Which Midi Keyboard?

[xgsjx]

I've got a little money to spend on myself & I'd like to get a midi controller keyboard for use at home with Logic. So I figured I'd ask your advice.

There's a few different ones that I've been looking at...

First is the Nectar Panorama P6. Apparently it has a great depth of control with Logic, allowing you to control all the different parameters of the instruments that come with LPX without needing any host VST to do so, whereas I believe all others need a wrapper.
It has a good amount of controls & is a rather nice looking piece of kit. But... It doesn't come with any bundled software instruments like most other controllers do.

Next is the NI S61. This is a lovely looking piece of kit too, but I can't find anything about how well it plays with LPX. I think you have to load a VST wrapper onto every midi track you want to use it on, which slightly puts me off.
It's about £50 more than the P6, but it does come with a suite of synths (Complete Select) which includes Massive. So it's very tempting too.

There's the Arturia Keylab 61. This is the cheapest of the keyboards that I've been looking at & was originally my first choice as it comes with a nice suite of synths, but I've read that the build quality isn't the best, with some users experiencing keys breaking.

Then there's the Novation SL mkII 61. This looks like a beast of a unit too. Lots of controls & looks like it works really well with LPX. It comes with a VST of Bassstation, which might come in handy too. There's the cheaper Impulse 61 too.

Any advice for any of these or any suggestions what else to look at would be welcome.

Or... Should I just go for one of the cheaper controllers such as the NEKTAR LX61 & spend the £200 odd difference on something else?

The Mrs would rather I spend the money on an Xbox One, which is tempting too!

[ambient]

Why do you want bundled instruments if you're using it with logic ? The idea of a controller keyboard is usually to use it to play the software instruments.

I use either an M-Audio oxygen 25, but mostly a Korg micro key 49, which is as simple as you can get, but has a nice keyboard action.

These are about £50, more money will get you more keys.

The later versions of the oxygen has drum pads.

I think most controller keyboards will work with Logic, it's usually just plug in and play.

I'd go for whichever has the best keyboard.

Logic has tens of thousands of instruments, thousands of synths. The Alchemy one is particularly good, and very tweakable.

Edited January 11, 2016 by ambient

[EBS_freak]

Just to throw another one into the mix, I have had the Akai Advance 61 for a good four or five months now. Really cool work flow, defo worth checking out if you work a lot with plugins. Bundled software is very strong also. Good build quality, good keyboard action... just one cable to make it all work, powered from my Mac.

This is worth a look to get a feel for what it's all about -


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZcsbN5RCs4

[BassTractor]

It's been some years since I investigated MIDI keyboards, but from what I read on Gearslutz, the Arturia is very shoddily built also as to other aspects than the keys themselves. I think there's no reason to take the risk, seeing as there are so many alternatives.

Nobody really raves about the Akai, but they do seem to be well satisfied with Akai's keyboards, both as to key response and as to build quality.
As an Akai Miniak (a synth) owner, I concur that the Akai keys are quite adequate.

The NI seems well regarded.

I can't say anything about the others, but I personally went for a few M-Audio KeyStation models as their semi-weighted keys are not too bad.
However, when I did, I was surprised by the following: some of the models (they come in many lengths, from 25 to 88 keys IMS) come with manuals that implicitly state you can use USB MIDI at the same time as a 9V wall wart, whilst other manuals state you'll ruin the keyboard if you use both. As I use several of them, and one can't expect the computer to deliver enough power, I use a powered USB hub for them. This seems to work well.
Also the different KeyStation models come with different ports for pedals (like Volume and Hold) as well as MIDI. Be aware of this.
In the end, whilst I wanted 49- or 61-key boards, I felt forced to buy the 88-key version as it was the only one that had it all and was flexible enough.


That said, I think it's very much a case of how well adapted the key action is to your needs and your experience level. If you're only entering individual notes one by one, and use a DAW to edit the velocity data afterwards, then any action will do. If you need full piano control over velocity, then only a good piano action board will do.
Personally, I never use the M-Audio for piano sounds, and instead use my trusty piano-action board for those (a Yamaha KX-88 from the mid 80s).

[xgsjx]

The Advanced 61 is a bit out of my price range (so is the 49). I did look at it & it's verrrry nice.

[ambient]

What I did before I bought my Korg, was to make a list of ones that were in my price range. Then just use Google for reviews. I particularly like the ones in Sound on sound, they also usually give you other options too.

[hairychris]

I got a good deal on an Akai Q49, the 4 octave one. It doesn't have any additional pads/controls and the keys don't feel too bad. Then again I'm a bit of a Luddite and any extra controls that I need to map confuses me!

EDIT: It's not as nice at the keybed on my Moog Sub 37 though... that feels looovely.

Edited January 11, 2016 by hairychris

[xgsjx]

I'm wanting the extra controls. Just now I'm using an old Yamaha 61 key home keyboard that has no velocity & no other midi controls whatsoever (not even a pitch bend).
I've considered if I could use a smaller keyboard & I probably could, but I really like playing with 2 hands on the keys, sometimes with a split.
So a 61 key is really ideal (though I'm not ruling out a 49 key) & I do want controls for fiddling with synth sounds.
The other thing that's really tempting is to hold off & get a Seaboard Rise. It's only a 2 octave bed, but after having a go on one last month, it's very tempting to save & get one.

If I go for the Nektar LX49/61, I could afford an Xbox One as well.

Oh the choices. I might just buy a bike.

[funkgod]

I like the cme,pref the uf8 with weighted keys, it has record ff rw and play buttons you can control you daw with tho not sure with logic.
worth a quick look maybe
sos review
http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/aug05/articles/cmeuf8.htm

youtube,,,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqJmDEWIFA8