I am looking for a Keyboard player who can give me feedback as to the comparison on the keyboard feel of Roland D-50 and a Akai MPK261.

For better or worse I really like the way the D-50 feels to me. I am in no way a keyboard player.

I am looking to replace my D-50 as my controller and wanted something that felt very similar to it.

 

I am just a keyboard noodler. One of the people I play with is strictly pro. I had a discussion with him about different brands keyboard action and feel. For weighted "piano action" feel keys, he prefers Yamaha to Roland. For non weighted types of keys, it's hard to beat Roland. And their on board sounds are some of my favorites. I'm pretty sure it's just one of those things you need to compare "hands on" for yourself before investing. Every good keyboard player (and average noodler) is going to have their personal preference, and their reasons for it. Keyboards are all better now than they were a long time ago, as far as converting velocity, pressure, after touch, etc. to MIDI info. Here ya go, Mitchell Froom plays a weezy pump organ thing....

 

Last edited: Feb 12, 2016

I am a fan of Roland feeling keyboards myself. I grew up with Super JX, D-10, and D-20 among others. Those were my favourite keyboards. One of my friends had D-50 and I really liked the way it felt. D-50 has half-weighted keys with little metal plates underneath the keys. Really great synth action keyboard!

l remember sifting through various MIDI keyboards at my local music shop a few years ago, and only Novation and Akai keyboards felt close to D-20, but no keyboard felt like D-50. I was rather disappointed to find that out regarding synth action keyboards. On the other hand, Piano - weighted keyboards aren't my cup of tea, but I would say that Fatar and Kurzweil keyboards are largely bang on if you're looking for that.

 

Since You are using it as a controller, instead of buying a new keyboard, think about an option to invest that money to refurbish Your D50...
new felts, new contact strips, and so on....
It will feel like new, and last another 10 years.

I have done recently the same with my Roland A-90, `cause I couldn`t find anything that could replace it...
It was expensive, but not as buying a new one.

 

Thanks for the information.

 

Thank you for confirming my feeling on what I have experienced with the D-50. I was hoping to get some thing close to it with the Akai MPK261. I have also a few years back tried various keyboards. I tried a M Audio 88 fully weight keyboard. To me it was junk. This is when I was looking for a fully weighted keyboard to use as a piano keyboard. I purchased a Yamaha S90 ES for that. I really do like the Yamaha fully weighted keyboards. Not that I know anything about really playing a piano like I do in playing a guitar.

 

Rhodes my D-50 is working fine the unit I am looking for is more of a replacement for it just to get another keyboard to use. I mean I am sure it has wear in it. I purchased it when it was new and used it my studio almost everyday, but nothing is not working on it. Even after touch is working. So fixing or refurbishing I do not think is worth the venture.

 

I have kept my XP-80 for years just for the keyboard feel. Much better than most other keyboards out there. And one octave more than my ex-D50. And the still great sounds of the "Keyboards of the 60s and 70s" expansion. The sounds I was missing after selling the D50 are now part in my blofeld, part in my Nord Lead 3.

 

Thanks for the input. I was looking at it more of a keyboard controller. I do not think I will ever get rid of my D-50. I love it too much for everything. I tried the Kontakt version it is not the same as the hardware version.

 

agreed

 

Well, if Your D50 is in pristine condition (the keys) than buy for some 100- 150 euros an old A-90 with broken keys, and use The D50 keys connected to the A-90; so you have a keyboard that U like (D50), and some insane master keyboard capabilities that the A-90 offers.

It is a very cheap solution if You don`t mind having some used gear in your studio. (just an idea ;) )

 

I mean pristine I do not know that, it's old and everything is working on it and it works every time I power it on. I do not mind used gear at all. In fact I like used gear.
Thanks for your input.

 

D-50 is one of my favorite "feeling" synths that I own.
It's a bit limited as a TRUE midi controller.
No extensive CC options, faders, knobs for your plugins or DAW, like the AKAI stuff,
16 note polyphony and 61 keys.
However the "Feel" is priceless.

 

Yes in total agreement with you. How close to the D-50 is the Akai MPK261 keyboard in feel?

 

I would say Akai keyboards, and I tried MPK49 and MAX49 feel more like D-10 or D-20. Better Novation keyboards are closer, if I remember correctly. I tried Novation SL series and I'm now thinking of buying one...

 

+1 on loving the D-50 feel. there is nothing better as far as synth action goes.

 

Thanks for your input I greatly appreciate everyone’s feedback. Have you tried the MPK249? They are saying it has a different keyboard base.

 

D-50 keybed is great (though the scanning of it is a bit slow, it has slight lag) The JD-800 has a super fast key scanner that Roland developed as the anti-dote to this inherent problem. Though in reality it's not that much of a problem especially if you are not the kind of player who would notice.

The JD-800 keybed is up there with my favourites (inc the D-50) esp for synth action and a slightly more piano action, but you must get one in good condition as they aren't quite as well built as the D-50 keybed so are more open to getting rattly and loose with age. I've got a pretty new keybed in my JD-800 (old one had red glue issue) and it feels great, I prefer it slightly over D-50 now. Have had D-50, Juno 2 etc and even up to the V-Synth the top line rolands always had nicer keybeds than their rivals imo. The Yamaha keybed (from DX7 on - through SY into even the Korg line of romplers) was a high quality and long lasting unit with semi weighted action, which is great as a controller but less synth-action than the rolands.

And for the record, the Alpha Juno 2 has the exact same keybed as the D-50 so for those who enjoy those keys but may want an analog synth with it... (I like both those synths - D-50 especially)

 

Thank you for your feedback. I am not a keyboard player but to me the D-50 just feels right. It is good to hear that keyboard players agree with me on the feeling and I am not just imagine stuff since I am a novice on the keyboard.

My main reason in getting a another keyboard to use was for a midi controller CC function since the D-50 is very limited in that functionality.
The Alpha Juno 2 looks just like it but it looks to be limited just like the D-50 in midi control?

 

Yes Juno 2 is limited, neither are great controller keyboards for software but they do the job "ok" nothing more. I understand why you like the feel of it, it's a very comfy and fast playing keybed without being too light.