Members HikaruGunner Posted April 22, 2011 Members Share Posted April 22, 2011 Anyone experimented this keyboard?: http://www.fatar.com/studiologic/pages/VMK_88.htm I'm thinking of selling my M-Audio Keystation 88 es and buying this one, mainly to upgrade from semi weighted keys to hammer action ones. The cheapest I found the VMK-88 Plus is at 350 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members j_e_f_f_g Posted April 23, 2011 Members Share Posted April 23, 2011 I have both the VMK 88 Plus, as well as the 88ES. I used the 88ES for about 3 months, hoping I'd eventually adapt to the really heavy springs, but I just couldn't. Playing the 88ES was a chore, and I felt like the keys were constantly fighting against me. The VMK88 is NOT a hammer action. (You may be thinking about the VMK 188 which is entirely different). It's a synth action. But it's a vastly better synth action than the ES88. The really nice thing about the VMK is the (channel -- mono) aftertouch. The key has an slight "extra" movement after the key feels like it bottoms out. It's this movement where the aftertouch applies. It's gentle on the wrists, so aftertouch isn't such a literal "pain" to apply. I'd compare the VMK to old Roland synth actions (not crap like the new Juno's). But it's definitely not a weighted piano feel. There are a couple drawbacks to the VMK. First, changing a patch is slow. The VMK literally blinks for a good two to maybe even three seconds (after you select a new patch) before it's ready with that new patch. So patch changes during a song can be problematic. Secondly, it has no splits or zones. The entire keyboard sends on one MIDI channel at a time. (But each knob/slider can be set to its own MIDI channel). Finally, there is no transpose feature. Programming the VMK is a breeze. It's fairly basic. Mine also was reliable (no stuck notes, or triggering problems)... until it got smashed in a car accident. The keys aren't quite as long as I'd like. For example, the black keys are 3 1/2 inches long whereas my Roland RD300SX has 3 3/4 inch black keys. But the 88ES also has short keys, so if that's no problem for you... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members HikaruGunner Posted April 23, 2011 Author Members Share Posted April 23, 2011 Oh I thought the keys were hammer action. Thanks for the help. I don't know if it's worth the upgrade, I was thinking of a full hammer action one without breaking my bank account. I play mainly piano. If you have any suggestion please give it to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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