I’m curious what others are using, especially if you love the response you get when playing virtual pianos.

I have a Roland V-Piano, Yamaha P-250 and a Fatar Studio 900... the response I get on sampled pianos couldn’t be more different between the three controllers... and none of them feel quite right, either. The V-Piano (at normal setting) is very soft; the P-250 is decent, but uneven at times; and the Fatar is very hard and clangy. Tweaking the velocity response per controller with each VI seems an unending and unsatisfying chase, ultimately requiring further editing in the DAW.

Anyone in love with their controller for serious piano playing?

I really love the Korg RH3 keybed a lot. It is one of the heavier key action.

For me it's Kawai's VPC.

Roland A-88 is prob the best out of the boards I've played. I grew up playing Pramberger pianos for reference

I do also have a Roland RD-600 I keep in LA... I wonder if that’s a similar keybed?

For me, the keybed on the Roland Fantom G8 is the best controller I've ever touched. The weighted hammer-action is fairly light (which I prefer). Roland's "ivory-feel" keys are awesome—they have a barely-there texture which really feels nice on your fingers, and I think aids its playability. Not sure if Roland used this same keybed on any of their controllers or not. To me, it's the most premium-feeling keybed I've ever used.

Have you tested it playing sampled pianos (like in Kontakt or UVI), not just with internal sounds?

That's tough question. I have always assumed with stage pianos, the tone generator and the keyboard response are more tightly integrated for the "optimum" response. So, I like the default keyboard feel and response with my Nord Stage 3 paired with its sounds. However, on a straight controller, I have the NI Kontrol s88, which is a very similar Fatar keybed, but I can't play it as well with the NI pianos as I play on the Stage 3.

No. I took it out of my set-up when I transitioned to Apple Logic. It's just leaning against some guitar cans right now.

I get the OP is controlling the VI with his digital pianos.

I guess that the velocity curves on digital pianos are made specifically for their engine.

So I would suggest adjust the velocity curves on the VI, Pianoteq for example has a set up procedure to get a curve you like, but it is also possible to adjust in kontakt and other products.

Yes, there are several ways to tweak the overall response: usually the controller has some simple stuff, like hard, medium, light, etc.; and most of the VIs let you tweak the response curve in more detail.

I just find it never seems to settle... which is odd, because you would think a linear response from a controller is expected at the VI programming level; and you would also think most controllers are built to provide a fairly linear response under the fingers, as well (by linear, I mean smooth and consistent). But my various controllers react in a VASTLY different way when playing the same patch in any particular piano sample library.

How many times have you heard the really nice demos of a library and, as soon as you play it on your own controller you think, this can't be the same library!

I'd go so far as to say that some libraries sound terrible with certain controllers. I'm noticing that — even with extensive tweaking — I can't get my 3 weighted controllers on hand to respond that similarly, no matter how much tweaking. Even jacking up the response on, say, my V-Piano still doesn't sound much like the Fatar Studio 900. I can get the V-Piano to play differently with an internal setting, and I can jack up the velocity curve in the VI... yes, it plays harder and louder... but it still sounds very different. Almost like a different library.

This isn't just isolated to any particular library... this is my Ravenscroft, Ivory II, CinePiano, TruePianos, a number of NI pianos, etc.

I remember an old interview with David Foster from the 80s, and he mentioned how he rarely played the DX7 EP patches from the actual DX-7 because it didn't sound as good as when he played via MIDI from... I want to say an E-MU or Kurzweil controller (I can't remember). I think it must have slammed the velocities in a different way.

Anyway, I'd be curious as to what the programmers are using for controllers when they are tweaking the velocity mapping and response.

I absolutely agree. Love that thing! Been using it for five years now, pretty much every day. The VPC's "approved touch curves" optimized for different virtual pianos solve the problem of finding the perfect velocity response quite well.

It looks amazing...

Is there an Expression pedal input on the the VPC?

I love the simplicity... and it's easy enough to have something else handy to do Pitch and Modulation. But a separate Expression pedal is also something I use quite a bit. I'm also looking for a controller that doesn't just do piano.

Thanks for the suggestion.

Rob

RD-2000 has a really superb key action. However as a MIDI controller it's just not at the level of a Kurzweil, unfortunately (and also no aftertouch, sadly). But for a virtual piano, great action, really. To me it's better than VPC1, too.

For me, and I've tried them ALL, the Physis Keybeds are the best thing going. Mechanical action, wooden keys, the works. And if you're in the market for one, the piano modeling is top-notch.

Physis just uses Fatar all over (TP40/GH on H1, TP100/LR on H2/3, TP40/L on the K4/K5 boards). Piano modeling they have is good, but not better than Roland's or Pianoteq's.

If you're not looking for lots of bells and whistles, the yamaha p-105 has the best feeling midi-capable keybed I've ever used. It feels like playing an upright piano with light keys. It has a very natural-feeling velocity curve, too, (and the onboard organ and harpsichord samples are pretty good, better than some plug-ins). Unfortunately, it doesn't have mod wheels or aftertouch, so I have a Komplete Kontrol mk2 for that.

I have to agree. The more recent high end Roland action is the best I've come across. The VPC1 is not as fluid. The Roland PHA-50 keybed feels almost identical to a Yamaha baby grand. To me that's probably the most comfortable hammer action on the planet.

You know what, I have two Yamaha P-115s... one in London and one here at home (both in white). It's my favorite keyboard to noodle around on and write at home... feels great.

Feel-wise, I actually prefer it to the V-Piano, P-250 and Fatar. The output sound is not that great; and I've not tried to see how it pairs as a controller in the studio with the various sampled pianos I use. (And yes, EvilDragon, I also have PianoTeq. haha)

I'll give that a try. Thx

I keep a Roland RD-600 in LA, and will be using it on a gig at Hotel Cafe this coming Friday... I'll report back. Not sure if that is the same keybed as the RD-2000. Probably not, as it's a few years older.

Unfortunately, the VPC does not have an input for an expression pedal. But its damper pedal sends progressive MIDI values and you can easily appoint MIDI CC 11 (or any other value) to it. Not a perfect solution, but it works pretty well.

I built myself a little box clamped onto the side of the VPC. It features a big wooden mod wheel and two inputs (and four toggle switches, because I like toggle switches). I've been using the inputs to connect my breath controller and some other gadgets. Should work fine with an expression pedal, too. Takes some soldering, though.

I like the feel of the keybed on my Fatar SL-990.

Do you know which keybed they use? It sounds like the Fatar/Studiologic SL-990XP used one of their graded hammer actions, so presumably that would be some precursor to the TP-40GH that I believe is used in the Nord Piano line. I've only played the Nord Piano 3 but I thought the action was very nice in the limited time I've had with it.

The Forte uses the TP-40L which is related but with a deliberately lighter touch, more suitable to a range of other uses in addition to piano. I found it to be a perfectly reasonable compromise that still feels good even immediately after playing my acoustic grand – but if I was only playing piano I might be inclined to look for something that used the TP-40GH or TP-40WOOD.

It's not the same action at all.

I use a Yamaha P45-B. This is in fact just a digital piano with a midi out. But you get the best piano action per €/$ in my opinion.
What is missing of course is benders/sliders/program change buttons. I'm considering adding those with a midi merger.

I also have a Roland HP305 which is an even better piano, but I don't like that one for controlling synths.

I had an SL-990 at one point, but it was stolen (along with a Roland XP-30, JX-8P, Avatar guitar cabinet, my Amek BC-3 console, and a bunch of mics. Bummer.)

It felt very similar to my Fatar Studio 900... a bit on the hard side.

Odd how they all make a piano VI sound very different. I have not liked some VIs at all until I’m at someone else’s rig with their controller and it makes me re-think which libraries I like and don’t...

The RD-600 is old. It was before they started doing the PHA Ivory feel hammer action. My favorite is the RD700GX PHA II, although it's still not perfect because it's a little heavy/sluggish and it's unnaturally hard to do single-note trills.

There's also a Kawai MP-series I used to play that was great (faster than the Roland but still great hammer action, nicely shaped/skulpted keys). I tried the current MP7 & MP11 and don't like either at all. Wish I could remember which older Kawai it was that I used to play.

I agree the pha-50 action that is used by the RD-2000, the FP-90 and various other pianos by Roland is excellent.
I play my HP605 piano that also has that action daily, and I can’t fault it.

And me if it's just piano that you're after - I have other masters for touch and joysticks/wheels.

I have a kawai mp7 which is fine but heavy..tried the Roland rd 2000 Iin a store that was lovely but 3 x the price. .