semi weighted vs. velocity sensitive keys.

D

djsaam

Guest
Ok, I am deciding between a keyboard with semi-weighted velocity sensitive keys, or a keyboard with just velocity sensitive keys. What is the difference between these two? thanks
 
Semi Weighted feel a little more like a real piano and velocity sensitive are just spring loaded keys that sound out louder the harder you hit them. I would go with semi weighted...
 
Actually....

Semi Weighted keys or (Synth Action) as they are sometimes called have a lighter feel to them. This is due to the fact that MOST modern synths have keys made of PLASTIC unlike pianos most of which have keys made of WOOD. because of the wood the keys on a piano require MORE force to push down on. Most trained pianists had to develop muscles in the arm associated with the pushing down of these "Heavy" keys....

Some Modern keyboards attempted to simulate this by adding "weight" (a mechanism designed to creast resistance) to their keyboards. There a varying degrees of "weight" depending on the board but most trained pianists prefer "Fully Weighted" keyboards....

This however is different from velocity sensitive keys which will play a sound Louder or softer based on how HARD or SOFT you hit them....

I mention this because it is possible to have BOTH features in a keyboard in fact MOST modern keyboards/synths DO have both....

You do not have to CHOOSE between the 2 because they are 2 different things....


:victory:
 
Last edited:
Great explenation BigBrotherMotown, I totally get it now, thanks alot
 
BigBrotherMotown said:
This is due to the fact that MOST modern synths have keys made of PLASTIC unlike pianos most of which have keys made of WOOD. because of the wood the keys on a piano require MORE force to push down on.

I'm inclined to think it's rather the hammer action mechanism in whole that creates the resistance for piano keys than just that they're wooden...

p4.gif
 
If you want to actually play piano (or piano-like stuff), you should spring for a hammer-action or fully-weighted keyboard if you can. I spent years playing an unweighted keyboard (EPS 16+), thinking: I should be able to learn to play this just like a piano, but ever since buying a weighted keyboard, I don't touch the old EPS 16+ because its just so much nicer to play the weighted one, especially if you're doing anything rythmic.
 
djsaam said:
Ok, I am deciding between a keyboard with semi-weighted velocity sensitive keys, or a keyboard with just velocity sensitive keys. What is the difference between these two? thanks


...I just have to point out that he did not say it was one or the other... he basically was asking what "semi-weighted" means... both his choices were velocity sensitive (although, if you only read his thread title, it could be misleading... but in his defense, you only have a small amound of space to write)



and, in my opinion, I would never want any weighted keyboard as my only controller. I hate weighted keyboards and would only consider using one if I were specifically playing a "piano" sound.

That is of course my personal opinion... everyone will have their own preference.


try the different controllers out before you buy one. They all feel different. Un-weighted keyboards feel different from eachother, semi-weighted keyboards feel different from eachother, weighted keyboards feel different from eachother.

You may love one semi- weighted keyboard and hate another.

They are all different.
 
Get a fully weighted joint. You never know who you'll have over to play. But keep your other joint too. It's good to have both. It doesn't hurt.
 
IMHO heavyweighted keys are better and more expressive.
the reason for most of synths to use plastic velo sensitive keys is obviously because they are cheaper to produce, and the synth is lighter, besides synths are not so focused to virtuous keyboard players, there are a lot of extra controllers.
Check out a Kurzweil keyboard and you'll notice the difference...
 
Last edited:
Semi-weighted is also known as Synth-Action which means built for speed. Great for Arps.

My JP has little bars of metal added underneath the plastic keys for additional weight. One of these threads I mentioned the idea of allowing the user to adjust the resistance themselves with some kind of screm of fastener/belt so the higher keys are faster and the lower keys slower to respond.
 
Last edited:
indeed, i, like dvyccccce enjoy the non-weighted synth keys for synth parts. much more natural feeling.

but then again, i enjoy the action on the nord electro :(
 
I have been playing the piano since 1979, but I actually like unweighted synths. I don't want every synth patch to react like a piano. Some patches I want to react more like an organ or just a basic unweighted quick synth. You can play around with the velocity sensitivity and curves for greater effect.

I would only go for a weighted synth if the main sounds you play are piano and piano-like sounds. If you don't play mainly those types of sounds, you might like the fast and snappy action of unweighted keys.

It's all a matter of preference.
 
krushing said:
NordElectro - <3<3<3<3<3
EPS16+ - for synth stuff - <3<3<3<3

do you know if that's a yamaha keybed in that EPS krush? they seem to have led the charge with awesome synth actions, in between the dx7 and sy series, but maybe its something different...?
 
Actually, now that you said it...yeah. Teh DX has teh awesomenecessity as well. I'm not sure if they're the same - haven't played a DX for quite some times but remember it'd have a slightly snappier response than the EPS.
 
The EMU romplers like Pk-7, xtreme leads and Halo, have a great semi-weighted keyboard. By the way, is the only good thing they have...:)
 
Back
Top