Looking for a MIDI keyboard with fullsize keys and no extras in a small casing. (2/3 octaves)
How hard can it be to buy such a thing right? Well… Correct me if I’m wrong but there isn’t a single company on planet earth making this!
The market is overloaded with these tiny mini or slimkeys controllers but anything with fullsize keys and some travel has a big chunk on the side or top with mod- and pitch wheels or touch strips, knobs, buttons, pads, sliders, screens etc.
I want none of that. Just 2 buttons to switch up and down an octave would be enough. (and maybe a shift button with more options by using the keys)
Why isn’t there a company building a simple MIDI keyboard with normal sized keys!?
I just can’t believe there wouldn’t be a big market for this and it would be so easy to produce.
there’s the Impact GX 49 too from Nektar which i would probably get if it had MIDI DIN together with USB, this one is from few years back though.
ideally it would be nice if the keyboard would come with both MIDI In and Out, possibly merging incoming MIDI data from the in with the keyboard’s MIDI out…i might be sliding away a lil bit from OP original post now though
in the 3 octaves range you could look at something like the CME Xkey 37 or the 25 for 2 octaves, which i think have full size keys but with very short stroke
I believe the CME keyboard is poly aftertouch too, if you’re OK with the reduced action.
I don’t see much else, seems like there is a niche for this, like in 37 keys, or a two and a half octave sort of size, with barely much else.
Would be easy enough for someone to do, i wonder why there isn’t one ?
ADDED: I actually have an AKAI MAX25 that I got for a song, and i opened it up last weekend, to look at taking it apart and reusing the parts in a custom built controller. It has really nice action full sized keys, and the wheels on it are really great too — both of these parts would be easy to take out and reuse.
ADDED: May i ask how you are thinking of using this specifically ? I mean MIDI/USB, or MIDI/DIN, or a small Eurorack, or something like the Model:Samples, or something else ?
you do get velocity and aftertouch with the CME though, it would probably be a matter of getting used to the short keys travel but yeah, wouldn’t probably feel like playing a proper keyboard.
Same issue with the Icon for me. I don’t use the pitchwheel and to modulate I got other MIDI controllers.
I would like it to be as small as possible. This way I can create a most portable setup.
EG: So it can fit between my dirty socks and boxers in a small suitcase when I’m traveling again. Saves on carrying another suitcase or bag that I have to pay extra for, has to be checked in and might get lost, stolen etc.
What that setup would look like so far: (knowing myself I might add more)
you could probably then get one of those listed above, take it apart, remove pitch/modulation wheels, which should probably be on a different PCB than the main one, do the same for any extra switch, cut the excess part of the enclosure and close that side with either a 3D printed cover or something else…something like the modified A25 you posted above doesn’t exist i think but would actually be nice if it would