Big Improvements to our Magnet Action
It's been a busy fall here at Vidal, and today we wanted to give a brief update on what's been going on behind the scenes since the close of first batch pre-orders for our Magnet Action MIDI Controller.
Our team has been hard at work improving the design and engineering of the keyboard ahead of launch. Small tweaks have yielded way to big changes, and over the past three months we've made huge advancements in every aspect of the instrument's design. We've hit a few breakthroughs for the feel and stability of the action, and we now think we’re on track to make the best-feeling digital piano action ever - if not one the best-feeling piano actions, too.
Here are just a few of the improvements we've made.
Enhanced Inertia
Our keys now have the same inertia as in high-end grand pianos. We were able to achieve this by extending the key length to 20” (the longest of any digital keyboard) and by switching to a fully-inertial design with rear hammer weights and front counterweights. This means you can play the Vidal with the same technique you'd use on a concert grand, and the Vidal will respond just the same.
Faster Note Repetition
We've increased note repetition speed by minimizing key bounce on return, achieving rates as fast as on high-end concert grands. Fast key return also creates a more fluid and responsive touch for normal playing conditions.
Magnet Improvements
On acoustic pianos, it takes less force to hold keys down than it does to start them moving. This difference is called upweight, and our keyboard is the first digital piano action to re-create this essential aspect of touchweight. With our latest improvements, magnets now engage only at the very last portion of key travel, preserving key inertia throughout the full keystroke for an even more realistic feel.
Stability and Reliability
We've improved the stability of the action, eliminating variability due to transportation or humidity fluctuations. We've also eliminated the need for regular adjustment and maintenance, making our action as stable as plastic keybeds while retaining the real wood design of traditional acoustic pianos. Whether you're writing music in the studio, gigging around the city, or playing a sold-out national tour, you can bring your instrument anywhere your art takes you.
Two Pre-Order Spots Have Opened Up
To include all these design improvements with the first batch, we’ve pushed back launch to the first months of next year. We'll have an in-depth update with photos and videos coming soon, but today we wanted to let you know that we now have room in the batch for two additional pre-orders.
If you’d like to claim one of these two pre-order spots, send us an email with the finish and size you'd like, and we’ll send a link to place your order. Once these spots are claimed, we won't have any more pre-orders available.
Thank you again to everyone who's been following us on this journey, and to everyone who's already placed a pre-order. Your support is helping make this project a reality, and we couldn't do it without you.