Arturia Forums
Harware Legacy versions => KeyLab => Topic started by: vannibombonato on November 24, 2016, 08:14:52 pm
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Dear all,
im in the market for a 88 weighted controller with proper hammer action and faders to control VSTs, and KeyLab would tick all boxes.
Problem is, when i researched the option a while ago it seemed like the hardware quality was really poor, with loads of problems and terrible customer service.
Is the situation now better? Would you now recommend the KeyLab 88?
My primary use would be within Live, playing piano and controlling VSTs.
Thanks,
Vanni
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The keybed is second to none. I absolutely would NOT switch! The support is a little slow, but they will eventually get back to you if they feel it will benefit them. I am impressed with the rate at which they introduce software updates, and at the present time, I'm not aware of any serious bugs with the MIDI Control Center software or firmware on the device. BTW, I also own the KL61 (black) and depend on it as my 2nd tier keyboard.
I think perhaps Arturia either doesn't know English very well or possibly xenophobes. Not sure which.
I am programmer/developer as well and understand the difficulties of knowing how to make an awesome product, but can struggle in the area of people skills. Ah well, c'est la vie!
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Me too, I'd like to know if the velocity problem and the non working keys have been fixed before buying one.
Thanks to all new owners to put their review here
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While it seems clear to me that English is not Arturia's first language (French), they've always been polite and helpful to me, so I would never assume them to be Xenophobic.
Been very happy with my Keylab88. Yes, there have been a few minor problems here and there, but I've fixed them or worked around them, and the cases where I have needed to contact Arturia, they've been helpful and actually fairly quick to respond (me, not so much, in some cases).
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Much of their staff is indeed French, which is where most of the customer support is from.
Their U.S. staff in Sherman Oaks, Ca. is very small, about 25 employees, and is mostly dedicated to R&D, with Glenn Darcy as their primary customer facing domestic employee for marketing videos, trade shows, etc...
Be patient, a small company like this has to juggle inquiries from all over the globe with language barriers and high volume.
I learned this all too well when I worked at Warmoth and was one of 5 sales reps in an 8000 sq foot pole building with 50 employees including office staff, wood and machinery, servicing the world by phone, fax, & email with similar challenges as Arturia.
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I spent some time in Lyon, which is right next to Grenoble. I'd like to go back at some point, maybe they'll give me a tour!
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Hardware quality seems very good to me. The keyboard is a fatar, velocity curve is completely configurable and you can expect to control almost everything with it...