Help me choose..... ​

Korg - Taktile​

​

PROS​

XY Pad that doubles as a trackpad
Pads have "chord scale" that locks into key and has variation​

NEGATIVES​

No Aftertouch
Same cheap keys as KingKorg​

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6aApwsOAPk​

AKAI - MPK249​

​

PROS​

16 Sexy Pads and 8 Faders/Knobs/Buttons with 4 Banks
DAW control button (which uses crsr keys to navigate DAW) and buttons are assignable with ASCII commands (very helpful for hands off approach)
Aftertouch with revamped keybed
power off switch?
Note Repeat
16 Levels (Velocity Only if I remember correctly)​

NEGATIVES​

Not available yet and I have to wait (lol)
No chord scale
No XY pad
$50 more ​

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MeAiP6Tuu3M​

The two huge things for me with the Taktile is that I LOVE the chord scale.... I am NOT a player, I repeat, I am NOT a player (lol). So it is a major convenience for me and my style of music doesn't require a high technical level and fairly rudimentary understanding of theory. (Which in the same stroke renders aftertouch of the AKAI keys not entirely useful...at least immediately) I love the XY pad as well...very very useful and inspiring.


The two huge things about the Akai for me are the pads, which I love...and the QWERTY assignable buttons. Being able to use hotkey commands assigned to the controller in FL Studio is HUGE for me. But.... I can use Bohms midi translator to do this with the Taktile as well..

Yes, it is a software step that sits between the controller and DAW but...isn't that essentially the same thing even in the case of a firmware solution in the AKAI?

 

Personally, I hate Akai. Their products always look great in paper but once you actually use them. They often have malfunctions or software problems.

^ That's my personal opinion. Feel free to ignore it.


I like Korg products. They are often a little bit overprice to other brands but they feel better built. It sucks not having after touch but your not a player. I doubt you will be using the aftertouch as much as a person that plays piano. It does help when your programing certain velocities or other stuff but i'm sure you could live without it.


-- P.s. I haven't try neither of them. This is entirely with my experience with both brands. Who knows, maybe akai finally release a product that delivers and performs, IF i was force to gamble on this 2. I had take Korg.

 

Yea,

In my experience...Korgs products have usually always been better built. (At least the Akai that was bought from Numark and moving forward)

This is a total gamble on my part as well....I am leaning towards the Korg as it just looks so convenient and will probably get ideas from my brain into music much faster.

I think the MPK2 looks sexier....even though it looks pretty much like the first generation MPK's with the Ren pads.

I love the pads on it.

AKAI is a bastard brand now...and Korg seems to be going down a bad path too...it seems like they are starting to make really cheap shit. That may just be the phenomenon of the market, however.

 

I love my MPK, had zero problems with it, very solidly built.

That Korg looks really cheap.

 

I do like the MPK's housing, it's built like a tank. I absolutely hate the keybed though and the pads leave a lot to be desired. I am very hyped about the second gen because they have addressed those specific issues.. I actually preordered the MPK249 but now I am thinking about swapping that order out for the Korg.

I've only owned a PadKontrol and a Kaoss Pad from Korg and they were plastic, but built well and the PadKontrols pads whipped the MPK/MPD's ass. Even the MPC Ren pads can't compare to the PK's pads.

I have to wonder if the Taktiles pad will be anything close to those....I have my doubts.

 

I give you that. It looks like a cheap replica of Novation impulse with a few extra features.

I had tried mpk series. I had the mini which felt like a toy. I mean pure plastic and feeling was just weird. And i tried the bigger ones at a store which didn't attract me. It might be just preference like i said. It's pure opinion.

Most companies going the cheap way. If you notice most of the products that were great, they were built 5-7 years ago. That's because the demand on hardware were lower as it is now, they had to make good hardware to make sales. Now that everyone is a producer and their mommas, the question is who can produce the cheapest hardware with most features. And i include all the companies because they all try to release cheap versions of their expensive stuff. They know that room producers is an easy market to make money, while big studios would take a few months/years to expand their hardware unless they really need it.


Novation old hardware like MKII and now impulse/launchkey. MkII actually had metal where the sliders/knobs are. Now the impulse is pure plastic. I actually want to get the launchkey mini for doing stuff outdoors. I won't lie that it's a bit cheap but is less than 100 bucks and i be using it outside where i won't be taking an expensive gear to get mug or break it.

Spoiler

 

I don't know man....

it doesn't look THAT flimsy to me. lol

plastic, yes...but looks pretty slick. I think the frontal doesn't do it any justice.

 

Every year, these boards get prettier in looks and cheaper in build quality. My biggest issue with MIDI boards were cheap ass keys, which always forced me to spend thousands on workstations or stage pianos to use as MIDI controllers. That Taktile looks great, but I bet the keys feel worthless. There's also no 61-key version. I always hated the Akai keys and key bed. If you're a solid keyboard player, Akai boards are not for you. It's hard to be expressive. You'd almost always have to adjust the velocity in the DAW. I'm looking forward to see if they "improved" the key bed.

 

That version doesn't have any knobs D:

I would really need at least 8 knobs.

 

Yea the 49-key has the 8 knobs + 8 faders..just couldn't find a good side shot pic of the 49-key haha

Same keybed as the Krome and KingKorg supposedly....

take that for what it's worth.

Super light, super synthy action keys. Reviews have said they feel cheap. I believe it.

 

Do more research! It kinda sounds like you still have doubts on either of them. Maybe try to look at other brands or a synth/midi version one. I know a few synths can do a better job than actual midi keyboards.

Either way, i'm sure you can buy it and return it without any hazzle just make sure you pick a good distributor.

 

I had the old akai mpk and although it had some really great features, it was more disappointing than anything. The new ones look nice though..

 

i will go with AKAI

I did have it with other keyboard like Akai 88 keys & M-audio 49 oxygen & M-audio 61 Keys Axiom and more

I Will tell you , I Feel Really myself when i use AKAI & i use it a lot more than "M-audio Keyboards"

PS :: i never used Korg So i can't tell u if it's special or not

 

AKAI pro is a part of Alesis/M-Audio/Alto/ION and Numark Corp.(inMusic Brands) Same Factory of China, Same Product Engineer (from Numark).

Keioh Giken (KORG) Although it is product designed in Japan, since is manufactured for every product at differ factories in China, its quality is sparse.
Very severe ”nano-key” this crappy toy was temporarily sold few years a go.

And KORG M1 often sees the thing in which it became impossible (broaken) to use the data input LED shines botton, having become depressed.

I do not want to use KORG. Also It cannot recommend with these two brands.

Novation supposing I recommend. Sorry

 

I rolled the dice on the Taktile...some owners are reporting the keys are very good. Only one way to find out.

I will return it within the 30 days if it is horrible...I just wish it had 3 banks of controls (knobs/faders/buttons) like the new MPK's...

If the MPK's had an XY Pad and the chord scale feature on the pads?

Just got my Taktile today...

A few things if anybody is interested...

1 - The keys are great

2 - the pads are good...BUT...when playing a percussion part of finger drumming..they are incredibly LOUD.

3 - the chord scale is great for non-playing stiffs like myself ...I can lay down a progression and then a lead and drums in a blink.

4 - Using the XY pad as a trackpad is a little cumbersome.

5 - I cannot seem to get the transport working in FL Studio...which is annoying as hell.

6 - It is pretty well built. It definitely doesn't feel like it will break under your fingers. The knobs are sturdy but the faders are very short throw and just "OK"

 

I know my post is a bit late but I am still gonna throw my two cents in. Not to say the op made a bad decision at all but just don't want anyone else reading this to be confused and buy a taktile off of sweet water and be disappointed. I recently had a chance to play with one of these in hong kong and man was I disappointed... the build quality is so lacklustre. The faders are so small, the whole thing must weigh .3 lbs and so plastic toyish feeling. The screen is SO tiny when compared to other products in this price point...Which is sad to because with the new lot of them packing some triton sounds and also being the only midi controller that sports the ability to change the touch pads to chords/mode in a key of your choosing it has a lot of promise. I recommend anyone trying to make a similar decision to go down one of two different roads: buy an ultranova by novation (ya its not multitimbral but it has serious capabilities and an audio AND midi interface and can also support that novation automap software meaning when used as a midi controller the screen will say 8 different things at a time you can change like cutoff resonance adsr etc. and you can cycle through different pages of this) or buy a very cheap controller with nice keys and maschine/ableton push. Actually every midi controller i have ever used is pretty much a POS in build quality. :*( Anyway off to bed its 4 am

 

Just wanted to add my thoughts for anyone else trying to decide on a midi-controller. I remember reading this thread when I was considering buying my MPK249 and it definitely made me think twice. If I stumbled on this thread while researching, chances are others will too.

Let me just say from the get go that the MPK249 might be the best midi-controller on the market, period. If that seems like a strange statement after reading through this threat, keep in mind most of what was said here was pure conjecture since the MPK249 hadn't even come out yet. Now, there are definitely other keyboards that might suit your needs as well (or better) than the MPK249, but the Taktile isn't one of them. To me, the only, and I repeat ONLY, reason to go with the Taktile is if the chord-scale option and xy pad are so enticing to you that you're willing to throw everything else out the window. But if that were true you probably would have already pulled the trigger on a Taktile and wouldn't be reading this thread right now. So stay with me.

If you're looking at these two controllers, you probably want something that can do it all (pads, knobs, faders, and keys). In this regards the MPK249 wins hands down. The pads feel better. The knobs are incredibly satisfying and well weighted. Granted, the faders feel a bit cheap, BUT the Taktile's are even worse. In fact, they're so bad I honestly wondered if they'd last a year when I tried them out at the store. They don't sit flush in their beds, they kind of wiggle and sit lopsided. Absolute garbage. Now, that might be enough to sway some people, but wait. We haven't even gotten to the KEYS. Small disclaimer, I'm a trained pianist/keyboard player so the touch of the keys to me is absolutely paramount. If a keyboard doesn't feel good to play, I won't play it, no matter how good it's other features are. Most midi keybeds, even at this price point, feel the same as your entry-level M-Audio 49 (or anything equivalent) which you can pick up just about anywhere for a little more than a hundred bucks. To me, if you're not going to get a significant upgrade to the keybed, why even bother getting a more expensive keyboard? Save yourself the money and buy a small controller that has pads, knobs, and faders, pair it with your $100 keyboard and call it a day.

The MPK is literally the only keyboard I considered worth buying at this price point. It's the only thing that didn't feel like cheap garbage. And for all of you crying, "but I own the MPK and the keys are so stiff, I hate playing it!", respectfully take a seat. The MPK249 is nothing like it's predecessor. I actually considered buying the MPK because I wondered whether the 249 was worth the extra money, but after feeling the action on the keys I was repulsed. How could such a popular product have such terrible touch? I'm assuming simply because there wasn't much competition at the time. Thankfully, times have changed and so have the keybeds. Sure, the Taktile's aren't TERRIBLE, but they're far too light and flimsy for my taste. The MPK249 strikes the perfect balance between effortless synth touch (lightness), and rebound (spring). It feels satisfying to play, and for a $400 midi-keyboard that's saying a lot.

Same goes for the pads. My good friend owns the MPD26 and the pads (same as the original MPK) are heinous. From what I've read, you literally need to pull the thing apart and mod the hardware to make it playable. They're so unresponsive you wouldn't believe how hard you have to press for the pads to respond. The MPK249 aren't groundbreaking, or the best pads out there, but they're a significant improvement. And the customizable RGB lighting, while a bit gimmicky, is a nice touch.

*A quick note on alternatives that don't totally suck. I really like the Arturia KeyLab 49. The reason I got the MPK249 was just because I liked the touch better (the KeyLab was still a bit too light for my taste). Apart from that, it has everything the MPK249 has, and in a nicely designed package. (If you don't know Arturia, they make some of the best VST's out there. Seriously, take a look. You won't be disappointed.) If you just want a bit of everything for less, I would recommend the M-Audio Oxygen 49. It's not great. It's not flashy. But it has it all and you can get it for less than half the price of the other keyboards we've been talking about. I'm sure there are still other keyboards that have come out recently and I haven't had a chance to try out, or that I've simply overlooked in my search. I highly recommend trying as many as you can. With that said, the MPK249 is easily the best that I've tried, and I've tried a lot of different keyboards, so make of that what you will.

Good luck,

Z.

 

I was in the same situation as you were. I had a Roland D-50 that I was using as my controller. I loved the keyboard feel. I asked people who were real keyboard players in here for there comments and they gave me some good advice. Long story short I got the mpk261.
My feeling towards it were pretty much the same as you, the keys felt stiff compared to my D-50. I have had it about a year now and I can say out of all honesty it's not perfect but I have gotten used to the keyboard feel. The controller works well in letting me control Reaper with out having to use the PC keyboard. It did take some tweaking in Reaper to control some of Reapers features. Not a lot.
Over all I rate it 8 out of 10. Pads are good also they fixed the issues in the mpk with the mpk2.

What people have told me previously look at Fatar or the company the uses there keyboard bed if you want a great feeling keyboard.
I was looking for a cheaper solution. That is why I chose the MPK261.

I hope this helps.

 

guys all these keyboards are hipster's toys.

if you've low budget invest 200$ in a M-Audio Keystation 88, it's semi-weighted and an absolute bargain for such a low price.

for travel i use a 49$ m-audio keystation 32, it's perfect the best in its range, fits in my laptop bag, weights nothing, takes time to get used to the small keys but after that it will deliver !

if you've money buy a serious keyboard with 88 keys, weighted-keys, and all, price range 500-1000$ but they last forever, there's a good Doepfer for around 800 euro.

as a last chance buy a second hand Korg M-1 or Yamaha DX-7 or roland D-50, for 200$, these are solid keyboards you can trust.

 

I bought the Korg Taktile 49 more than a year ago, and i happy with it.
I have both 88 and 61 keys, and i needed a smaller, yet, multi purpose controller for the road. So i took the chance and as i said, i'm pleased and happy with it.


Some of the things you mention as AKAI Pro, Korg Taktile has it too.
8 Faders
8 Knobs
DAW integration
Note Repeat (actually is a very versatile Arpeggiator, but you can use it just as a note repeat if you want)

I would give you my honest review:

I like the act that it has faders, knobs, buttons, pads, and xy pad. This is great for controlling VSTs the way you feel more comfortable.

The Chord Mode is good, if you are into that sort of things: you can play chords on the pads and notes on the keys. Shame the keys don't stay in scale. But i don't really use that feature.

Besides being a multi purpose controller, it has 512 own sounds, from the Korg Triton series. This is great because it saved me a lot of times, for small shows were i was just playing piano accompanying a band, and i didn't have to move a bigger and heavier keyboard neither a sound controller or laptop. Another Plus with this is its weight: super light!

The keys aren't as bad as they look. Not the best, but definitely not the worst.

The DAW integration works great (at least with Ableton Live), and that's the thing that i ended up using most of the time. The transport is very useful when recording, and even in live situations to launch scenes. You can stop, play, record, loop, move around the project and create markers. Also you can control volume (with faders) pan (knobs) and set rec, solo or mute for your tracks.

The arpeggiator is very good and it comes with lots of presets.

There is also a Touch Pad function, where you can set the scale, play chords on the 16 pads, and play notes in scale with the XY PAD, that is great for creating some sick random melodies. You won't be able to play an actual song, of course, inside the XY Pad, but as i said, great for experimenting.

The knobs are very fragile. I'm a very careful player and i didn't have a problem, but if you don't treat those tiny knobs with love... i think you'll be in trouble.

Anyway, just sharing my experience with it.

Cheers!