I'm looking for a midi controller for Pianoteq.
I really need full size keys like the VPC1.
Is there an alternative to the VPC1 for that?
I searched the web and only found 1 midi controller with that feature.
Thank you for your suggestions.
I'm looking for a midi controller for Pianoteq.
I really need full size keys like the VPC1.
Is there an alternative to the VPC1 for that?
I searched the web and only found 1 midi controller with that feature.
Thank you for your suggestions.
It sounds like you probably know what you're talking about but I will briefly explain the difference for newbies what I think you are really after in the next paragraph which you can probably skip.
Most relatively inexpensive digital pianos and hammer action MIDI keyboards have what is called full-size keys because they only refer to the length and width of the playing surfaces of the keys (which your fingers touch while playing) not the entire length of a key mechanism inside a real piano.
Without buying something more expensive like an mp11 with it's built-in sounds and speakers etc or going for a massively more expensive hand built exotic option from a cottage industry start up type company I think the VPC1 is probably still the only game in town for the full length key mechanisms in a relatively compact form. .
As for exotic options with price tag to match:
https://forum.modartt.com/viewtopic.php?id=10760
Or a more established exotic high tech alternative:
https://www.flkeys.at/
there's a lot of discussion of this on various forums
alternatives often mentioned are the Roland fp10 and kawaii es110 or es120
these actually have internal sounds but as 'bottom-tier' slabs of their respective companies, some players use them solely as midi controllers
but otherwise, the vpc1 is the only thing purely of its kind as i understand it
I highly recommend the FL Keys MK23 with highrez midi. PianoTeq can read that very well and it's amazing how much fuller the audio out of PianoTeq is.
I went down a quest of buying and selling ever since I started learning the piano and it went from Yamaha P115, Roland FP30, to Yamaha YDP163, Roland HP605, Yamaha P515, Casio PXS3000, Roland FP90 (I found the PH50 action to be the best at the time) and then a VPC-1.
Most of them are now gone but guess which one I kept at the end?
The VPC-1 - why? Because it is the only action that closely resembles my ex-teachers' Kawai mini grand acoustic piano and the only one I can sit down and feel I am playing a real piano as close as the digital realm of pianos will allow me that is.
Of course nothing but NOTHING, beats the real thing, if you cannot get a real piano in my experience the VPC-1 is the only option available.
My two cents -
J
That Kawap VPC1 isn't as good as the MK23 on Feeling like a real concert grand action. You should try one if you can.
I went down a quest of buying and selling ever since I started learning the piano and it went from Yamaha P115, Roland FP30, to Yamaha YDP163, Roland HP605, Yamaha P515, Casio PXS3000, Roland FP90 (I found the PH50 action to be the best at the time) and then a VPC-1.
Most of them are now gone but guess which one I kept at the end?
The VPC-1 - why? Because it is the only action that closely resembles my ex-teachers' Kawai mini grand acoustic piano and the only one I can sit down and feel I am playing a real piano as close as the digital realm of pianos will allow me that is.
Of course nothing but NOTHING, beats the real thing, if you cannot get a real piano in my experience the VPC-1 is the only option available.
My two cents -
J
I highly recommend the FL Keys MK23 with highrez midi. PianoTeq can read that very well and it's amazing how much fuller the audio out of PianoTeq is.
I don’t think the Fatar action compares of the MK23 compares to the RM3 grand 2 action . It is more versatile for sure but when it comes to best grand piano emulation as a midi controller, it is not in the same league . High res midi doesn’t make the mechanical action better as such .
That Kawap VPC1 isn't as good as the MK23 on Feeling like a real concert grand action. You should try one if you can.
One left apparently:
"This is the last brand new MK23 in stock. We won't be able to produce any more MK23s in the foreseeable future either. (Main reason components bottleneck...) Price on request. ''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''' Model sale offers ! FLK MK1 Studio"
In my experience there's no alternative to the VPC1 in that price range at the moment, if you want a somewhat realistic piano feeling.
The next step up (digital) would be a NV10 or NV5 with a real piano mechanic, NV10S would be my dream digital piano at the moment.
Still hope that Kawai will come out with more options.
Mk4UmHa wrote:I highly recommend the FL Keys MK23 with highrez midi. PianoTeq can read that very well and it's amazing how much fuller the audio out of PianoTeq is.
I don’t think the Fatar action compares of the MK23 compares to the RM3 grand 2 action . It is more versatile for sure but when it comes to best grand piano emulation as a midi controller, it is not in the same league . High res midi doesn’t make the mechanical action better as such .
The fatar action is totally reworked, I have the MK23 and a Concert Piano and can compare the two, the MK23 is very very good. All the new concert grands are light like the keyboards now. that Kawai VPC1 feels pretty artificial IMO, that's why I passed on it.
Wow! I may have to buy the last one, paired with PianoTeq it's the best because of the HighRez MIDI.
Mk4UmHa wrote:That Kawap VPC1 isn't as good as the MK23 on Feeling like a real concert grand action. You should try one if you can.
One left apparently:
"This is the last brand new MK23 in stock. We won't be able to produce any more MK23s in the foreseeable future either. (Main reason components bottleneck...) Price on request. ''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''' Model sale offers ! FLK MK1 Studio"
Mk4UmHa wrote:I highly recommend the FL Keys MK23 with highrez midi. PianoTeq can read that very well and it's amazing how much fuller the audio out of PianoTeq is.
I don’t think the Fatar action compares of the MK23 compares to the RM3 grand 2 action . It is more versatile for sure but when it comes to best grand piano emulation as a midi controller, it is not in the same league . High res midi doesn’t make the mechanical action better as such .
Indeed I am not convinced by the supposed merits of going beyond a massive 127 steps per key of velocity sensitivity, that's even if a few of those could be thrown away in lossy velocity curves.
The precision of the sensor technology on the other hand could make a difference, but you certainly have to pay for it £€$..
Roland has high resolution midi in their latest MIDI piano controller using PHA4 but you don't get those fancy sensors.
I was in a similar situation and bought an LX706 as a MIDI controller, cannot be happier.
My own review here: https://forum.pianoworld.com/ubbthreads...ost3398249
As an alternative to a real piano, at the moment there probably isn't one. As an alternative to a VPC1 then this will depend on your requirements, what music you play been the main one.
I play and study counterpoint, this can be in four parts, including suspensions, single, double or triple, it is these suspended notes that present the most problems on hammer simulated actions, as described in the Vidal keyboard, this seems to be addressed finely, although this is a new product and time will tell here. There is on the VPC1 for example, constant resistance to each key held, resulting in double triggering and fatigue over time, this is my experience with my technique.
For my playing, which is within the four middle octave range, I would probably benefit with a 49 key semi weighted, Axiom been one I liked in the past. But other than a real piano, I only see the Vidal as a proper alternative, again, this is based only on the early information given at this time on this product.
Nick