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.
Arpeggiator
The presence of an
arpeggiator in the keyboard.
The name of this function comes from "arpeggio" — a technique for playing chords, in which notes are not played all at once, but in turn. Accordingly, the arpeggiator is a function that allows you to play a taken chord in the arpeggio technique: the musician presses all the keys at once, and the keyboard plays them in turn. This effect can also be achieved manually, but in some cases the arpeggiator turns out to be more convenient: it plays notes at a clearly defined speed and interval, can accompany them with various effects, and provides other additional features. These features vary depending on the model, but some instruments allow you to create entire songs with the arpeggiator by simply pressing a sequence of chords.
Transport control
The presence in the keyboard of
the transport control function.
In this case, we are usually talking about support for the MIDI Machine Control standard, designed to control external recording and playback equipment. Such support actually turns the keyboard into an external remote control, allowing you to give commands from it to "Play", "Stop", "Pause", "Rewind" (forward and backward) and "Record". To do this, the design provides a separate panel with a set of appropriate buttons.
Regulators (encoders)
The number
of encoder controlsprovided in the design of the keyboard.
Such a knob looks like a rotary knob, with which you can control various functions of the device to which the keyboard is connected — for example, turn the virtual knobs in the programme for recording and sound processing. At the same time, we note that a full-fledged encoder is capable of rotating 360 ° and turning to any angle in any direction, however, keyboards can also contain knobs with a limited rotation sector — they can also be called encoders. None of these options has a clear advantage: in some cases, an unlimited turning sector is more convenient, in others, a limited one.
