From claire_trikes_aust@iprimus.com.au Sun Oct 26 14:38:57 2003
Subject:Re: Digest Number 1389

Some observations on Magnus' post below.

I had the opportunity to compare three different Evolution keyboards and two
Edirol (Roland) in the shop at the same time. I was looking for a midi
controller to run B4.

Value for money, the Evolution(s) had more assignable controls, BUT they
also had a surprisingly large amount of 'side-play' on each key. I didn't
like this (others may vary.....). To my fingers the Edirol action was far
superior. I bought two Edirols to build a two manual B4 organ.

Since then, I have pulled the Edirols to pieces to build them into my
'Franken-Hammond'. I was surprised to see the quality of the actual
keyboard action. The down pressure is stopped by two separate felts at
different heights. The overall 'travel' is independently controlled by a
separate (damped) 'finger'. The return travel has its own (upper) felt.
Anywhere the key may rub against a guide etc. it has been generously
lubricated with some really slippery type of grease.

As part of my organ project I have mounted the keyboard action on lengths of
aluminium angle bracket to make mounting easier. This has then been bolted
to four solid 'block' supports. The keyboards (in situ) now feel more solid
and satisfying to play than almost anything else I have played in the last
20 years. Including several real Hammonds.

I'd go for action and feel over numbers of controls because you can always
fudge the controls by doubling up or midi-mapping or other trickery. You
can't easily change the 'quality' of the keyboard.....sooooo 'Right-on',
Magnus........

(P.S. I don't know about the Evolution but don't worry about the sliders
(drawbars) being 'upside down' on the Edirol. Being fully assignable you
can assign them with midi CC zero at one end and 127 at the other (or the
other way up !) you can also (as i have done) not quite take them to zero at
the end of the travel. This reduces any 'dead travel' at the end... All
the buttons can be either assigned to push on/push off , or momentary.)

By the way, when I was initially mucking around with it I assigned the 8
sliders to 8 drawbars and a rotary knob to the last (I actually used 1 1/3)
drawbar. This wasn't as inconvenient as it sounds to play.......

Best regards,
Claire
> that come from the factory is fully setup to work with the B-4.
>