Keys
The total number of keys on the keyboard.
The more keys provided in the design, the wider the instrument's own range, the more notes it can play without resorting to octave shift or transposition. On the other hand, this characteristic directly affects the dimensions and cost, and an extensive range is not required so often. Therefore,
88 -key instruments corresponding to a full-size classical piano keyboard are quite rare. But compact models with only
25 keys(2 octaves), on the contrary, are popular: for the purposes for which MIDI keyboards are used, this is often quite enough. Other common options are the
49 -key (4 octave) and
61 -key (5 octave) models; somewhat less common are
32 and
37 keys.
Key size
In this case, the size means the size of the keys in width — the length practically does not affect the game process.
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Full size. Standard-width keys, as on a traditional piano keyboard. Switching to such a keyboard from another instrument with standard keys does not cause any problems; Also note that this particular option is recommended for complex games. On the other hand, a full-size keyboard can take up quite a lot of space.
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Small size. Reduced width keys. It is worth paying attention to this option, first of all, if there is not much space for installing the keyboard and compactness is crucial: small keys allow you to reduce the size of the device. In addition, such keys can be useful for people with small hands. But for complex parties, they are worse than full-sized ones.
Rigidity
The hardness of the keys on a keyboard is the amount of resistance they provide when pressed.
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Unweighted. Very low rigidity: the keys literally "fail" under the fingers. Found mostly in entry-level keyboards; this is due to the fact that unweighted mechanics are inexpensive, but the low pressure resistance makes it difficult to select the optimal pressure and control the dynamics of the sound.
— Semi-
weighted. Keyboards with medium resistance — not as high as on weighted keys, but noticeably higher than on unweighted ones. This option is considered optimal for active keyboards (see "Mechanics"): at a low cost, it gives quite good responsiveness and, with a minimum skill, allows you to accurately control the pressing force.
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Weighted. Keyboards with high resistance, which is comparable to the resistance of classical piano keys. Note that high effort in this case is an advantage: it allows you to bring the response of the keyboard as close as possible to the response of a classical piano and makes it easier to control the pressure and dynamics of the sound. Actually, by definition, all hammer-action models are made weighted (see "Mechanics"), but among active keyboards this option is rare — due to complexity and high cost.
Aftertouch
The presence of the aftertouch function in the keyboard (aftertouch). The essence of this function is to track the pressure force on the key after it is pressed. In fact, this means that in models with aftertouch, you can control the sound not only due to the force and speed of pressing the key, but also due to the change in pressure on it after pressing; this gives additional features and allows you to use various specific tricks of the game. The specific ways of changing the sound “tied” to aftertouch can be different, depending on the synthesis settings set: for example, when recording a guitar part, you can tie a small change in tone to this function and imitate string bending, when recording a saxophone, change the volume of notes, and etc.
Relatively inexpensive models use a common sensor to monitor aftertouch, which monitors the average force of pressure on all keys pressed; in more advanced ones, separate sensors are installed for each key.
Pitch controller
The presence of a
pitch controller in the keyboard (Pitch Bend).
This controller is usually in the form of a small wheel or lever that slightly changes the pitch of the sounding note. This allows you to use some specific playing techniques — for example, to imitate string tightening on a guitar.
Modulation controller
The presence of a
modulation controller in the keyboard.
This controller allows you to slightly change the volume of the sounding note. It is used mainly to achieve a characteristic "trembling" sound, which can be used both as an artistic technique and to imitate live performance on a particular instrument.
Sustain
The presence in the keyboard of its own sustain control — the extension of the extracted note. With sustain on, the note continues to sound (slowly decaying) even after the key has been released—similar to depressing the right pedal on a piano. Note that many keyboards allow the connection of pedals, including to control this function (see "Connected Pedals"), however, here it means its own controller, which allows you to turn sustain on and off using the keyboard itself, without additional equipment.
Transposition
The presence of the transposition function in the keyboard — switching the sound to a different key. When transposing, the pitch of all keys is simultaneously raised or lowered by a certain number of semitones. This function is useful in all cases when a melody learned in one key needs to be played in a different key — for example, if the original melody is too high or too low for the vocalist, if the external accompaniment differs in key, if you need to switch between keys during the song, and etc. In such situations, by transposing the sound, you can play a melody in a new key using the same familiar keys without relearning it.
Keyboard split
The presence in the device of the function of splitting the keyboard.
This function, as the name suggests, allows you to divide the keyboard into two parts, each of which will have a different timbre. Thus, on one device, you can play the part of two instruments at once (for example, add the sound of a string orchestra to the violin) or accompany the part of the instrument with various effects (siren, klaxon, thunder, etc.). Some models allow you to select the position of the border between the keyboard zones.
