somewhere around 08/15/2005 02:35 PM Dave Phillips submitted that: > Greetings: > > I'd like to buy a MIDI keyboard, not a synth, just a keyboard. I'm > looking for something with at least these capabilities: > (...) Yep, IMHO, currently the Novation "remote" line has a *really very good* keyboard. KBs feel is crutial for me (but I still suck at KBs, another story). I have another old, just-MIDI KB by Novation (mm10X), and it is horrible, the feel is light, cheap and heck, I hate it and anyone would. And I tried a lot of KBs recently just to get mine. Honest, here in France, (where the "MIDI controller" offer is strangely crowded), in a given store that displays all the currenty offerings, by Edirol (Roland is really lowering their stds w/ those, anyway) M-Audio, Midiman and friends I have to say that this Novation series had the BEST "keyboard feeling" that was present. It feels *a lot* like the (great, but another matter of personal taste) Ensoniq EPS Keyboard, that I loved. Here's the beast http://www.novationmusic.com/product.asp?id=2&Type=1&bArchive=False Oh, and it does a bit more than just a MIDI KB, it presents a range of various MIDI controls, such as 8 sliders, great to emulate Hammond tone weels, or to control the (or just the KBs part) mix table, transport, and plenty rotary controls. I personally love the feeling of the pitch-bend/modulation controller, witch is very important to me. It works either by USB (IN/OUT), or in plain ol' MIDI, or BOTH, witch is very handy. It can work off batteries, but I never tried. And last but not least, it's heavily Linux-Compatible. Basically plug, boot a Deb-based distro and you'll see it listed in the messages, along w/ all vendor details, very reassuring indeed. Don't confuse it w/ the "remote 25 (or another number of notes, there are 4, me thinks) *audio*", later renamed "X-station" line, because they double as SoundCard, and stand-alone Multi-effect&Synth (K-Station) One last word : I don't know if it's me but I never saw such price differences between stores, and while Novation's site mentioned something like 750? (ouch) I managed to get it for 500? !??? (keep in mind that mine is the AUDIO version, the MIDI-based remote will be WAY LESS expensive...Mm... Here (http://www.playback.fr/novation-remote_25-3272.html) it's 369 ?, still pretty stiff for "just" a controller... Oh, and YES, you guessed it right, I love this machine. My last two cents : Get a NOVATION XSTATION 25 http://www.playback.fr/novation-xstation_25-5380.html and you'll have ALL in ONE. Hell, you'll always need it ;) Rockingly yours pX -- <-------------- www.halluci.net -------------->
