# Quiet MIDI controller?



## bill5 (May 22, 2021)

88 keys, though I might consider 61. Synth or semi-weighted, no exact budget but the cheaper the better...it seems every one that passes the sniff test generally is reported from users as having somewhat noisy keys, and this is a huge minus to me, can't stand it. Features otherwise I'm flexible on, it should have pitch and mod controls and basic transport controls on board, anything else is a plus.


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## d.healey (May 22, 2021)

They all have noisy keys. The cheaper ones have springy noises the expensive ones have hammer/weight noises.


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## Dewdman42 (May 22, 2021)

most are pretty noisy, but I did find one 88 key controller that is shockingly quiet...and cheap too...

The Nektar LX88+

It has other pros and cons, but mechanical quietness was important to me I went to guitar center and tested out a dozen different ones, looking exactly at that aspect and this particular Nektar was by far the most quiet.


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## bill5 (May 22, 2021)

Dewdman42 said:


> most are pretty noisy, but I did find one 88 key controller that is shockingly quiet...and cheap too...
> 
> The Nektar LX88+
> 
> It has other pros and cons, but mechanical quietness was important to me I went to guitar center and tested out a dozen different ones, looking exactly at that aspect and this particular Nektar was by far the most quiet.


Thanks, that's hopeful as I was eyeing that in general. A few other people here commented otherwise so maybe it's a question of getting lucky? Ironically, I have a real cheapie Casio workstation which while not TOTALLY quiet (I realize this is probably a question of degree), isn't too bad. Hoping to do at least a little better though.


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## Dewdman42 (May 22, 2021)

who commented otherwise? They may have been referring to the version before the PLUS, not sure. Complaints I have seen have been related to the velocity response, not the volume of the keyboard mechanics, but I can assure you, it is very quiet compared to many others. As someone already said, the weighted ones make a thump and the lighter ones tend to have a springier sound that is associated with key coming back up. This one is quiet. I haven't found anything quieter.


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## bill5 (May 22, 2021)

I don't recall who but if I find the thread, I'll post. Pretty sure they were talking about the plus version. 

OK if I buy this and it's noisy, I'm stalking you.


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## Dewdman42 (May 22, 2021)

make sure there is a return policy, I take not responsibility whatsoever.


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## bill5 (May 22, 2021)

Too late, don't try to dodge it now!!


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## Dewdman42 (May 22, 2021)

not dodging anything. its the quietest keyboard I have found. good luck.


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## bill5 (May 22, 2021)

Just kidding, which I thought was clear, but the fallacies of the internet I guess...

Thanks for the info


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## dcoscina (May 22, 2021)

hammer 88 is pretty quiet and inexpensive. Keylab 61mk2 synth action is quiet and feels good. Nord Grand is lovely but expensive. Roland A88mk2 quiet and responsive keybed


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## bill5 (May 22, 2021)

Thanks for the feedback! The hammer 88 (I assume you mean M Audio) is fully weighted though, so that's out...the Arturia is interesting, some nice extras like aftertouch too. The Nord and Roland are definitely out of my range but worth the mention for others who may have a better budget than me  I do recall trying out some Roland workstations and they were very quiet


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## ag75 (May 22, 2021)

I’m so picky about midi controllers and the best one, and by far my favorite action, is the Akai Advance 61. It’s a semi weighted action but totally smooth and super quiet.


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## dcoscina (May 23, 2021)

bill5 said:


> Thanks for the feedback! The hammer 88 (I assume you mean M Audio) is fully weighted though, so that's out...the Arturia is interesting, some nice extras like aftertouch too. The Nord and Roland are definitely out of my range but worth the mention for others who may have a better budget than me  I do recall trying out some Roland workstations and they were very quiet


Ah sorry about that. No semi weighted controller with 88 keys is going to be quiet. Mostly because their build quality and materials in that price range (under $500 CAD). Their springs and keybeds just don’t make for quiet playing. The KL61mk2 is ultra quiet. 
Ironically the Korg Microkey series with its mini boxed semi weighted keys are also incredibly quiet. I’ve used a 49 key model for years now at my smaller rig.


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## Simon Ravn (May 23, 2021)

Dewdman42 said:


> most are pretty noisy, but I did find one 88 key controller that is shockingly quiet...and cheap too...
> 
> The Nektar LX88+
> 
> It has other pros and cons, but mechanical quietness was important to me I went to guitar center and tested out a dozen different ones, looking exactly at that aspect and this particular Nektar was by far the most quiet.


Not my experience at all. I actually bought the LX88+ by recommendation here. It is pretty noisy, the action is very stiff and cheap feeling. Cannot recommend this at all. The action on the cheapo Alesis Q88 is better, but the velocity response doesn't work (can't register below 15!), also my old Roland A-800 pro has way better action and is quieter. I am still hunting an 88/76 keyboard to replace this. Definitely have to get rid of the LX88+.


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## Dewdman42 (May 23, 2021)

mine is dead silent as was the one I tested at GC. I'm very picky about this point, which is why I actually went to GC to test them all. LX88+ was the quietest one of them all that were there..including AKAI, NI, Novation, Roland and numerous others. The LX88+ does NOT have the best piano action if that is important. It is semi-weighted, not fully weighted.

Very strange to hear your experience. I have also read positive reviews about the LX88+ in this regard on Amazon and Sweetwater. Maybe you got a dud Simon. well if so, that speaks poorly about consistency. I have also read many stories that the LX88 (non plus) had some issues.

Anyway, guess the only answer for the OP is to go test them himself and find the one that works for him, these kinds of questions about midi controllers always bring out 98 answers in 360 degrees of direction from each other..its totally a personal subjective decision. But I can say, my LX88+ is dead quiet compared to all my other keyboards. Well not true, my Roland JP-80 has a pretty quiet keyed on it too...but... not a cheap keyboard.


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## bill5 (May 23, 2021)

Dewdman42 said:


> Anyway, guess the only answer for the OP is to go test them himself and find the one that works for him


Believe me, if I could have I would have...I'm guessing you're near a large city, because GC and similar places have few if ANY controllers out to try here, and none of those mentioned. It's all little (49 keys or less) synths and workstations, a few digital pianos.


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## synthesizerwriter (May 23, 2021)

I have added a new field: 'Playing Noise' to this forum's 'Master Keyboards' database:









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If anyone wants to contribute their thoughts on how noisy any of the listed master keyboards are (or let me know of any omissions), then just reply to this thread. Thanks!


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## dcoscina (May 23, 2021)

Simon Ravn said:


> Not my experience at all. I actually bought the LX88+ by recommendation here. It is pretty noisy, the action is very stiff and cheap feeling. Cannot recommend this at all. The action on the cheapo Alesis Q88 is better, but the velocity response doesn't work (can't register below 15!), also my old Roland A-800 pro has way better action and is quieter. I am still hunting an 88/76 keyboard to replace this. Definitely have to get rid of the LX88+.


Honestly Nektar lower end boards are the biggest piles of crap and I never recommend them to customers. even the higher end boards have pretty pedestrian key feel/beds


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## Dewdman42 (May 23, 2021)

bill5 said:


> Believe me, if I could have I would have...I'm guessing you're near a large city, because GC and similar places have few if ANY controllers out to try here, and none of those mentioned. It's all little (49 keys or less) synths and workstations, a few digital pianos.



I hear you. I had to do it while I was on a business trip to Dallas actually. Another approach is buy half a dozen prime candidates from GC, have shipped to your home...try them all and return the ones you don't like or all of them to the local GC if you have to.


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## SirKen (May 23, 2021)

ag75 said:


> I’m so picky about midi controllers and the best one, and by far my favorite action, is the Akai Advance 61. It’s a semi weighted action but totally smooth and super quiet.


Is it? I got a second hand Akai Advance 61 from a gear bundle purchase and keys make a loud thonk sound whenever I play at mid to high velocities.

On the other hand, I recently acquired a Novation SL MKII 61 and both the action and the key noise feels much better. The keys seem to be a tiny bit longer than Akai as well.


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## bill5 (May 23, 2021)

It seems buying a controller is like playing the lotto.


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## fakemaxwell (May 23, 2021)

I just picked up an Arturia Keylab 61 MKII, and it has some pretty quiet keys. For synth action not sure you can do much better.


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## Simon Ravn (May 23, 2021)

Dewdman42 said:


> mine is dead silent as was the one I tested at GC. I'm very picky about this point, which is why I actually went to GC to test them all. LX88+ was the quietest one of them all that were there..including AKAI, NI, Novation, Roland and numerous others. The LX88+ does NOT have the best piano action if that is important. It is semi-weighted, not fully weighted.
> 
> Very strange to hear your experience. I have also read positive reviews about the LX88+ in this regard on Amazon and Sweetwater. Maybe you got a dud Simon. well if so, that speaks poorly about consistency. I have also read many stories that the LX88 (non plus) had some issues.
> 
> Anyway, guess the only answer for the OP is to go test them himself and find the one that works for him, these kinds of questions about midi controllers always bring out 98 answers in 360 degrees of direction from each other..its totally a personal subjective decision. But I can say, my LX88+ is dead quiet compared to all my other keyboards. Well not true, my Roland JP-80 has a pretty quiet keyed on it too...but... not a cheap keyboard.



I won't say it's louder than so many other controllers - but I would not call it quiet, and very "springy" feeling/sound. Maybe you can get lucky/unlucky, but this is also very telling about QC. And the worst thing is that it's so stiff. You need to put quite some pressure on the keys before they move. This is very different from the Roland ones for example. Also the keys are not 100% aligned when they are at rest. Some are a bit higher/lower than others. I don't see that on the Roland's either. I wonder how many keyboards it will take before I find one that suits me....


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## synthesizerwriter (May 27, 2021)

I hesitate to suggest this, because I know some of the inherent problems, but it seems that it might be worth considering using this forum to 'crowd-source' some representative numbers by actually measuring the sound pressure levels - so that we can avoid subjective terms like 'quiet', 'noisy'...

Positives: There are lots of us, and we have a variety of controllers (and preferences!).

Probables: Quite a few of us would probably be interested in the results... (Especially if they were easily available before we research our next controller...) We probably have the ability to do the recording/measuring in a reasonably quiet environment.

Negatives: Trying to standardise pressing keys on keyboards (consistency, velocity, etc.), and getting calibrated measurements of SPL (I'm uncertain about the calibration accuracy of the low-cost SPL meters that can be found on Amazon et al) in various ambient temperatures.

So what do we think? Is this a non-starter because of the inherent problems in distributed experiment design and calibration? Is the effort (minor for each contributor, more for the collation and statistical analysis) worth it? Will we get something valuable enough at the end, for us to spend some time, effort and money on it?


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## bill5 (May 27, 2021)

Nice thought, but I really doubt it, for reasons stated among others.


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## pcohen12 (May 27, 2021)

Yes, buying a controller is somewhat like playing the lotto…even the same model can vary from unit to unit!

That being said, I second the recommendations for the Arturia KeyLab 61 MkII. Phenomenal build quality, and the great-feeling keybed is about as quiet as you can get for a mechanical apparatus that you violently hit with your fingers.


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## bill5 (May 27, 2021)

Thanks but $550 for only 61 keys is more than I'm willing to go. I might go for that if it was 88.

What about the Arturia KeyLab 88? I can't stand that white cabinet, but if the quality is similar, that's a friendly price I might have to consider.


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## ag75 (May 27, 2021)

SirKen said:


> Is it? I got a second hand Akai Advance 61 from a gear bundle purchase and keys make a loud thonk sound whenever I play at mid to high velocities.
> 
> On the other hand, I recently acquired a Novation SL MKII 61 and both the action and the key noise feels much better. The keys seem to be a tiny bit longer than Akai as well.


Hmm, that's strange. Mine makes a little noise but it's so much more quest than most I have tried out. It's has great action as well.


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## Jorf88 (May 27, 2021)

synthesizerwriter said:


> I hesitate to suggest this, because I know some of the inherent problems, but it seems that it might be worth considering using this forum to 'crowd-source' some representative numbers by actually measuring the sound pressure levels - so that we can avoid subjective terms like 'quiet', 'noisy'...
> 
> Positives: There are lots of us, and we have a variety of controllers (and preferences!).
> 
> ...


This is a really interesting idea, standardizing the recording and methods for key pressing/releasing is going to be hard, though.

I guess what I would say is to let the board's (default?) velocity curve dictate the pressure used. Like record sound at vel 127, record at like vel ~60, and record at vel <10. For key release, I'd say to bring a key all the way down to the bottom of its bed and then slip your finger off of the end of it to let it fly up, and then for a softer release just press it down and pick your hand up off of the key as fast as you can (most noisy boards I've ever played are actually the loudest on the key release, not the press). That soft-release seems generous, but my current board is noisy AF just even doing that.


On a different note: I was really hoping to find some inspiration in this thread, but alas, I haven't found much. I had been on a search for a similar board, and I never found anything worthwhile. I got myself a Nektar Panorama T6 recently and I'm still within the return period... it's probably getting returned.
I have a love/hate relationship with its keyboard. Interestingly, the key-down (even slamming vel 127) is almost silent, but they key release is _horribly _clack-y. I'm also torn on the key feel... it takes far more effort to press the keys than it really should. I'm getting used to it, because the sensors are actually very high on the key-press (as in you don't need to get anywhere close to bottoming them out to produce sound), so I've adapted to thinking about the force I'm exerting as opposed to the position I'm pushing the key to. It's very unintuitive if you're used to hammer-weighted keys.

To reiterate: for OP's purpose, avoid the panorama t4/t6. It's entirely possible that by opening it up, some felt pads to prevent the keys from resting at the very tippy top of their spring action could eliminate 95% of the noise they do make, and render it as a nearly silent keybed, but I'd still be torn about the feel.

It makes me sad, tho. I'm really enjoying all of the other functionality this board has to offer.
Why does no one make decent 61 key midi controllers anymore :(


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## bill5 (May 27, 2021)

Or 88 key (semi-weighted) for that matter. It does seem very elusive. Frustrating. I may just buy whatever and hope I get lucky.


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## Jorf88 (May 27, 2021)

bill5 said:


> Or 88 key (semi-weighted) for that matter. It does seem very elusive. Frustrating. I may just buy whatever and hope I get lucky.


To be fair, I've heard that Korg makes absolutely fantastic stage pianos that are 88 key semi weighted... They're just also at least 4x the price you're wanting to spend. Haha (I totally get it, though. I wish they'd sell pared down versions of them as just midi controllers for 1/3 the price.)


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## synthesizerwriter (May 29, 2021)

I've been thinking about my crowd-sourcing suggestion. As the OP noted, for a number of reasons, this is unlikely to happen. The only even slightly-comparable example that I can think of is the Pianobook.co.uk project, started by Christian Henson of Spitfire Audio, and that has lots of contributors, lots of volunteer collators and gophers, and seems to be a 'labour of love' by people who want to share free Virtual Instruments.

Creating a resource for people who want to compare the sounds/noises made by keyboard controller keybeds when keys are played seems like it would probably require even more altruism and passion, and these are rare commodities these days. I'm afraid that I think that we are destined to forever play the lottery of uncalibrated subjective opinions as to what 'quiet' and 'noisy' mean...

But...maybe a university/college student is looking for an unusual project? With that in mind, I will publish my background research so far, and some further thoughts, in my blog as a draft Project Proposal, in the hope that might make it easier to find via a Web Search, and might even infinitesimally reduce the entropy of the InterWeb. ( http://blog.synthesizerwriter.com/2021/05/project-proposal-seeks-student-keyboard.html )


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