portable keyboard and midi interface recommendation for pianoteq?

http://www.akaipro.com/mpk61

Check the reviews on this one. It has a good hammer action keybed, is very well built and the electronics/sensors (as far as I can ascertain) are reliable.

But if your after as close a feel to a real piano action, the only other contender is indeed the Fatar/Studiologic VMK.

Actually, I have a NUMA Nero (Studiologic). I opened it up for the first time last Wednesday and found that it is truly well built and designed. The electrinoics are prestine also. I am convinced that the one and only thing that lets these keyboards down is their antiquated sensor strips. The PCB circuit boards are well contructed, put together and soldered and the thought that has gone into the design and contructions of these keys is noteworthy.

For me, my solution is to put a PNOscan strip into the NUMA Nero to replace the factory strip.

Hope you find your perfect 61 key board

Regards,

Chris

I believe all Fatar keyboards incorporate the same sensor strip. If not, I really would like to know!!!

I can connect either through USB or midi cables to an interface. When I connect with USB I don't need external power to my NUMA Nero. Many people think this is the best hammer action keybed available at the moment (TP40 WOOD) other than the real deal. Also a fair number of people over various forums I've found have thought of, enquired into or are using the TP40 WOOD to build their own keyboards. I can confirm how well designed an built this keybed is. Of course, Fatar have been designing and producing keybeds for years, so they've had good practice and experience. I believe it's actually 30yrs! And to add to that, Nord, Kurzweil, Gem, and other top name keyboard manufacturers incorporate Fatar keybeds in their boards. And some of those use soley Fatar (Nord for example).

I think my only preferred alternative to replacing the existing Fatar factory silicone sensor strip within my NUMA Nero with the PNOscan Optical Midi Sensor Strip would be either to buy the Petrof Midi Controller Keyboard (Price!!!!!!! I don't think so!!!!!!!) or buying a Keybed and Renner action AND the PNOscan strip (Price!!!!!!! I don't think so either!!!!!!!).

I think I'll just stick with the TP40 WOOD in NUMA Nero shell!!!

I disagree with Sigasa that the Nero problems are with the sensor strips. The sensor strips are merely contact switches. This is rock solid, decades old technology. I have the Studiologic SL990xp with the same sensor strip and have no issues whatsoever. I use it in "dumb"  mode, I don't use any of the midi controls, just plug it in and play.

Heavy is the price you pay for quality action. My SL990 has _very_ good action. The keybed alone weighs about twice what the keybeds on entry level boards like the Korg SP-170 or Casio PX130 wiegh. The Nero has superb action. It weighs about 10LB more than mine. It is the same mechanism but with solid keys and heavier counterweights to compensate.

For Pianoteq all you need is the best action you can get with a controller that does nothing but send midi signals on channel 1. 61 keys don't cut it, you lose all that hunky bass. 73 minimum.

For a laptop, if your keyboard does not have USB, you need a midi to USB converter. I paid $50 for a Cakewalk unit, a friend spent less than $10 for one that works just as well but requires a midi cable.

Latency is a kettle of worms.  Don't look at the numbers. Latency is normal in an acoustic piano, there is a small lag between the key press and the hammer strike. I have Pianoteq set to 10.3ms. Around 15ms I can detect the latency, at 20ms it is noticeable, over that it becomes annoying. Be aware that Pianoteq can only measure it's own latency, not that of the keyboard or your sound card. Try out what you have first. I have used a USB PCM sound card on my laptops and there is a very slight decrease in overall latency. Most important is the processor and bus speed of the laptop. If you're using Windows you need the Asio4All drivers. Try the Pianoteq demo and see how it works on your system clicking on the virtual keyboard.

No need to apologise, this is good news!!!

and laptop is connected finally to??? through line-out???
In mine there is no lin-out just the headphones...

You asked about a portable controller keyboard :-)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6jgMuZyrmk

one more vote for the Casio Privia (mine is PX320): line in for audio, USB for MIDI, very light, reasonably good keyboard (not comparable to a Steinway D however!), not expensive, and even a decent piano sound on board just in case you have no laptop (= no PTQ) at hand. I just went on tour with this one and it wasn't too hard not having a real piano...

Want something really, really portable?
http://www.logilink.com/showproduct/UA0104.htm

OK just a joke ;-)

looks really great and portable but for that price ???
I'd rather buy stage piano for that money...
besides I heard opinions that action is not that great after all.

I am considering very seriously VMK-161 hammer action although it's freaking heavy...

I know, but unfortunately I travel a lot, flying etc. 88keys no way I can drag with me because of the size... At home I have roland RD700GX 88 keys stage piano with hammer action, ivory fell etc

Also, only classical pieces requires constant use of full keyboard range, practicing or playing jazz etc not really.

you ca play piano on non weighted keyboard???

still looking and actually changed my mind and won't get vmk-61,
too big and heavy. NP-11 too long because of speakers, don't need them.

Thinking now about novation nocturn 49:
http://www.guitarcenter.com/Novation-No...1476611.gc

anybody tried this board or 61 version?