[net.music.synth] Elect. Keyboard Touch query

knudsen@ihwpt.UUCP (mike knudsen) (12/02/85)

I'm looking for an electronic keyboard with MIDI--
originally to use as a "player piano" from my computer,
but now I'm getting more concerned with playing by hand
as well.  I had already decided on no less than 5 octaves
of full-sized keys.  Now I'm getting concerned about
the really fancy stuff.  So I'd like your opinions re:

(1) How important to you is touch sensitivity?
I use it a lot on acoustic piano, so I probably already
know the answer for me.  But how long could I play
a non-sensitive keyboard before I felt really limited,
bad enough to go out and buy another synth?
(There are a lot of non-sensitive synths on the market
at high prices.  Are these used mostly by graduates from
organs and Moogs?)

(2) Which is more useful, velocity or pressure ("after touch")?
Piano experience would imply velocity, but pressure seems
easier to control and gives you control of the note as its
sound evolves -- you can swell a note, wah-wah, pitch-bend
it etc (provided your synth has the patch flexibility).
I tried an AKAI AX80 with velocity, which can patch it
into most anything.  I found the velocity a little hard
to control on the lightweight keys.
	I also played a Casio CT-6000 with after-touch
pressure -- it seemed easier to control, but the range
of volume control was limited, and couldn't be patched
to anything else (strictly a preset machine).

Someone else also asked question (2) recently, and I
hinted at (1) in yesterday's posting, so I hope some
opinions will appear.  Thanks,  mike k

PS: the salesman with the AX80 said that if I got a box
without touch-sensitivity, I'd be back in the store within
a year.  TS is impossible to retrofit to a keyboard (?).