This is a copy of my second post at VI-control.net after receiving the Vidal MIDI controller--
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Thoughts after playing the Vidal for some hours (more hours than I expected at one time, because the experience was so satisfying)--
Part of me wants to dislike the Vidal because the action is physically and conceptually so simple, in comparison with the complex action of acoustic pianos and those of digital pianos with many moving parts and points of interconnection or shared surfaces for each key. Each key of the Vidal is simply a long wooden keystick with weights on either end, that acts as a lever on a balance point fulcrum with rails toward either end to limit its upward and downward movement, positioned above a MIDI velocity sensor strip. That description however belies how well and meticulously considered, designed and implemented the Vidal seems to be in all its details.
But a larger part of me loves the action and the feel of the keys under the fingers. It is easy to use finger force against the heavy but well balanced weight and inertia of the keys to achieve a booming fortissimo, yet it is also easy to play delicately and expressively, with little finger force, and the Vidal and its MIDI sensor respond appropriately and sensitively. Most digital pianos I've played including the Kawai VPC1 and MP11SE seem to favor the high-midrange of MIDI velocity values, making it too easy to reach near the maximum value and almost impossible to play consistently or expressively in the softer, quieter piano or pianissimo range, and seem to compress the range of MIDI velocity values such that sometimes elaborate velocity curves must be used to simulate a wide range of dynamic expressivity within a rather narrow range of finger force or key movement.
The Vidal on the other hand responds wonderfully to a full range of finger force and speed of finger movement, mapping it appropriately and expressively to a full range of MIDI velocity values. This fact invites and allows one to play more sensitively and expressively as on a good acoustic piano, without having to restrain oneself to avoid playing too loudly (producing too high MIDI velocity values), while simultaneously needing to play with more force than should be necessary to produce quieter notes or phrases.
So far, playing the Vidal is a very satisfying and enjoyable experience. It is a relief to have such an expressive, responsive MIDI controller after so many years and playing so many MIDI controllers that seem like disappointing substitutes for a real acoustic piano.
Many people including myself wonder or wondered how well the Vidal would allow for rapid repetition of individual notes, a kind of stress test for a piano action. Most acoustic piano actions have mechanisms that catch and prevent the full fallback of a hammer to its resting position in order to facilitate the production of rapid repetitions of a note. The Vidal, like most MIDI keyboard controllers or digital pianos, doesn't have this complexity of the physical structure and function of the action of each key. However, for some reason (I don't know how or why), the Vidal performs or allows for more rapid repetition of a single note than other MIDI controllers I've owned (probably more than a dozen at this point) or played, although I've not so far played one of the digital piano hybrids with actions that mimic or resemble those of acoustic pianos, nor the Yamaha MIDI-equipped Disklavier.
All in all so far, I'm very happy with the Vidal and impressed with the ideals of Tom and the Vidal team, and their realization of those ideals, and am surprised at how good the Vidal's keys feel under the fingers and how satisfying the instrument is to play.
Last edited by Stephen_Doonan (29-03-2026 14:22)
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Linux, Mac OS, Pianoteq Pro, Organteq, Vidal MIDI controller
