7 Best MIDI Keyboards For Serious Musicians - Our Top Picks for 2019

Sam takes a look at seven of the Best USB MIDI Keyboards & MIDI Keyboard Controllers For MIDI Sequencing & Recording

A USB MIDI controller keyboard is a pretty essential purchase for anyone setting up a home studio, especially if you’re looking to produce electronic-based music. There’s loads out there to choose from, and they’re all designed to do a similar thing, and that’s to connect to your computer and allow you to play and control the sounds, effects and other parameters within your chosen recording or production software.

So to help you choose the right one, in this vid we run through the features of 7 of our favourite models and pointing out a few reasons why we think that they’re some of the best MIDI keyboards currently available. So if you’re in the market for a new MIDI controller, hopefully, we can point you in the right direction, as all of these keyboards are fantastic options, offering some unique, useful features, depending on what’s most important to you in terms of features, size, feel or price.

All of these MIDI keyboards are available at Professional Music Technology...

00:00 7 Best MIDI Controller Keyboards

Find us on social media:

[SweetScaleTV]

TRUST ME WHEN I SAY THIS GO WITH ARTURIA... not the essentials but the MK2.. not only do you get more features but it comes with Piano V2 (some of the BEST piano sounds) and it also comes with Analog Lab 4.. two vst that are steals for the price. YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT. also the work flow is amazing in Ableton, Logic and FL

[Kanae]

19:03 I thought I'm going to be Rickrolled

[m.b.g.musicproduction]

Because of this revue I bought the NI S61 MK2....And I am delighted!!!!     Many thanks to Sam and all at PMT!!   Cheers guys!

[superdroneuk]

I use Arturia and tried out all the controller's in PMT near Portsmouth, the A61's keybed was SO much better than all of the rest. Felt like the moog or prophet keybeds. Got that over the S61 and Arturia options... and not regretted it for 1 second. Best to go ant try them as everyone has different requirements... the A61 is the best imo

[dtebarrett]

I have an Axiom Air-Mini 32 and an old Roland dgital piano, this has amazing action and midi in and out. And velocity sense

[butsukete]

The Arturia is the only one with CV. My only question is why would you bother with the 49 when the 61 is only 3" wider and the price difference is negligible?

[janpieternieman]

I personally think when comparing specs, Nektar Panorama, Novation Impulse, Akai MPK are lacking in this list

[Zton-ynkc]

Great video, but I’m sure I’m not the first to say I thought you were Frankie Munez when I clicked on the thumbnail

[switterbeet]

Either you explained it wrong or NKS wasnt available in 2019 but it is wrong that you can only use the Native Instruments for Native Instruments instruments, you can either use it as a normal midi keyboard or with Komplete Kontrol where you got almost every VSTs integrated. After having the Essential 88 by Arturia i finally bought an S88 Komplete Kontrol and the Komplete Kontrol software together with it is the probably the best experience you can have with a MIDI Keyboard. If you got Arturia Synths and Kontakt librarys and even some plugins like Zebralette or Podolski you can switch between the different plugins immediately. You dont have to think of the plugin you want to use for example u can just filter for a bass and set it to Dark characteristic and it shows every preset of every VST you got with even a Preview. THIS is the future of VST and MIDI Controllers.

[shadowbanned]

Had a Yamaha MOX8 at the heart of my studio since it was released and its still the best value for money midi interface you can buy in my opinion....Not only does it have great sounds on board it is also a brilliant USB audio interface for external synths it also has a plethora of buttons and knobs for DAW integration currently I have 33 buttons 8 knobs and a jog wheel mapped into reaper on the MOX....There is zero latency on the audio interface as well as a built in vocoder feature its a great keyboard.

[Josss]

I think M-Audio's MIDI controller which had to be reviewed was Oxygen 61 MK4

[OnlineMD]

If anyone wants to plug in 9 Volt power supply into any of these, please CHECK THE POLARITY. On my M-Audio Keystation 61 Mk3, the plug has to be TIP POSITIVE, SLEEVE NEGATIVE. Otherwise the 9 Volt supply won't work! Such a power supply is handy to connect to an iPad as those devices don't put out enough power out the Lightning port to power a keyboard. I just bought, from Amazon, a multi-volt adjustable power supply. The device's name starts with Belker 45 W Universal. Excellent.

[sleepingwithesirens]

M-Audio MK3 61 200$ you wont be disappointed. I spent 1800$ for all my 6 Synths I came out sooner i would’ve save more money. Its simpler, keys are very nice it wont make annoying noise when you play fast.

[treyvonsmith]

I did not know the mpk mini play was a thing. I might have to go buy that one now. Thanks dude

[andywharam]

Where's the Studio logic SL88?? Ive ordered this excellent controller keyboard, made of aluminium, not crappy plastic, so very solid and reliable, with not just weighted hammer action keys, but aftertouch!! All for £325!

[doyrayburn]

But the Akai does get the job done for a beginner. Its what I started my son off with in the first recording setup I bought him. No need to go overboard till you see if its a lasting passion or just a fad. It got him to San Diego.

[willdorak]

I'm looking to only one main feature. A case made of Aluminum!!!

[OnlineMD]

It is mid June 2020. I see you like the 61 key keybed line! That is what I have narrowed my choice to. I have been looking for a 61 key keyboard in the $200 to $300 range. The Novation Launchkey 61 Mk 3 will come out soon. $260 in the USA when it comes out. So no reviews yet. It seems to have some attractive features like playing chords and arpeggios very easily. The Native Instruments A61 is $280, but reviews on Sweetwater ranged from rave reviews to nyuk. Both of them are kind of large depth-wise. So I have chosen to order an M-Audio Keystation 61 Mk III; will edit this comment to let you know how it feels and functions. A 49 key-bed suits my desk better, really, but I would be deprived of the keys C2 onward, one whole octave. I really like the sound of C2! So I though, heck, I'll manage just fine with a larger 61 key-bed. For now I just need a simple keyboard controller to do online piano lessons so I think the M-Audio Keystation 61 Mk III would be just right, plus almost $100 less than the Native Instruments or the Novation ones.

All these years, I've only played my upright regular piano and love the somewhat heavy feel of the keys; plus, no clacking sound when playing the keys. I'm kind of nervous about the clacking sound of the keyboard I've heard on some videos on the M-Audio. On one video a guy played a Gliss(ando) on the M-Audio and the rattling of the keys was horrible like grinding dentures! Whereas on my regular piano, all you can hear is the notes. Anyhow, I'm kind of a beginner so I doubt I'll play glisses for a few years! :)

[gabrielshepard]

Nice, its like you read my mind. You certainly helped me make a huge decision on what controller I am looking to put up!!

[HunterGreenMusic]

Arturia Keystep is the most versatile for the price