software instrument will do the job.

[ilmenator]

Hi, and welcome!

As your first statement is about "affordable price", a word of warning before we start: DIY does not mean "cheap". Especially mechanical components prices for DIY projects can, because of low quantities, become pretty expensive. The worst case I can think of is an 88 key hammer action keyboard. This alone will probably cost you as much or more than a readily built master keyboard from one of the big manufacturers.

Therefore it might be a good idea to buy one of those with little controls and only add the controls with a MIDIbox project: additional buttons, faders, LEDs, display etc. Another advantage of this would be that you do not have to worry about a decent case...

Best regards, ilmenator

[Narwhal]

Welcome,

As ilmenator stated.. if you are stuck on hammer action weighted keys it might be best to go for a ready made solution.  The latest studiologic seems to be numbered 188 now.  There is one for sale on eBay.

Kurt

[doc]

- 88 note keyboard, if possible with hammer action ( www.fatar.com has this mechanisms, in different qualities and I suppose prices ).

- Light weight. I suppose that the keyboard is the key of the weight: more quality on the keyboard more weight on the keys. There is a design compromise here.

I think, this two points cannot match ever!

I have a fatar master keyboard with hammer action. The only weight is the keyboard. Case, electronics only weight 1% of the whole keyboard.

If you want hammer action, you'll have to carry it!  ;D

greets

Doc

[JMS]

i've got an m-audio radium 49 key midi controller, i think they make an 88 key version as well.  it's usb powered, usb connection... has 8 knobs, 8 faders, mod wheel and pitch bend wheel.  it's out of production but they are all over ebay.. the replacement model is the oxygen.  i even have the radium 49 working in ubuntu 8.04 with jack and alsa midi stuff!  it was cheap too compared to what else was out there when i bought it. i'm planning to plug it into my midibox when i get there.

[fabioldr]

Maybe that's a start:

http://www.musicfromouterspace.com/analogsynth/matrix_keyboard_may2004/matrix_keyboard_may2004.html

Then you could find a CV yo midi converter, and you any cheap midi to USB converter

WARNING: That's just rough gess, I don't know if it's going to work (like most DIY breakthrough projects)

if you succeed  (by any means) let me know!!!