Studiologic SL88 Grand

Il prodotto si presenta come solido e compatto, grazie alla scocca in metallo. I tasti in legno sembrano qualitativamente ottimi, ma secondo me la pesatura è eccessiva. La forza necessaria da applicare ai tasti per produrre un suono è completamente spropositata, se paragonata a una buon piano acustico. In rete si trova un sito dove sono state confrontate le pesature di moltissime tastiere pesate, e la Studiologic SL88 è risultata la più dura di tutte! E' un problema che non noterà troppo chi ha manone robuste, ma non è il mio caso: io trovo sgradevole suonarla.
Anche la superficie in simil-avorio non ha nulla a che vedere con l'avorio vero: si percepisce una specie di micro-ruvidità che l'avorio non ha affatto. Molto meglio la soluzione adottata da Kawai con Ivory Touch: superficie liscia ma in parte antiscivolo.
Bello dello Studiologic poter scegliere la risposta di ogni tasto via apposito software, ma la app non può certo modificare la intrinseca durezza dei tasti.
Statene alla larga se vi piacciono tastiere scorrevoli anche se pesate.
Comprerò ora un altro prodotto e metterò in vendita la StudioLogic, per me inutilizzabile nonostante la buona qualità complessiva del prodotto.

I bought the SL88 Grand two years back, when I needed a proper 88 keyboard, to emulate a piano-like playing experience. I use it in its most simple way: Take a MIDI cable, connect to a Nord Electro, and play piano/electric piano on the SL88. I had Studiologics before, so I knew they are not very "roadworthy" (external power block, cheaper materials).

The keybed, with its wood keys and triple sensor technology, is a joy to play - so far, so good.

But after a year of - light - use I noticed the first "stripes" on the TFT color screen (where the light cells don't work properly anymore). By now a second row of cells has gone, and it is basically waiting for the TFT panel to break down completely.

I can't comment on the quality of the software, but I can't recommend buying this keyboard any more, given the quality issue I have. Imagine you want to use this as a proper master keyboard and are depending on the screen to work ...

I've been using it for a few weeks now and below I'll list all the pros and cons I've come to.

Pros:
1. Built like an absolute tank - the entire body (except the two side panels) is metal, and the whole thing is built in a very professional manner. It feels like it can really take a beating.
2. Beautiful, sleek, minimalistic design
3. Plenty of connectivity options
4. The keybed - it's a work of art. Fatar are very well known for making some of the most, if not the most realistic keybeds out there. The wooden keys with synthetic ivory feel fantastic to the touch. The keys are not too heavy, in fact they are slightly lighter than an actual orchestral grand, but the feel is essentially identical. Velocity response and aftertouch record flawlessly. It's an absolute joy.

Cons:
1. The keys can be a bit loud if you play with higher velocity. The thudding sound will most definitely be an issue for a light sleeper in the same or even the next room during the quiet hours of the night
2. The software is a bit confusing and there's not a lot of documentation or tutorials on how to use it properly
3. The joystick controls do feel high-quality and pleasant to the touch, but I just find them quite inconvenient for things like controlling expression/dynamics etc - you're much better off using a separate fader controller for that

One important note for people that buy this keyboard - in some DAWs, you might notice that when you record midi often times when a key is hit, two notes will be recorded, with the first one being the shortest midi note possible, followed by the actual intended note. This happens when you have multiple zones enabled in your controller. When you turn off all unnecessary zones the double note problem is resolved.

Overall, if you're someone that can play the piano and is looking for a professional grade master midi controller that feels like a real piano, this is a very, very good choice. And even if you can't play the piano but enjoy how a real piano's keybed feels, this controller will satisfy that itch. A huge bonus is Thomann's absolutely amazing customer service and prompt delivery. I'll definitely be buying more stuff from here.

Happy playing!