White keys lighter than the black keys...

Maxx2008 · Joined: Jul 15, 2008 Posts: 2 Location: Moldova

This is embarrassing, how couldn't I notice this when I bought it?... The white keys on my FATAR Studiologic TMK-88 are lighter than the black keys. The black keys feel a bit harder. This is most noticeable at lower velocities, but still annoying at higher ones. Here is a picture that should speak for itself. Look at the velocities.

Posted Image, might have been reduced in size. Click Image to view fullscreen.

Posted Image, might have been reduced in size. Click Image to view fullscreen.

They were supposed to be somewhat even. Notice how the louder notes are the white keys and the quieter ones are the black keys. This can be slightly fixed by altering the velocity curve but it's not enough.

I'm thinking maybe there's a way to tweak the velocity settings in my SONAR 7 but I haven't found one yet. The keyboard doesn't come with any utilities or drivers so there's no way to tweak it. Is it possible to somehow physically fix it? The keys semi-weighed and I think they use springs. Would it be possible to wear out the black key springs a bit so they would feel lighter? Maybe putting something heavy on them for a while? Or playing the black keys a lot? Or will that just break it?

I'm not sure but maybe it didn't feel like this when I bought it. When I read the reviews only one person complained about uneven keys.

Oh and the mod wheel seems a bit uncalibrated. It doesn't modulate the sound to 127, goes only to a bit above 100. Any way to calibrate it? You know, like a joystick.

elektro80 · Posted: Tue Jul 15, 2008 5:13 am Post subject:

Oh shit!

Well, this is not an absolutely unheard problem.

Recently I was shopping for an 88-key controller and after trying out a lot of different ones I actually ended up with the Kurzweil SP2X digital stage piano thingie. The keyboard made at least some sense ( well.. the keyboard on this one is rather good actually ) and there is even a really good sound engine thrown in as well.

I also have the CME 76 key UF thingie. It is really somewhere between a simple plastic non-responsive velocity keyboard and a semi-weighted one.. if that makes any sense. The key response is not completely uniform, but frankly very few of the "real" instruments have a uniform response as well. It is in most cases possible to adapt your playing to a particular keyboard. All the vintage electric pianos were all over the place even when new. And the Mellotron keyboards were all pretty vile and chaotic. Even a grand piano will have its quirks.