The M50's Achilles' heel: Its keybed?

andersborg · Post by **andersborg** » Mon Oct 12, 2009 10:32 pm

Reading through the messages here I get the impression that M50 61/73 has a lot to offer in the sound, effects and sequencer department, but lacks in a good keybed.

Is that a general conclusion? Does it compare in any way to the (in my opinion very good) keybed of the M1/T3? The lack of aftertouch is a bummer (I used it a lot on the M1), but if the keybed is also sub-par, maybe an M50 module (that doesn't exist) together with a good MIDI keyboard would have been a better solution.

Cheers

EvilDragon · Post by **EvilDragon** » Mon Oct 12, 2009 11:35 pm

Keys are lighter than M1, unfortunately.

Only marginally better than TR/LE keybed.

synthtweaker · Post by **synthtweaker** » Mon Oct 12, 2009 11:40 pm

It has quite a lightweight feel with little resistance when a key is pressed down. I cannot say I find it a major problem though and it doesn't prevent me from getting the music I like out of the M50. It may be more of a problem if you are a piano/keyboard player and used to weighted keys, otherwise it has a typical synth action as far as I can tell.

kikedeolivos · Post by **kikedeolivos** » Tue Oct 13, 2009 12:09 am

I would say yes: it's not a very friendly keybed, too light and with no substance. (compared to other synth type keybeds I've used in the past, not weighted keys BTW)

More than once I've hurt my hand doing palm smears while playing organ: you got to be very careful on this topic or you'll end with a cut or a key flying out the chassis.

Korg trimmed costs everywhere on this keyboard. (except the display, which is nice)

candlewick · Post by **candlewick** » Tue Oct 13, 2009 1:25 am

I prefer my Triton LE keybed over the M50. but have no problems using the M50 for work at church and gigging. This is a fantastic package for the mobile hobbyist. For more serious work I midi it up with my Triton and go at it.

Can't beat the feature for price ratio !!!!!!!!!!!

kikedeolivos · Post by **kikedeolivos** » Tue Oct 13, 2009 1:27 am

candlewick wrote:...

Can't beat the feature for price ratio !!!!!!!!!!!

True.

McHale · Post by **McHale** » Tue Oct 13, 2009 2:27 am

Am I the only one that actually likes the M50 keybed? There are times I prefer it over the M3 keybed. It's VERY fast and pretty smooth. When I compare it to my Roland D-20 or older Korgs, it's 10 times better. For doing fast solos or runs, I'll take the M50 keybed over just about anything out there.

If you're a classical pianist, it'll probably drive you nuts. Put headphones on when you play your M50 next time and you won't even think about it.

-Mc

mocando · Post by **mocando** » Tue Oct 13, 2009 4:04 am

I was going to say the same Mc. I see there are 2 of us. Some people keep complaining about the M50, I don't know, looks like trying say to it should have a better keybed, or color touchscreen, jazzy case colors, sampling, sliders, etc. I find it so great as it is.
I was thinking the other day about sampling, then I realized there is already 256 megs of samples inside, and if I have heard maybe 5 percent of that is too much. Not to mention use, that goes down to maybe 1% tops.
Now is the keybed. Not a single M50 keybed have failed in almost a year the board has been out. For what you have told us, you give the M50 a good beating, and it hasn't failed on you either.

You want a better keybed, get the M50-88. Too big or heavy? Hmm, Sorry.

kikedeolivos · Post by **kikedeolivos** » Tue Oct 13, 2009 4:15 am

mocando wrote:... Not a single M50 keybed have failed in almost a year the board has been out. For what you have told us, you give the M50 a good beating, and it hasn't failed on you either....

http://www.korgforums.com/forum/phpBB2/ ... hlight=key

Martin: memory is your friend.

mocando · Post by **mocando** » Tue Oct 13, 2009 4:19 am

kikedeolivos wrote: http://www.korgforums.com/forum/phpBB2/ ... hlight=key

Martin: memory is your friend.

That was Mc's report on the insides of the M50 and the power supply mod. He never said the keybed failed.

kikedeolivos · Post by **kikedeolivos** » Tue Oct 13, 2009 4:32 am

mocando wrote:
kikedeolivos wrote: http://www.korgforums.com/forum/phpBB2/ ... hlight=key

Martin: memory is your friend.
That was Mc's report on the insides of the M50 and the power supply mod. He never said the keybed failed.

Are you kidding me?

McHale wrote:Curious how difficult it is too fix a broken key? Simple. 5 screws hold the entire keybed in place (2 on each side and 1 in the middle). 3 screws on top of each octave. Better get used to this pic. If you gliss AT ALL, you'll be snapping them like toothpicks when they start to age.

All the rest of the pics are for one purpose. Enjoy:

more coming soon. Need a couple things to finish.

-Mc

McHale wrote:the M50 has ZERO springs in it. It's all plastic. That's why I took the picture of the side profile of the keybed so people can see how tough it will be to replace a key, how the action works, how it's connected, etc.

Those keys are fairly flexible now. Once they harden, I'm afraid that they will snap if you are a hard player. China isn't known for long lasting stuff.

-Mc

McHale wrote:The keybed seems to be the only weakness I have with the M50. But I like playing it to be honest. And if I was certain the keys wouldn't break on me, I'd have NO problem with it. I just hate thinking how all that's standing between me and broken keys is about 1/16" of plastic. I'm way too hard on 'em for those to last long. My Triton keybed has held up over 10 years but that wasn't a "cheap" keybed.

Only time will tell... So far so good though.

-Mc

andersborg · Post by **andersborg** » Tue Oct 13, 2009 7:25 am

Thanks a lot for the responses.

No, I'm not a classical pianist, so a weighted keybed would not be for me.

I have a MIDI keyboard too, that has very "springy" keys (they don't settle, like on the M1), and I don't like that type of key action very much, as it's not practical for subtle playing.

I simply need to test and compare.

Cheers,
Anders

boogieman · Post by **boogieman** » Tue Oct 13, 2009 9:19 am

I personally am pretty happy with the M50 keybed, and this is coming from someone who owned, and LOVED the feel of the M1/T3 series. Really, those were higher end keybeds, and it felt it. But the M50, even though it's low end, it gets the job done for me. Only real complaint is lack of aftertouch - I'm so used to it, my fingers just naturally press down waiting for something to happen... sigh.

I had a Kurzweil PC3, which was raved about as having such a wonderful "semi-weighted" action. I couldn't stand it. It was way too stiff, and I just couldn't get my fingers to "go there". I couldn't concentrate on my playing 'cause I hated the keyboard so much. I sold that for the M50, and am much happier. I find that I prefer either a fully-weighted piano action (which I mostly play), or a pretty light action like the M50 (although the T3 was better). And light is definitely better for all of the "synthy" and orchestral type of things, although that's where aftertouch is most glaringly absent.

For price, features, sound... I like the little guy.

kikedeolivos · Post by **kikedeolivos** » Tue Oct 13, 2009 1:44 pm

boogieman wrote:... I'm so used to it, my fingers just naturally press down waiting for something to happen... sigh...

Ain't that funny? I find myself doing the same thing!

outsider9 · Post by **outsider9** » Tue Oct 13, 2009 2:37 pm

Don't worry too much about the keys. I've had Casio (MT 740) cheap keyboards that belonged to my nephews, and they slammed it, but the little things survived (well, apart from an octave practically ripped apart somehow, and half motherboard dead -the thing got even left out in the rain-, all that got fixed btw).
A few months ago someone even spilled beer by accident over those little keys. The thing has like 20 years or so, and the rest of the little keys that weren't pulled apart, still survive. I used it everyday as a funny MIDI controller for some years.

What I'm trying to say is, seeing that some are comparing M50's keybed with higher end, then let's compare it also with lower end.

Ok, they're not the best, surely. But I don't think they are so bad to deserve that much criticism.
Btw Kike, I think that nobody has reported a broken keybed. Mc Hale was referring to curious people that wondered how hard it would be if such thing happened.

I'm happy with my M50. It's not supposed to be the best on everything, but it's a very comprehensive and competitive piece of musical equipment.