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Most comments here about the keybed actions mention the keyboard manufacturer and not the keybed manufacturer, e.g. Fatar.

I would like to read about relationship Fatar has with the big keyboard producers and whether they have competition for business with these producers. At the moment I'm wondering if Fatar have a monopoly and if they do, why?

Has anyone a list of current high-end keyboard manufacturers and what key-beds are used in each product?

Ian

Fatar pretty much does have a monopoly on those companies which don't produce their own action. That includes Nord, Kurzweil and Physis. I don't have a list, but there is no other well known 3rd party action brand. The other big keyboard names make their own actions.

Yamaha builds their own actions for their own products. As do Kawai and Roland and I believe Korg. And even the big guys have sourced a keyboard from Fatar from time to time (I know Korg has for certain). So if you are not one of the major keyboard manufacturers that sells everything from hobbiest intro level keyboards through high end digital pianos and professional stage pianos... where do you go for an action? Fatar, of course!

You will find Fatar actions in most of the boutique, niche, exclusively professional and dirt cheap keyboard lines. Nord, Kurzweil, Waldorf, Arturia, the list goes on and on. Just keep in mind that not all Fatar actions are the same.

There are the TP6LP, TP60L, TP60LW, TP80, TP8SK, TP9S, TP7BA, TP400, TP100LR, TP40WOOD, TP40, TP10MDR, TP8, and TP9. All with different purpose, be it synth, organ, or digital piano actions with and then variations within that model.

Why isn't there more competition? Because we are not talking about iPhones or Toyota Corollas here. The keyboard instrument business is comparatively tiny. If you think you have better designs and can enter the market competitively priced with Fatar, please do! We're all waiting for you!

Pretty sure Casio make their own too.

The Serta KB-1000 is a great keybed!

When I'm ready for the old age home, they can stick me in a bed like this.

Kawai and Yamaha (who manufacture actual acoustic pianos) make their own keybeds for their digital pianos.... as do Korg, Roland and Casio. Everyone else pretty much uses Fatar... and that includes Nord, Kurzweil and others.

In fact, Kurzweil actually advertised "Italian Hammer Action" as a selling point in their Forte stage piano. But its still a Fatar, as Fatar is based in Italy.

I believe some Kurzweil keyboards and pianos feature Chinese actions, but I don't know which models or the name of the action manufacturer.

I believe CME makes their own actions, and I think that's who Arturia uses for everything other than their new 88 (which is Fatar).

Kurzweil uses a Medeli action in their SP4-7, which is Chinese. I think M-Audio uses them for some of their boards as well.

Almost all of the Kurzweil pro instruments use Fatar - TP40L, TP100 (both 88), TP8 (76 semi) and TP9 (synth). The only pro boards to not use Fatar are the SP4-7 and SP5-8. I love the SP4-7 but I'm not crazy about the SP5-8.

One reason that Fatar has a near monopoly: many of the best methods for designing/building actions have been patented. Also, designing and building actions is very, very, very, very expensive. Take how expensive you might *think* it would be and then multiply it by a gazillion.

Interesting question, honestly. I like the Nord actions, and if I could find another, less expensive board by another manufacturer with a comparable Fatar action, I'd be very happy!

You might look at the Numa Stage. It's going for around $1,000 here in the US.

Demo of it here

I've passed by it in GC a million times, but never tried it. Hmm, if you think it's close to your Nord, I'll definitely have to give it a shot . I do enjoy the Nord actions, just not the $4k+ price tag. Thanks.

I've not played a Numa Stage, but according to the specs it has a modified version of the same action. If you try one out let us know what you think .

Or maybe the 'Studiologic Numa Concert'?
http://www.studiologic-music.com/numaconcert.html

has the Fatar TP/40 Wood action.

Comparable Fatar action to what? The HP Nords or the HA Nords?

I meant the HA in the Nord Stage 88

In addition to the Fatar keybeds used by Nord, Kurz and some older Roland's (eg RD150, which used Fatar TP-23) and Medeli keybeds (ala Kurzweil SP4-7), Kurzweil has also used at least one keybed from a company called Wiztech.

Meanwhile, Korg uses keybeds originally designed by Technics. My understanding is that the RH3 action as found in Kronos, SV1 and so on, is a tweaked version of the Technics action as used in their SX-P50, amongst others.

Interestingly, I played a Korg SP280 the other day (NH action as used in Krome and Kross) and it felt similar to my old Technics P30 except slightly more sluggish.

Strangely enough, one of my favourite keybeds is the Yamaha GHS which is found in models as cheap as the P35 at about £349 UK Sterling. I actually prefer the GHS to the GH used in P155 etc.

I always thought, that KEYBED is the plastic cover on the keys, not the action itself

and, indeed, there are not to many companies for doing it, but, why they should be? To be honest, I find the top Fatar actions very similar to the Yamaha's actions.

The latter are just one general desing, with few tweas here and there, it's funny