I recently bought a Lab4Music enJOY controller, which is proving to be an excellent addition to my setup. Here’s my use case:
I previously used an Arturia KeyLab mkII as my top keyboard. I didn’t like the keybed and replaced it with a Hammond SK1. While I gained better keys, I lost I/O and control. The Hammond lacks pitch bend and mod wheels, and it only has one expression input. I purchased the Lab4Music enJOY to close the gap
The device adds a joystick and two expression pedal inputs (as well as a pedal switch input and CV.) While an expression pedal can work well for modulation control or as a replacement for aftertouch, it doesn’t work great for pitch bend. We really need a spring-loaded center for pitch control, and I find that a joystick works at least as well as a wheel.
At first, I was disappointed to find that the unit didn’t support a Yamaha FC7 pedal. I contacted the company, worked with the engineer, and within a week, they posted a firmware update that supports the FC7 expression range. Along with the Behringer X-Touch Mini, I now have an excellent, waterfall keybed, drawbars and other organ-centric controls, plus all of the pedal, knob, button, and pitch controls that I need. It would be nice if there were organ controllers with high-trigger over MIDI as well as full-controller I/O and user interface, but this covers all of my needs.
So far, the enJOY is working well. It has good weight and some hard, tacky feet, so it stays in place on the lower keyboard. It’s not as tall as my SK1 keyboard, but the joystick is tall enough that it falls to hand. The spring feels just right. The response with my two FC7 pedals is perfect.
For those who want a specific keybed, but need more control and I/O, the enJOY might just cover your needs. It’s not inexpensive, but it has excellent build quality and the customer support from eningeering is exceptional. I’m in the US and ordered mine from Thomann. It arrived locally after about a week and a half. (And I then waited another week, due to being buried in snow,) There were no additional import charges.
I’m a very happy customer.