top of page
Search
narrow88keys

Describing the NK5.5 Action



Many of you have asked us to say more about our action. It is such a difficult thing to describe in words. We feel like we are being asked to describe a rainbow to a blind person who has never seen colors, but here we go: Our keys are Match-Weighted at 52 grams across the entire keyboard. Treble and bass feel the same. The feel of a piano key is different on every piano (digital and acoustic) and determined by a variety of factors. Most keyboards with a spring mechanism lack the sensitivity required to play classical music. Their keys also have a very light initial inertia which hampers pianistic control. It is very difficult to describe a new action with words and match-weighted is the best way we could do that. The NK5.5 has a spring action with the same initial inertia as a concert grand (52 g), using sufficiently stiff springs to give that resistance. The keys have sufficient mass and added weight to slow the rise of the key when it is released, so our keys do not have the undesirable bounce found on many other spring actions. The feel is lighter than most grand piano actions, but is very easy to control and extremely responsive. There is nothing to compare it to as the software engineering is all very new. That advanced software works with our own proprietary key sensors, following the position of the key continuously and giving the software all the information needed for fast repetition and dynamic control.

  • It is light and precise and matches beautifully with the narrow key experience. Many small handed pianists also have a smaller build and you can get a lot of power on these keys with less effort than required on a grand piano.

  • It has the double escapement results but without the bump you can feel on a grand piano. The key doesn't have to travel to the top in order to reset or repeat the note (as it does on an upright piano). Unlike on a grand piano, the exact position of the key where the double escapement releases cannot be felt. (That feeling is something acoustic piano manufacturers have been trying to minimize for hundreds of years.) Our keys have fast repetition of notes without the escapement bump.

  • It has continuous sensing which means you can play a note extremely quietly and gradually increase to fortissimo. It has the full range of dynamics.

  • The keys feel the same whether you play it at the front or the back (unlike a lot of controllers). And you can get full response and volume anywhere along the key.

Our keyboard responds well to Debussy, Bach, Chopin, Gershwin, Jazz, and Rock. It has great repetition, a wide range of dynamics and combined with narrow keys offers a sensitivity and control (especially for small hands) that is unparalleled.

287 views1 comment

Recent Posts

See All

1 commento


Himuro Yoko
Himuro Yoko
06 ago 2023

What I wanted to know was that my fingers can fit the white keys between the black keys. Thank you for the answer. ___Yoko from Tokyo.

Mi piace
bottom of page