49/61 key MIDI Keyboards with chord/scale/arp

The Lounge Other Gear
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I’m looking for a 49 or 61 key MIDI keyboard with chord/scale/arp options. I know that M-Audio’s Oxygen Pro has them, and Korg’s new Keystage has chord/arp options. No Keysteps please since they’re. not 49/61 keys :slight_smile: Any others? Thanks!

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NI Komplete S series (S49) does as well. Great keybed too.

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Arturia Keylab Essential has this as well

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Native Instruments says they are moving their “Play Assist” to run stand alone on the new S Series Mk3 keyboards. They say it will be available in early 2024.

So if you have time to make your decision you can watch for that, but otherwise make your decision on what is, not what will ( might? ) be.

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I’m looking for a decent keybed, 61 keys, velocity and aftertouch (mono is fine), mod and pitch wheels (unfortunately I’m not fund of Studiologic’s joysticks)

Seems not easy… I thought a Korg Keystage would do, but I read the action is very short, super light keybed. I read that Arturia keybed is not good… Studiologic has joysticks.

Ah, and I also love to be able to change the MIDI channel easily, it’s to use as a master keyboard for multiple machines, each with their MIDI channel. I could work around that.

Seems hard to find something simple yet good quality keys. And don’t need faders nor pads, could live with a few if it doesn’t make the thing huge.

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That keybed is from Medeli, the parent company of ASM maker of the Hydrasynth. So what your characterization of that keybed means, i really don’t understand. A consideration for the Keystage is the pots on the knob controls.

Obviously wait a week, more options will appear after SB.

Also consider the Native Instruments Kontrol S49/61 Mk3 in the mean time. They also have an 88 key hammer action controller in the same series. All these three have poly-aftertouch. What i would wait for on these are the firmware changes NI is working on for them.

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Thanks. I expressed things a bit quick. I’m after a good expressive keybed, not necessarily a piano feel, but a good synth feel that can allow good velocity expressivity, before all.

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When you say firmware changes do you mean better control for external hardware? MIDI channel
Selection / Arps / Scale selection / light guide and all that fancy stuff?

I have the 2nd Gen and its a bit of a brick now I have abandoned the NI ecosystem

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I haven’t been following it closely but last i knew several months back NI had not precisely declared the changes. One i am fairly sure of was pulling the chord mode out of their software and into the controller.

One of the improvements between Mark 2 and Mark 3, was a more powerful processor that would allow for these sort of changes.

Anyone else know the status of this ?

Oh, the Korg Keystage has a fairly well done Chord Mode, and their poly-aftertouch control on the arpegiator, seemed nice too. That’s the sort of current features i’d look for in competitive products.