I need to discuss the subject of key feel for a moment.
I was talking to a friend about the Keystage (and newer MIDI controllers in general) today and his questions prompted me to add a bit more information to this thread as it relates to the subject of build quality, key feel and key impact noise, etc. He was asking how the key feel itself compares to the OB-6 or Prophet 6.
Comparing side by side, most keyboard players will definitely notice a difference between the Keystage and the OB6 or P6... but IMO a substantial factor in the difference in the key feel across synths or controllers has to do with the chassis, not just the keybed. Instruments like the OB-6, Prophet 6, and even more so my Prophet 10 are made of mostly metal and wood which gives them a more solid / substantial feel, and those materials absorb and respond to impact vibrations differently. I think that's part of where the premium price tag comes from.
One of the things I like to do on a full size keybed is slide my fingers underneath to see what's going on (I've always found this reveals naughty secrets.. lol). So with a premium synth like a P6/OB6/P10, extra weight has been added to the key such that the bottom is not completely hollow, and there is not a discernable "lip" under the edge of the key, giving them a more solid feel.
The NI KK S61 fatar keybed passes this test as well, no discernable front edge lip under the key but the "thunk" during impact is a little noisier because the chassis is plastic instead of metal+wood.
The Keystage keys, when examined with the "underskirt feel" test, are mostly hollow but you can feel an extra structural piece of plastic is under each one, so they are not fully hollow. Some cheaper keybeds (like Roland System-8, Korg PolySix) are hollow from the edge of the white key up to the depth point where the black keys begin. This design is different, in that the extra structural piece underneath seems to provide extra rigidity (lack of flex that would otherwise make the keys feel cheap) and weight (what we usually associate with quality feel of keys).
The keys on my Pro-2 are in a wierd place between all of these, they are primarily hollow on the underside but have sort of a "knot" of plastic that seems to have been an attempt to give them substance. It's a great sounding mono and a playable keyboard, but the build quality on this particular synth definitely comes from the metal+wood construction of the chassis and not the keys themselves.
Overall with the Keystage, I think they've built a decent compromise into the design. The keys are not the greatest quality, but at the same time they seem to strike the right balance that feels good to play, and also keeps the overall weight of the controller down (because I bought it for my compact setup... I'm quite happy with the lightweight and slim depth). It is easy to move this controller around or take it with you elsewhere, even at 61 keys.
Above I mentioned the difference in plastic controllers versus metal and wood ones, and to reiterate, it does make a difference in how keys sound to the player during composition (of course not later phases of production). I'm usually wearing headphones so it's not a big issue for me, I can't hear the difference in sound anyway. The keydown thump noise of the Keystage is slightly greater than that of something like the OB6/P6 but not enough to get your attention, and not obnoxiously worse than the NI KK S61. In terms of longevity, I have to assume that if the keys on my PolySix can still be in great shape after all this time since it was made in 1981(*), the Keystage can hold up for long enough as well.
(*) I haven't had it that long but to my knowledge the keybed has never been replaced.
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