Keybed questions: M3 88 vs XS8

fduncan · Post by **fduncan** » Thu Oct 02, 2008 6:02 am

Hi all,

I'm new here and I want to buy a workstation because I'm fed up with my midi kb.

Unfortunately I can't find one single store in my area who has the M3 88. Keybed action is very important to me. I tried the XS8 and I found the keybed to be perfect. However, I really like the M3 features.

So would it be possible to have an unbiased opinion from persons who own or have tried both keybeds. I'm only interested in the keybed. How is the M3 in comparison to the Xs8 ? How is its build quality ? Are the keys making some annoying noise or any noise ?

So how would you rate the M3 88 keybed against the XS8 keybed ? Not as good, equivalent stuff, beat the XS8.

Thank you very much for your answers, I need them to make this tough choice between these two gems.

Cheers.

Rob Sherratt · Post by **Rob Sherratt** » Thu Oct 02, 2008 10:00 am

Hi fduncan,

Welcome to the forum. I'm sorry I can't give you a comparative rating of the 88-note keybeds myself. Hopefully someone else can do that. I wanted to point you in the direction of some information you might find useful in the meantime

Here are links to all the available info on the M3:

http://www.karma-lab.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8545

Among the various reviews of the M3, there is a comparative review between the Motif XS7 and the M3 here:

http://it-review.net/index.php?option=c ... 0&Itemid=1

And you can learn a lot about the M3 from Stephen Kay's videos here:
(just click on some of the latest releases links)

http://www.karma-lab.com/vp/vp_main.html

Hope there is something useful for you above, and see you in a couple of months after you've finished reading all about it

Best regards,
Rob

kimu · Post by **kimu** » Thu Oct 02, 2008 10:18 am

never tried M3-88 or XS8, but i own an M3-61 and had trial of XS6 for several hours and in different days in the recent past and i would like to give some impression if this can help.

the result (mainly speaking about features, obviosuly all is imo) is:

M3 is much more user-friendly than XS, touchscreen is in incredibile value rather than millions of buttons

M3 drum pattern is much more realistic and usable than the one on XS

Karma II is better than the Phrase articulation, allows to do much more things

on acoustic sound maybe XS is better, even if then new Xpanded M3 has almost covered the gap

korg synth sound are better

fduncan · Post by **fduncan** » Thu Oct 02, 2008 4:04 pm

Hi Rob & Kimu,

Rob, thank you for your links, I know some of them, I will check the other links now, particularly the comparison between the M3 and the XS.

Kimu, you just convince me more on the M3 however on motifator, I would get probably a different opinion. I know the strenghs of the M3 & it looks great but the XS8 is also a great piece of hardware.

I'll make the decision upon the keybed action and I just can't find a M3 88 where I live.

So any opinion on the M3 88 keybed would be really appreciated, and it would be awesome if I could get a comparison with the XS8 keybed.

kimu · Post by **kimu** » Thu Oct 02, 2008 4:06 pm

fduncan wrote: Kimu, you just convince me more on the M3 however on motifator, I would get probably a different opinion. I know the strenghs of the M3 & it looks great but the XS8 is also a great piece of hardware

i think you 're right

fduncan · Post by **fduncan** » Thu Oct 02, 2008 4:32 pm

I just read the IT-Review article. I hope that Dakic made an unbiased comparison though. It's always difficult to say. But by reading his article, I'm starting to lean towards the M3.

How are the pianos with the added 512 new voices ? Can you compare them with the XS pianos ?

And the build quality, I heard that the buttons & pads were poorly made, what's your opinion ? Is it a keyboard that can last for at least 5 years ?

Sorry for all these questions but I rely on the internet to make my decision. That's sick.

ZOID · Post by **ZOID** » Thu Oct 02, 2008 4:41 pm

I have the Xs8 and have tried the M3-88 in the store and my opinion is that the Xs keyboard has a much nicer feel to it. The M3-88 is a graded hammer action and the XS8 has not. The keys on the Xs have the same weight across the keyboard. I also have the M3-73 and I think the build quality is ok.

fduncan · Post by **fduncan** » Fri Oct 03, 2008 5:31 am

Thanks for your comments Zoid, my dilemma is now even bigger. I'm leaning again towards the XS now because I've read all these issues with the buttons wearing away & the sticking pads on the M3. These kind of things should not happen on a high-end machine.

So I think I'll choose the XS and get the M3-M in a year when (hopefully) these problems have been fixed.

Oldfield · Post by **Oldfield** » Fri Oct 17, 2008 12:49 pm

I tried the XS8 pretty extensively, against the OASYS - I believe that has the same keybed as the M3-88. I quite like the M3-88, and even *if* the XS's is a little nicer to play, I hated the interface and the angle of the screen on that instrument. I couldn't get myself at a nice height for playing that the screen didn't annoy me with reflections etc.

I much prefer the M3 in every way, the keyboard is very nice, if a little noisier than I'd have liked, but I'm not used to hammer action keyboards on synths anyway.

chelsea9075 · Post by **chelsea9075** » Sun Oct 19, 2008 3:34 pm

Hi Fduncan,
I am a little out of my depth here, as I am a PA800 arranger owner, but I also have a Korg SP250 Digital piano. This piano has the new RH3 weighted keyboard action on it ( which is the same as Korgs more recent higher priced digital pianos ). The action is superb, I cannot fault it. My guess is that the M3-88 note incorporates the RH3 action. If so, you cannot go wrong.
Hope this info helps, ( just check what action the M3-88 has on it ).
Chris

Mike Bunker · Post by **Mike Bunker** » Mon Oct 20, 2008 4:56 pm

I was able to try the weighted action of the Korg M381 and the Motif XS-81 at Sam Ash in Clearwater, FL. While I bought the M361 because I prefer the organ touch, I thought the Korg and Yamaha had a very similar but not Identical touch. The Korg feels more like a mechanical piano to me, while I thought the Yamaha had a slightly lighter feel. I honestly think you would be comfortable with the weighted action on both.

The XS does have those octave-up and octave-down buttons on the 61-key version though.

Where do you live? Maybe someone who lives near you will read this topic.

fduncan · Post by **fduncan** » Tue Oct 21, 2008 6:46 am

Hi All,

Thank you very much for your assistance and sorry for the delay but I was hanging on the Karma forum. In the end I bought the M3 88 last week, I was feeling a bit unconfortable with the keys the first day, I thought they were so heavy but after 2 days I finally enjoyed them a lot, now I feel very confortable with it and it can't even be compared with my old midi keyboard.

I'm really a happy M3 owner now.

Have fun all of you