Feeling of the M50-88 keys

citronboll · Post by **citronboll** » Mon Sep 14, 2009 10:03 am

Hey!

I recently found out about this awsome workstation keyboard, and now I'm thinking about getting one. I do have a question about the feeling of the RH3 keys though.

Is the feeling good? can you play really soft on it? I got a M-Audio Keystation Pro 88 now, and it requires a relatively high amount of force for the keys to even start moving, so it's really hard to play soft on. I hope the keys on the M50-88 are better?

Unfortunately there's no dealer here that got the M50-88 in store, so I can't try it out.

Thanks in advance
/Erik

EvilDragon · Post by **EvilDragon** » Mon Sep 14, 2009 10:31 am

M50-88 has EXACTLY the same keybed as M3-88 and the new SV-1, which is RH3 mechanics. That's one generation newer than RH2 which is on OASYS.

The keybed is absolutely brilliant and way better than any M-Audio, CME, etc.

citronboll · Post by **citronboll** » Mon Sep 14, 2009 12:01 pm

evildragon wrote:M50-88 has EXACTLY the same keybed as M3-88 and the new SV-1, which is RH3 mechanics. That's one generation newer than RH2 which is on OASYS.

The keybed is absolutely brilliant and way better than any M-Audio, CME, etc.

That sounds great!
Are the keys made of wood or plastic by the way?

/Erik

somnambulist · Post by **somnambulist** » Mon Sep 14, 2009 2:02 pm

I checked this out on mine and they are made from plastic. Probably to keep the overall weight down.

I can tell you that the feel is very close to my yamaha console piano. Its slightly lighter so you can play a long time. You can also gliss without losing skin:-) Its actually passable for organs and fast synths but that 61/73 action would be better if that was all you used the M50 for.

citronboll · Post by **citronboll** » Mon Sep 14, 2009 2:12 pm

somnambulist wrote:I checked this out on mine and they are made from plastic. Probably to keep the overall weight down.

I can tell you that the feel is very close to my yamaha console piano. Its slightly lighter so you can play a long time. You can also gliss without losing skin:-) Its actually passable for organs and fast synths but that 61/73 action would be better if that was all you used the M50 for.

Awsome! I will use it for both piano, synths and organs so I think the 88 would be the best choice for me. I need the extra keys. So far the M50 sounds like the perfect keyboard for me.

Thank you for your answers

/Erik

CfNorENa · Post by **CfNorENa** » Mon Sep 14, 2009 4:30 pm

Yep, best weighted keyboard on any synth I've ever played -- and I write from the perspective of a pianist. If you buy one (highly recommended!), you'll also discover that you can change the velocity curve, so that you can determine precisely how sensitive you want the keys to be.

citronboll · Post by **citronboll** » Tue Sep 15, 2009 9:27 am

CfNorENa wrote:Yep, best weighted keyboard on any synth I've ever played -- and I write from the perspective of a pianist. If you buy one (highly recommended!), you'll also discover that you can change the velocity curve, so that you can determine precisely how sensitive you want the keys to be.

I guess I will have to save up for one. I have only heard good things about it. I can change the velocity curve on my Keystation Pro 88 as well, but that doesn't help much when the feeling of the keys is bad.

How about the hammer action mechanism, is it quiet, or loud as on my keystation?

somnambulist · Post by **somnambulist** » Tue Sep 15, 2009 2:23 pm

That's going to be hard to judge since it is unlikely any of us has heard your keystation. It is a bit louder than a piano action so an absolute purist might reject it. There is a noticeable thud when the key is released and bounces back up, but I've found its softer than some older synths and I don't notice it anymore. Its certainly not loud enough to be heard over any amp or monitor or be picked up by a mic at mouth level. And outside the studio you'll barely notice it. I practice in an office room and in that small space it sounds worse.

As always, if you can, stop by a GC or music store to see if you can try one out. The RH3 keybed is also on the M3-88, as mentioned above, and those are a little easier to find.

citronboll · Post by **citronboll** » Wed Sep 16, 2009 9:39 am

somnambulist wrote:That's going to be hard to judge since it is unlikely any of us has heard your keystation. It is a bit louder than a piano action so an absolute purist might reject it. There is a noticeable thud when the key is released and bounces back up, but I've found its softer than some older synths and I don't notice it anymore. Its certainly not loud enough to be heard over any amp or monitor or be picked up by a mic at mouth level. And outside the studio you'll barely notice it. I practice in an office room and in that small space it sounds worse.

As always, if you can, stop by a GC or music store to see if you can try one out. The RH3 keybed is also on the M3-88, as mentioned above, and those are a little easier to find.

Okey, sounds like it won't be a problem for me then.
Theres no dealer anywhere near that has the M50-88 or M3-88 in store. They don't even have the smaller versions of these boards.

I can't wait to get one of these boards

Thanks for all your great answers