Hello guys,
Im new to this site. But Im looking for a midi controller with the best action . I have heard alot about these 3 . Let me say I want to not only play piano with them but also strings,bass and synths stuff as well as rhodes.

Let me also says though I have not played the cp 33 I hear it may be alittle stiff for stuff outside of piano. And Im not concern with sounds because I have sound racks.

So far I have tried the dgx640 which felt to soft and synthy. The Roland phantom and the Yamaha s80 are way to hard and stiff for me. The kurzweil sp 76 is to springy.

Out of everthing I tried I really like the feel of the Kurzweil
Pc3x and the yamaha p95. They both feel weighted yet still smooth and quick enough to do faster stuff and soft enough to do rhodes parts.


So I dont know how the Pc2x compares to the action of the PC3x but the pc2x is in my budget range. So can anyone tell me out of the yamaha K88,roland a70-a90,kurzweil pc2x and cp-33 which keyboard has the most similar sturdy yet smooth feel as the P95 and the PC3x? I would go with the P95 but I need the pitch and mod wheel.


Thankx
Colin

Come on guys not really some much of a vs question as much as it is about which one feels the most like a p95 or pc3x.

The dgx640 and the p95 have the same keys. Both use Yamaha's "GHS" key action.

I think GHS is a good compromise. To me it is a semi-weighted action. Not my first choice at all if playing only piano. But would you not want a mod or pitch wheel? I think the P95 lacks one and the dgx has it

Out of the models you mentioned, the Kurzweil will most likely have the best implementation as a controller ("PC" as in PC2X stands for Performance Controller). Let me do some quick research as to what action it has. If it's the older TP-10 (as found in the K2500XS, PC88 Series), it will have a good feel, but potential reliability issues surrounding the key weights, which were lead surrounded by plastic. The lead would swell due to temperature changes and crack their surrounding casings, thus falling apart. Something tells me that the PC2X is closer to the age of the K2600XS, which has a similar feeling action but does away with the lead weights, in favor for a less temperamental steel weighted system. My K2600X hasn't had any issues (mind you, some have) and I feel that the action is decent -- not what I'd want for pure piano, but great for strings, etc. It's a good compromise. I'll do some checking and come back with an edit.

I've never played the PC2X or the PC3, so I can't comment on them vs my K2600X. I can tell you that the PC3K and X series use a TP-40L action.

EDIT: The PC2X and K2600X(S) both use the improved (non-lead) TP-10MDF. My opinions on the K2600X keys is that while they are weighted, I would describe it as lighter and faster than a Yamaha P series. Heavy enough to give good control and dynamics, but not likely too heavy to make synth percussion any more awkward than it needs to be. Personally, I enjoy playing string presets on this action, since it relies so heavily on an easily controlled dynamic range (at least the Kurzweil sounds do). Playing piano on it is not so bad either. Leaps and bounds over unweighted or "semi-weighted". I know someone who has an 88-key DGX (GHS) and the feel is different, but it's not THAT different. The GHS keys, to me, feel spongier and more sluggish, if you will.

Hope this helps!

ChrisA is correct that the DGX640 uses the same kind of keyboard as the P95. It may not be identical, Yamaha has made more than one "GHS" keyboard (the P95 keybed is not entirely identical to the P85 for example), but they should be pretty close. Are you sure it was a DGX640 that felt soft and synthy to you? It sounds more like a DGX530 from your description (assuming it was 88 keys).

I would not suggest a DGX keyboard for use as a MIDI controller regardless, because it only has USB connections, no standard DIN MIDI connectors. This may reduce future compatibility, and also means you essentially can't use it as a MIDI controller without a computer (i.e. you can't hook another MIDI device directly to it).

Yamaha keyboards to look at with a P95-style ("GHS") action but with pitch and mod wheel would be the MM8 and the forthcoming MOX8. The MOX8 looks to be a much more capable board in many ways, including in terms of its MIDI/computer integration, but it's $1699 which may be out of your price range. The older MM8 is currently being closed out for $999.

As for the Kurzweil, I believe Les is correct that PC2X uses TP-10MDF, but from what I saw, the PC3X uses a TP40L, not TP50 (perhaps a typo on his part). Regardless, the PC2X and PC3X do not use the same keyboard, though I don't know how different they feel.

Thanks for the catch. I just corrected the post above. According to PC3X users, the Tp-40L feels 'better' than the K2600X, but the real question is, better for what?

Keep in mind that for a MIDI controller, you may also want aftertouch. The Kurzweil has this, but the Yamaha models mentioned do not. I'm not sure about the others on your list.

Indeed! Lots of people say the Nord Stage 2 keyboard is better than the Nord Stage EX... but actually, it seems like it's probably better for piano, but worse for organ.

Good point about the aftertouch, too. In general, the Kurz is going to be a much more capable MIDI controller than any of the low cost Yamahas. These Kurzweils just have tons of MIDI functionality built into them.

Thankx guys how does the feel of the sp76, roland a80 and yamaha k88 compare to any of these?

Rhodes now makes (oe will soon) a MIDI controller. It uses a real Rhodes key action (but no tines, pickups or audio section) I assume it would have the correct action for playing a Rhodes tone. I think the price is going to be about $1,800. Not bad for a made in USA wooden piano action.

I actuaLLY HAVE A REAL RHODES i JUST GOT FOR $100.00 NEEDS WORKS. bUT awesome!

But really

Thankx guys how does the feel of the sp76, roland a80 and yamaha k88 compare to any of these?


Sorry for the caps

Can anyone chime in on the feel of the cp33,k88 or roland a80 in comparison to the pc3x or p95?

Hello

See my posts on some of the board and brands recently discussed: http://www.pianoworld.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/1651827/Re:%20yamaha%20cp33%20vs%20roland%20rd70.html#Post1651827

Cheers

How does the pc2 compare to the 76?

And anyone here ever try a yamaha kx88 midi controller?I suspect its action may be like a s80?

So no yamaha K88 users okay. Can anyone compare the sp 76 vs the sp2 76 kurzweil?