Controller keyboard as your main?

[shambler]

Hi all,

 

I have been thinking of buying a controller keyboard (61 key) as my main board due to bad experiences with having to put up with a synths keybed when I just need its sound.

 

The hope is that buying a bed that has just been manufactured to be a quality bed rather than just something tacked onto a sound generator I would end up with a more responsive bed....makes sense?

 

What controllers would you recommend? Having bought a Novation Xio-25 synth recently I would prefer something that was weighted/semi-weighted rather than typical synth keys.

[slash81291]

I hear good things about Novation stuff, specifically the Remote series.

Fwiw

[Goofball Jones]

Look at the CME stuff also. I haven't tried them out yet, but I've heard a couple of good things about their new UF series.

[Mysteron]

 

I hear good things about Novation stuff, specifically the Remote series. Fwiw

 

Yeah they're not too shabby, but not really if you're looking for something semi-weighted. The CME controllers look nice, especially the new VX8, although the CME's don't seem to have too much in the way of support forums. I'd also look at the Studiologic boards.

[pogo97]

Novation good. Nice company, excellent keyboard (on my x-station anyway)

CME bad. Wretched company, poor quality incompetent or, perhaps, contemptuous support (for my utterly shoddy, broken GPP3).

Studiologic, unknown by me.

[Goofball Jones]

I know CME has a bad rap, but I've heard good things about their newer stuff.

 

But I don't have any first hand knowledge of it, so check them out for yourself.

 

But you can't go wrong with Novation.

[Mysteron]

Novation good. Nice company, excellent keyboard (on my x-station anyway) CME bad. Wretched company, poor quality incompetent or, perhaps, contemptuous support (for my utterly shoddy, broken GPP3). Studiologic, unknown by me.

CME has the stigma of being 'Chinese' as well, and I must admit all of the stories I have heard have been horror stories, but like Goofball says their newer model (the VX range) is supposed to be pretty good (although I have no use for motorised faders).

 

I've not played one yet, although I did like the UF60 I played recently. I've been looking for a new controller for ages now myself and I frequently swap between wanting a synth with good controller abilities and a dedicated controller board that has all the transport controls, etc that a synth doesn't have.

 

I like the Roland A-70 (particularly the 4 MIDI outs, its expandability, and the 4 internal and 4 external zone configuration) but they're old now even though they seem to be the best hardware controllers I've come across (as opposed to the Novation Remote's which are great softsynth controllers).

 

If anyone can help me out as well I'd appreciate it