Keyboard

Hardware (Current) Category Items Audio Interfaces Native Instruments Audio 6 MK1 Laptops Alienware M17 (Windows 11), Macbook Air M5 Storage WD Elements 5TB, Integral USB 3.0 128GB, Crucial P3 M.2 PCIe Gen3 1TB, Fikwot FN501 Pro NVMe 1TB, Sandisk Extreme Pro Portable SSD 1TB, Orico M.2 NVMe SATA SSD enclosure Controller Keyboards NI Komplete Kontrol M32, Novation LaunchKey 61 DJ Controllers NI Traktor Kontrol S3 Drum Machines / Grooveboxes NI Maschine MK3, Roland MC-707 Portable Keyboards Yamaha EZ-300 Synthesizers Yamaha MODX M8, Yamaha Motif ES8 Hardware (Past) Category Items Desktops Commodore 64, Commodore Amiga (500, 600 & 1500) Tower Dell T5400 Twin Quad Core Xeon 3.0GHz 16GB RAM Peripherals C64 Music Maker keyboard, Microdeal PRO-MIDI Interface (Amiga) Drum Machines KORG ElecTribe R (ER-1), Roland R-8 Human Rhythm Composer Keyboards Casio PT-50, JVC KB-700 Sound Modules Roland Edirol SD90 Synthesizers Casio CZ-101, Yamaha SY85 Software (Current) Ableton German music software company behind Ableton Live 12 Suite - a complete studio with 70+ GB of sounds and all devices. ...

Music Production Wishlist - Hardware Arranger Keyboards Ketron EVENT KORG Pa5X (Professional Arranger) Yamaha Genos2 Controller Keyboards Arturia Keylab 88 MkII Expressive E osmose Native Instruments Komplete Control S88 MK3 Digital Pianos Roland GP-9 Digital Piano Yamaha AvantGrand N3X Bösendorfer Grand Piano 214VC Drum Machines & Grooveboxes Ableton Ableton Push Synthesizers Arturia PolyBrute Noir Edition Behringer Odyssey Poly D UB-Xa KORG Modwave Native Wavestate Moog Etherwave Theremin Minimoog Model D Subsequent 37 Roland D-05 JUNO-X JUPITER-X JUPITER-80 Sequential Prophet X Workstations KORG Nautilus AT Roland FANTOM 8 EX Yamaha MONTAGE M8x Music Production Wishlist - Software Bitwig Bitwig Studio boz Digital Labs New York L Bundle D16 Group Phoscyon2 Punchbox TotalBundle Emergence Audio Viola Textures FeelYourSound ChilloutEngine - turns your chord progressions into relaxed keys, smooth basslines, memorable hooks, and lovely arpeggios ChordPotion - MIDI plug-in that turns any chord progression into new riffs and melodies in real-time HouseEngine - turns your chord progressions into expressive piano rhythms, deep basslines, catchy melodies, and sparkling arpeggios MelodicFlow - create and play stunning melodies, basslines, and riffs quickly Sundog Song Studio - experiment with new scales, harmonies, and melodies easily TranceEngine - turns your chord progressions into uplifting melodies, driving arpeggios, deep basslines, and memorable hooks Fors Opal - Rhythm machine & drum synthesizer Superberry - Delicious superwave GForce Software M-Tron Pro - Complete KORG Modwave Native Opsix Native Wavestate Native Minimal Audio Current - virtual instrument, effects suite, and content platform built for endless hours of inspiration Rift - deeply creative multi-effect plugin Modartt Steinway Model B PlugInGuru (many !) Pro Tools - makes music creation fast and fluid, providing a complete set of tools to create, record, edit, and mix audio Pulse Audio Vivid Strings reFX Nexus Rhizomatic Plasmonic - captures the complex acoustic resonances of Physical Modeling, expands on it with more familiar elements of Subtractive Synthesis, and adds a few unique twists Rob Papen EXPLORER-9 Albino-3 - Legacy The legendary Virtual Synthesizer Go2-X - Insane easy to use power Synthesizer LowSane - LoFi FX with additional Filters and the ‘Disrupt Sphere’ BIT-2 - The Ultimate Virtual Analog Synthesizer BLUE-III - Cross-fusion Virtual Synthesizer RevSane - Algorithm Reverb with ‘Disrupt Sphere’ Predator-3 - The Hybride Powerhouse! RoCoder - Vocoder and much more! DelSane - The coolest Delay in this Galaxy! RP-Distort 2 - PowerHouse Distortion FX with Disrupt Sphere! Punch 2 - Power drum machine with synthesis and sample-based BLADE-2 - Cutting-edge Additive synthesis and more Quad - PhaseDistortion and WaveShaper synthesizer| RAW - Cutting-edge EDM synthesizer with a focus on ‘distorted sounds. XY-Transfer - XY-modulation FX multiprocessor BIT - Ultimate virtual analog synthesizer Vecto - Four-oscillator vector synthesizer Go2 - The power of limitations synthesizer RAW-Kick - Edgy Kicks for contemporary dance music. MasterMagic - Adds a touch of magic for your Mix or Master. SubBoomBass-2 - The ultimate bass synthesizer. BLUE-II - Cross-fusion synthesis at its finest. RG - Electric and acoustic guitar grooves. RP-VERB 2 - Most intriguing in RP-VERB 2 – alongside the great sound – is the new ‘Reverser’ section! RP-Reverse - Reverses the incoming audio in a creative way. RP-EQ - Silky smooth-sounding channel, and mastering EQ. Punch-BD - Based on the BD module of the multi-award-winning Punch virtual drum synth, RP-Delay - Delay insanity. Reverser, 6 lines, 8 filters, 4 LFOs, and more. RP-Distort - Wicked FX unit that will distort or alter your tracks. RP-Amod - Spice up your vocal track, liven an instrument, and even beef up your drums. Sonic Academy - EDM production tutorials in Ableton Live, Cubase, Logic Pro, FL Studio & Reason Kick 2 - multi award winning kick drum plugin Spektro Audio ACDGEN - Advanced Pattern Generator Polyform - Polyphonic MIDI Processor Spectrasonics Keyscape Omnisphere 3 Spitfire Audio BBC Symphony Orchestra Piano SRM Sounds Max Richter Piano Steinberg Absolute 6 136 GB of content and 7,800 presets Instruments Backbone - Drum Re-Synthesizer Groove Agent 5 (including Prime Cuts, Future Past Perfect, Rock Essentials) HALion 7 Retrologue 2 Synthesizer (incl. Sounds of Soul) The Grand 3 – VST Piano Suite HALion instruments Amped Elektra Anima Auron B-Box Dark Planet Electric Bass FM Lab HALion Symphonic Orchestra HALiotron Hot Brass Hypnotic Dance Model C (Organ) Olympus Choir Micro Skylab Studio Strings Tales The Eagle The Raven Triebwerk Trium World instruments World Percussion Voltage Synthogy Ivory II Grand Pianos Ivory III Grand Pianos The Crow Hill Company Small String Gestures String Murmurations Toontrack EZbass - two bass libraries, mix-ready presets, bass grooves and a wealth of features for creative songwriting EZdrummer 3 - seven kits, percussion, mix-ready presets, drum grooves and a wealth of features designed with the creative songwriter in mind u-He Hive 2 Repro UVI IRCAM Prepared Piano 2 IRCAM Solo Instruments 2 Related Reading My Music Production Hardware & Software Music Production: Mobile Apps for iPad and iPhone Music Production YouTube Channels Music Production Websites

Overview Two 88-key instruments that sit on very different creative axes: Yamaha MODX M8 - a synthesizer/workstation built for deep sound design, layering, and performance without a computer. Arturia AstroLab 88 - a stage keyboard with a massive curated sound library drawn from Arturia’s Analog Lab/V Collection, optimized for instant playable tones. Instrument Philosophy Yamaha MODX M8 A self-contained synthesizer/workstation blending multiple sound engines - sample-based AWM2, FM-X (frequency modulation), and AN-X (virtual-analog style) - into one performance instrument. It’s built to do sound design, real-time modulation, layering, effects, and sequencing all internally. ...

Synth-shopping is one of those delightful rabbit holes where technology, creativity, and philosophy collide. Yamaha’s MODX M8 and Montage M8X share the same genetic code - three powerful sound engines - but they live in different worlds when it comes to feel, performance depth, and long-term ambition. If you’re torn between them, this breakdown should make your choice a whole lot easier. For day-to-day impressions of the Montage M8X after six months of real-world use, see The Yamaha Montage M: 6 months in real-world usage. ...

Arturia KeyLab 88 MK3 vs Native Instruments Kontrol S88 MK3 A detailed comparison of two flagship 88-key MIDI controllers aimed at serious players, producers, and composers. (Image: Arturia Keylab 88 MK3) (Image: Native Instruments Kontrol S88 MK3) 1. Concept & Philosophy Feature Arturia KeyLab 88 MK3 Native Instruments Kontrol S88 MK3 Design approach A versatile, all-round studio controller with lots of hands-on controls. A premium, streamlined controller optimised for NI’s ecosystem. Ecosystem stance Open and flexible; works well with many DAWs/plugins. Deeply tied to Komplete, Kontakt, and NKS libraries. Best for Multi-role producers and players wanting a central studio hub. Composers and sound designers who rely heavily on NI software. 2. Keybed & Playability Feature KeyLab 88 MK3 Kontrol S88 MK3 Keybed type Hammer-action with aftertouch. Fully weighted premium keybed. Playing feel Expressive, piano-like with extra modulation via aftertouch. Consistent, high-end piano feel designed for precision and reliability. Extra performance features Aftertouch, splits, layers, scales, chords, arpeggiator. Light Guide for key switches, scales, drums; deep instrument feedback. Ideal for Pianists, film composers, expressive players. Kontakt users, sample-library players, orchestral composers. 3. Controls, Layout & Workflow Component KeyLab 88 MK3 Kontrol S88 MK3 Drum pads Yes (RGB pads) No Faders & knobs Many – suitable for DAW mixing and sound design. Minimal – relies more on screens and pre-mapped controls. Transport controls Full transport + DAW shortcuts. Supported for major DAWs but less extensive. Screens Small display mainly for utility. High-resolution dual displays for browsing and editing. Navigation style Hardware-first (pads/faders/encoders). Screen-first (instrument browsing, parameter pages). Workflow strength Live production, DAW control, hybrid workflow. Virtual instruments, sample library navigation, preset browsing. 4. Software Integration & Ecosystem Integration Area KeyLab 88 MK3 Kontrol S88 MK3 DAW support Wide support: Ableton, Logic, Cubase, Studio One, Bitwig, etc. Supported: Ableton, Logic, Cubase, etc., but less mixer control. Plugin integration Broad compatibility with generic MIDI mapping. Deep NKS support: pre-mapped parameters, categories, tagging. Arturia software Excellent with Analog Lab + V Collection. Not designed for Arturia workflow. NI software Works, but not deeply. Best-in-class integration with Komplete & Kontakt. Ideal use-case Mixed plugin environment, flexibility. NI-centric production, cinematic scoring, large sample libraries. 5. Build Quality & Design Component KeyLab 88 MK3 Kontrol S88 MK3 Construction Metal chassis + wood ends; very solid. Sleek, modern, premium design. Layout Busy front panel due to many controls. Minimalist, streamlined. Hardware extras Music stand, laptop stand, rack-style frame options. Light Guide, large screens. Aesthetic “Instrument + controller” hybrid. High-end studio keyboard. 6. Use-Case Scenarios Scenario Best Choice Why All-round production / hybrid workflows KeyLab 88 MK3 Pads, faders, knobs, DAW control, broad compatibility. Deep Kontakt / Komplete library work Kontrol S88 MK3 Screens, Light Guide, preset browsing, NKS mapping. Live performance KeyLab 88 MK3 Performance controls + hardware layout. Minimalist, clean studio aesthetic Kontrol S88 MK3 Less clutter, screen-driven workflow. Sound design across multiple plugin brands KeyLab 88 MK3 Not tied to any single ecosystem. 7. Pros & Cons Summary KeyLab 88 MK3 Pros Cons Expressive hammer-action with aftertouch Busier layout Pads, faders, knobs, transport controls DAW script quality varies Broad DAW/plugin compatibility Less deep NI integration Great for all-round production Can feel “controller-heavy” Kontrol S88 MK3 Pros Cons Outstanding NI/NKS integration Limited hardware controls High-quality screens & Light Guide Best features depend on NI ecosystem Premium keybed feel Less suited to DAW mixing/beat workflows Excellent for cinematic/orchestral libraries Not a generalist controller 8. Verdict Recommendation Why Choose Arturia KeyLab 88 MK3 A flexible, hardware-rich controller great for DAW work, sound design, playing, and broad plugin compatibility. Choose NI Kontrol S88 MK3 The definitive controller for Komplete, Kontakt, and NKS libraries, with unbeatable browsing and parameter integration. Related Reading My Music Production Hardware & Software My Music Production Hardware & Software Wishlists Yamaha MODX M8 vs Arturia AstroLab 88 Roland Fantom EX

About The Roland Fantom EX is a series of professional-grade synthesizer workstations aimed at musicians and producers. It’s known for its versatility, high-quality sounds, and powerful features. Here’s a breakdown of its key characteristics: Sounds Diverse sound library with over 7,000 tones covering various musical styles. Roland’s sound engine technologies like ACB (Analog Circuit Behavior) for realistic analog sounds, ZEN-Core for sample-based sounds, V-Piano for superior piano tones, and SuperNATURAL for rich and expressive acoustic instruments. Access to premium sound content through Roland Cloud for further sonic exploration. Hardware and User Interface Comes in three models: Fantom 6 EX, 7 EX, and 8 EX, differing in the number of keys. User-friendly interface with a combination of buttons, knobs, sliders, and a large, dynamic color touchscreen for intuitive control and sound shaping. Option to personalize the interface with custom images. Workflow and Features Onboard sampling and composition tools for creating and arranging musical ideas. TR-REC step sequencer for programming drum beats and rhythmic patterns. Real-time recording with piano roll editing for capturing and editing musical performances. RGB pads for triggering sounds, samples, and launching clips. Various effects processors for adding depth and character to sounds. Here are some additional points to consider ...