Studiologic SL88 Studio 88-key Keyboard Controller Reviews

Smart, powerful and easy to use. Does exactly what I needed and wanted without being overly complicated. I really like the editor software.

Not a keyboard player myself but I bought this for when piano players come to my studio who are used to a real 88 key piano with full weighted action. After I received the piano I brought a couple of experts over and they were both very impressed with the playability. Especially at this price point.

If you like the feeling of playing a piano, you will like this controller. Only issue I had was learning how to save my setup settings so that I didn't have to re-setup after power cycle. Quick search for procedure and done. I purchased with SL 3 pedal, works flawlessly together.

Wonderful controller. There's so many features, and it's incredibly customizable. Yes, it does require A LOT of time to learn, but it's incredible. I deliberately buy desktop synths without keyboards when possible because of how smooth this board is. If you need to play something real and enjoy being able to tweak every aspect of your gear, this is for you!

First a big round of applause for anyone who can ship this amount of functional gear at this price point.

The immediate up points.
88 keys weighted, velocity sensitive and after touch
Very sturdy metal case, the ends appear to be plastic
3 programmable joy sticks
4 pedal jacks, one supports a three pack like a normal piano
have 6 individual petals, a set three and three singles on order
2 midi outs 1in
USB B out
On and off switch
Not real heavy at 32 lbs
Slightly smaller than most 88 key models at 50x12
Hooked right up to my midi interface and just worked
Minus the upgraded keyboard, this appears to be the exact same item as the SL88 grand that goes for twice as much and currently way out of my budget.

The middle points, or what the trade offs were that allowed SL to get this very nice piece of gear to you at this price.

The action is a bit strange. It's heavy, sort of bouncy feed back as you play them moderately, and the keys don't all feel exactly the same. You can wiggle the blank keys side to side and some are tighter than others.

Is this deal breaker bad? Not for me. I get that it is not going to be as smooth as a $150,000 Steinway and the included software has a key balance screen that I haven't tried at this point.

It, in my opinion is not great, but is workable so I don't think it's going to get in my way. This has three contacts per key and aftertouch. This is was the type of functionality I was looking for and here it is at this price point.

Dug pretty deep before ordering this controller. Wish my budget was more like $3000.00. Then I'd be a crybaby about each and every little thing.

Bottom line: pretty happy about what I'll be able to do with this for the price paid.

Last thought: Saw a YouTube video on this model where a tech took it apart, cleaned up some factory created flaws in the plastic injection molded parts, greased it with the proper lubricant and finished with saying that the action was well improved. I'm a decent tech and after a year or so will likely give it a go as well.

The quality is amazing. I got the SLP3-D pedal with it and it is a really fun setup. Tried the M-Audio keyboards at the same price and no competition. Studiologic support is also fast and great to work with. Had some questions about the accompanying software and pedal setup and they were really helpful.

Have had it setup for a couple weeks and all is good. No need to complain about little issues with setup, just need to figure it out. Turns out the website has better instructions than the downloaded manual. For example you will have to install updated bios immediately since the PC control software will not start without it. Again the web site helped with step by step. Key board is beautiful and the keybed feels great for to my hands. I still don't believe you can find better bang for your buck. $... for fully weighted velocity sensitive with 3 sensors to include after touch, plenty of connectivity for external connections. What is not to love about this product?

I"ve had an SL990 Pro in my studio for years. I recently opened a second studio and wanted something similar, and this fits the bill perfectly. The new SL880 has good action and seems stable, which are my main priorities. It also has a number of programmable options which, while not of great importance to me, are certainly going to be useful to other users. I"m glad I bought it and would recommend.

I bought the Grand version about 9 months prior to getting the Stage, so I was a little worried if the Stage would favorably compare to the Grand and it does! Key action very slightly mushy compared to the Grand, but nowhere near as stiff and mushy as most other hammer action boards. A little light in the controllers department, but that can be inexpensively accommodated for. No program buttons, but if you're using a vst host for stage you can setup your program changes on the Stage's programs display and rotate the stick to change patches; takes some getting used to. Had this board been available 9 mos ago, I would have been happy as a pig in a poke. Do I even need to mention it weighs 30 lb?

I have been playing live and studio gigs for 35 years. I was looking for a killer 88 key bed to trigger sounds in my Roland synth and Macbook. I first purchased the SL88 Grand. The action on the Grand is simply amazing. It doesn't just feel like a real piano, it feels like a really great piano. I occasionally get to play on a Yamaha Concert Grand and it has a very similar feel.

The SL88 Grand was too heavy for carting to live shows, so much I went out and bought the lighter SL88 Studio and leave the Grand in my studio. The action on the SL88 Studio is easily on par with the other controllers out there, but not as nice as the Grand I am happy to have both.

The manual for them stinks, but they are very intuitive to program so I didn't need it. I installed the editor, but I was able to program my patches using the LCD just as fast. This is a fabulous live controller and it fits in the Gator 76-Key ATA Molded Case. (GTSA76Key)

The Studiologic SL88 keyboard controller is an awesome controller to say the least. The fully weighted, hammer-action FATAR keyed is very, very nice. Easy hookup to either MIDI or USB... I use both simultaneously. The aftertouch capability is really nice too. Just a great, solid metal cased controller! Not super heavy, making it easy to transport. I love the beautiful color display. You can easily use all the functions and perform setup tasks via the gorgeous onboard, main display. It comes with downloadable software to offer supposed "ease of setup"; but quite frankly, it's easier to just use the onboard knobs. The software; although offering great potential, lacks available "step-by-step" instruction.
Again though, The SL88 Studio is a gorgeous keyboard controller!

Best controller I've ever owned. The keybed feels great!!! And the controls are few, and simple to use. I don't use a whole lot of VST's just Piano, Rhodes, and Pad, so this keyboard is just perfect for what I do.

I am in love with the controller. I haven't used the software yet, but I did not have a need to do so. I do all of my mapping in Ableton and Mainstage. The only thing I am wondering about is if I have the Studio version, then how awesome can the grand controller be.

I recently bought the SL88 Studio along with an Arturia 88 Essential from Sweetwater. The SL88 has great weighted action and will be my flagship keyboard for the home studio. I plan on using it %80 of the time at home and roughly %20 of the time when gigging when needing a truer piano feel. I plan on adding a Korg NanoKontrol2 to the SL88 for cheaply adding the knobs and faders that are not part of the original unit.
The Arturia will be my regular,%80 of the time, gigging keyboard with usefulness in the home studio as well.
I realize this review is suppose to focus on the SL88 but I mentioned the Arturia as well since I feel they're a perfect combination for studio/gigging applications. They both offer complimentary strengths. Plus, I ended up with two great 88key controllers for less that $1k total.

Pro -
-Lightweight,
-Easy to set up
-Lots of midi port options while using USB and MIDI DIN simultaneously
-Excellent routing for controlling vst instruments live
-Feel of the keyboard suits us guys who are not entirely piano players but want a piano like action (I am a synth, and organ player primarily and piano alternately)
-Yamaha FC-7 and FC-4 work well with it
-Display is great and workflow is well arranged/easy to see
-2 continuous and 2 switch/sustain pedal controls
-Joysticks embrace all scenarios (full spring, part spring and no spring between the three)

Cons
-Joystick for pitchbend is all-or-nothing unless you work hard to adapt to minute changes in motion
-Patch Changing requires scrolling, but that was obvious before buying it

Suggestions
-The software editor is a pain if you accidentally close it instead of using the back button and the patch manipulation is largely illogical. I would suggest you use the editor to create templates of you most used "scenes" or setups, then edit specifics from the keyboard itself. I put my templates in the 200's (like 240-250 are common templates I created with the Computer Based editor then I copy them respectively to patches 1-? and fine tune them to the patch).
- Update firmware and calibrate sticks asap after you get it.

Would be 5 stars but the pitchbend issue is a problem.

I'm the type that does a lot of research, reads articles and watches video reviews on a product before I buy. So when I wanted a controller that would offer great performance at a good price, the number of options can be a bit overwhelming. After mulling it over, I went with the SL88 Studio. I can tell you, this thing is much more a beast to get off the porch and into the house! (My Impact GX61 is a feather compared to the SL88.) This thing is built like a tank! And the feel of the keybed is great. (I'm a bass player so I may not be as discerning as a pianist fyi.) The only weakness I experienced is with the documentation. It's not very clear and doesn't assume that the buyer may be a newcomer to midi controllers. So, impressive hardware but not so impressive in the manual. If you can deal with that, you might just end up loving this controller.

Really liking this so far. Action a little stiff compared to my other keyboards but find myself playing better and more accurate on this. Comparing dynamic range to what I was previously using was quite a difference. The studiologic having a noticeable better range with natural touch. Playing Spectrasonics Keyscape with this is a dream. Great Keybed

I'm not a great keyboard player but I love the feel of this. It feels natural enough for composing. I don't understand the features but that's pretty much my fault I think. Main thing... if you just want a basic keyboard to play with your computer this is fantastic.

This is my fourth keyboard utilizing a weighted Fatar keybed. (Two Peavey's and a Studiologic). The three previous keyboards all had excellent action and I had no concerns buying a fourth. However, the action on this controller is not what I had hoped it would be. It is stiff and spongy. Still, it is not entirely unpleasant and considering the 20 pound weight difference between this keyboard and the "Grand" upgrade, I will keep this one.

All in all, this is a great controller. Many thanks to the designer for incorporating a midi input.

First off, I bought this controller for the weighted keyboard and I can honestly say that I love the feel of it. I missed having a weighted keyboard but didn't have the $ to purchase a really good weighted keyboard with all the features I was looking for. I spoke to my rep Phil Courtney, and he suggested this controller. I have a Roland VR-09 and a Yamaha MX-49 as well as SampleTank 3, that I wanted to be able to use as sound modules for the SL, Right out of the box, the SL88 linked up with my MX-49 via 5 pin midi and worked like a charm. It worked well with Sample Tank on the PC perfectly as well. I ran into a bit of a problem trying to program everything on the keyboard. I found the manual a bit complicated and after tech support only referred me back to the manual, I called Phil who directed me to Studio Logic's website where you can download the SL Editor and the accompanying Quick Guide. It made a world of difference. You can simply follow along with the quick guide step by step and get everything programmed exactly how you want. Much easier than following the manual. As always, Phil was super helpful and always takes the time to listen and come up with a solution. I don't know the difference in feel between this and the SL88 Grand, but I can say this plays like a real grand piano. It has great touch and after touch as well. It's a bit different transitioning to the sticks from mod wheels, but after playing with it for a few hours it became much more comfortable. The controller has a real sleek look to it, and having 88 keys to work with is awesome. The more I play this, the more I like it. Great product and once again, hats off to Phil Courtney for all his help and follow through.

I purchased the SL88I to hopefully be part of my live rig. I was excited about the well-reviewed action/keybed and the significantly lower weight as compared to other comparable models. Upon receipt I was able (once!) to connect the keyboard to the SL Editor software, which is pretty much essential for configuring the keyboard. I was able to construct a program to interface the SL88I with my Nord Stage 3 and created a custom velocity curve. After playing the SL for a few days I decided I wanted to modify the velocity curve and, long story short, I was never able to again get the SL to sync with the SL Editor software on my MacBook Pro. I found a couple of helpful YouTube video tutorials advising of critical steps to get the two to talk to one another, but despite numerous attempts (including uninstalling and reinstalling the SL Editor three times, swapping cables - even though I knew the cables were fine as I regularly back up my Nord with the same setup - and consulting several professional forums), I was not able to get the two to sync. In the meantime I purchased a Kurzweil KM88 (for $100 less than the SL88I), and had the experience I was hoping for with the SL88. The Kurzweil keyboard and editor synced lickety split, I was able to find a velocity curve that I liked, and we were off and running. Because of my circumstance I need a weighted controller for my studio, a rehearsal space with one band, and my home rehearsal space/gig rig. I have decided to consolidate on the Kurzweil and am returning the SL88I to make the switch to acquire a second KM88. It's a real pity - the SL Editor presents a lot of performance options, which "if" one can sync with the instrument, affords one tons of performance options - AND the SL88I is so much lighter than most other 88-key weighted controllers (I also own a M-Audio Hammer 88 Pro... also a weighty beast...) But after wasting a couple of days in failed attempts to get the rig up and running, I decided to cut my losses and move on. I have found numerous comments in online forums concerning problems similar to mine, and this would leave me with zero confidence in the long-term integrity of the setup. I may have had a lemon, and its certainly possible I did "something" wrong in trying to link the two (odd that it worked once and no more...?), but life is short, and I want to spend my time playing, not experimenting with temperamental software.

How the heck do you run this thing!!!.I printed off the owners manual pretty much useless no support what so ever.very nicely made love the feel have no idea how even do bank or program changes.studio logic support useless!

I purchased a SL88 Studio after learning the SL88 Grand has been back ordered since Q4 of 2016. I was disappointed I couldn't get the SL88 Grand, but needed a controller immediately. When my SL88 arrived the packing box was fine and included a warranty, CD-ROM and power supply. I liked fit and finish of the unit. More importantly, I could deal with the feel of the SL88 Studio action. It's not my Steinway B, but my Steinway B doesn't travel. I liked the ability to fine tune the velocity curves. This I find particularly useful when trying to gain a fine level of control over the softer side of the instrument. I was able to get it to pull sounds from my iMAC running EastWest libraries. All of that worked fine.

However, I had trouble with the SL88 and ultimately wound up sending it back. I had trouble getting the SL Editor to write profiles to the SL88. I also had trouble making basic configurations on the SL88 itself. It seemed like I could edit the parameters just fine, but when I left and came back all my modifications were gone. It was as if the machine could not write to non-volatile RAM. So, I opened the documentation and read it cover-to-cover. Unfortunately, the documentation is very thin and was of little help to me. The documentation described the various buttons and menu options but only in a rather simple way, as if the guy who wrote the documentation was taking dictation from the developer. There was no task oriented walk through which might have been helpful given the problem I was seeing. I looked on their support website and found no user forum to engage. The technical support hotline listed only a number in Italy, which would entail an account modification with my US telephone carrier (either that or pay $ for a single call).

I was disappointed I could not get more success with this keyboard. I has a lot of nice features and an attractive price. But ultimately I felt I was fighting my way through a product problem with little support, and I do not have time for that. I have gigs to do. I believe a consumer grade product means having clear, thorough documentation, a knowledge base, community forum, etc. That was not the case here. Ultimately I shipped it back and got a different controller from another manufacturer that had all the product support stuff (docs, user forum, phone support, knowledge base) together.

The keys feel great, but after multiple hours on the phone with sweetwater support...we were all at a loss for why the MIDI controller would not work with either of my CPUs. We tried everything in the book to get this thing to work but to no avail. If you want to learn piano, I would suggest just getting a digital piano and not dealing with the potential problems of a MIDI controller.

OK, they can put a man on the moon but not get the SL EDITOR software to connect or keep the connection. Superlame editor! Doesn't work. The keybed is ok but no more. Action feels old and clumsy...

I ordered both the SL88 Studio and the SL88 Grand and tried them side by side next to my Yamaha S90 ES. The action was way more stiff and when I rested my hand and fingers on the keys they didn't gently fall to the keybed. If you adjust the velocity settings it may trigger better, but it's not going to change the way the keyboard feels. It also comes with a "Wall Wart" (out of the keyboard transformer) and if it was your regular power cable I might of plugged it in just for the heck of it. However, it was a moot point because I knew very quickly playing these keyboards they had to go. When I went back to my S90 ES it was night and day.