Your preference: Weighted or unweighted keys?

I'm thinking of buying a new keyboard. I had weighted keys before. I was wondering what people here thinks about the differences between the two and your personal preferences.

It's definitely very different.

I like hammer action for playing piano, and weighted synth action for pretty much everything else.

I like weighted myself.

I like hammer action for playing piano, weighted synth action for synths, and gen-u-wine Hammond waterfall keys for organ. But if I was gigging I'd make do with one hammer & one or two synth type boards.

Even for organ riffs? Uhg.

Weighted for pianos and 'semi-weighted' synth action for everything else.

I only like weighted keys for playing piano and electric piano sounds.

For me, playing organ and synth sounds with weighted keys seems just weird. Additionally, I can play much faster with synth-action keyboards.

My pudgy digits are most comfortable on a weighted action keyboard. When I'm practicing constantly, I can do OK with synth action keys ... but, the moment my practicing slacks off ... I'm in BIG trouble, especially when I'm trying to switch between a weighted action DP and a synth action "2nd" board. At that point, I may as well just flip my hands over when I move to the synth action board and use the knuckles.

I'm a piano player. Weighted keys only, thanks.

Weighted for piano sounds and so-called "semi-weighted" for synth sounds.

semi

As long as I can control dynamics with good precision, it doesn't matter at all what action I'm playing. But usually hammer-action keyboards are most controllable.

I can't play some classical piano pieces with synth action or semi weighted nearly as easily as I can on fully weighted piano keys. But that being said, I don't do that much anymore and it's impossible to play really fast leads smoothly on fully weighted keys... which I do quite a bit.

weighted ,, but I like em on the light side

Mr. Obvious advises weighted hammer action for piano, semi-weighted for synth/organ/general sounds, and 25-key synth action for one-finger playing.

Graded hammer actions are considered more realistic than non-graded (balanced) hammer actions, however this is a matter of personal preference (for example, the top-most Yamaha CP1 and CP5 digital pianos have non-graded NW-Stage action because test audience preferred it over graded, however CP50 has a standard GH3 action).

BTW do weighted non-hammer action keyboards even exist?

graded weighted ftw.

weighted

i've experimented with hauptwerk and some electric organ emulations but i'm not as interested in organ as i am in piano.

i finally bought a hammer action keyboard (m-audio keystation pro 88) like 18 months ago and couldn't imagine going back to 61 keys with synth action. i can finally play piano music again my playing really suffered without it

i'd only make exceptions for analog gerrs but many of my personal favs come in rack format and have midi. ideally i'd only have one exquisite master keyboard in the studio and everything else would be rack only

I like to have both available

I like weighted.

No More Phone Calls! We have a winner, folks!

I'm used to semi-weighted synth action. I tried playing a hammer-action weighted board (Alesis QS8) and it was hard for me. Only because I'm not used to it. If i had such a board (or a piano) it would be easier.