Hi Dave. I've got an Evolution 225C, 25 keys, just over 2 octaves. The later version is 325C. It seems to have most of the features you're looking for. Works fine on Linux distros, FC1, FC2, Slack 10.0, Debian Sarge, etc. Probably worthwhile checking the specs on Evolutions site, and doing a best price hunt. All the best. Nigel. On Monday 15 Aug 2005 1:35 pm, Dave Phillips wrote:

On Mon, Aug 15, 2005 at 08:35:13 -0400, Dave Phillips wrote: I use one of these: http://www.edirol.com/products/info/pcr50.html I'm not a fan of the roland push modulators, but it has plenty of other controls to make up for it. Its USB/serial MIDI, and if you use it as a USB device the serial MIDI holes appear as interfaces to the PC, which is handy. - Steve

somewhere around 08/15/2005 02:35 PM Dave Phillips submitted that: Yep, IMHO, currently the Novation "remote" line has a *really very good* keyboard. KBs feel is crutial for me (but I still suck at KBs, another story). I have another old, just-MIDI KB by Novation (mm10X), and it is horrible, the feel is light, cheap and heck, I hate it and anyone would. And I tried a lot of KBs recently just to get mine. Honest, here in France, (where the "MIDI controller" offer is strangely crowded), in a given store that displays all the currenty offerings, by Edirol (Roland is really lowering their stds w/ those, anyway) M-Audio, Midiman and friends I have to say that this Novation series had the BEST "keyboard feeling" that was present. It feels *a lot* like the (great, but another matter of personal taste) Ensoniq EPS Keyboard, that I loved. Here's the beast http://www.novationmusic.com/product.asp?id=2&Type=1&bArchive=False Oh, and it does a bit more than just a MIDI KB, it presents a range of various MIDI controls, such as 8 sliders, great to emulate Hammond tone weels, or to control the (or just the KBs part) mix table, transport, and plenty rotary controls. I personally love the feeling of the pitch-bend/modulation controller, witch is very important to me. It works either by USB (IN/OUT), or in plain ol' MIDI, or BOTH, witch is very handy. It can work off batteries, but I never tried. And last but not least, it's heavily Linux-Compatible. Basically plug, boot a Deb-based distro and you'll see it listed in the messages, along w/ all vendor details, very reassuring indeed. Don't confuse it w/ the "remote 25 (or another number of notes, there are 4, me thinks) *audio*", later renamed "X-station" line, because they double as SoundCard, and stand-alone Multi-effect&Synth (K-Station) One last word : I don't know if it's me but I never saw such price differences between stores, and while Novation's site mentioned something like 750€ (ouch) I managed to get it for 500€ !??? (keep in mind that mine is the AUDIO version, the MIDI-based remote will be WAY LESS expensive...Mm... Here (http://www.playback.fr/novation-remote_25-3272.html) it's 369 €, still pretty stiff for "just" a controller... Oh, and YES, you guessed it right, I love this machine. My last two cents : Get a NOVATION XSTATION 25 http://www.playback.fr/novation-xstation_25-5380.html and you'll have ALL in ONE. Hell, you'll always need it ;) Rockingly yours pX -- <-------------- www.halluci.net -------------->