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Hi friends!
So my 2-year warranty for the StudioLogic SL88Grand will expire next August, and I'm thinking of possibly upgrading to a better midi keyboard. I need your help!
What I'm looking for:
1. action, this is key! But I don't want any internal sounds.
2. on-board controllers, like mod wheel, pitch bend, or other controllers if and when available. I benefited largely from the 3 joysticks on the StudioLogic SL-88Grand. If I have to purchase a separate piece of hardware with nobs and such, I hope they can be simply set on top of the keyboard and they would not come off, as I'm totally blind and sometimes if I'm not careful, I might nock things over.
3. a USB connection to my computer.
4. No touch screen interfaces.
5. The size can be a bit bigger than my SL88Grand, but I don't like the kind of piano style furniture cabinets. This is to be in my bedroom, so we need something that saves a bit of space.
Do you have any options for me? I've heard Kawai keyboards have received lots of love on this forum, but I'd like to see if they are indeed what I'm looking for.
Thanks everyone!
David

Sure sounds like the perfect keyboard for you is the StudioLogic SL88

If you don't want another SL88, to meet your requirements, you might need to get something with sounds, even if you don't use them.

Hmmm, maybe Roland A-88 MKII? Whether it feels better than the SL88 Grand is probably a matter of opinion...

Right, I'm not sure if I want another SL88 since I feel like the keys don't go down deep enough, and also, after having one torn rubber key contact, I believe that the action can be fragile. I don't mind one extra piece of hardware, just don't let it fall over (like use magnets to let the keyboard and new piece of hardware go together or whatever). I'm not sure if paying for extra sounds is worth it because:
1. Those are not on par with VST instruments yet;
2. I would paying extra for speakers and stuff, while I have a good speaker system already, so I don't think it's worth the extra thousands of dollars.
That's all!

Have you taken a look at Kawai VPC1?

I wish I could try it out! But can you add hardware on top? And make it stay, too?

Before I got mine I read many comments regarding that curved surface... Well, yes, it is curved, but radius is large so you can put some soft material, as a rubber piece, to supplement that difference. I plan to build a flat surface adapted to that curve so I can safely put a keyboard (still deciding which) over the VPC1, to add some spice to my piano playing when I get creative

I will post some pictures on the VPC1 owners club thread when I do it.

Nice! Good luck in building the flat surface, and I will keep the VPC 1 as one of my options. Thanks!

You might not be. Here in Aus the Roland A-88 MKII sells for around $1.5K, while the FP10 (same PHA-4 action) is around $750. You could get an additional (DAW) controller with the money saved. I'm guessing it's largely related to sales volume.

Most midi keyboards with a hammer action and hands on control use a Fatar action similar to what you already have in your SL88 Grand. If you want to expand your options beyond the Kawai VPC1 and Roland A-88 I think you need to consider keyboards with built-in sounds.

You could use an entry level digital piano (Kawai ES-110, Korg D1, Roland FP-10, Yamaha P-125) and secure a separate midi controller on top (perhaps with doubled sided tape?). The Korg D1 could be a good choice because it has a flat, albeit very narrow, surface to put a small controller like the NanoKontrol2. However, if you find the SL88 Grand to have shallow keys the D1 may not be a good choice. I think the RH3 action in the D1 is a little shallow compared to an acoustic piano.

You could also use a separate midi controller with a mid-priced digital piano like Yamaha P-515 or Kawai ES8, but at that price point I think the VPC1 is the better option since you don't need the internal sounds.

High end stage pianos like the Roland RD-2000 and Yamaha CP88 have a high quality action and hands on control, but they also include a lot of extra features and sounds and have a very busy, crowded interface.

Thanks for your reply! Yes, I do find, on continued working and practice with the SL-88Grand, that the keys seem to be a bit on the shallow side, doesn't go down as much as, let's say, a concert Steinway. Though the firmness of the keys and the over all perspective of the action is quite pleasing to play. I would love to improve my set up in the near future, hopefully along those lines of a midi keyboard controller with no internal - built in sounds, as I have my VST's, and they are quite enough for me. Thanks for your detailed reply!

Hi friends! If you wouldn't mind me resurrecting this thread about keyboards, due to me having a couple of problems with my current StudioLogic SL88Grand that now I can’t help noticing.
 First is that when I try to play the black keys, I find that they are shorter than the white ones. This especially becomes problematic when I have one certain passage in a Liszt composition where I have a chromatic run in octaves. I find the left hand, which handles the black keys, have little space to move above the right.
 Another thing is the shallow keys themselves. I’m not sure when I get to an actual acoustic again, if the shallow vs deeper key difference would effect my playing.
What do you all think of these questions? Should I try to invest in a better keyboard now that I’m preparing for 2 recitals at school? Many thanks!

Only you can say how much these issues are bothering you. But you are a very advanced player and I think it would be a good idea to invest in a high quality keyboard that you really like that will serve you well into the future.

I posted my thoughts a few weeks ago, but I just want to throw out another idea that may be helpful. Whatever keyboard you decide to get, you could use a 2 tier keyboard stand or a 2 tier desk setup where you have a separate midi controller mounted on the 2nd tier above your keyboard. This would give you all the hands on control you need mounted securely in place. With this setup you can focus on getting the best keyboard action for your VSTs without limiting your options to keyboards with knobs and levers.

Oh, I love this arrangement! That would give the person who eventually gets my current keyboard the stand, which should look like a pretty good bargain. Now we are talking! I guess then the option is clear, get a great keyboard with a great action as close to an acoustic grand piano as possible, and then get a separate controller that has knobs and other physical controls, and then get a stand to fit them all in an accessible manner!

I have been working over the weekend on my Kawai VPC1 setup. As you can see, it is a Kawai VPC1 with some add-ons over it (I have just added some extra soft plastic bumpers on the rear bottom of the items over the VPC1 so they sit perfectly on the rounded VPC1 surface)



Incidentally, at its right there is a dual tier setup of other two keyboards, as show on next picture. But for piano use, and DAW (Cubase on my case) and VST control, the VPC1 setup could be more than enough:

Sorry, as a blind person, my screen reader can't handle your pictures. But I asked a friend to help me with it earlier, so I think I know what you are going for.
Wow, that does look quite professional! I think if I'm going for the VPC1 perhaps that's what I'll be doing as well.
Your images are an inspiration to me that this can be done ... with much consideration, that is.
I'd like to know more about the relationship between the black and white keys (in particular the black keys) and how they compare with an acoustic grand piano. My black keys are really short on the SL88. Will the VPC1 resolve this?
Thanks!
David

Hi David,

Glad to be of some help. Well, I can compare it to my Yamaha U3 and would say they are pretty similar. I don't find any size difference when I play both, although they are not side by side.

I was watching some Spitfire Audio videos and they all seemed to be using Doepfer Keyboards. The AKAI MPK ROAD 88 seems to get good reviews too. I don't know much about these products though or what keybed they have.

Well, the Doepfer 88-key keyboard use a Fatar action, the TP40GH. Not sure if this is a few generations removed from TP40W, which is the current one I have.
Not sure about the other keyboard you mentioned, but since I can't be able to try it, I'm not sure if the key lengths and the over all feel of the action can be comparable to an acoustic grand piano.