Why isn't there a synth with knobs and piano action?

[skier4467]

I'm having a hard time deciding what keyboard to get. I really want something with at least semiweighted keys and has knobs to turn to affect some LFOs or something synth sounding. I guess this doesn't exist or at least it is really expensive.

 

The sub $1000 Rolands have knobs but the action sucks. The Privias 310, 400, 555, Yamaha P120, Korg 500 have good action but no knobs!

 

Am I missing something?

[Dave the Rave]

As I see it, most keyboard players, myself included, prefer a light action keyboard on synthesizers. I think the main reason is that synth solo playing is more often than not requires very fast fingerwork and thus is much more difficult to do on a weighted or even semi-weighted keyboard.

 

That being said, I use a Kurzweil K2600XS 88-note semi-weighted keyboard as the main 'board in my studio setup. It is an AWESOME synthesizer. The action is just light enough to do some nifty solo work, and just heavy enough to play piano pieces too. I love it

 

:DTR

[Meatball Fulton]

There have been such synths in the past...Prophet T8 comes to mind.

[orangefunk]

I'd love a T8... drool...

[TDman]

Skier -

 

You're correct, something like that would probably be too expensive to produce...

[eric]

There are a number of products that have 88 weighted keys and knobs to control synthesis parameters:

 

- Yamaha Motif 8

- Yamaha Motif ES8

- Yamaha MO8 (new product)

- Korg Triton series with 88 keys (Extreme, Studio, Classic)

- Nord STAGE

 

Probably some others that I'm forgetting.

 

These are mostly higher-end products, but the MO8 is reported to be in the $1500-1600 range, once it ships.

 

Regards,

Eric

[Markeyz]

If you're trying to stay under $1000 you could look for a Yamaha S-80 on Ebay. You should be able to find one lightly used or even new for around that price.

[mildbill]

http://www.yamahasynth.com/products/s80/index.html

 

5 knobs, 4 sliders, breath control and pedal inputs, plug-in boards, wheels, and weighted 88 keys. i like mine.

[Darkstorm]

Cause piano action sucks. Its the same as overly high action on a guitar. We want fast light action on our keyboards, the same as most guitarists into leads and maximum expresiveness also want low fast action on their guitars. Most guitarists who are into technical or fast music also use light gauge strings along with low action. Cause that just adds to ease of play and nimble expressiveness. Piano action is just as bad as high stiff awkward guitar setup compared to low light action giutar setup.

 

Dave the Rave is right. Piano action is a largely undesireable to synths players. We have no use for piano action. It only appeals imoto those who wont come out of the cave age of keyboard action. That stiff, high action is cave days stuff. We evolved from there. Just as guitar players have ever since they started getting guitar makers to make guitars that allowed for very low light action.

 

 

No insult to piano lovers is intended Just expressing a basic synth player attitude I find in common with most synth players I've ever known. Even a large number of todays classical guitar players are demanding the faster neck profiles and lower action that till recently was only found on electric guitars.

[kayvon]

Darkstorm, I definitely agree for alot of synth sounds but certainly not for all. The first type of sound that pops into my head that benefits from a weighted action is something that responds dramatically to velocity and has a long release, something that lends itself to being played slowly. You can simply get loads more expression out of a sound like that with a weighted action.

 

Also, would you call FM electric piano a synth patch? Believe me, once you've played sounds like that with a weighted controller, using synth keys just feels cheap. If you're not a fan of those sounds, they are still as expressive when tweaked to sound other-worldly.

 

Both type of action has it's place, along with MPC-style pads for certain stuff.

[jazzed]

 

Originally posted by Darkstorm Cause piano action sucks. Its the same as overly high action on a guitar. We want fast light action on our keyboards, the same as most guitarists into leads and maximum expresiveness also want low fast action on their guitars. Most guitarists who are into technical or fast music also use light gauge strings along with low action. Cause that just adds to ease of play and nimble expressiveness. Piano action is just as bad as high stiff awkward guitar setup compared to low light action giutar setup. Dave the Rave is right. Piano action is a largely undesireable to synths players. We have no use for piano action. It only appeals imoto those who wont come out of the cave age of keyboard action. That stiff, high action is cave days stuff. We evolved from there. Just as guitar players have ever since they started getting guitar makers to make guitars that allowed for very low light action. No insult to piano lovers is intended Just expressing a basic synth player attitude I find in common with most synth players I've ever known. Even a large number of todays classical guitar players are demanding the faster neck profiles and lower action that till recently was only found on electric guitars.

 

 

Are you kidding? I would never play anything but some synth and organ on light action. I can't dig in with piano or Rhodes on that. It just doesn't feel right. It feels cheap, and unexpressive. Most pianists can play fast on weighted action. While I agree that synth lines are often feel right for many people on lighter action, to suggest that people who prefer piano action won't come out of the 'cave age' is ridiculous.

 

It's also tough to compare the guitar string action to piano action. While I know very little about guitars, you say that the lighter, low, fast action on guitar strings maximizes expression on speed. While lighter action on a keyboard may increase speed, I find (and I believe many will agree) it decreases expressiveness in situations like piano and e-pianos where it's needed.

 

If I had to have one and only keyboard, it would be weighted, because I can play pianos expressively, and synth/organ lines speedily and lightly. On unweighted action, I can still play the synth/organ lines quickly (perhaps more comfortably), but it's much more difficulty to play piano expressively. In other words, it's optimal to have both, but for me, weighted keys can replace unweighted keys while unweighted keys cannot replace weighted.

 

 

Everything synth action may work for you and other people who play primarily synth, but it's insane to suggest that piano action sucks, is obsolete, or is outdated.

[U&I]

Well there's always this which will be my next controller ( I'm currently saving for it )

 

 

 

 

 

 

Keystation 88 Pro .

[wetwareinterface]

you could just buy a fully weighted keyboard and a seperate knob controller and get both you know.

[niacin]

early synths didn't respond to velocity so you didn't need weighted keys. Then there's aftertouch which is easier to manipulate IMO on a semi/non-weighted keybed. But then yeh if you have a weighted board you can map velocity to say the filter and it will be more expressive on a weighted board. And no you can't play notes faster on a synth than on a piano. That's complete BS, even for machine gun stuff if the weighted action keyup mechanism is any good (many digital pianos are a bit stodgy on this front though).

 

Try a controller keyboard, e.g.:

http://www.studiologic.net/