Vidal Piano Controller
Vidal Piano Controller
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Delivery Window
Winter 2024-25
With real wood keys and our fully-weighted Inertial Action, the Vidal is engineered from the ground up to recreate the experience of playing a concert grand piano.
Made by a small team of artisans, engineers, and designers, this is the start of something new.
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Features
Handmade at our workshop in Philadelphia, we’ve engineered the Vidal to match the feel of high-end grand pianos. Long keys with a long pivot point allow full use of the keys for maximum expressive control. Heavy steel weights in each key replicate the inertial response of concert grand piano actions - a first for a digital keyboard. Our keybed has been engineered and rigorously tested to stay flat and stable in all temperature and humidity conditions, meaning that the feel of the Vidal will remain consistent across time and in all playing environments.
Our electronics capture hi-res MIDI, with over 16,000 velocity values where most keyboards only support 127. With a scan rate of over 10 kHz, it has incredible precision and fidelity across all dynamic ranges.
The Vidal is the first MIDI controller to match the specifications of high-end grand pianos across pivot length, inertia, keydip amount, keydip feel, repetition speed, and key return bounce.
- 20.5” (52.7 cm) key length
- 10” (25.4 cm) pivot length
- 253 g - 293 g of steel weights per key for an authentic inertial response
- Quartersawn hard maple key buttons for increased key rigidity
- Quartersawn hard maple damper rail
- 400” keydip on white keys, .390” keydip on sharps
- Minimal bounce on key return for rapid key repetition
- Authentic piano felts under the keys for a realistic keystroke feel
At every level of the design, we use the same materials that are used in the making of high-end grand pianos. For the keys we use Canadian white spruce sourced from Quebec, the same material used by major American piano manufacturers in making soundboards and keysets. The case is made from quartersawn walnut sourced locally from Pennsylvania forests. For action felts such as key bushing cloth, backrail cloth, front keydip felts, and other action felts, we use the same materials as those used in high-end grand piano actions.
- White spruce keys
- Quartersawn walnut case
- Quartersawn hard maple damper rail
- Red felt key bushings
- Green woven backrail and front keydip felts
- Nickel-plated key pins
- Brushed stainless steel IO panel
The Vidal is a MIDI controller. That means it doesn’t generate any sound on its own, and is designed to be used with high-end piano software such as Pianoteq or Keyscape. When you play the Vidal, sensors beneath each note capture note timing and dynamic intent. This data is transmitted over MIDI 5-pin DIN and USB-C to be read by piano software - or any hardware or software device that’s MIDI compatible.
Connected to piano software on your laptop, phone, or tablet, the Vidal creates the most realistic playing experience ever in a digital keyboard. Any repertoire you’d play on a grand piano can be played just as easily on the Vidal, whether it be singer-songwriter ballads, jazz improvisation, or virtuosic classical etudes.
| Power | USB-C |
| MIDI | 5-Pin DIN MIDI OUT, USB-C |
| Sustain Pedal | 1/4” input |
| Triple Pedal | 1/4” TRS jack (supports single-TRS triple pedals only) |
All ports are mounted to a stainless steel panel for durability.
The Vidal is compatible with single-TRS triple pedals. These triple pedals use only a single cable to transmit MIDI values for three separate pedal inputs, and they plug into the TRPL 1/4” jack.
Technical Specs
| Weight | 65 lbs (29.5 kg) |
| Length | 50.25” (127.6 cm) |
| Depth | 22.5” (57 cm) |
| Height | 5” (12.7 cm) |
| Pivot Length | 10” (25.4 cm) |
| Keydip | .400” (10 mm) white keys .390” (9.9 mm) sharps |
| Touchweight | 50 g +/- 2 g |
| Inertial Key Weights | 253 g per white key 293 g per sharp |
| Power | USB-C |
| MIDI | 5-Pin DIN MIDI OUT, USB-C |
| Velocity Resolution | 16,000+ steps via hi-res MIDI 127 steps via standard MIDI |
| Scan Rate | 10 kHz |
| Sustain Pedal | 1/4” TRS jack |
| Triple Pedal | 1/4” TRS jack (supports single-TRS triple pedals only) |
Batch 2 Details
- Batch 2 is limited to only 10 keyboards
- Orders are anticipated to start shipping in Winter 2024-2025
Order Terms
This is a MIDI controller / no built-in sounds
Our keyboard is a MIDI controller and does not generate any sound on its own, nor does it have any built-in speakers. This means that the keyboard must be connected to a computer, synthesizer, or other sound-generating device in order to create sound. It also must be used either with headphones or with external speakers.
Order modifications
Once your order is submitted, we immediately purchase parts and materials and allocate production time to make your instrument. Orders have a 24-hour window for any modifications. After that, orders may not be cancelled or modified.
Fulfillment window
We make each order as they're received, and we do our best to manufacture and ship keyboards as quickly as we can. If your estimated fulfillment window changes after placing your order, we'll reach out as soon as possible to give you an updated timeframe.
Features may change
Our core features of a fully-weighted action, real wood keys, and real wood case will stay the same, but small details of the design may change as we further refine our product.
Wood grain variation
Since we use real hardwoods for the exterior case of the Vidal, there will be small variations in the texture of the wood from keyboard to keyboard. We carefully select wood stock with only the most appealing grain patterns, and we don't accept refunds or exchanges based on variations in wood grain.
Return Policy
If for any reason your keyboard doesn't 100% meet your expectations, you can return it within 30 days after delivery for a full refund. Returned keyboards must be in new condition, and the cost of return shipping will be deducted from your refund. Keyboards which show visible wear or damage may be subject to a 10% restocking fee.
The Team
Vidal is Tom Rudnitsky, a classically trained pianist and piano rebuilder, and George Hilliard, a software and embedded systems engineer.
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