Any Good Quality Midi Controller ?

Discussion in 'Soundgear' started by spyki2000, Jan 26, 2020.

  1. spyki2000

    spyki2000 Newbie

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    ok i have been researching for a good midi controller for my work but the sad part is
    now a days all midi controllers seem to be sub standards not a single keyboard i came across has lasted considerably.
    i have experienced one for myself NOVATION IMPULSE 61 its cheap quality.
    its controllers started working weirdly in 9 months,now i have disabled them forever that cheap they are.

    Sad to see that not a single company is making a good quality keyboard for use.
    nor finding any good review for any sturdy keyboard.

    here are few brands i was checking out.

    arutria keylab 61 - also tuns out to be cheap fatar keybed - expensive but still cant trust
    native KK also not that good - fatr keybed - expensive but still cant trust
    novatoin - cheap
    nektar - cheap
    mAUDIO - cheap
    alesis - cheap

    so what's the point of buying keyboards if they wont survive even for a year.

    if anyone has used any controller which has good sturdy quality then please share your experience
    want to buy a good sturdy keyboard.

    Shame of the KEYBOARD companies who are charging money for such cheap products.
    stop buying these brands and if you have to buy then starts buying small version as cheap products anways dont last long.
     
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  3. MarkSlater

    MarkSlater Producer

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    Your keyboards must complain of difficult work enviroment or something. :rofl:

    I find Akai Advance 49 to be preety solid after owning it since 2016.
     
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  4. PartyShit

    PartyShit Producer

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    Wow 300 Euro/GBP is "cheap" for you...

    I had a CODE 49 the keys and the pitch/mod wheel were very good but
    anything else were crap the endless rotary knobs (sending weird random MIDI data, jumping from 10 to 90 things like these)
    RGB Drumpad sucked huge time so I sold it.

    I stayed with Keystation mini32 takes no space on my desk keybed is cute and feels responsive and there are no faders/knobs drum pads I can not complain I bought it before I had my CODE 49...CODE has gone after so many painful test mini stayed with me since 2016 without any issues.

    Now I"'m starting to think the cheaper the keyboard the better it is.

    I was thinking a lot about buying a 61 key controller Arturia KL Essential/Novation Launchkey 61/AXIOM 61 but...
    no I'm not going to pay nearly 200 GBP so my choice would be Nektar LX 61+ but I still waiting for my salary then I'll order it.
     
  5. tun

    tun Rock Star

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    i bought a behringer (known for cheap builds) UMX49 about maybe 13 years ago. it only started to fail about 6 years ago.
    i still have it now, but half the keys do not work :D but that is a very good run for such a cheap keyboard.

    just goes to show more money does not always mean better quality.

    what do you do with your keyboards? do you tour them? if so maybe you could invest in a better flight case?
     
  6. Lieglein

    Lieglein Audiosexual

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    http://www.doepfer.de/home_e.htm
     
  7. tun

    tun Rock Star

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    i think OP means cheaply built, as in bad quality rather than market price.
     
  8. Gyro Gearloose

    Gyro Gearloose Audiosexual

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    old long discontinued used stuff is gold....or buy doepfer
    --
     
  9. Exidus

    Exidus Rock Star

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  10. Trurl

    Trurl Audiosexual

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    Anytime anyone posts a thread like this their answer is already "no" so there's not much point. I personally would say find a used KX88 in good shape.
     
  11. farao

    farao Rock Star

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    If you want the best PIANO like midi keyboard of great quality, there is Kawai VPC1, it will last a decade even if you use it a lot everyday, but there are no dials or mod wheel.

    If you want a great SYNTH like midi controller/keyboard I WOULD recommend NI KK. I think you can trust it, I’ve had it for a couple of years, no complaints, one dial has less resistance than others, otherwise great.
     
  12. mr.soundworks

    mr.soundworks Member

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    upload_2020-1-26_12-3-53.png
    Just picked up the A-500 and really like it
     
  13. spyki2000

    spyki2000 Newbie

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    well,
    thats the point that you pay so much money and then you get cheap make, i am saying cheap to these companies in terms of the make of the keyboards like you said controllers sending weird midi data exactly my point it should not happen as we are paying money for that. just trying to share the fraud these companies are doing and making us buy shit keyboards again and again. my 1st keyboard was korg n364 used it for 15 years that called sturdy keyboard. :)
     
  14. spyki2000

    spyki2000 Newbie

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    no i use it in studio but problem is all these keyboards are so badly made with cheap parts that you are caught in the cycle of spending money on these useless products. just searching for some good keyboard which is sturdy like my first keyboard.
     
  15. spyki2000

    spyki2000 Newbie

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  16. spyki2000

    spyki2000 Newbie

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    so true all old discontinued ones worked so well but sad you cant even get it repaired now :( that's why i am been searching for a keyboard which i can rely on.
     
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  17. Psychoacoustic

    Psychoacoustic Producer

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    A noisy slider/encoder output can be at least partially smoothed by modding with ceramic capacitors. I had to do this to smooth out the response of the mod wheel of my Nocturn Keyboard, but can't comment on the Impulse specifically.
     
  18. Blue

    Blue Audiosexual

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    Nice keyboard but I don't like this joystick combo for modwheel and pitchbend.My last Edirol had the same and I hated it.That's why my current keyboard is a Akai Advance 61.But I don't like its knobs on this one.:trashing:
     
  19. tun

    tun Rock Star

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    i havent used one of these, but i already know i would hate it. i always imagine them to be annoying when you want to adjust one without touching the other.
     
  20. solo83

    solo83 Platinum Record

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    I bought my Akai Max 49 brand new 5 years ago and it still works like a charm. Buttons and sliders all still fully functional.
     
  21. johnw

    johnw Kapellmeister

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    Native Instruments Komplete Kontrol 61 MK2
     
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