If you’re in any way serious about making music on a computer or iOS device, one of the best MIDI keyboards on this list should be an essential item on your shopping list. Your home studio won't be complete without one.
These piano-style devices can be plugged directly into your PC or laptop via USB – or, in some cases, operate wirelessly over Bluetooth – and enable you to play and record with your DAW's software instruments and any VST synth plugins you might have installed.
There are plenty of options to choose from. You can opt for compact, portable MIDI keyboards that fit in a laptop bag, right up to full-size 88-note models with weighted hammer-action keys. Most also come with additional features such as knobs, pads, buttons and faders to give you even more control over your software.
Prices vary accordingly, too; you can get a perfectly decent cheap MIDI keyboard for less than $100/£100 if you shop sensibly, but if you spend more you'll get a better quality model with more features and higher specs. The more you spend, the more features you will get.
Many of the best MIDI keyboards come with templates for the most popular DAWs – Ableton Live, Logic Pro, FL Studio, etc – making it easy to get them up and running and start making music quickly.
Whether you want a portable keyboard to go with your laptop or a full-size MIDI keyboard controller for your studio, there are plenty of options, so to help you choose the right one, we've come up with a round-up of the best MIDI keyboards you can buy right now.
What is the best MIDI keyboard right now?
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MIDI controller keyboards fall into two main categories – the more portable devices with 25 keys and the larger, desk-based options with 49 or more keys. In the mini-key corner, because of the sheer number of features crammed into such a light, small footprint, our recommendation is the .
Meanwhile, if you're looking for a larger controller, it has to be Native Instruments’ Komplete Kontrol S-Series boards. They feature excellent keybeds, fantastic styling, wonderful twin colour screens and impressive functionality – these 49, 61 and 88-key offerings are very hard to beat.
The best MIDI keyboards: buying advice
What key size do you need?
For simple inputting of drum beats, simple bass and melody lines and basic chords, smaller MIDI controllers with mini keys should do the job just fine. These have the advantage of being cheaper and more portable than their larger brethren and take up a smaller footprint on your work surface. These days, mini keys can be just as responsive and easy to play as full-size versions, but if you suffer from ‘sausage finger syndrome’, you might want to stick to full-size keys.
How many keys is enough?
All of the best MIDI keyboards featured here come with octave shift buttons, meaning that the full range of note pitches is accessible even from a 25-key device, just by pressing a couple of buttons. That said, if you’re a more advanced player, or want to learn how to play two-handed, it’s better to go for a four octave (49-note) or five octave (61-note) keyboard. If space isn’t an issue, you can even opt for an 88-key, piano-sized controller if desired.
Connectivity: what you need to know
With a lot of producers now working ‘in-the-box’ on a single computer or laptop, you don’t necessarily need a MIDI output unless you have some hardware MIDI synths to connect it to, but some controllers do come with traditional 5-pin MIDI out ports, and smaller, minijack TRS MIDI outputs are becoming more popular. All controllers listed here can be powered via the USB port, and if you want to play proper piano parts, a sustain pedal input is a must.
DAW Integration
Being able to control the transport of your DAW and adjust the parameters of your software instruments from your keyboard rather than your computer is always handy. Full DAW integration comes as a bonus if you’re on a budget, however, as it’s often the preserve of the more expensive end of the market.
These are the best MIDI keyboards right now
Developed primarily for Ableton users and newly updated, this pocket powerhouse is just brimming with features, many of which were missing from the previous version, including - finally - pitch bend and modulation touchstrips, a hardware MIDI out on a TRS jack, an incredibly flexible and versatile arpeggiator, a chord memory feature, and a great, deal-sweetening software bundle.
Of course, the Launchkey Mini Mk3 isn’t exclusive to Ableton, as it plays perfectly nicely with other DAWs too, but if you’re a Live user, it undoubtedly represents the best solution at this price point.
As far as MIDI keyboards go, the Akai MPK Mini Mk2 is an oldie but goodie, still hanging in there at the top of the sales charts after five years, and for good reason. Akai have pitched the MPK Mini Mk2 perfectly between breadth of features, portability, build quality and affordability.
Standout features include the 4-way joystick for pitch bend and modulation, the built-in arpeggiator and note repeat functions, generous provision of knobs and fantastic-feeling MPC-style pads.
Equally at home as a small, lightweight MIDI controller to slip into your laptop bag when on the move, or for controlling software instruments and plugins in a studio setting, the MPK Mini MK2 wraps everything up in an affordable, practical package.
Delivering almost the exact same functionality as the Komplete Kontrol A-Series (see below), this eminently mobile USB 2.0 bus-powered keyboard manages to squeeze 32 mini keys and the full complement of Komplete Kontrol... controls into its tiny frame.
The pitch and mod wheels have been replaced with a pair of short touchstrips, but the eight capacitive knobs, 4D encoder and numerous buttons are uncompromised in their size and feel, giving the full experience when it comes to browsing and manipulating plugins, operating Maschine, and getting hands-on with the transport and mixer of your DAW.
The surprisingly informative OLED display from the A-Series is also in place, as is the Smart Play feature, enabling scale snapping, chord triggering and arpeggiation. And, of course, it also works as a regular configurable MIDI controller keyboard with any other software. Mini keys are the only potential downside, but if you can live with those, this is the best portable and affordable MIDI keyboard you can buy.
This simple-looking, 32-note mini keyboard might look a little underwhelming at first glance. However, the KeyStep packs in a surprising amount of functionality and an impressive number of well-designed features. There's a USB connection, for hooking the controller up to a computer, MIDI In and Out ports and CV Pitch, Gate and Mod outputs.
There are also mini-jack Sync In/Out ports, which will work with pulse clock devices, such as Korg's Volca range, or can send and receive DIN Sync messages via a (separately purchased) adaptor. Alongside its standard MIDI keyboard functions, the KeyStep also features a built-in polyphonic sequencer, arpeggiator and chord mode.
The sequencer has an eight-pattern memory, which comes pre-loaded with patterns but can be overwritten by user input. With this much functionality packed into a portable and convenient controller keyboard, at this price the KeyStep is easy to recommend.
The microKey 2 Air range includes 25-, 37-, 49- and 61-note models, all of which have the advantage of working wirelessly over Bluetooth. If you want to use this feature you'll have to install a couple of AA batteries, but these last for a good length of time and good old USB bus-powering is also an option.
The microKey 2 Air 25 isn't the most controller-packed keyboard, but it gives you the basics and plays far better than many of its rivals. It's also easy to set up and operate, so if you want to free yourself from the tyranny of cables, you've found the MIDI controller keyboard you need.
Today’s buyers of keyboard controllers are spoilt for choice, but if you’re looking for a full piano-size 88-note MIDI controller, said choices are more limited. One great option is Nektar’s Impact LX88+, which combines an 88-key semi-weighted USB-powered keyboard with extensive DAW control via nine sliders, nine buttons, eight knobs, eight pads, and transport controls.
Despite the number of features, the LX88+ is reasonably compact and light enough to be portable. What’s more, the keys feel good and the mechanical noise is quite low. The LX88+ won’t suit everyone, and some 88-key users will be after a full weighted hammer-action, but at this price, it’s a bargain and well worth testing.
Sure, you can plug the SL MkIII into a computer and use it to control your DAW, but with an eight-channel onboard sequencer and multiple forms of digital and analogue output, this latest SL really can do much more besides. Novation has done an excellent job in making setup as hassle-free as possible, but given how adaptable the SL MkIII is, you’ll still need to spend some time configuring it to best adapt it to your own setup.
It doesn’t quite match the plug-and-play immediacy of NI's Komplete Kontrol system but offers much more flexibility for interfacing hardware and software. The ability to sequence and control analogue hardware, MIDI-equipped instruments, plugins, and your DAW all from one interface and the clock source is excellent, and if you dig into the SL MkIII’s versatile workflow, and you’ll find that there’s a deep well of creative possibilities just waiting to be explored.
KeyLab is Arturia’s flagship controller keyboard, and the MkII comes in 49- and 61-key versions in black and white. The MkII’s keyboard and pads are bolstered by DAW controls and deep integration with Arturia’s bundled Analog Lab 3 software. Although similar in layout to the KeyLab Essential, the MkII is a very different unit, with a higher price tag and more upmarket feel.
The aluminium case feels robust and the Pro-Feel keybed is fantastic, delivering excellent sensitivity across the full range of velocities. The metal pitch and mod wheels are light and responsive. KeyLab MkII is operationally intuitive, with three distinct modes: DAW, Analog Lab and User (there are ten user-configurable presets) - selected via dedicated mode buttons in the centre.
The KeyLab MkII not only delivers fine playability but also tackles DAW control and synth editing with aplomb. Throw in CV connection capabilities and standalone operation and the price seems justified.
The Komplete Kontrol S61 MkII is a smart MIDI keyboard controller that offers pre-mapped control of NI's Komplete instruments and any third-party plugins that support the NKS standard. In comparison to its predecessor, the Komplete Kontrol MkII also adds two high-resolution colour screens, along with 17 additional function buttons. There are tighter DAW and Maschine integration, too, making it possible to mix, navigate and edit projects from the hardware.
As before, there’s a Fatar keybed and Light Guide, and we welcome the arrival of proper pitch and mod wheels rather than touch strips. That said, a single horizontal touch strip is supplied and can be used for additional expression. If you liked the idea of Komplete Kontrol the first time around, the good news is that there’s, even more, to like about it now.
You can do so much more from the device itself, with better visual feedback and much deeper levels of integration front and centre of its workflow. If you’re already wedded to the Komplete software package, nothing will help you work with it as musically as Komplete Kontrol MkII.
If you’re someone who’s always making music on the move, a pint-sized MIDI controller keyboard that’ll fit in a laptop bag is an essential item. Nektar’s SE25 demonstrates firmly that features and playability needn’t be sacrificed for the sake of size and portability.
Only outpriced in the budget MIDI controller stakes by the ever-so-slightly cheaper Akai LPK25 (which doesn’t provide any form of DAW integration), Nektar’s new pocket powerhouse represents incredible value for money.
Where else can you get Nektar DAW integration for Bitwig, Cubase, Garageband, Logic, Nuendo, Digital Performer, Mixcraft, Reason, Reaper, Sonar and Studio One for a measly 44 quid?
The iRig Keys I/O combines a MIDI controller keyboard and audio interface into a single unit, and is designed to be as compact as possible without compromising on playability. It also comes with a seriously impressive line-up of bundled software.
The unweighted keys are light and responsive, with satisfying travel and minimal lateral movement. The onboard audio interface operates at up to 24-bit/96kHz, and sounds good doing it.
The iRig Keys I/O 49 is small enough to find a space on even the most hectic of studio desks, equipped to handle basic recording duties and general purpose MIDI control on stage and in the studio, and pretty good value. What's more, it comes with a knockout software bundle.
It might share a note layout with other controller keyboards, but ROLI’s Seaboard Block is a different animal altogether. Like the more expensive Seaboards, it's a pressure-sensitive, continuous surface that responds to even subtle gestures.
Using its 24 'keywaves', you can shape notes as you play, adjusting the character of the sound with your finger movements. As a wireless, portable, multitouch controller for gigging, travelling, or in the studio, Seaboard Block is a godsend, and retains the upmarket feel of its bigger siblings in a more affordable form-factor.
Couple this with its expandability, via other products in the Blocks range, and you've got a performance tool that turns heads and offers high quality throughout. Inspiring, innovative and addictive!
It won't be for everyone, but Keith McMillen's unique mini keyboard certainly has some tricks up its sleeve. The main focus is on the 25 'Smart Sensor' keys, which are velocity-, tilt- and pressure-sensitive, and light up when touched. These do take a little bit of getting used to, but once you've got the hang of them, they start to feel very expressive, and also surprisingly responsive.
There are micro USB and CV outputs, plus the option to add a standard MIDI port. The QuNexus appears to be extremely durable, too. This is a personable little controller with a unique feature set that would make it a useful addition to any laptop bag.
Available in 25-, 49- and 61-key versions (we received the A25 for review), the A-Series borrows many of the S-Series’ best features (see above), including the 4D Encoder (a joystick/rotary control/button combo) for software navigation; eight touch-sensitive knobs for plugin parameter control; beefy pitch and mod wheels; and most of the same backlit buttons, albeit laid out slightly differently.
There are, however, two major cuts: the dual colour LED screens (or alphanumeric LEDs on the S25, which still languishes at Mk1), and the unique per-key Light Guide LEDs. Even with those things taken away, though, and the reduced level of Maschine integration, we’re still very much blown away by the value proposition presented by the A25 and the A-Series keyboards in general.
Incredibly well-built and wonderfully playable, they deliver up the Komplete Kontrol experience at a truly irresistible price.
