What is the best MIDI keyboard for someone who’s fairly new and has never owned one before.

reddit.com › r › musicproduction › comments › 1dkc3xs › what_is_the_best_midi_keyboard_for_someone_whos

Do you want to work on your keyboard skills? Learn chords, scales, and arpeggios to build your music theory knowledge for composing? If so, the minimum number of keys you should probably go with is 49. 61 would be better. Answer from raistlin65 on reddit.com

reddit.com › r/musicproduction › midi keyboard recommendations for a beginner

r/musicproduction on Reddit: MIDI Keyboard recommendations for a beginner

March 18, 2024 -

Hello, I am a complete beginner looking for recommendations to get my first MIDI controller. I have been learning piano and have a Korg Liano L1 which can be used as a MIDI keyboard, but it has 88 keys and is too big for my desk. I am just starting and learning off skill-share, youtube and found a domestika course I am interested in, aside from Andrew Huang, Taetro and Sanjay C's YouTube channel. While they have reviews on many, it has only confused me about which one to get. I don't wish to overspend but don't want something that is 25keys and basic and would have to be upgraded. Going by general comments, 32/37 or 49 keys would be good enough, but I am confused about which one to get. I have Akai MPK Mini Plus, Novation Launch key, Komplete Kontrol M25 or A32/49, Keystation Oxygen49, etc. as some on my list. Could someone please tell me which one to get as a beginner?

The other poster is correct. You do need to be more specific about what you want to use the MIDI keyboard for, and what your expectations are. That being said, I'll suggest the Arturia Keylab 49, either the MK2 or the Essential MK3. https://www.arturia.com/store/hybrid-synths/keylab49mkii https://www.arturia.com/store/hybrid-synths/keylabessential49mk3 Arturia Analog Lab it certainly a good bonus to get with the keyboard, as it has over 2000 synthesizer sounds for you to play with and tweak. If you don't have a DAW yet, it comes with Ableton Live Lite. Great choice for electronic music. It's the beginner version, so perfectly fine to start out with to decide if you want to invest in the professional grade versions.

They are all great. You just need to think about what you plan to use it for now and what you may want to get into in the future. Do you just want to play piano? Do you want to play some virtual synths? Do you have a DAW? Are you playing with virtual synths now and wish you had some knobs to twiddle settings? Do you wish you had faders to control volume levels when mixing songs? Do you like to play with samples and trigger them with pads? Are you already invested in some software ecosystems? (NI, Arturia...) I have personally used and loved using Arturia Hardware as I feel their software bundled with them and all the other software they offer is all extremely good. You can't really go wrong with any of those companies. Just think about what you want out of your keyboard and don't stress about your choice! Best of luck on your journey!

reddit.com › r/musicproduction › what is the best midi keyboard for someone who’s fairly new and has never owned one before.

r/musicproduction on Reddit: What is the best MIDI keyboard for someone who’s fairly new and has never owned one before.

June 20, 2024 -

I’ve been producing for about a year now if that helps with anything. The price doesn’t matter to me just don’t be too unreasonable with it. Thx!

Do you want to work on your keyboard skills? Learn chords, scales, and arpeggios to build your music theory knowledge for composing? If so, the minimum number of keys you should probably go with is 49. 61 would be better.

Everything over 30 keys

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reddit.com › r/fl_studio › what is the best midi keyboard for someone just starting out?

r/FL_Studio on Reddit: What is the best MIDI Keyboard for someone just starting out?

January 5, 2025 -

Looking for something reasonably priced but that's going to be able to accommodate me as I grow my skills.

Any suggestions appreciated!

akai mpk3 mini, 75-100$ USD on average. or a fl key novation if you’re looking for something a little bigger for 200

I’ve always liked M Audio keyboards. I’d highly recommend going to a music store that has midi keyboards and get a feel for size. Mini keyboards have mini keys. I don’t like them, but a lot of people do. Depends on your preference and hand size.

reddit.com › r/fl_studio › what is the best midi keyboard for a beginner?

r/FL_Studio on Reddit: what is the best midi keyboard for a beginner?

September 30, 2019 -

ideas are much appreciated

Just keys: Akai lpk 25 Very view controls: Alesis Mini-v. Solid controls, good investment: Akai mpk Mini Novation launchkey mk2 mini Arturia minilab There are cheaper or more functional alternatives, but those are somewhat standard. The reason i call the latest ones a good investment, is because they have enough features to be a compact midi controller and not just some keys.

I disagree with the lpk keyboard suggestion simply due to not offering much in the way of features. For a relatively small amount of money ($100 range) you can get something that will be much more useful in terms of functionality. You will soon realize how useful midi controls are to your workflow and you'll quickly outgrow the lpk. I do not know your budget so I will assume you are sticking to a smaller sized budget. I would only suggest the lpk if you were looking for a small, streamlined, cheap and portable controller. For home studio use it will leave you wanting for more and you'll end up spending more in the long run. Akai mpk mini mkII is great in terms of size, functionality and cost. A very popular choice and rightfully so. Key Station 3 a very popular and basic keyboard. If I were to recommend one thing, it is to get a keyboard with at least 49 keys. It makes all the difference if you are attempting to play harmonies or do anything more than noodling out a bassline/lead. If you want to have more playability on the keys, I would go with something like this. Nektar Impact 25 key controller that has DAW mapped controls. Very useful for multiple DAWs. If I were going for versatility and value, I would look here. I think this looks like a great keyboard to introduce you to the workflow that a midi controller can bring. Alesis v49 is the keyboard I use. I don't use it for any reason other than it's cheap, it has pads, programmable buttons (that I use for MIDI cc mapping purposes), faders, mod and pitch wheel. It has a little bit of everything. Nothing particularly stands out with this controller but it does a little bit of everything while keeping very basic. 49 keys is the biggest reason I bought this. If you were going for a value packed 49 key midi controller I would look here. These are just some examples if I were suggesting a controller to someone looking to dip their toes into midi controllers on a budget.

reddit.com › r/musicproduction › what’s the best budget midi keyboard for making music?

r/musicproduction on Reddit: What’s the best budget midi keyboard for making music?

November 26, 2023 -

It’s just so annoying, coming up with amazing ideas while playing piano, but not being able to properly record them So I’d love to have some type of midi keyboard so I can directly play into BandLab or whatever. I would really appreciate if someone could give me a good BUDGET option. Thanks!

Asks for a budget option. People lord over them in comments posting their $500 keyboards

I use M-Audio's Oxygen Pro and love it. Comes in 25, 49, 61 and 88 key versions priced accordingly (I paid $250 for the 49 key)

reddit.com › r/musicproduction › best midi keyboard for professional producers?

r/musicproduction on Reddit: Best midi keyboard for professional producers?

December 8, 2023 -

Hello,

My SO is a music producer, and about a year ago, his production keyboard broke. When I asked him why he hadn't gotten it fixed, he said because it's an older American model, and since we dont live in America, it would be too expensive to buy the needed parts. I then asked if he wanted a new one, and he mentioned that he was looking into midi ones. This conversation happened almost three months ago, and he still hasn't gotten a new one.

I would like to purchase one for him as a Christmas present. However, I have no idea what to look for, so I came here to ask for some guidance/suggestions.

I know this sucks, but I'd get him a gift card. It sounds like he wants a controller. There are weighted keys, semi weighted, and non weighted. Different people have different preferences. Then there is the way it integrates into the computer. Some people want lots of faders and knobs and pads to control the computer with. Some people don't want any of that. Different controllers can integrate with different software. Some people want that, and some don't. He might want something like an expression pedal connection, or maybe he doesn't care. Maybe he wants aftertouch, and maybe he doesn't care. Maybe he'd rather spend an extra bit of money over your budget to get really the perfect keyboard. There are a lot of factors, and it's a personal thing. I know what I would want for a controller, but that's not necessarily what he would want. Even just the way the keys feel can be a big personal preference thing for people. If repair is difficult for him, and it sounds like he's in Korea, I'd probably look for something Japanese. Although there are maybe some good Chinese ones I've never even heard of. If you absolutely want to get him keys, I'd look down the spec sheet for what he has, and make sure whatever you get has all the same features. But he might not care about some, and may not like some and wants to upgrade that, or whatever. For me, gift card saying you want to get a controller, but you want him to choose it, is the way to go.

Nektar LX88+ is a good one if full size is an option. It's also more quiet than the others with the key clanking so it'd be nice for you!

reddit.com › r/synthesizers › best midi keyboard in 2024?

r/synthesizers on Reddit: Best midi keyboard in 2024?

July 22, 2024 -

Hey, guys i'm looking for a 61 key midi keyboard and i'm trying to decide which one i should buy?

Novation Launchkey MK 4: Good integration with ableton, lots of controls like faders and pads and some new features like scale and chord mode

NI Komplete Kontrol: Has the keybed i like the most( same as Prophet 6 which i really love) but i'm not a NI user so i would just get it because of the nice keybed and also it's pretty expensive

Arturia Keylab MK3: Kinda similar to Novation Launchkey in my opinion but its a bit more expensive but it looks a bit more premium and has a bigger display

So my needs would be a solid keybed and ableton integration, i can't really try any of them out because the next music store where i live is probably a 3-4 hour drive away and they don't have all of them in their store

Any suggestions?

I can’t comment on the others but I have a LaunchKey mk3 that I use with Ableton and it’s very good. Pads can easily be mapped to a drum rack and the colour-matched lights when using pads to trigger patterns live is a nice touch too.

Don't forget the Keystage 61. It has poly aftertouch.

reddit.com › r/synthesizers › best midi keyboard for daw and synth control?

r/synthesizers on Reddit: Best midi keyboard for daw and synth control?

June 2, 2021 -

Hey, I’ve been looking for a good all around midi controller and am stuck between 3 choices, the M audio oxygen pro, Novation launch key MK3 and the Arturia essential. Does anyone have any experience with any of these controllers and can recommend one? Is it worth it to spend the extra few dollars to get a more premium keyboard? Thanks in advance

I had all three at one point: M-Audio Oxygen Pro: best feeling keybed out of the 3 (semi weighted) but configuring the knobs was a pain Novation Launchkey MK3: this is what I have now as I like having the native Ableton controls. The keys feel okay but they have a nice springback that I like. The only negative that I have is that there’s no on/off switch so the LEDs are always on when plugged in. The lights are bright so I have to unplug the device to turn the lights off Arturia: The keys felt the worst to me. They were very light to the touch, and I immediately returned after trying it They all get the job done but if you have Ableton, I recommend the Novation Launchkey. If you don’t, then the Oxygen Pro is the best board out of the three imo solely based on the keybed. Hope this helped!

Yes, it's worth it for a better quality board. I highly recommend the Novation SL MkIII's or the NI boards. The Launch Key boards are more entry level than the SL MkIII's. I would never suggest an Alesis or M-Audio board. Maybe the top of the line Arturia boards may be ok but not the budget ones at all. Nektar boards are also pretty goood if you get the higher end one. Also Roland midi keyboards are good.

Find elsewhere

Google Bing Mojeek

reddit.com › r/synthesizers › recommended midi keyboards for beginners

r/synthesizers on Reddit: Recommended Midi Keyboards for Beginners

April 16, 2023 -

Hey guys,

Hope all of you are well.

I've been interested for quite a few years to start playing around/creating music using a Midi Keyboard/Synth...

I'm musically aiming for basically anything from Kavinsky to Nine Inch Nails to Blut Engel to PERTURBATOR to Alien Vampires basically Industrial/Aggrotech/Synthwave/Darkwave/Techno

Please note I have no knowledge whatsoever of composing music. Our local and basically main supplier are :- https://olimpusmusic.com/product-category/midi-keyboards/ << This is where I will probably purchase from

Which brands/models would you suggest a N00b like me to acquire? Running PC Computer (don't intend to buy anything Macos related any time soon)

Thanks ! :)

Arturia keystep, focusrite 2I2 for your interface

You'll want an audio interface as well, because if you want to record any sounds - and for any industrial this is very useful - you want something with a proper microphone input. The other parts are the software - the DAW - and the plugins you want to run on it. What is your budget as a number? "Cheap" means different things to different people :)

reddit.com › r/abletonlive › what is the point of a midi keyboard?

r/abletonlive on Reddit: What is the point of a midi keyboard?

February 20, 2024 -

Title basically says it all. But I just got a midi keyboard the other day. And after spending a few hours trying to figure out how to even use the dang thing I can’t really see any benefit in using it. Currently I use drawn in drums using the samples in Ableton and I’ve been able to make plenty of beats/fills you name it that I’ve been satisfied with. And if I want to add keyboard or bass I simply put an effect over my guitar and mimic it that way.

In the time I’ve spent trying to learn how to use a midi keyboard, I’ve noticed, you have to be precise in your hits to keep in time (quantize def helps but things like 16th or 32nd notes on a hihat are almost impossible.) And to be able to keep that rythym going while also adding in snare and kick is a nightmare. The alternative seems to be to record each drum on a seperate track but then you’re recording, edit to make sure Its in time and if you like it, restart, record the next, edit it, listen back to see if you even like it. At this point I just don’t even see the benefit in having one.

Anyone have any counter thoughts or maybe something I’m missing?

Are you honestly saying that you don't see a use for a midi keyboard? If I have the ability to play piano, why would I painstakingly draw the notes? Why are you using a guitar? Why don't you just draw the notes as well?

lol this shit is hilarious

reddit.com › r/musicproduction › help me choose a midi keyboard with pads

r/musicproduction on Reddit: Help me choose a midi keyboard with pads

September 10, 2023 -

I'm looking to get a midi keyboard to better use keyboard and synth plugins. I fell in love with spitfire audio, Orchestral Tools and now Synthmaster and want to take full advantage of them in my music.

Key requirements are:

ease of use / plug and play with a DAW such as Logic
Not too particular on a small form factor, I do need over 3 octaves so over 36+ keys would be ideal
Require pads as it helps with tapping out beats
A big plus would be if it came with Ableton Live, but honestly I'm still learning logic

I'm deciding between the:

Akai MPK Mini Plus
Novation Launchkey 37 MK3
Arturia KeyLab Essential 49 MK3 (Comes with Ableton Live + Analog Lab V)
Oxygen Pro 49 (Could get by with the Oxygen Pro 32)

Cost and popularity-wise, the Akai MPK mini seems to stand out. However, I've heard great things about the Novation and Arturia, so would be keen to hear everyone's thoughts about them. I've watched so many YouTube videos that I'm confused so keen to hear all your thoughts.

I haven't considered Native Instruments as I'm not looking to purchase Komplete Kontrol anytime soon.

If you want full size keys (recommended) - do not get the mini. It’s like a keyboard for ants. I’ve owned a few launchkeys over the last decade and I love them.

I have a Launchkey 25 and an FLKey 37. I love them both. You obviously want the bigger size -- either Launchkey 37 or 49. If you use Ableton at all it's probably a no brainer to go with one of those. I think the pads on either are great. I haven't tried the others, but these keyboards leave me not desiring anything better. They're good enough. Oh, the one thing I would like to have is aftertouch. That would be a nice feature. And rotary encoders. The knobs are pretty much useless.

reddit.com › r/midi › best keyboard that also works as midi controller?

r/midi on Reddit: Best keyboard that also works as midi controller?

March 27, 2024 -

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Does your son want to learn piano or just having fun with a synth? After trying a fully weighted keyboard, I have it so much more expressive because of its pressure sensitivity. The cons of such keybed is that you are limited to piano type instruments, in order to play any other instrument - eg. percussion, a non weighted keyboard would be better. But it is matter of taste, let him test a keybed in a music store. Basically any synth, electronic piano or midi controller (sic) have midi capability so it can command a DAW (digital audio workstation) on the laptop.. If you want to go DAWless, you need a synth or an electronic piano which can produce a sound by itself. Don't go for too pricey stuff if he's starting. 300€ should be enough, even less if you choose second hand. 49 keys is too limited - 61 keys is enough for pop music and 88 keys is for classical music.

Anything with MIDI in and out should work. Watch out for things like Roland Go Keys that don't have inputs and outputs. It depends on what he likes and what features he wants. If he's brand new to it, and doesn't have pre-existing opinions almost anything with inputs and outputs should work. Knobs are valuable for DAW stuff, so you can assign them to controls on a vst. I used a cheap Casio and a USB to MIDI adapter. It wasn't great but it worked for starting out.

reddit.com › r › MIDIcontrollers

MIDI Controllers!

July 21, 2012 - I may have to ask a lot of MIDI-related questions since this will be my first MIDI keyboard :))) ... Hello dear Reddit community, I would like to invest in a MIDI controller and wanted to ask whether the Akai Professional MPK Mini Plus is the ...

reddit.com › r/synthesizers › best midi keyboard for beginners/are keyboards necessary?

r/synthesizers on Reddit: Best Midi Keyboard for Beginners/Are Keyboards Necessary?

February 15, 2023 -

I'm pretty new to music making- just learning it to make video game music- and I was wondering what keyboards you would recommend to an absolute beginner, and by extension, if they are worth buying.

After I sold all my gear and took 10 years off from making music, I found myself back into it using nothing but Garage Band, mouse-clicking notes onto a piano roll. So actually, you don't need any gear at all to make music. This worked fine for me for several months, until I just wanted the immediacy of a keyboard, so I got a simple Akai MPK mini for around $100. And with only that USB keyboard and Garage Band, I was good for several more months, composing lots of fun little tunes. So a good, inexpensive USB keyboard is more than enough, and there is definitely a reason why the APK mini is a bestseller. Eventually I had to admit that my musical passion was fully reignited, and now I have two full racks of gear, including synthesizers, drum machines, samplers, mixers, preamps, interfaces, and a sickening number of effects... and STILL most of my music composition itself is done by either point-and-click in piano roll, or playing notes on that little Akai keyboard. Although I did have to leave Garage Band and upgrade to Logic Pro.

I've always found playing a C major chord faster than drawing notes with the mouse or right-clicking on some chord generator. On the other hand, I don't miss not having sliders/knobs - I find that assigning these is generally a chore and they don't necessarily make programming patches easier for me. For tweaking effects it's pretty great though. You could also consider something like a Novation Launchpad. It presents a scale in a grid, so any button you push is a note in that scale. This also works pretty well for drums/triggering samples; keyboard drumming is kind of meh unless you're this guy . What's your budget as a number? If you want to learn how to play keys, I'd recommend at least 49 keys, 61 would be better since it gives you room for two-handed playing. video game music What kind are we talking about here? You'll probably want an audio interface and a nice pair of studio headphones to go with that controller keyboard by the way.

reddit.com › r/synthesizers › beginner midi keyboard with zero experience

r/synthesizers on Reddit: Beginner Midi Keyboard with zero experience

January 12, 2025 -

I know there are hundrets of posts already with people asking for beginner midi keyboards, but I still wanted to ask for my specific situation.

So I can't play any instruments but i recently saw a couple of YT videos on midi keyboards and the whole process of making music with them is really intriguing. So I basically thought since most of the "small beginner ones" are between 100€ - 150€, I might just buy one and see if that is something I might want to pursue further.

I saw that some came with free software Arturia/Novation I think with Ableton Lite and some with their own software that is not too bad for beginners like Analog Lab. Where as with for example Akai I'm not sure what software comes with that.

So my question would be, for a complete beginner with zero experience in the whole field and zero experience with any software (I think those are called DAW?), what would you recommend just to get a good first experience/feel of how making music could be?

I would go with the Arturia MiniLab Mk3, mainy due to the variety of sounds you get included with Analog Lab Intro. Plus you get a license for Ableton Live Lite, which has plenty of videos on Youtube for figuring out how it works. And you get a bunch of lessons with Melodics, which can get you started learning to play the keyboard. Arturia has a few videos on their website to help get you started as well : https://www.arturia.com/products/hybrid-synths/minilab-3/resources For now I'd avoid the Akai controllers as MPC Beats (AKAIs' own DAW that is included for free) doesn't have the most intuitive way of working, and it will change later this year when they update it. Keep in mind that you have a bit of reading & watching to do, figuring out how it all works together.

Novation is how I started out. With Ableton lite and youtube tutorials. You won't even need the controller half the time when you're learning the software. A lot of the time you're drawing in the notes / beats with your mouse on a time line. It's satisfying to export an mp3 of your first track. Good luck!

reddit.com › r/edmproduction › best midi controller for beginner?

r/edmproduction on Reddit: Best midi controller for beginner?

May 22, 2023 -

I'm getting into production after DJing for a while. I'm looking to start with Bitwig as my DAW, since I've tried the trial and so far like it a lot. What controller would you guys recommend?

The one that seems appealing as a starter is the Nektar Impact LX Mini - I like the pads on it for playing around with percussion ideas, and the features like arpeggiator and DAW control buttons seem nice as well. Any other recommendations?

I have the Akai Mini MKIII and have seen it recommended a bit before for beginners. I would just dig around for ones that are in your budget that have the features you want though.

For bitwig, I would recommend something with the pad/sequencer format with 4-8 knobs. Bitwigs clip/arrangement view + modulation workflow is the best of any daw so I would get a controller that allows you to take advantage of their workflow.

reddit.com › r/edmproduction › midi keyboard for beginners?

r/edmproduction on Reddit: Midi Keyboard For Beginners?

May 10, 2021 -

I've been getting into Ableton recently and I want to progress and just make it easier for myself so was going to buy a midi keyboard, I'm not sure what to get and I'm not sure if I need a full sized for what I want to play, I've been making house songs and I want to make techno and trance as well so if anyone can recommend a good keyboard for what I need I appreciate it. (Not sure if this will help but I don't know theory for piano)

One I've been looking at is:

Akai Professional MPK Mini MK III 25-key Keyboard Controller

Have a look at the Novation Launchkey mini - they're pretty well configured for Ableton functions out of the box.

For a small portable one I love my arturia keystep

reddit.com › r/musicproduction › which midi keyboard should i get as a beginner

r/musicproduction on Reddit: Which MIDI keyboard should I get as a beginner

October 2, 2024 -

Hey everyone! I'm a beginner looking to get into music production and need advice on a good MIDI keyboard to start with. My budget is around $110, and I've been considering the Arturia MiniLab 3. It seems like a great option, especially since it includes Ableton Live Lite. However, I’m open to other recommendations if anyone has suggestions. For context, I’m completely new to music theory and production, so any guidance would be really appreciated!

The Akai MPK mini is great for beginners

reddit.com › r/ipadmusic › best portable midi keyboard & controller

r/ipadmusic on Reddit: Best portable midi keyboard & controller

June 4, 2025 -

I'm looking for portable midi controller that i can carry in my backpack. I'd love to have TE op-1 field but even second hands are quite expensive.

Is the Korg nanokey keyboard still the king? Or are there better options?

I just went down this rabbithole a week ago to find something like this: Midi controller for iPad Minimal High build quality like the op-1 field Piano keys or large matrix (like launchpad), so I want an instrument to play, not a clip launcher / sample trigger with a 4x4 matrix. If matrix, then I'd want an isomorphic key layout like the Ableton Push. Internal battery or AA/AAA battery support Wireless (most likely using Bluetooth, but acceptable to use a Bluetooth MIDI dongle) Preferably an arp and chord mode What I found is that there is virtually nothing exactly like that. My shortlist: op-1 field (excellent build quality) op-z (no build quality at all, bad keys) Wavy industries: Monkey (circuitboard with op-z style keys, very cheap) Wavy industries. kd3 (almost exactly what we want, but not available - just a prototype) CME X-key 25 Air (good quality, looks nice, only piano keys, no arp, no chords) Korg: NanoKey Studio (AAA batteries, but otherwise pretty perfect. Plasticky feel) Deluge with Bluetooth midi dongle (also expensive) Oxi one sequencer (expensive, but less than Op-1) Circuit tracks with bluetooth midi dongle (limited midi implementation, no Isomorphic layhout) Roli Lumi and Roli Block (had Lumi, didn't love the keys) M-wave keys 25 (cheap, ali express piano keyboard) In the end I bought the korg nanokey studio for 140€. It works well and although I don't love the keys, I haven't found anything clearly better. I think I will buy a used Roli Block at some point - it's a pressure sensitive (partly) programmable 5x5 matrix with Bluetooth built in and extremely small size. Discontinued though - hoping Roli will release something bigger like that. There are some really cheap ali express keyboards / pads called M-wave. They literally cost between 35-50€ and have Bluetooth and knobs, pads, and there's even a wireless midi piano keyboard. Some people say they are excellent.

Arturia MicroLab is a great option

reddit.com › r/synthesizers › best mini midi keyboard under $100?

r/synthesizers on Reddit: Best mini MIDI Keyboard under $100?

October 13, 2022 -

I'm a hobbyist music producer, and I bought myself an M-Audio Keystation61 MK3 a few months back. The build quality was great and I enjoyed having a lot of keys at my disposal. Like any music producer, there are times when I'd have flashes of inspiration, open my DAW (Studio One), and start experimenting. It's at these times that I find the size of the Keystation61 to be very annoying, as I had to pull out this huge keyboard from my closet just to experiment.

It's for this reason I've been looking into buying a cheap, small MIDI keyboard I can keep on my shelf just for those moments I need to play a quick melody and don't need huge 63 key keyboard. I know a lot of keyboards include extra drum pads, knobs, etc., but I don't really need that as I already own an AKAI LPD8. I'm more looking for which keyboard has better key quality, key quantity, and preferably pitch and mod wheels. I would not like to go over $100.

If anyone has any keyboard recommendations for me, please let me know. It would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

-------------------------------[ Some keyboards that have caught my eye so far]-------------------------------

midiplus AKM320 / AKM322 / minicontrol ($40-$50)

(+) 32 Keys
(+) Pitch and Mod Wheels
(+) Very good price
(-) Seems "too good to be true"

AKAI Professional LPK25 ($45)

(+) Cheap
(-) No pitch/mod controls
(-) Only 25 keys

Nektar SE25 ($50)

(+) Recommended by a couple "Budget MIDI keyboard" articles
(-) Only 25 keys
(-) No pitch/mod controls

Alesis Qmini ($55)

(+) 32 Keys
(-) No pitch/mod controls

Nektar Impact GX Mini ($55)

(+) Pitch/Mod Joystick
(-) Only 25 keys

M-Audio Keystation Mini 32 MK3 ($60)

(+) 32 Keys
(+) M-Audio seems to be a pretty trustworthy brand
(-) No pitch/mod controls

Arturia Microlab 25 ($70)

(+) I've generally heard good things about Arturia
(+) Pitch and Mod Sliders
(-) I've heard the capacitive pitch and mod pads aren't great
(-) Only 25 keys

midiplus X3 mini ($80)

(+) 37 keys (apparently)
(+) Pitch and Mod sliders
(-) Seems to have capacitive pick and mod sliders like Arturia, which I heard isn't great.

Arturia Keystep 32 ($130)

(I recently found this for $80 at my local used music shop, that's why it's on this list)

(+) I've generally heard good things about Arturia
(+) Pitch and Mod Sliders
(+) 32 keys
(-) I've heard the capacitive pitch and mod pads aren't great
(-) I'm not sure how much use I'd get out of the sequencer

I've got a Keystep, and I can't say anything bad about it. In fact, I have turned into a Keystep missionary, and really recommend it to anyone. It has mono aftertouch, which is something you've not mentioned in your comparison. They keys are slightly small, but they have a very nice feel to them, and the scale of force to velocity is pleasing. It also has the CV/Gate/Mod output, should you one day need it. I haven't owned any of the other ones, but the Keystep is built very solidly. The base plate is real metal, and the knobs/switches aren't flimsy. The sequencer function is good, and the arpeggiatior is excellent. The capacitor slider and pitch bend are usable. The issue for some is that the mod slider obviously has no visual feedback for where you parked it.

Keystep hands down