From mail.for.taliesin@gmail.com Sun Oct 21 05:08:21 2012
Subject:Re: Any good 88 keys MIDI piano master controller ?

The Fatar Studiologic gear is OK for that purpose. Their mechanisms are
used in quite a few piano-action keyboards such as the Kurzweil's I've had,
and of course the Doepfers. Their "hammer-action" has a reasonably good
feel, and the "semi-hammer-action" (as in the keyboard you refer to) is
ok.

The downsides - In my experience, Fatar's actions don't seem to be as
robust as Korg's, Yamaha's or (my preference) Roland's. But the biggest
problem with the ones I have had is that they issue only a limited number
of MIDI velocities (1,4,7, ... 124,127) and although the range can be moved
up and down, supposedly to adjust the touch, this simply limits the total
number of velocity values available (21,24,27 ... 124, 127) or (1,4,7, ...
104,107) and that does not necessarily correspond to what your sound module
needs. I find this behaviour very limiting with piano sounds, although the
Pianoteq computer-based modelling software is sufficiently flexible to
accommodate the problem. (Obviously, not an issue for Hammond sounds for
which a key is either on or off and velocity is ignored, although I find I
can't play Hammond-style on a weighted board.)

However, for the purpose of teaching, the Fatars are quite usable.
Alternatively, if you can run to around $500, Casio do a remarkably good
lightly-weighted action in one of their Privia pianos.