How important is aftertouch for your playstyle? Personally, espescially combined with SA2, i think aftertouch really adds to my expression...

However, if you look at the current generation keyboards, i am getting worried, its one of those features of expresiveness that gets underrated and removed from all but the high end keys..

Yamaha only has aftertouch on the Tyros and Motif XF..
Roland only has aftertouch on the JP80
korg does better with aftertouch on the Pa3x and Pa900 as well as the Kronos line
Ketron has aftertouch on the whole audya line
Kurzweil still adds aftertouch to all their instruments

The only stage piano with aftertouch is the Nord stage 2...


So, who is using their aftertouch to its fullest?

I can take it or leave it either way I've used both on many keyboards. Doesn't effect MY style of playing at all.

When I played a keyboard with aftertouch I never used it. And, with all the SA voices, plus the pitch bend, do you really need it?

Gary

I have to say, once you get used to having that extra bit of expression by simply pressing harder into the keybed, it's hard to be without it. I think the reason it's only included on higher end instruments, is because, primarily, it adds cost, and secondarily, usually only the more the advanced players will make the best use of it, and they generally buy the most powerful instruments.

I really like aftertouch for adding expression (vibrato, tone, filter etc.) to lead synthesizer and distortion electric guitar sounds, as well as the usual added expressiveness it gives to many other instruments, such as violin and sax to name only a few.

And, it's not only useful for SA/SA2 sounds...it works quite nicely on Yamaha's Cool! and Live! sounds, and, of course, even the GM/GM2 and XG voices can benefit from it as well.

Having been playing the Tyros4 almost exclusively for quite some time now, I find it a big change going back to a PSR keybed, especially since the Tyros4's FSX action has a longer throw as well as having more resistance overall, although, with time I can usually adjust to the PSR, which has its own advantages, those being that it's fast, and a little shallower, which are ideal for organ sounds.

Summing up, I think aftertouch is a great advantage to have on a keyboard, and hopefully we will see it on the less expensive instruments in the near future.

Ian

PS...The only weighted 88-note actions I've used that had aftertouch were Yamaha's long discontinued KX-88 (my favorite) and the newer Yamaha Motif XF8 which also feels pretty awesome.

Agreed, Ian. On the Pa1x it takes quite a bit of added finger pressure - something to do with the fulcrum of the keys, I understand. But, yeah, I wouldn't be without aftertouch.

I'm happy with velocity switches on my sounds......I can be really expressive when needed.

Here's my perspective.
I don't sing. play gigs (dances, party's or homes)...and I play mostly slower orchestral, musical theatre, standards, oldies...so I want the very best sounds. The qua;lity of the sound is a big part of my type of play.
Aftertouch is very important to me. The quality of the sounds gives me inspiration and pleasure to have then as realistic as possible.

This is one reason I did not go for S950 instead of software arranger...no AT and didn't love the action either...here I can use any quality sound I want/afford going forward next few years.

My CME -76 MIDI keyboard has very nice feel and nice aftertouch.

If you play fast music or just for accompaniment for singing as the main thing...maybe aftertouch is not quite so important?

Nothing nicer than a Clarinet, Flute Sax etc that has touch vibrato that you can use when desired. Or vary the effects, loudness of a choir etc.

I believe it's mostly us players fault for loosing any features that we took for granted in older models. I still believe anything over a $1000 should have good action keyboard and after touch.
That is why I never got 950, which is a great machine, but that keyboard feel is beyond shame for model that is almost $2000.
I just got me Roland G6 for $900 CAN. I am going to use it mostly for samples and solo playing.It's keyboard is the best thing I tried in last 10 years. It's even better that my T5 keyboard which is also really good.

Aftertouch is a important function and I use it especially with Sax,Trombone,trumpet and strings. Lloyd

I would add synths and pads and winds and some more to that list..

peoples perception of "GOOD ACTION" varies greatly from player to player personally I like the light touch on my S950....never like a heavier keyfeel for my style of playing.

I come from accordion background and I can't play piano style action. I don't even like pa3x action, but I do like synth action keys. From dx7 to M1 to 9000pro, to now T5 and my favorite best Roland G6.
S950 is too light. There is no feel to it at all. Very cheap feeling..
Same is with Pa600.

Yup, rock guitars, too.

I use aftertouch a lot--a valuable tool. Some of the new gimmicks, great as they can be, sometimes get in the way and do things I'm not expecting. With Aftertouch, Joy Stock and Foot Pedals, I am in charge.

Mirza,
Right on the money!
The 950 should have the same keybed as T5...my God how much does it cost to do that...not much.
Yamaha just wants to make people go T5 if they want a better keybed.

For almost %2k YES, it should have a better action.

One of the reasons I did not get one.

My keyboard is all I use for my music, not accomanyment for singing... and I want a quality action...I tried a lot of MIDI controllers before getting the CME, most had cheap feeling sloppy, no AT, and noisy actions.

I didn't like the action on my Tyros keyboards the lighter the better for me. Key feel is a very personal thing what one man likes the other man hates. the only thing that matters is what the music sounds like not how you do it.

Yamaha makes its own actions, so there's no reason why the S950 couldn't have a better keybed than it does, and at that price aftertouch should be included.

It wasn't the lightness of the S950's keybed that I didn't like, it was the shallow throw, which is generally fine for most sounds (synth, organ, strings etc.) but not incredibly expressive for piano/electric piano sounds.

Again, one can get used to it ( I fared okay with it), but also again, at that price (almost $2k), and considering the big price gap between it and Tyros, it should have something closer to the Tyros4/5's action, and include aftertouch.

Ian

Well there needs to be enough reason to upgrade to a Tyros, the keybed is one of them

The Roland A-800 pro controller has an excellent keybed with aftertouch, and it just costs around 300 euros.

I've has a Tyros 3 for a few months now (previous keyboards PSR3000, PSR2000, PSR630, Ensoniq SD1, Ensoniq ESQ1)

Having defended the PSR action in the past it is nevertheless unquestionable that the Tyros keybed is superior even though I never felt that the PSR keybed was holding me back.

I'm starting to use the aftertouch but not really explored it a lot yet.

The Ensoniq SD1 has polyphonic aftertouch which was very effective in highlighting a single note within a chord, brilliant for big band solos.

Are there any remotely affordable keyboards out there which can do this today?

I think the keybed was made by Fatar. It's a sprung keyboard with inductive sensors so no electrical contacts at all but susceptible to bad connector contacts within the processing circuitry!

Polyphonic aftertouch, just wondering why they never i plemented it, as polyphonic aftertouch can also be used as monophonic....

O, now i remember, it was quite expensive to implement....

But i would buy a masterkeyboard with that instantly...

http://www.thomann.de/cme_xkey_37.htm

This thing has a Polyphonic aftertouch

I have almost added Polyphonic aftertouch in the vArranger synth

Surprises me, this just doesnt look like a pro keyboard to me..

Yes, looks like a toy. Also CME has a bad reputation on after sales..

But this kb seems to be playable enough
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_EMnrAO6yg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WG5A8AEBOzs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJ9rABC_IkA


this can complete well with my Korg MicroKey 37 with vArranger

2 * 37 keys kb in the laptop bag = 74 keys. One for left hand, and one for right hand

In case of emergency, or for travelling, it is cool

I will see if I can test it