Looking for a different musical instrument than the piano? Consider the **MIDI keyboard** instead! Perfect for genres like pop, rock, and metal. Check out our list of the top-selling **MIDI keyboards** loved by users online to make choosing the right model a breeze. Don’t have time to read through it all? We’ve got you covered with a quick look at the best models available. See for yourself!
A MIDI keyboard, or Master Keyboard, is a keyboard used for home recordings that alone does not produce sounds but only digital signals.
To produce sounds, it must be connected to other instruments to send MIDI signals (an acronym for Musical Instrument Digital Interface) to a connected electronic device or a DAW (Digital Audio Workstation). Since there are portable, large, or different critical numbers on the market, choosing one can be tricky. Here we will be listing the top 11 best midi keyboards
- Music Production And Beat Maker Essential – Usb Powered Midi Controller With 25 Mini Midi Keyboard Velocity-Sensitive Keys For...
- Total Control Of Your Production - Innovative 4-Way Thumbstick For Dynamic Pitch And Modulation Control, Plus A Built-In...
- The Mpc Experience - 8 Backlit Velocity-Sensitive Mpc-Style Midi Beat Pads With Note Repeat & Full Level For Programming Drums,...
- Complete Command Of Your Virtual Instruments And Fx - 8 360-Degree Knobs Assign To All Your Music Studio Plugins For Mixing,...
- 1500+ Sounds and Everything You Need for Pro Production – Complete Music Production Starter Kit including MPC Beats, 3 Virtual...
- Full Creative Control - A dynamic 37-Key MPK Mini keybed for 3 full octaves of melodic and harmonic performance. Easily connect to...
- Advanced Connectivity - Connect to different sound sources with CV/Gate and MIDI I/O. Control modular gear, sound modules,...
- Record and Compose Without a Computer - Connect to your production station and use the built-in 64-step sequencer featuring one...
- Control Your DAW - Transport section for intuitive hardware control of your DAW. Arm and start recordings, stop playback, rewind...
- Handle Any Style Or Genre - 8 premium RGB MPC Pads with responsive feel and durable construction for dynamic performance and music...
- 32 mini-keys velocity sensitive keyboard
- Pitch, modulation, octave, transpose function
- Sustain interface (Not include sustain pedal)
- USB B-type to connect computer (include USB cable)
- Plug and play with Windows, Mac devices
- Mini Keys, Major Performance - 25-key MIDI controller keyboard with responsive keys to play with feel and dynamics. Enjoy...
- Full Range Experience - Play every note with ease. Use the dedicated octave up and down buttons to transpose the range of your...
- Feature Packed - Use the built-in arpeggiator and clock for creative control of any of your sound sources like software...
- Customized Production - With 8 programmable preset slots you can instantly recall your mappings for DAWs, virtual instruments, and...
- Versatile Performance - The USB Studio MIDI controller is perfect for your songwriting, beat-making, and DJ remixes whenever...
- Compact yet powerful standalone mini keyboard with built-in speaker and USB MIDI Controller capabilities for beat makers,...
- 25-Key Gen 2 MPK Mini dynamic keybed, OLED Display, 8 Velocity sensitive backlit MPC drum pads, arpeggiator and note repeat, plus...
- Over 100 internal drum and instrument sounds including acoustic and electric pianos, synth leads, pads and more
- Take MPK Mini Play MK3 on the go and power up with batteries (not included), or connect to USB Mains Plug
- Includes MPC Beats and MPC expansion packs plus software instruments Hype, AIR Essential Keyboards and Electric from AIR Music...
- MIDI Keyboard Essentials - 32 velocity-sensitive, semi weighted keys for playing virtual sampler instruments and virtual...
- Beat Maker Mainstays - 8 RGB backlit MIDI assignable velocity sensitive drum pads with Note Repeat for beat production, clip...
- Total Command of Your Music Production - 4 assignable knobs, buttons and faders for tactile MIDI control of virtual instruments,...
- Every Tool You Need – Effortless auto-mapping for DAW controls & plugin parameters; Smart Chord & Smart Scale modes;...
- Complete software production package Included - MPC Beats, Ableton Live Lite, virtual instruments from AIR Music Tech and Akai...
- All the features and expressive control you need to start making music with your computer, and at a price that delivers amazing...
- Nektar DAW integration for most popular DAWs
- Comprehensive MIDI functionailty. Compatible with all MIDI music software applications
- Mac, PC and iOS Compatible
- Includes Bigwig Studio 8-track DAW + sound content package
- 【Compact Design with 25 Mini Velocity-Sensitive Keys】The portable N-25 midi keyboard controller, made up of 25 scaled-down...
- 【Simple Layout and User-Friendly Functions】Donner N-25 mini MIDI: beginner-friendly, 4 user programmable banks, & essential...
- 【Mac, iOS, PC/iPhone/iPad Compatible】Just plug and play with Mac/PC via USB-MIDI, no extra drivers needed. Also, easily...
- 【Multifunctional Pitch-Bend Wheel & Cool Light-up Buttons】The pitch-bend function ensures a rich and expressive timbre. In...
- 【40 Entertaining Keyboard-Teaching Courses】We've crafted beginner to advanced keyboard courses, perfect for music arrangement...
- 【Powerful keyboard】 Songwriters and Beat Maker Essential - USB powered MIDI controller with 25 mini MIDI keyboard...
- 【Wireless keyboard】It's very compact and portable, and you can connect it wirelessly to your device with Bluetooth, built-in...
- 【Music Production】 25 velocity-sensitive keys, 8 RGB backlit velocity-sensitive pads, 8 assignable rotary enconders, 2...
- 【Smart keyboard】Compatible with Windows, Mac OS, Android and iOS，The K5 compatible with all digital audio worksstation,...
- 【Scale feature】Integrate the smart chord and smart sound function, users can choose quickly through the keys. very suitable...
- GO WITH YOUR FLOW: MiniLab 3 is an easy keyboard controller that adapts to your needs, your style and your workflow, so you can...
- PERFORMANCE-READY PORTABILITY: Portable yet robust, MiniLab 3 is light enough for your backpack, it connects seamlessly to your...
- ALL THE ESSENTIAL CONTROLS IN A COMPACT CONTROLLER: MiniLab 3 is USB powered with 25 note velocity-sensitive slim keyboard, 2...
- WITH SOFTWARE INCLUDED: MiniLab 3's offers all the creative software you need. Get thousands of world-class presets spanning...
- 5-YEAR WARRANTY: MiniLab 3 is a controller that you can count on, with extensive testing, high-quality components, and a smart...
- Compact Design: The compact design is comfortable in front of a computer and delivers powerful functionality not even found on...
- Dynamic: The Impact GX61 are dynamic and expressive instruments, tailored to composition & performance with your computer music...
- Transport Extended: Eight buttons intended for DAW control, are at the center of Impact GX. Essential tasks like transport...
- Nektar DAW Integration: Nektar DAW integration is carefully crafted to give the best experience with your Nektar hardware. It...
- BITWIG 8-Track: Bitwig 8-Track is included with every Impact LX+ so you can start producing, performing, and designing sounds like...
How to Choose Best Midi Keyboards?
If you are a music lover and you enjoy playing, you can try using a MIDI keyboard. This type of instrument is capable of producing sound through digital electrical impulses that are transmitted to a computer.
To choose the right one for you, take a look at our proposals and carefully evaluate the characteristics of each.
The first element to evaluate is the space that the Keyboard in question can occupy in the environment in which you want to insert it. If you want a low-cost product, but you don’t want to give up pleasant sound quality, we recommend choosing one with five octaves and 61 keys. In case you are willing to spend more, you can instead orient yourself on one with six octaves and 73 keys or one with a piano extension with 88 cores.
Then you have to evaluate the weighing of the Keyboard to have more satisfactory results to the amount you are willing to pay.
A Synth Action or unweighted has an immediate release of the keys, so it is suitable for those who want to produce non-dynamic sounds and is a beginner in addition to not wanting to spend a lot of money. A semi-weighted is much easier to transport and is somewhere between a Synth and a piano.
These types of keyboards are prevalent among professionals and the most advanced because they adapt to all stylistic needs. Finally, that weighing accurately reproduces the inertia and resistance of a real piano for which it is found mostly on 88-key models: it is much heavier than the previous ones and has a much higher price.
The shape of the keys is also essential: those diving boards are typical of Synths; the waterfalls are square and similar to those of the pianos but lacking the upper tooth; the solids are the same as those of the pianos and are never found on unweighted keyboards.
The control panel is equipped with various buttons, knobs and sliders that have different functions: it is essential to choose the ones you need to create your music track.
Key Weighing
Let’s start by specifying what the difference between the keys of a classical piano and those of a MIDI keyboard is. The first has inside a system of hammers, each connected to a button: when the latter is pressed, it makes the hammer beat which, in turn, causes a string to vibrate.
The main feature is the sensation of a small resistance that the button will offer each time it is pressed when touched. This sensation decreases as we approach from the left end of the Keyboard, where the lowest notes are present, to the right one, where there are the highest notes.
Presence of Controllers
In the list that we have previously exposed, you will have noticed that MIDI keyboards are not composed only of white keys and black keys, but also of a series of controllers: knobs, control keys and PAD, useful because they allow you to use different functions. Let’s find out in detail.
Type of Connectivity
These digital keyboards work only when connected to other MIDI-compatible electronic devices. Let’s start by saying that not only cable connections are possible but also via software. Let’s analyze them together starting from cable connectivity.
USB
It is a type of connectivity present in almost all the Keyboard on the market and is used for connection to the computer and Digital Work Station. Generally, digital keyboards have a micro USB output and a cable supplied to connect them to the PC.
Sustain
This input is used to connect a pedal, called ” Sustain “, which is used to extend the note played without using your hands. Just for this function, it is handy for live performances.
MIDI port
Each Master Keyboard should have at least one MIDI format port to connect to other devices. Three formats are available: input, which is used to receive the MIDI signal, output, to output the signal and throughput, which transmits the MIDI signal through two devices.
As for software connectivity, let’s start by saying that, before buying the digital Keyboard, it is necessary to check its compatibility with the computer that you have available. Therefore, you need to make sure that it is compatible with iOS systems (i.e. Apple devices), Microsoft, and Linux.
Conclusion
You need to know that not only a computer is required to start using the device, but also a sequencer software, analog devices born to record, edit and play a melody through packets of notes and information of different types, including MIDI, precisely.
Along with the MIDI keyboards, there is software that is original reinterpretations of the sequencer software and that act as real DAW for the creation of music. The most famous are Ableton, Cubase, FL Studio, Ignite, Pyramix, Logic Pro, and Garage Band Pro Tools, which are equipped with various possibilities for editing MIDI information.
