Studiologic VMK-88

Road Warriors PAY ATTENTION! If you're out working carrying around heavy boards and hating it at 3am packing it up, go no further. 14 pounds. It's a Tupperware keyboard. There is no bending of the action, and the switches/knobs/sliders are stable and the keyboard has good action - meaning bounceback for single key trills is fast enough. It has programmable aftertouch, etc. so I won't go over all the features, but I have it controlling a Kurz PC2R and it has more than enough controllers - 4 pedals, for instance.

Good action, 2 midi outs, sequencer control as well. It has extensive capabilities. 88 keys

The keys are expressive enough, and I set the PC2R to hard action, and it "understands" all of the dynamic needs I throw at it.

I will gig without a backup, and reliability is a matter of time and luck. We'll see

What? I'm still searching for user groups. I figure it being so cheap, I hope it lasts for 5 years.

I think it's way cool in an ugly kind of way. It's a pleasure to move it, and it gives me all the control over my rack that I need. I've moved equipment for too many years, and I've looked for a long time for something that is light and will take abuse like cheese sandwiches in a lunch box. I just am not going to leave it in the car. It might melt, or at least warp in the heat. I'm not going to take the chance. My briefcase is heavier if I'm packing a lunch too!

Version 2.0
No manual was included with this. I purchased it from Musician's friend new. The presets don't seem to be so useful, since there is no MIDI IN to be able to save the settings on the computer. It isn't clear to me what these settings really do or are needed if you just want to turn it on and use it as a MIDI keyboard controller.

The sliders would scrape on the plastic lines. I had to rise the black plastic knobs on the sliders for it to not scrape. This isn't ideal, since I am picture over time with use the knobs sinking back down and start scraping again.
I wasn't sure if it was me or not, so I recorded myself playing the same chord over and over with a fast rhythm into a music sequencer using the VMK-88. I was able to them confirm, there is a stuck note problem. A note played and hit again, showed the first one being held for over 35 beats! This is bad. I'm returning this keyboard to getting something else. I needed 88-keys and semi-weighted, and selected this one since it also supported aftertouch. But considering the choices out there, I would certainly give up aftertouch to have a properly working MIDI keyboard controller and a mod wheel.

I never got far enough into this to try out the aftertouch. I consider the stuck notes problem a major design problem.

No, this product because of the stuck notes isn't reliability for the studio or gig. It is my opinion, they should do a recall on this product and fix it. It is a MIDI keyboard controller, has no sounds, so it should at least function as a proper MIDI keyboard controller.

I tried to e-mail them pre-sales and the e-mail bounced back. I called the company to ask what the lastest version of this product was and the tech sold me, there is only one board he believes, Rev A. He said if you had a problem (this was pre-sales), it is under warranty and you could bring it back to the dealer for repair.
Now that I bought it, just arrived yesterday, I will be returning it for something else.

It is hard to say if this is a good value since it has a major design flaw with stuck notes. I think the concept of the product being 88-keys, semi-weighted (which is important to me) and aftertouch and only a MIDI controller is a good idea. But it has to work too!

Firmware 2.0. You can't upgrade from the Studiologic website. Action is good, but no layering, no "Omni mode", no splits, etc... It takes about 3 seconds for the presets to switch after the buttons are pressed, so no good for live purposes- If you use the "midi channel" button to change presets, you may end-up with a hanging note if the note-off message is not sent before switching channels- very annoying!

See above

The responsiveness curve is very steep, and can't be changed. I used it with the Rhodes patches from my Nord Electro module, and the hard notes almost blew the speakers out, while the soft notes were too soft.

You cannot depend on it. I have experienced the same "hanging notes" problem exactly as this other reviewer has posted here:

"Select a patch on your sound module with a reasonable sustain
volume, and quickly sweep your hand from the lowest note to the
highest note on the keyboard. One in five times (for me anyway) this
results in a stuck note sustaining forever (not a stuck KEY, just a
stuck note, like there was no note-off message). I've exchanged one
VMK-88 and the new one does the exact same thing. In
rehearsal/live performance a stuck note occurs once about every half
hour of playing. I can duplicate the problem with a couple of sound
modules (E-mu P2K and my Yamaha PSR-232)."

Terrible!!! Actually, non-existant. Studiologic's website has no e-mail for support, except through "music industries" - and this one also bounces e-mails back. I even asked the Zzounds folks to give me their phone number, which is no good. In addition, the phone numbers liste on the Studiologic website take you to a "home loan" answering machine...

I would keep it if those basic issues were solved. I like the light weight, the keyboard action, but the midi reliability ("hanging notes" problem) renders it very dangerous to play live. It may leave you hanging...

It's pretty simple to edit patches; however the MIDI implementation is puzzling. There's no splits at all, no MIDI input. It might be OK if there were no splits, however, it takes about 3 seconds to call up a new patch. If you've got to use 2 patches in 1 song and switch quickly, you're out of luck. The 4 controller inputs are a great bonus. However, these inputs cannot differentiate between a footwswitch and an expression-type pedal. For example, if you hook up a sustain-type pedal and set it to controller #64, it will work- BUT, it does not reliably send ON and OFF messages to your MIDI gear or sequencer; it sends (sometimes unreliably) MIDI values like 126, 127, 120, 3, 4, etc., even with a sustain-type pedal. I don't particularly want to gum up my sequencer with MIDI values like 12 and 114 on controller #64. On and Off is much better.
In addition, although it is very easy to attach a button,knob, or slider to a specific MIDI control number, you must specify the MIDI channel to send the controller on. This would be OK, except OMNI is not an option. You must specify a MIDI channel. So, if you want to send global messages (sustain, volume, expression, modulation), for example, you're out of luck. This is especially frustrating when using the "live performance" mode, where there is a dedicated button for MIDI channel and Patch Change. This is a nice option, BUT when you change MIDI channel (maybe to control a different box or something) none of your knobs, buttons, or pedals will change MIDI channel; only the Note on, off, messages and velocity. Frustrating. Of course, all of these problems could be solved with an external router or program, but heck, it's supposed to be a controller.
I must say, the manual I downloaded from the Studiologic website was just fine.

At first, i thought I would not like the pitch bend placement. However, after a few minutes, I didn't mind at all. The lack of a dedicated Mod wheel is a minus, but you've got a huge number of knob options to assign to modulation. The 9 sliders are great for controlling a B3 emulation, one bank is even labeled specifically for drawbars. But if you're used to grabbing them with your left hand and playing with your right hand, you're again out of luck.

When i first used the VMK-88, I felt the action/ velocity curve was pretty acceptable. It's a shame you can't adjust the curve, but not critical. Don't be fooled, the action is unweighted synth-style action with square fronts on the keys. If you're used to playing piano sounds on a synth action, you'll feel just fine. I'm used to the hammer-weighted action of the other FATAR keyboards, and I sometimes got a mushy feeling from this action, but it's just my preference.

I think it's ok, but there's obviously some compromises in build quality to compensate for weight. I'm pretty sure the whole thing is plastic. When you play the keyboard, the knobs and buttons move around in the housing. Sometimes you're not sure if a button works or not when you push it, but it may just be due to the clunky software. Occasionally, when recording into a sequencer, the VMK would send random MIDI messages, note ons, bizarre note lengths, etc.
I was really excited the first time I walked into a gig holding it in one hand but the novelty wore off.

n/a

Overall, it's almost worth the price. If you want an 88 key controller that you can put in a gig bag and take on a plane with you, this may be the one. But if you need to do anything more than very basic MIDI stuff, you might get frustrated. Maybe a few revisions down the road, (this model is v 2.0 ) this could be a contender, but for now, it just doesn't cut it.

No MIDI In, so no patch editor. The UI is clunky, paging through
presets using the page keys requires a several-second wait per
preset. Cannot remap aftertouch to a controller, cannot set buttons
to generate SysEx. Serious performers will end up running
a mapper on their laptop to get full use out of the VMK-88 (software v 2.0).

Lack of a mod wheel is a minus, and the pitch wheel's position
makes it uncomfortable to use. Best way to use the VMK-88 in
performance is with two hands on the keyboard, with aftertouch
and pedals to add expression. If you want to use your left hand
to modify controllers, you're better off with another product.

The action is excellent, especially considering how lightweight
(14 lbs) and compact (50x9x3 inches) it is. Paired with a low-rider
stand like the QuikLok QL-746 (23 inches high in its lowest
setting), it can slip under a normal-height desk. The action and
the footprint are main reasons I bought the controller.
to buy this controller.

It's been OK so far. The build quality has some rough edges,
the back faceplate has a screw missing, and the hole for one
of the MIDI outs does not line up with the socket. It didn't
seem worth flying it back to the dealer 3000 miles to fix
these minor issues, though ...

Don't know.

It's not perfect, but I've waited a long time for a controller
with these specs -- 88 keys, aftertouch, a form factor and
weight low enough to be stored under a desk to be dragged
out easily -- for a long time. Ideally, a company like Edirol
will take a shot at this category now. A product that
combines this Fatar keybed with the PCR-series control
surface would be a category-killer.

Firmware ver 2.0. No presets I could use, but a few (i.e. cubase, NI, etc.)came programmed in as examples. Editing patches is a piece of cake, after you do it a time or two with the manual open in front of you. Oddly, Fatar shipped these to the States with no manual, and the US distributor had to write and print their own. They did a good job.

This is a controller only, no sounds inside, no sequencer. It has banks of knobs, sliders, and switches that can be configured to send midi control messages. It has channel aftertouch, two midi outs and four configurable footswitch jacks, as well as "transport" switches that can be configured to send midi messages to a sequencer for starting and stopping (etc.) playback. One slider is labelled "volume", but can be configured to send any midi control. I found that handy. Any control can be set by going into edit mode and moving the control, which puts that slider, knob or switch on the screen to modify. Cons: No capability to split the keyboard, though. The velocity is not adjustable, but seems right to me. The keys are "synth" style feel, but very nice to play. I got this after trying an SL 990 pro, and being very impressed with the Fatar action. Of course, the VMK-88 has a totally different type of action (not "hammer" style like the 990), but the same quality is there. I'm very pleased with the action.
I'll give it a downgrade for the splits and velo adjustment. Still, I like it.

I like the velocity curve, but an adjustment would be nice. What I REALLY would have liked is if the aftertouch message were configurable to other midi controls. I'm sure that could be done in software (I use my computer for the sound modules), but I haven't found out how yet.
As the previous poster mentioned, the aftertouch pressure is not too much more than a full velocity keystrike. It could require a little finesse.

I read a number of posts about Fatar keys having cheap plastic enclosures, but I had an sl 990 pro that had a steel case and was built like a tank. The VMK-88 is plastic, but the jacks on the back seem a little more solidly mounted than on the SL 990, and as long as it is shown the kind of respect musical instruments deserve, it should be sturdy enough. It might have been better to use shorter knobs in the knob bank. Everyone uses those tall knobs that look like they're begging to be broken off. Oh well. In my home studio, it's more than tuff enuf. For gigging? Hmmm. Are the roadies your FRIENDS? In any case, for home studio use, 9, for gigging, 7. I'll average it out to 8.

I was told by the US distributor that I got one of the units from the first shipment (7 units) of these to the States. The thing I mentioned about the manual had them a little worried for a while, but I think they did a great job putting their own together. Other contact I've had with them has always been pleasant and helpful.

Yes, I'd replace it if I was unable to take out the thief and take it back from him/her. It looks like M-Audio just came out with a similar unit that lists for near the discounted price I paid for mine. I haven't checked it out yet, but I have a gut feeling that my Fatar has a much better feel. Plus, mine has the footpedal support. M-Audio gives you splits and the option to power it via USB, but a recent post regarding that unit (keystation 88) says there's no 120v adapter included, its optional... The VMK-88 has everything included, and they even tossed in an M-Audio USB midi 1x1 interface.

Overall, I am very happy wth my VMK-88.

It's a masterkeyboard.., pretty much like no sound except the mechanical noise from the buttons. Basicly it takes a no-brainer to operate this keyboard but when I have to rate the ease of use, then I really have to give it a 5 because the LCD is not angled to the user, and the button-descriptions are unreadable when there's not that much light. And when it's at the bottom of a Z standard with a JD800 on top, then there's not much light :)

There are 9 faders in each bank, and there are 3 banks.. that's pretty nice!

There are 8 knobs, 8 buttons, and 2 banks for these.

There's a heavy pitchbender, unfortunately no 'dedicated' modwheel.

There's a little LCD to edit your setups, and a few buttons to navigate here.

It has aftertouch, and misc inputs for sustain-pedals. A cheapish pedal is shipped with the VMK, but recommend a spoon-model..

The playing feels good.. not too light, not too heavy. It's very suitable for synthplayers/programmers who are used to the light keys of synths but really need 88 keys for their piano-presets.

The aftertouch doesn't need much presure, you might have to get used to it. If you play like an agressive animal-muppet, you might use the aftertouch when you didn't intend to.

I guess there's not much you can break.. tho I have the impression that the build-quality is cheapish.

n/a

It does what it does.. for me the 88 keys are very well, and there's a wealth of programable faders and knobs to program. The build-quality is only so-so, and the wrong angle of the display (at a normal position the bottom line in the LCD display can't be read!), and the impossibility to read the button-descriptions is a serious downside. If you don't know all the buttons by hearth, I wouldn't recommend taking it on a dark stage w/o your personal light shining over the VMK.

8 for the possibilities, 5 for the buildquality/ergonomics, makes a 6.5 .... a 7 ..