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49 vs 61 note keyboard

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Tmeagher

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49 vs 61 note keyboard

PostTue Sep 05, 2017 8:49 pm

Keeping it simple, as a hobbyist I would like to add a keyboard to my studio (for use with Hauptwerk)
I want to purchase a Arturia or Roland just as a MIDI board.
Specifically, the keyboard I am considering is being phased out and I cannot buy a new 61 note.
I am not a purist or a hard core classical player at all.
My question...would a 49 (4 octave) keyboard be suitable for my limited repertiore?

76 note synthesizers serve as pretty good pianos, even short 12 keys.

Thanks!!
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magnaton

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Re: 49 vs 61 note keyboard

PostTue Sep 05, 2017 9:13 pm

Hello:

I'd strongly recommend going with a 61 note keyboard since most organ keyboards are 61 notes not to mention any organ literature you may want to attempt in the future. If affordability is an issue, consider buying used. I recently saw a pre-owned M-Audio Keystation, 61 key listed for $45.

Danny B.
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johnstump_organist

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Re: 49 vs 61 note keyboard

PostFri Sep 08, 2017 1:39 pm

Hi,
Things to consider:
If you're just doing Baroque, 49 might be O.K., but even Bach has a few instances of needing the high d, 52 notes. English Baroque, early classical organs had gone to e, 54 notes. Franck has a couple of instances of high a, 58 notes. Many organists survive on 56 notes, to high g. The big advantage of 61 is being able to use a 16 register played up an octave to make it an 8'.
You can weigh this against what you are most likely to be playing and decide for yourself, but if possible and not too much more expensive, I'd go with 61.
I had encouraged Daryl at MidiWorks to put key cheeks a board across the top and back of the keys and a simple music rack and sell single Fatar keyboards (with or without pistons) for use as portable, continuo, studio, etc, So we could have the nice touch of the Fatars, which manyh of the commercial keyboards are lacking. But I don't think it happened.
John
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johnstump_organist

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Re: 49 vs 61 note keyboard

PostFri Sep 08, 2017 1:45 pm

Hi,
Things to consider:
If you're just doing Baroque, 49 might be O.K., but even Bach has a few instances of needing the high d, 52 notes. English Baroque, early classical organs had gone to e, 54 notes. Franck has a couple of instances of high a, 58 notes. Many organists survive on 56 notes, to high g. The big advantage of 61 is being able to use a 16 register played up an octave to make it an 8'.
You can weigh this against what you are most likely to be playing and decide for yourself, but if possible and not too much more expensive, I'd go with 61.
I had encouraged Daryl at MidiWorks to take a single Fatar Keyboards, put key cheeks, a board across the top and back of the keys and a simple music rack and sell single Fatar keyboards (with or without pistons) for use as portable, continuo, studio, etc,vkeyboard, so we could have the nice touch of the Fatars, which many of the commercial keyboards are lacking. But I don't think it happened.
John
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va3ets

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Re: 49 vs 61 note keyboard

PostWed Sep 13, 2017 12:36 am

Hi all, I agree with what others are saying. I'd go with 61 keys now if you can, that way, you'll be ok for the future, in case you get into repertoire that requires the full range that having 61 keys would offer. I think it'd be best to do that right off, rather than get a 49 key, and then later, have to upgrade. Hope this helps. Dan
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adri

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Re: 49 vs 61 note keyboard

PostFri Sep 29, 2017 3:36 am

M-Audio 61 keys is your best option. The keyboard feel is quite good. They're not expensive, below $150
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Andrew Grahame

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Re: 49 vs 61 note keyboard

PostSat Sep 30, 2017 8:16 am

61 notes for sure. You'll find yourself running out of notes with just 49. It's possible to get away with 56 if you don't play much modern repertoire, but to my knowledge nobody makes 56-note digital keyboards.

I spent 4 years as a tertiary music student in the late 1970's practising daily on a 19th-century pipe organ with 56-note manuals, and only rarely did I run out of right hand notes despite the demands of the repertoire I was required to learn.

61 notes is essential in theatre organ playing, where the right hand often goes right up to the top with registrations loaded with 16-foot and 8-foot sounds.

My suggestion for a MIDI keyboard is the Behringer UMX-610. I find the touch on this is better than on M-Audio keyboards - cleaner, crisp and precise. My home console uses 4 of these, stripped and mounted in a wooden frame.

Andrew

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