Roland A50 Mother Keyboard

Roland have left the business of making MIDI controller keyboards up to others for at least three years, but have now just released two new models. Paul Ireson gets carried away with Roland's latest mother keyboard, the A50.

MIDI Master Keyboard/Piano Sound Board

Take a well-facilitated MIDI master keyboard and add a piano module and you have the basis of Akai's MX1000 - a "dumb" controller with a voice. Simon Trask plays and listens.

MIDI Master Keyboard

With an ever-expanding range of hi-tech music equipment, Akai seem intent on carving out a sizeable market niche for themselves. Simon Trask checks out their first MIDI controller.

MIDI Master Keyboard

Akai's new MIDI master keyboard boasts a weighted six-octave keyboard and new terminology for its features. Simon Trask decides MIDI control is more than a simple matter of feel.

Roland Mother System

Roland's innovative MIDI set-up; Mother Keyboard, Planet-P piano voice module, Planet-S synth module, and the impressive Super Jupiter... an in-depth test.

Another MIDI controller, this time from the people who brought you the Bit One synth. Simon Trask uncovers one or two tricks up the Italian designers' sleeves.

The Phase Distortion people breathe new life into the remote strap-on MIDI controller. Simon Trask wonders if up front keyboard-playing will catch on this time.

John Renwick guides us through the Cheetah Series of keyboards

Controller Keyboard

As synth and sampler expanders become more popular, the demand for an affordable master keyboard increases. Simon Trask puts Cheetah's latest - and best test.

Chris Jenkins looks at a master keyboard of a very different kind, from the people who brought you drum machine and sampling add-ons for home computers.

As the world of musical synthesis shrinks ever more into a 19" black box format, where do we find the MIDI master keyboard to persuade these expander modules to give up their sounds? Since the big manufacturers currently seem reluctant to give us soundless MIDI keyboards, is there a small company we can turn to who can supply us with the equipment we need? David Mellor lets the cat out of the bag.

Master Keyboard Controller

Two new master keyboards from Elka change Deborah Parisi's mind about the merits of silent keyboards.

Cheetah MK5 MIDI keyboard

A master MIDI keyboard for under £100 may sound like a joke to you, especially when it is sold by Boots, but Jay Chapman quickly stopped laughing when he plugged it in. Find out why...

MIDI Controller Keyboard

This new full-sized MIDI keyboards controller from Kawai has the capability to control an entire MIDI system. Deborah Parisi reports.

Programmable Digital Waveform Polysynth

An intriguing new synth design that tries to combine digital waveform generation with analogue control. Does it achieve its objectives? Dan Goldstein thinks it does - just.

Kurzweil PC88

Master keyboard with sounds

Elka Master Keyboards

With rack expanders forever dropping in price, the concept of one 'master' keyboard capable of controlling all MIDI devices in a system becomes more appealing by the minute. And with the MK88 and MK55, Tony Wride believes Elka have fulfilled the promise of MIDI and produced the ultimate master keyboards, jam-packed with features.

Portable MIDI Keyboard Controller

It makes no sound, but it makes a lot of sense.

Portable Midi Master Keyboard

Paul Ireson gets to grips with a mini master keyboard that's just right for QY10 users.

keyboard

The simplest way of talking to your QY10/QY20

Commander C80 MIDI Master Keyboard

MIDI Controller Keyboard

Simon Trask takes command of Orla’s 88-note weighted keyboard, and brings the sensitivity of the concert pianist to this MIDI module interface. Will the C80 respond?

As more musicians finally begin to wake up to the benefits of using a dedicated master keyboard, Paul Ireson checks out two recent examples from Orla, the DMK7 and DMK8.

Yamaha's QX1 Sequencer, KX88 Master Keyboard, TX816 Modules

Yamaha's professional FM sequencer master keyboard and FM modules.

Oberheim Xk

Oberheim's first master keyboard has a load of clever facilities, but a price-tag high enough to give it some stiff competition. Simon Trask files his report.