I had a really tough time when trying to buy a MIDI keyboard and wanted to get something that was cost-efficient and also helped with my production. So, I’m listing down the best MIDI Keyboards for beginners.
Assuming you are a beginner and don’t know how a MIDI controller works or what exactly is a MIDI controller, here is what it is.
What is a MIDI Controller?
A MIDI Controller is a Musical Instrument Digital Interface controller that controls the input and output signal to MIDI-enabled hardware or software.
In simple words, A device that converts what you press on the device to a musical note or sound effects.
What does a MIDI Keyboard do?
A MIDI Keyboard simply lets you play your musical notes on your virtual instrument or a hardware synthesizer. It works by sending an electronic signal to your PC or a laptop to your DAW which converts those signals to send out a sound via your speaker.
Now that you have a good idea of what they do and what they are, let’s get into the best MIDI keyboards for beginners.
Best MIDI Keyboards for Beginners:
- Akai Professional MPK Mini MKII 25-key
- Novation Launchkey Mini MK3
- Alesis V49 USB MIDI Controller (49 Keys)
- Arturia – MiniLab Mk II
- M-Audio – Oxygen 25 (MKV)
- Arturia Keylab Essential 49
- Akai Professional LPK25
- KOMPLETE KONTROL M32
When you are choosing a good MIDI Keyboard, you need to take the price, durability, and ease of use into consideration. I will talk about the pros and cons of each one of them which will help you decide.
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1. Akai Professional MPK Mini MKII
This vibrant and colorful-looking MIDI is more than just looks. This 25-key MIDI is a powerful yet user-friendly keyboard with multi-OS support (Mac/Windows). This works seamlessly on both OS and very little time is required to set this device up.
Number of Keys: 25
Compact: Yes
Number of Pads: 8
Arpeggiator: Yes
2. Novation LaunchKey Mini MK3
Novation’s LaunchKey Mini MK3 is one of the best MIDI keyboards produced by Novation and this is very true, especially for beginners.
This is super easy to take with you when you travel, as it’s pretty compact.
Something that caught my attention is the number of pads this MIDI Keyboard comes with, a total of 16 is amazing. Most beginner keyboards don’t come with this many.
Number of keys: 25
Compact: Yes
Number of Pads: 16
Arpeggiator: Yes
3. Alesis V49 MKII USB MIDI Controller
This new Alesis V49 MKII feels very familiar if you are already a keyboard player. If what you’re looking for in a MIDI is the number of keys, then this a perfect MIDI as this comes with 49 keys in total.
This is very light on your wallet and also comes with MPC Beats, Melodics 30-day free trial & Reason+.
Number of keys: 49
Compact: Yes
Number of Pads: 8
Arpeggiator: Yes
4. Arturia – MiniLab MK II
Arturia MiniLab MK ii is a very powerful and versatile MIDI keyboard, that also comes with some of the coolest plugins and software that supports both macOS & Windows.
When you hold this in your hand, you can feel how compact it feels on your hand. It is travel-friendly but comes with all the features that you need for your music production.
Software included is Analog Lab Intro, Ableton Live Lite, and Uvi Model D. Even if you’re just starting and don’t have software yet for your music. This will get you covered.
Number of keys: 25
Compact: Yes
Number of Pads: 8
Arpeggiator: No
5. Oxygen 25 (MKV)
This new MIDI keyboard is from the Oxygen Series from M-Audio which is one of the best MIDI Keyboards on the planet!
It comes with 25 keys and 8 pads, 8 assignable knobs for your desired effects that you can assign. Smart Chord features help you play the chords with a single key pressed. You can already see how this can level up your music production.
This comes with a massive collection of software such as Melodics, Skoove, Ableton Live Lite, MPC Beats, Hybrid 3.0, AIR Music’s Mini Grand, MPC Beats Producer Kits, F9 Beats Edition Instruments Collection.
Number of keys: 25
Compact: Yes
Number of Pads: 8
Arpeggiator: Yes
6. Arturia Keylab Essential 49
KeyLab Essential MK3 is an upgraded version of the compact MIDIs. Feels very premium and looks great.
When it comes to producing, it comes with a lot of tools for you to get started on it right away. The keys feel very natural to play.
Two features I would like to highlight are the display on the MIDI and the DAW controls. The display on this will give you real-time data as you play and DAW controls will let you pause, and record right on the MIDI device.
KeyLab Essential mk3 comes in 2 colors, I personally like the black one.
Number of keys: 49
Compact: Slightly
Number of Pads: 8
Arpeggiator: Yes
7. Akai LPK25 MINI
The Akai LPK25 Mini has been used by award-winning artists as well as beginners starting out!
I can personally vouch for this as this is by far one of the best MIDI Keyboards out there. Super affordable & very easy to carry around.
Don’t underestimate the power of this by looking at the size of this. The LPK25 has a very smooth feel to the keys and has an arpeggiator, sustain button, octave up and down, and tap tempo.
Number of keys: 25
Compact: Yes
Number of Pads: 4
Arpeggiator: Yes
8. KOMPLETE KONTROL M32
KOMPLETE KONTROL M32 is a beautifully designed MIDI Keyboard that has all the features you need to start producing your music.
Komplete Kontrol M32 also comes with its own synths, basses, drums, effects, and also Ableton Live 11 Lite.
It has about 32 keys and those keys feel premium to play.
Number of keys: 32
Compact: Yes
Number of Pads: N/A
Arpeggiator: Yes
Conclusion
You might want to keep in mind your specific uses and needs when it comes to picking one of these MIDI Keyboards from the above.
Almost all of them in the list can be picked to create the exact sound you need. It’s more about how you do it than the tools used.
Happy Making Music 🙂
