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Do people realise how good the Arturia KeyLab 88 Mk II is?

Selfinflicted said:
I hate it when sliders are on one side - middle makes a lot more sense. Anyone can reach the middle of you’re right or lefty. I use both hands on the faders depending on what I’m doing.

I have a KeyLab 88 mkI which i generally like but the faders And screen died. It lasted maybe a year or two. They should definitely last longer than that. I had a kurzweil k2500x hat lasted forever. Thinks just don’t
Last anymore.
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Yep. I'm still using my K2500X 30 years later... tho I would also like to find a board that's less bulky with some software integration bells and whistles
 
Any hammer-action keybed feeling less mushy than a Rhodes 73 works for me these days.

I just hammered an unmodified Rhodes 73 onstage for years to compete with guitarists' volume. (Replacing broken tines was something I did regularly.) I always had less amplifier power than I needed, since all I could afford 40+ years ago was a Dynaco Mk III tube amp I built from a kit (60W) and my own homemade 2-channel preamp. The Rhodes and a Farfisa Combo Compact were my keyboard setup in the late 1970s.

Would I prefer an action like my 1949 Steinway B? Yes. My Kurzweil PC3 LE8 feels pretty good, but it's no Steinway. And Arturia's Keylab 49 Mk II works well as a mobile setup with an iPad Pro for sounds. (I'm not picky about slider location - just happy to have multiple sliders and knobs in the first place, especially compared to the two-slider interface on a Yamaha DX-7. That instrument was the start of the trend towards minimal, almost unusable synth interfaces.)

The keyboard on my Prophet V rev 3.3 feels good too for an unweighted keyboard. I used that and the DX-7 atop a Yamaha CP-70 Eletric Grand in the mid 1980s. The CP-70 sounded and played great, but was a pig to move. It's partly why I have back trouble today.

But my goal was always the best weighted, piano-like action in a lightweight keyboard. Still haven't found it.
 
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I know this is an old thread, but for everyone looking for the perfect keyboard the answer is...

TWO Keyboards. One 88 Weighted Hammer Action. One 61 Light/Semi-Weighted Synth Action.

Two different instruments. 88 weighted hammer for Acoustic Piano, Rhodes and other parts where velocity control is of paramount importance. 61 synth for quick stuff, particularly where velocity is more forgiving.

Just sayin'.

PS: For me, leave aftertouch off the 88 and make it creamy smooth on the 61.
 
That's been EXACTLY my approach for many years. Fully-weighted Yamaha digital piano on the bottom, 61-key synth-action board with pitch/mod on top. Love it. Covers all bases capably.

I am, however, going to upgrade the top board soon... I've been on an M-Audio Axiom Pro 61 for several years (a friend graciously gifted it to me when he was cleaning his closet out a few years ago) but I think its successor will be, indeed, the Arturia Keylab 61 MKII. Seems to tick all the boxes, and reasonably priced. I'm looking forward to it.
 
proggermusic said:
That's been EXACTLY my approach for many years. Fully-weighted Yamaha digital piano on the bottom, 61-key synth-action board with pitch/mod on top. Love it. Covers all bases capably.

I am, however, going to upgrade the top board soon... I've been on an M-Audio Axiom Pro 61 for several years (a friend graciously gifted it to me when he was cleaning his closet out a few years ago) but I think its successor will be, indeed, the Arturia Keylab 61 MKII. Seems to tick all the boxes, and reasonably priced. I'm looking forward to it.
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You will then have something like my setup: Yamaha P255 and Keylab 61 mkII. Great combo!
 
Same here. Using a digital piano with hammer action with a Komplete Kontrol M32 on top for easy DAW control and portability. I'm also using a Komplete Kontrol A61 for synth action and an Akai MPD218 for pads.

Looking to upgrade the A61 to either the S61 or the Arturia Keylab MKII, in which case I could drop the MPD218 as well.
 
Ditto, Yamaha P300 piano, built like a tank, with pitch and mod wheels!; Yamaha AN1X VA synth (aftertouch, wheels and ribbon and very sweet sounds).

90s beauties!
 
dcoscina said:
Aside from the range, I'm really not sure why so many people want a weighted action for orchestral writing. Unless they have really strong hands or a keyboard that responds to fast re-triggering (which means expensive keyboards), I don't find the piano keyboards particularly well suited to orchestral writing. Unless you do a lot of keyboard-styled orchestrating.. Most of my concert works come from a little MicroKorg 49 to be honest. But hey, that's just me. Different strokes...
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Old thread here, but my answer to why I want a weighted action keyboard for pretty much everything is that it's easier to control.
 
Just thought I'd do a wee update – my new KeyLab 61 showed up a couple days ago and so far I'm VERY happy with it. Extremely sturdy and solidly built, it really feels like a professional instrument – this is probably the first time I've felt that in a dedicated MIDI controller (not that I've had all that many). I can see where all these positive reviews come from! It's fun to use with just about any VI (except acoustic/electric piano, for which my fully-weighted Yamaha still gets all the love), but its integration with the Arturia instruments is... not unexpectedly... really great and makes them a fair bit more enjoyable to tweak. The pitch and mod wheels are particularly solid, for which I'm grateful, because those were the biggest reasons I wanted to replace my old top controller!
 
philthevoid said:
I'm not sure about that whole "piano-like" debate.

Here's an analogy:
Piano = regular fuel car
MIDI controller = electric car

People want their electric car to feel familiar. Almost like they're driving a regular car. In this case yes, anybody's comparison will be dependent on their own taste, budget and driving experience.

In the case of the Fatar TP/100LR, it's more like somebody taped two motorcycles together and called it a car. It's got 4 wheels, sure. It can turn left and right, sure. But it just doesn't feel right.

It's not that it's not piano-like enough. It's that it feels off. Sure playing with the velocity curve can help but it's not gonna fix its inconsistent response. It doesn't give the physical feedback that most keyboard players need, to be able to play a passage exactly the way they hear it in their head (and nail it every single time).

At least, that's been my impression of this Fatar keybed so far, and that's been echoed by a lot of people. It seems to be good enough for a lot of people too though. But it's certainly not "the best-feeling hammer-action keybed around" as it's being advertised.
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Yes, completely agree!
 
Laurelien said:
So my Arturia developed a lovely fault. Just sent it back to Scan for a replacement/refund. The G2 key developed a fault where the velocity spiked to max. Really disturbing when you're playing. Mostly you can't avoid G2 unless you play really high or low. Only had it 8 months. It onyl ahsa 12 month warranty. :OP After installing the newest firmware, I found teh general velocity curve (set to expressive) felt much better. Hoped it would fix my G2, but I think it's the sensor? I would also say the keys feel a bit better for wearing them in a bit than it did when I first got it. THe dampening foam was really stiff. I never really like that the keys don't seem to depress very far. I don't know what to replace it with though... :O( I don't really want another fatar keybed but they seem to be in everything. Need to get to a physical store and try some out.
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Scan said the faulty key velocity couldn’t be repaired so gave me a replacement which I sold and UPS stole, I mean “lost”, but I had opted for insurance and got most of the moneyback, so as a replacement, I got a Kawai MP11SE and have never looked back, it is amazing. It is the perfect action for me. Anyone who is classically trained and play intensely or quickly, do try it, it blew away my other controllers. I know it’s a bit big and clunky, and heavy, but that is the quality and solid wood inside. The action is beautiful and feels likes a real piano. As a MIDI Controller, it just works, theres not a bunch of fancy stuff for MIDI, but I’ve had it around 2 yrs and nothing broke, which is better than the Arturia. I think rather than watch ppl like Sanjay who are giving sparkling reviews as a product comes out, we should be looking for reviews of ppl who lived with the nitty gritty of it in a studio for a year to get a fair view of it. At the moment I have my main desk, and the keyboard is on my right in L shape. I still feel, like others said before, that I need a smaller one on the desk as well as the Kawai as my main piano.. and I have an NI m32 but am not happy with it, microkeys are stupid. I think a 61 key something would be better. I’m also looking at the korg opsix for fun. in any case, the kawai mp11se is so, so good. I don’t think I’ll ever buy another 88weighted midi that’s fatar keybed. They are luddites in comparison.
 
Man, I'm thinking of replacing my trusted Fantom G8, but I love the feel of that keyboard (PHA II, ivory feel) so I'm scared out of my mind to buy anything, especially after reading all of this and @ZeroZero changing his mind. :barefoot:

I just want a pure controller (88 keys) with the same feel and build quality. Don't care that much about the price. I'll sleep on the couch again for a week.
 
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In terms of controllers what about a Kurzweil? Okay you get a deep capable synth with the keys but you also get switches, faders, can add foot switches and a ribbon.
 
I would honestly avoid tha Arturia Keylab. It’s emperor’s new clothes. It appears such good value for money but the quality is not there and the action won’t suit everyone (or anyone). And with a 12 month warranty and parts breaking at 8 months, then you could be in trouble … £800 is cheap for a 88 midi controlle…. until it’s out of warranty and down the drain, then it’s quite a lot of money. Back in the day I had a Studiologic 88 and I think I liked that and it lasted longer than the arturia. I dare you try to a quick fulllength scale in D or A (something with sharps) in the Arturia vs the Kawai mp11 or VPC. You will feel the difference. Lol!
 
Cyberic said:
He’ll come and explain it soon as he did in a previous post. I’d copy it across but don’t know how. Here’s a screenshot:
Do people realise how good the Arturia KeyLab 88 Mk II is?
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Yes I did. I was very keen on the 88 for many months, but then I realisedthat I ddi not really need it. I just needed a rank of faders. I want to be honest and also say that although the 88Mk 2 has a good action perhaps 8/10 it is a bit stodgy. I thought my finger muscles would develop to accomodate this, but they did not. I must say that my ROLAND 700nx is absolutely superb and a very very very hard act to follow, though I have now a Stage 88 which though very different (and not quite as good 9/10) action wise, has replaced my RD700NX as it has more versatility.
If I could have done so, I would have deleted this thread when my views changed. I still think the Mk 2 88 is probably the best controller keyboard I have owned.
 
ZeroZero said:
Yes I did. I was very keen on the 88 for many months, but then I realisedthat I ddi not really need it. I just needed a rank of faders. I want to be honest and also say that although the 88Mk 2 has a good action perhaps 8/10 it is a bit stodgy. I thought my finger muscles would develop to accomodate this, but they did not. I must say that my ROLAND 700nx is absolutely superb and a very very very hard act to follow, though I have now a Stage 88 which though very different (and not quite as good 9/10) action wise, has replaced my RD700NX as it has more versatility.
If I could have done so, I would have deleted this thread when my views changed. I still think the Mk 2 88 is probably the best controller keyboard I have owned.
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Totally agree
 
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