Studiologic SL88 Studio

Product Information

It may sport a fully weighted 88-note keyboard, but the Studiologic SL88 Studio is delightfully portable. Thanks to its lightweight Fatar TP/100LR action, it weighs in under 31 pounds – which is very much appreciated by Millionhead keyboardists. The SL88 Studio is also thoroughly professional caliber and built like a tank with a rugged all-metal casing and impact-resistant synthetic endcaps that protect the keybed and provide a sure grip when transporting. It's a quality construction and the action is more than adequate for any use. I'm using it now exclusively and haven't felt the need to switch to my stage piano to improve piano part performances. Looking like a stretched RD-64 stage piano, the A-88 can be powered by USB or an AC adaptor, and supports true sostenuto and half-dampering when combined with the optional RPU-3 triple pedal unit. Connections are basic: Two continuous and one switch input, plus a single MIDI Out port to supplement the USB. The overall height of the keyboard is very shallow/narrow?! It feels comfortable to get your knees under and have your hands at the correct playing position. This would also be great for DAW setups where you want your QWERTY keyboard on top. Unfortunately, the huge data knob gets in the way a bit. I tend to use the software instead, even though it's a bit fiddly.

The SLStudio is a sleek and sexy keyboard controller for the professional musician. Rather than the Flashy lights and endless controllers, the SLStudiofocuses on quality and feel. The result is a high end keyboard controller with an exclusive "piano feel" keybed, an easy to use interfaceand a powerful operating system. ALight& ExpressiveTouch Because all of these settings mirror the keyboard, once you’ve used the editor to set up your sounds, you can then leave the computer at home and have direct control over all of your programs and groups directly from the front panel of the SL88. Happily, though, the hardware is so well conceived that we could build sounds pretty easily from the controller itself. It's such a pity I can't control my DAW with my 120 year old piano. The SL keys are much slower than my standing piano's, they feel plastic, you really need to hammer to get more then just a low volume, and they make much more noise when playing softly then the old piano, that has much and much more dynamic.

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There are two main reasons to go for an 88-key controller. One is that your playing focuses on piano; specifically, a premium software piano such as Synthogy Ivory, Modartt Pianoteq, or the Spitfire Hans Zimmer Piano (reviewed in our May 2016 issue). The other reason is, if you’re a composer and/or arranger, 88 keys give you more than enough spread to set up lots of zones for splits and layers, so you can lay out all the sounds you need to craft your counterpoint right in front of you. Sadly, most controllers on the market today have a singular focus on controlling your computer-based instruments, leaving players with few options when it comes to controlling rigs that live outside of the box. Many pro players with big keyboard rigs rely on controller keyboards that are twenty years old because frankly, they were built better (quality-wise) than many of today’s products, and thanks to the universal nature of MIDI, these “classic” controllers have nearly the same level of control over both hardware and software-based instruments.

The SL88 comes in Studio and Grand flavors, differing only in their actions. Both are fully weighted with triple sensors and Aftertouch. The Studio model features a Fatar TP/100LR action with a lighter touch for piano and non-piano use, alike. The Grand goes premium with wooden keys and ivory-feel surfaces, at a trade-off of 15 additional pounds. Scott Kahn, Editor in Chief, was the co-founder and associate editor of Korg Connection, the first official user group publication for users of Korg musical instruments. During a decade of work in Silicon Valley, CA, Scott wrote professionally for computer industry publications including PC Week Magazine and NewMedia Magazine. Outside of work, Scott is an accomplished musician and producer with many independent CD credits writing, playing, and producing. The Komplete Kontrol S88 Mk2 is the flagship model from Native Instruments’ premium smart controller range. It may sport a fully weighted 88-note keyboard, but the Studiologic SL88 Studio is delightfully portable. Thanks to its lightweight Fatar TP/100LR action, it weighs in under 31 pounds - which is very much appreciated by gigging Sweetwater keyboardists. The SL88 Studio is also thoroughly professional caliber and built like a tank with a rugged all-metal casing and impact-resistant synthetic endcaps that protect the keybed and provide a sure grip when transporting. Another huge selling point for this controller is the more than ample connectivity. It offers CV in/out, which is rare for most MIDI controllers. If you want to create a hybrid setup with MIDI and analog gear, the KeyLab 88 Mk2 is perfect.

Since we first reviewed the S88, NI introduced the NKS (Native Kontrol Standard) protocol, enabling third-party developers to take advantage of the same browsing and parameter-mapping integration. Companies that have signed on include Arturia, u-he, Heavyocity, Spitfire, and XILS, among others. The action is smooth and seems to register more realistic velocity reading for piano playing. You can literally play super soft passages and full on loud. It’s very quiet especially compared to the Keylab88.

The Studiologic SL88 studio controller is a fantastic weighted 88 note keyboard for the money. It’s a great attempt at providing the feel of a hammer weighted keyboard for about half the overall weight of other controllers. The responsiveness flexibility is brilliant, and the software editor is simple, intuitive, and speeds the process exponentially.M-Audio’s Hammer 88 Pro is the more capable big brother of the original Hammer 88. It’s a rugged 88-key controller that takes the sophisticated hammer-action feel of the original model and adds an abundance of features and assignable controls.

StudioLogic thoughtfully includes their VFP1/10 Sustain Pedal, which is a very solid, basic sustain pedal. It worked perfectly throughout testing, and was of sufficiently rugged quality to trust to our pro keyboard setup. It doesn’t provide Half-Damper functionality, but the optional SLP3-D pedal does. The piano-playing experience may surpass even the Kawai VPC-1. The Lachnit offers a modicum more real-time control, and its appeal reaches beyond piano purists in at least one case we know: It’s the controller of choice for Microsoft Director of Sensory and Sound Design Matthew Bennett, who works on Xbox and the HoloLens VR platform. “After working with this keyboard for at least a couple of months now, I can say it’s amazing,” he told us. “It has changed the way I work and will make a big difference to any pianist who really cares about touch.” The SL88 Studio looks more like a stage piano than a typical MIDI controller, and that’s no coincidence. It has a sleek yet incredibly robust body, making it an ideal keyboard controller for gigging. Korg D1 4.5 But at least you don't have to tune this one, and my old piano, well, sadly it's too old to tune, and my piano tuner gave up on it. The keys are a touch heavy for synth-style playing, but combined with so much real-time tweaking, it’s the best of both worlds.Performance controls are few but useful. Dedicated octave-shift buttons double as transpose buttons, there is a split/layer button with selectors for the lower and upper zones, two buttons and two knobs are freely assignable, and two signature Roland controllers are present: The pitch-mod “paddle,” and the D-Beam, an optical sensor you move your hand over in Theremin-like fashion. It can control pitch, volume, or an assignable parameter.