midi keyboard - easy to change midi channel without editor/computer

Hi all, 

!!!!!!!apologies for the dumb super specific thread here but need to ask this question!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm in the market for a midi keyboard, where only real requirement is that it's super easy to change outgoing midi channel via the actual hardware buttons, doesn't rely on an editor/software in the slightest to change the midi channel.  i'm leaning towards something new cos it might be easier to find, but happy to take any suggestions really. it can just be surprisingly hard to find something that a. doesn't require a software editor to do basic functions or b. has software editor, so doing basic functions via hardware is a sort of lazy 'it works, but its recommended you use the editor', c. has onslaught of confused people on internet message boards asking questions and saying it doesnt work..  the whole thing is tricky to 'research'.

so ... any suggestions welcome :^)

i asked local store and they pointed at arturia keystep, which seems to have midi channel options layed out on the front panel text .. implying it will be easy enough ... but looking for words of wisdom here from people with experience :^) 

A friend of mine who's actually a proper keyboardist instead of a hack like me has a Keystep as his secondary controller for working on stuff at home and likes it but I think the keybed feels kind of squishy.

Wait, this isn't a normal thing on MIDI keyboards these days anymore?

Roland PC180 / 200.  We used one in my old band, so we could quickly change sounds without having to touch the laptop, just change the MIDI channel using the keys - which takes about 2 seconds.  Rock solid too, had mine for nearly 15 years and it's still in full working condition.

Pretty sure the M-Audio Oxygen series can do this.

Alesis... I think it's the Q series, Q49 I think we also had, can also do the same.

I have an Impact LX keyboard where this is possible. Pretty good keybed I'd say but I'm not much of a player.

  On 9/7/2016 at 11:17 AM, b born droid said:

Wait, this isn't a normal thing on MIDI keyboards these days anymore?

 

Roland PC180 / 200.  We used one in my old band, so we could quickly change sounds without having to touch the laptop, just change the MIDI channel using the keys - which takes about 2 seconds.  Rock solid too, had mine for nearly 15 years and it's still in full working condition.

 

Pretty sure the M-Audio Oxygen series can do this.

 

Alesis... I think it's the Q series, Q49 I think we also had, can also do the same.

I've got an old Oxygen8 I picked up in some trade years ago and use when I need to record something simple or work on a patch and don't have the master keyboard hooked up, and you can but it's not very performance friendly.  You have to hit the edit button then use the keyboard keys to select "midi channel," type in a number and enter the number, then hit the edit button again and you've changed the channel.  No way to change channels smoothly and play at the same time.

i think with newer keyboards, some have the expectations that you are connected to a computer and put the brains/user experience into the editor (probably cheaper to do it this way!).

and then will maaaybe put some of the same functionality in via the hardware but it ends up being a confusing cluster fuck that not many people are talking about online cos most people are only using it with an editor at hand and saying "no problems here!".