Best 88 weighted controller for NS3C?

[jegatw]

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Which double keyboard stand do you have there?

[Valpurgis]

That seems to be the K&M Omega: https://www.k-m.de/brand/en/discover-th ... ble-omega/

[Davywavy]

I have an RD-88 with a Nord Stage 3 Compact. It does the trick. It’s nice to have two keyboards to jump in mid-song.

I prefer weighted keys, unless I’m playing organ. The RD-88 is being introduced to Mainstage, and plugins, which is whole new world (rabbit hole) for me.

[jegatw]

My 2 cents: i recently bought the Kawai VPC1. After a bit of tweaking (pedal calibration and velocity curve - both easy enough), this is my dream combo. The VPC1 features very long keysticks, a nice touch, real wood (don't know if you actually feel that ).

BUT: it is obviously very heavy. I do not carry this around. Even for a gig. But i'm a keyboard guy for a rock band: nuances are easily lost in the mix. At home with my headphones (every type of music), I do love the feel of the Kawai.

[fmkuz]

IMG_20210930_135829.jpg

Which double keyboard stand do you have there?

I use the K&M Omega. Very good and sturdy stand. I left this in my house and I use another stand for gigs and other rehersals.

[lawman]

I have been wanting to upgrade to a VPC1 for some time now (weight is not a problem). Until now, though, I haven't had the room for one, since I have been playing a Nord Grand (love it) below an old Hammond XK-3c (more love) on a two-tier K&M Omega stand (ruby red!), along with a Moog sitting atop my rack on the side. I don't want to try to fit in a fourth board, and I want to be able to continue to enjoy Nord's AP and other samples. Soooo...., since the NS3C is no longer state-of-the-art, I took advantage of the newly-low pricing to buy one, which I will use to replace the Hammond on top, plus a VPC1 to replace the NG on the bottom. I am awaiting delivery of both, but have just now found three separate threads on this Forum that reference MIDI velocity problems when using a weighted controller in connection with a NS3C. I'm relieved to see that cphollis believes that this problem has been fixed, but can anyone reassure me that I should be able to avoid this problem (possibly by simply selecting the proper preset velocity curve on the VPC1)?

[lawman]

The curve selction is for sure something to do and a fix was applied by Nord on how to handle velocity at NS3 MIDI IN, so maybe just a linear one woudl do (if I remember well I used the factory Ivory one actually)

A residual potential problem lays in the way VPC1 handles repeated notes when the key is not fully released (i.e. for a repetition VPC1 will do a Note ON+ON+OFF+OFF while other triple contact boards do ON+OFF+ON+OFF) but NS3 + VPC1 users in this forum have reported no issue in this regard and that's also my experience when used the VPC1 with a NS2.

Only caveat is that Nord does not handle the "silent press" (velocity=1) via MIDI, it always plays a "ppp" note while if you do that on its own keyboard it doesn't play any sound, as expected. I noticed this problem on NS2 and wrote to Nord about this issue quite some time ago but it seems it was never solved, at leas it is still there on my NS3.

[Schorsch]

Hi,

I’m considering selling my NS3-88 and use a Studiologic SL Studio (either 88 or 73) in combination with my NS3C. They seem to have a triple sensor keybed as far as I know and provide an editor software to adjust velocity curves. Do you know if the triple sensor action works without problems on the NS3, and is an adjustment of the velocity cure necessary and which one should be set?

[maxpiano]

Hi,

I’m considering selling my NS3-88 and use a Studiologic SL Studio (either 88 or 73) in combination with my NS3C. They seem to have a triple sensor keybed as far as I know and provide an editor software to adjust velocity curves. Do you know if the triple sensor action works without problems on the NS3, and is an adjustment of the velocity cure necessary and which one should be set?

I have been using a Numa X PIano 73 (newer TP110 keybed mechanics but same triple sensor as the SL73 and I expect same logic of generating MIDI data) with NS3C and I haven't analyzed the MIDI flow yet but so far from a practical perspective it works fine.

[lawman]

After updating the NS3C OS version, I found the remote velocity curve to be very close to other brands' boards. My VPC1 for example is now set to the orange factory curve (4 curves selectable and editable IIRC) to match fine with the Nord Stage 3.

No idea about silent notes, never tested them. No issues with repeated notes (3rd sensor) that I would have remarked.

I'm quite sure, though, that you can't get correct pedal noise from a remote pedal. Which, of course, is a bummer. Should test it again.