In the market for a smallish midi keyboard, full size keys, weighted would be nice. 5 pin midi out, USB would be a nice option to have as well.
I’m sure I saw someone link to a lovely looking keyboard on here but can’t find it, possibly made in Australia. Looked more like an old Wurlitzer than an old Casio if that makes sense.
Yes, a Keystep would do the job, I know it’s not important How it looks, but having something I actually like to see makes me want to use it.
If you can find a mk2 Axiom, those were good, looked nice, decent pads and endless knobs too, they can send midi or nrpn, semi weighted.
The new ones look like toys. It also integrates as a good control surface with a lot of daws. The pads can send cc with aftertouch, you can program it all from the hardware. Good build, but plastic.
Maybe you’d prefer a digital piano with MIDI out. Or perhaps a top of the line hammer action MIDI keyboard marketed more toward composers. Both of those tend to have a different look than most “controllers.” Blofeld Keys looks pretty classy too.
You could also look into the new-ish mellotron reissues - those seem really nice and small but are crazy expensive.
I am loving the Digitone Keys as my controller. I wanted the Digitone, and I had a 25 key controller which was too restrictive for me, so I sold it and got the Digitone Keys and am really enjoying it. It’s like a Digitone+, and with the push of a button it becomes a high quality MIDI controller. Super high quality in every way, really consistent design. Maybe not what you’re looking for though.
Waldorf Blofeld, keyboard version.
Not weighted, but one of the nicest keyboards I ever used. Great midi keyboard, looks and feels grand. Oh, and theres a kickass synth inside too.
Mellotrons look lovely but dammmmn, they’re pricey! Bit out of my range
Digitone Keys would be perfect but I already have a digitone, so unless I found someone wanting a trade in UK I think that’s out. It hadn’t occurred to me they could be used as a Midi controller for other synths for some reason. Love the fact they have individual outputs for each track too!
The A500 Pro is great and has more features, but less minimal. The A49 is the direct replacement for the A500S, again, nice keyboard, I like the action on the Roland keyboards, it feels nicely damped and the response is excellent.
The make or break thing with the Rolands is whether you get on with their combined pitch/mod controller.
I had one of those Nektar ‘boards, good value and looked nice but felt a little cheap.
Still one of the best midi controllers I ever used was…
You could enter a parameter for each knob/fader in the screens, you could cycles the colours, knobs/faders were touch sensitive, 16 preset memories…metal, amazing pads.
Just borrowing an old Roland PC-300. Keys are pretty nice!
I can’t assign CC#'s to anything but it’s opened my eyes to how much more immediate control you can have with a Midi controller. This only has a data entry slider and a pitch/mod controller. But even setting the data slider for volume has helped me.
I’ve just picked up one of the white Arturia Keylab Mkiis. Your tastes might vary, of course, but I think it’s actually pretty slick. Also absolutely the smallest and (important for the keyboard drawer it’s going jnto) thinnest 61 key controllers out there.
