Has anyone changed keybeds on FA-06?

[Rolandski]

The keybed on the FA-06 is, well, pick your roast... While in principle I play what needs to be played on it, it is not fun to play and not so rarely outright frustrating. Of course, I can take any decent midi-controller and play the FA-06 on that, but that defeats the idea of one versatile little synth that you can just throw in a back-pack model gig bag and take your bicycle to a gig.

But what if one were to swap the keybed for somehting better? Of course these keys are scaled down ones in size, restricting what you might put in, but if the synth would be nice enough to play, I would love it even if I had to sacrifice one top or bottom key to make another keybed fit the width, and might have keys that protrude a bit from the board towards me.

So, has anyone swapped the keys for something better and if, then how might I go about that? Any ideas or comments?

[Dnomaid]

You're talking major surgery here. Good luck finding a different keybed that will mount in the FA chassis without making major modifications. I think the only way you could do it is to physically remove the keybed, joystick, etc., chop the case so the FA becomes a large standalone module and then connect it via MIDI to a controller keyboard of your choice.

Better idea is to find a slim controller that you like, and assign whatever patches within a Studio Set to a different MIDI channel that the controller is assigned to. Build a "shell" to hold both units nice & snug with the FA on top so you can access everything. You'll basically end up with a dual keybed synth housed in a shell with the FA as it's engine. Easiest solution by far. I've done this with other synths over the years. After a lot of measuring and calculating to get the tightest fit, it's just an afternoon with a table saw to build a cool looking shell. If you're handy, you can design the shell so it doubles as a case if you intend to gig with it.

[Rolandski]

Many thanks @Dnomaid!

You are most certainly right that your suggestion would be the easiest. Of course I could just carry the two keyboards, in a gigbag that would fit both, properly protected for stacked packing. That would require bringing a double-decker stand of course. I have for instance an old M-Audio Code-61 with must nicer keys that the FA, and I will think about carpetentering those two together - or just using the duo. I guess severing off the bottom half of FA with the keybed altoghether might also be a possibility; the remaining 15cm deep half-synth, together with a, say 25cm deep midi-controller like the Code, could produce a combined unit measuring some 1008mm in width and 400mm in depth and weighing well under 10kg, with the features of the FA and the touch of the Code or some other controller. The prospect might be worth some DIY.

[xp30]

The keybed on the FA-06 is, well, pick your roast... While in principle I play what needs to be played on it, it is not fun to play and not so rarely outright frustrating. Of course, I can take any decent midi-controller and play the FA-06 on that, but that defeats the idea of one versatile little synth that you can just throw in a back-pack model gig bag and take your bicycle to a gig.

You could consider replacing the FA-06 with a Fantom-06. I have played the Fantom-06 in a music shop, and I was positively surprised by the keybed.

[Rolandski]

Thanks, so have I and I do agree, but am looking for a way not to waste a great instrument and lots of patch-building etc., plus the sustainability point of view. Maybe I am a miser also.