# Merry Christmas from all the major keyboard makers: if they agreed to implement up to 3 changes from you...



## bill5 (Dec 9, 2020)

What do you ask for? Mine:

1 - Eliminate those lame and so tiny gray and blue LCD screens. Even on cheaper models this is easily upgradable to a full-color screen which doesn't look like something out of the 80s without jumping the cost a lot. Cmon people it's the 21st century already.

2 - Modular, plug n play keybeds. We all like diff things and I think most of us have probably liked a keyboard enough to buy...if it wasn't for that keybed you didn't like...

3 - Modular, plug n play mod and pitch bend controls. And expand beyond the standard size wheel and hamster wanker size joystick.


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## Trash Panda (Dec 9, 2020)

NI please put some faders in for the love of dog. We have plenty of knobs, you knob ends.


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## K. Johnston (Dec 12, 2020)

I would ask for options for fully weighted or a high-quality semi weighted keybed. Too many midi keyboards are either a descent weighted keybed or a cheap semi weighted implementation.


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## Windbag (Dec 15, 2020)

Maybe one with a qwerty keyboard and trackpad on a sliding piano-style key cover. My back has decided it's had quite enough of me hunching over the 88 to control the computer (and yes, I'm already planning a desk rebuild)


Alternatively - JUST a functional keybed with a flat top (the Native one is close, I guess) but seriusly give me whatever controls besides the keys in a separate module I can place where I like.


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## Mystic (Dec 15, 2020)

1. Fully weighted, top shelf keys/weight on a midi keyboard. Seriously, companies skimp so much on this one very simple thing. Make a midi keyboard with your top of the line keybeds/keycaps you use on your stage and digital pianos.

2. More mod wheels. I've been asking for this for years. I hate manually switching which CC my modwheel is using. I want to map them out across multiple and not worry about doing that.

3. Motorized faders. Good quality ones. Very few boards have done this and fewer have done it well. I'd happily pay a premium for them to be built on the board. Proper, touch sensitive 100mm faders.

I'm adding one more for shits and giggles: a standardized NKS style format that isn't tied to NI and everyone adopts for keyboard lights that can be properly mapped for keyswitching in any plugin.


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## ReleaseCandidate (Dec 16, 2020)

If your (Arturia, I'm talking to you, just in case you didn't notice!) keyboard has a sequencer/arpeggiator and transport control buttons that also start and stop the sequencer/arp, your transport buttons are useless if I can't turn off the seqencer/arp at all!
Add a power switch to your keyboard
Add an input for an expression pedal, that's way more important than a sustain pedal


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## Alex Fraser (Dec 16, 2020)

I only want this: 88 quality hammers in the _thinnest enclosure possible_. Stick a couple of wheels on the left hand side in the proper place and be done with it.

Seems like such a device would be popular among composers who typically shunt an '88 under the desk anyway.


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## Virtuoso (Dec 16, 2020)

- Sensors under the key caps which you can use as a polyphonic modulation source.

- Do away with displays altogether and put an iPad stand there instead with Wifi/Bluetooth/Wired options for connection. Why waste money on crappy low resolution laggy resistive touch screen displays when you could have an upgradable 13" 2732x2048 multitouch capacitive screen!


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## bill5 (Dec 16, 2020)

Because I don't own and have zero desire to buy an iPad just to play a keyboard (and mostly hate touch screens as well)? I could see that being a cool upgrade option for some, but eliminating built-in display is madness, madness I say


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## Justin L. Franks (Dec 17, 2020)

Alex Fraser said:


> I only want this: 88 quality hammers in the _thinnest enclosure possible_. Stick a couple of wheels on the left hand side in the proper place and be done with it.
> 
> Seems like such a device would be popular among composers who typically shunt an '88 under the desk anyway.



Doepfer LMK4+. Fatar TP/40GH keybed, and the enclosure is already quite small. But it is even available without an enclosure. Then just slap together a wooden enclosure that is barely larger than the keybed and control plate.


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## Windbag (Dec 18, 2020)

Justin L. Franks said:


> Doepfer LMK4+. Fatar TP/40GH keybed, and the enclosure is already quite small. But it is even available without an enclosure. Then just slap together a wooden enclosure that is barely larger than the keybed and control plate.



I wound up the SL88 Grand for pretty much the same reason - pretty happy with that Fatar TP-40WOOD action. The side panels are extremely slim, and while I like the placement and idea behind the control sticks (instead of wheels) my one major disappointment is the deadband on the spring-loaded sticks. This has been a minimal issue for me because of the 6 axes, 3 aren't spring-loaded (the right most stick is basically an XY pad) and you can assign any CC to any axis....and I've been moving away from tying up my left hand on controls anyway, in favor of foot and breath controls.

Here's where it gets interesting: the board construction is very modular and connected by ribbon cable that literally unplug. Remove some screws (I have) and you've got a keybed "unit" with the steel bottom/front panel, and a top panel with the primary control board (screen, knob, pedal jacks and usb) and a secondary daughter board for the control sticks. If you're looking to custom build, you can pull those out and place them wherever you like (the sticks even require a nice round hole) leaving a perfectly flat top. Behind the black keys (which are, at this point, the tallest thing on the board), the action is all at or below the white keycap level. 

Worth noting that with the SL Editor desktop software, there shouldn't be any need to actually use the screen and control knob if you don't want to...certainly seldom enough to hide away so it's not taking up valuable desktop space. 


I'm planning a much-needed desk rebuild around this, and in my long delay getting started on it, I've had plenty of time to run the SL88 through it's paces and am quite pleased. It's easily the best keybed I've ever owned.


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## jonnybutter (Dec 18, 2020)

This is not necessarily for keyboard manufacturers, but: separate mod and pitch wheel unit which can be plugged into USB. Maybe not a mass interest item, but I would buy a few!


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## bill5 (Dec 18, 2020)

And another reason to make them modular!


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## jonnybutter (Dec 18, 2020)

bill5 said:


> And another reason to make them modular!



Yes, sorry I misread your comment - didn't mean to duplicate. Exactly right! 

While we're dreaming, I would also love a center-detent pitch bend _foot pedal. _I mocked one up at university, but it didn't really work - I just had to prove it _could_ work. I want one! I know this idea is really niche, but i think it would be great to do pitch bends on notes played with either hand (we aren't all right handed you know), and also not have to take hands off the keyboard to bend pitches.


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## bill5 (Dec 18, 2020)

No worries, you didn't duplicate exactly, I wasn't thinking of a separate unit without a keyboard, but you make another case for such plug and play things.

And the pedal is a great idea too! I'm surprised that doesn't exist actually, I'd think you could tweak the CCs somehow.


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## GtrString (Dec 18, 2020)

One thing, add some serious memory to the things. I mean, no less than one GIG!


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## jonnybutter (Dec 18, 2020)

bill5 said:


> And the pedal is a great idea too! I'm surprised that doesn't exist actually, I'd think you could tweak the CCs somehow.



The problem is with the physical side - the pedal itself. You have to be able to spring back to 0 (like a pitch bend wheel does) in a center detent. There is a pedal they make for helicopter flight simulators that sort of does that, but not sure it would work 'off the shelf'. But these days manufacturing is pretty incredible compared to how it used to be, so maybe someone could fabricate a few relatively cheaply. If i can ever afford it I'll have someone make me one for live playing.


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## el-bo (Dec 18, 2020)

1) An extra couple of mod-wheels.

2) Integrated breath-controller, on a goose-neck attachment. Think vocoder/melodica.

3) A wealth of knobs and sliders, with easy assignment (Put entire keyboard into MIDI learn mode, then hover mouse over on-screen controller to be assigned, and move keyboard controller) to be able to map a whole instrument in under a minute.


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## ReleaseCandidate (Dec 18, 2020)

What I _really_ want to see is more MPE keyboards like the K-Board (not like the Roli, that just feels wrong)








Keith McMillen Instruments K-Board Pro 4 MPE Controller Now Available


Keith McMillen Instruments has announced the official release of the K-Board Pro 4 – a four-octave MPE MIDI controller.



www.synthtopia.com





Actually, what I _really_ want is a MIDI e-guitar that really picks up all nuances of the playing (no, the GK-3 doesn't cut it). A keyboard always is a bad substitute for the expression possibilities of 'real' string instruments.


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## Mystic (Dec 18, 2020)

ReleaseCandidate said:


> What I _really_ want to see is more MPE keyboards like the K-Board (not like the Roli, that just feels wrong)


Osmose is almost here!


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## ReleaseCandidate (Dec 18, 2020)

Mystic said:


> Osmose is almost here!



With more I mean _many_ more, at least as many as normal MIDI keyboards nowadays.
Or to rephrase: I want normal keyboards to disappear! Except some with hammer mechanics for the piano freaks, that's fine by me


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## Mystic (Dec 18, 2020)

ReleaseCandidate said:


> With more I mean _many_ more, at least as many as normal MIDI keyboards nowadays.
> Or to rephrase: I want normal keyboards to disappear! Except some with hammer mechanics for the piano freaks, that's fine by me


I don't. While the MPE keyboards are nice and all, adding MPE adds more things that can break or not work as well for regular playing. I don't see Osmose as a replacement for my other boards but something new I can add to the arsenal that won't be used all the time for everything.


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## ReleaseCandidate (Dec 18, 2020)

Mystic said:


> While the MPE keyboards are nice and all, adding MPE adds more things that can break [...]



That's true. But nobody is using feature phones (I like that name!) any more  And a smartphone is infinitely more complex than that.
The tech of keyboards is still somewhere in the 70s. A CS-80 already had poly aftertouch.


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## Mystic (Dec 18, 2020)

ReleaseCandidate said:


> That's true. But nobody is using feature phones (I like that name!) any more  And a smartphone is infinitely more complex than that.
> The tech of keyboards is still somewhere in the 70s. A CS-80 already had poly aftertouch.


I'm of the opinion that not everything needs to constantly change everything. Pianos have been pretty much the same for over 200 years now. It just works. There is certainly a place for MPE but I don't think a majority would or should adopt it. What will happen is that they will try to do it cheaply at the expense of quality and longevity as they cut corners to keep costs down. I'd rather see higher quality companies working on MPE boards and let everyone else focus on board features like controls, light guides, onboard arpeggiation, polyphonic sequencers, etc. 

Hell, half these companies already have terrible key quality. That should be worked on first. heh


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## ReleaseCandidate (Dec 19, 2020)

Mystic said:


> I'm of the opinion that not everything needs to constantly change everything.



Me neither. But we hopefully agree that faders, knobs, breath controllers and all the other input devices that exist (had existed and are gone) are not a good (or acceptable) solution to having realtime expression controllers in combination with a keyboard.



Mystic said:


> Pianos have been pretty much the same for over 200 years now. It just works.



Yes. If you want to play a piano. It doesn't work as an interface to a guitar, a flute, a trombone, drums or a synth. Not even as an interface to an organ. Or a harpsichord.



Mystic said:


> There is certainly a place for MPE but I don't think a majority would or should adopt it. What will happen is that they will try to do it cheaply at the expense of quality and longevity as they cut corners to keep costs down.



That's actually not a problem. The problem _now_ is the opposite, we're only having boutiquely manufactured devices instead of mass produced ones.



Mystic said:


> Hell, half these companies already have terrible key quality.



Yes, but that means that the other half doesn't. And the half of 200 is 100. That is way more than, well, 2 or 3.

You can compare keyboards with other computer input devices. For gaming you only had a 'normal' joystick in the beginning, than came gamepads, steering wheels (with pedals) and many types of joysticks and mice and ...


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## charlieclouser (Dec 20, 2020)

1 - Full Osmose-plus-Kboard implementation: Sqishy Expressive-e type poly aftertouch that can be disabled via a mechanical slider or lever that disengages the mechanism or changes the depth of the squish zone, side-to-side wiggling of keys to produce vibrato via MPE pitch bend, plus Z-axis for MPE expression by sliding your finger front-to-back on each key (which the Osmose does not have but the Kboard and Continuum do).

2 - Low-profile design with a flat, blank center section above the keyboard big enough to hold a computer keyboard and mouse / trackball / trackpad. Any real-time controller panel (like in the center of the NI keyboards) should be mounted all the way to the left, and ideally can be removed and mounted on the right side if desired.

3 - Mechanically adjustable key weighting mechanism. Moving a lever or slider would change the key feel from heavy, sludgy hammer-action piano feel all the way to light and quick Roland-style synth action. 

I'd happily pay many thousands of dollars for such a thing. After all, it's the one device in my studio besides my computer and speakers that gets used all day, every day. The keyboard I'm currently using is the cheapest thing in my whole studio other than some guitar pedals - but most of my pedals were actually more expensive than my master keyboard, and that just ain't right. And having an Osmose, Continuum, and Linnstrument littering up the place just to get various performance features (but not all of them in one device) is also a kludge and a half.

Know that only number two on my list might ever happen, but a boy can dream.


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## Mystic (Dec 20, 2020)

ReleaseCandidate said:


> Me neither. But we hopefully agree that faders, knobs, breath controllers and all the other input devices that exist (had existed and are gone) are not a good (or acceptable) solution to having realtime expression controllers in combination with a keyboard.


Again, I'm not saying there shouldn't be more of them on market but to say every keyboard should go this direction wouldn't be smart. There should certainly be more options out there though. I'd like to see what Native Instruments or Novations take on that kind of control would be.


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