Hi BL
For me the bottom line is that an Open Lab$ keyboard is still very much so a PC to operate where Lionstracs keyboards are musical instruments powered by PC's. The entire point of an open keyboard is to give the end users all the benefits and flexibility of a DAW/PC, but the bottom line is that it must operate as a musical instrument and not a PC stuffed inside an keyboard case. So it must be seamless in operation.

This is something Open Lab$ are not. A top of the line Neko doesn't necessarily have anything in the way of dedicated controls for operating the keyboards systems at all. It two core interfaces are the Touch Pad and the Touch Screen which allow you to navigate the system as a PC first. The only point where it starts to feel like a musical instrument is when you fire up RIFF as that tried to bring the different systems together under one interface. It does an ok job of this too, but always you will be operating everything in the same manner as you do on a PC.

Lionstracs keyboards are the complete opposite. You have dedicated buttons for doing just about everything. You don't have to access any menus, PC Desktop interfaces or anything at all PC like unless you want to. The entire keyboard can be operated from under Lionstracs own interface much like you if were operating a normal closed workstation. This level of seamless integration it priceless in my opinion when it comes to open keyboards as the entire point of the system is to be a musical instrument with the flexibility of a PC. Open Lab$ have this the other way around.

On my Mediastation I can switch on the keyboard and without accessing the Linux Desktop or Windows/Wine, I can call up Giga sounds, COMBI's, Dual Media Players, large selections of VSTi's and so on..... I don't even have to use the screen or any menu system. I have dedicated buttons that I can just press like if I was playing a normal keyboard. Heck, even when it comes down to adding new Giga sounds to the system you don't they have Linux Sampler integrated into their own system so you don't even see a Linux desktop for adding sound.


So button line for me is.... The entire point of an open keyboard is to give you the flexibility of a PC/DAW, but the goal is that it must be done so in a seamless way that delvers a product called a “Musical Instrument”. How well Open Lab$ and Lionstracs do this is quite different. Open Lab$ have very little in the way of custom anything, it's always just like operating a PC where a Lionstracs keyboards OS is FAR more integrated and seamless.

Regards
James

[This message has been edited by Irishacts (edited 05-08-2010).]