Can anyone recommend an affordable midi controller keyboard?
Looking at a few under 100 Dollar things (US)
Anything to stay away from?
There are many factors to consider when choosing a MIDI controller keyboard.
- Number of keys - Most keyboards come in 25-key, 49-key, 61-key, and 88-key versions. There are also a few with 31 keys or 37 keys. But since your budget is $100 or less, pretty much everything will be 25-key.
- Key size - Many of the under $100 keyboard controllers have mini keys, but some actually have full-size keys. Mini keys might be adequate but you'll probably find full-size keys easier to play, especially if you have previous experience with piano or other keyboard instruments.
- Key action - Most keyboards (especially under $100) have a simple organ or synth-style keyboard action. But some have weighted keys to give you more of a piano-style feel. Also, some keyboards have aftertouch, which lets you control effects like vibrato, for instance, by pressing down on the keys after the initial strike. Not all software instruments support aftertouch though, so it might do nothing, depending on which software instrument you're using.
- Encoders, switches, and transport controls - Rotary encoders and switches provide a very handy way to control the settings of your software instruments. They're especially useful for controlling soft synths which often have many settings that you can manipulate. For example, if you map a rotary encoder to the synth's filter, then you can sweep the filter control while you're playing. You'll find that the number of rotary controllers and switches varies quite a bit between models. Some don't have any, while others might have 12 or more. Also, some keyboards have a bank switch for the encoders. For example, my AKAI MPK25 has 12 rotary encoders in two banks (so 24 total) and 4 switches in 2 banks (8 total). These can be mapped to any settings in the software instrument. Some keyboard controllers also offer transport controls (Stop, Play, Record, etc.) which can be mapped to the corresponding functions in your DAW, allowing you to control it from the keyboard.
- Drum Pads - Some keyboards come with velocity-sensitive drum pads. This was something that I really wanted when I was shopping for a MIDI keyboard controller, so I could actually play the drums for my recordings instead of just programming them. However, I'm disappointed with the drum pads as they require a lot of force just to get them to make a sound and I find it really hard to play them without getting a lot of missed notes because I didn't hit the pad quite hard enough. Consequently, I haven't been using the drum pads. Instead, I just tap out the drum parts using the keyboard's piano keys. They are far more responsive and, like the drum pads, they're velocity-sensitive. I should point out, however, that the drum pads can be used for more than just drums. They can be mapped to any MIDI controller you like. For instance, you can setup each pad to select a different synth patch, so you can instantly switch between your favourite patches just by striking the appropriate drum pad. My AKAI has 12 drum pads in 4 banks (so 48 pads in total). I've heard that the drum pads on other brands of keyboard controllers are also unresponsive, so I don't think it's just a problem with AKAI keyboards. So, if you're interested in drum pads, I'd recommend going to the music shop and trying them before making a purchase. Then you'll know if the pads will be responsive enough to be useful.
- Arpeggiator - Some keyboard controllers come with a built-in hardware arpeggiator. I find this very useful, especially when tinkering with a soft synth, as I can play a chord and the arpeggiator will continuously play back the individual notes of that chord as an arpeggio, leaving my hands free to mess around with the synth's controls. You could use a software arpeggiator instead but I don't think it would be as convenient.
- Display - Many keyboard controllers include a small LCD display that shows you information such as the current patch number. A few Novation keyboard controllers also include a long LCD display above the rotary encoders which can be programmed to display the name of the parameter that the encoder is mapped to. I think this would be very useful. Unfortunately, my AKAI doesn't have such a feature and I have a hard time remembering which parameter I've mapped each encoder or switch to. I invariably turn the wrong one. I guess I should write the parameter names on a piece of cardboard and prop it up behind the controls as a reference. An LCD display would be much nicer though.
- Expression pedal and Sustain pedal inputs - This is probably not available under $100 but my AKAI has inputs for an expression pedal and a sustain pedal. These can be mapped to any parameter in your software instrument. For example, I have a sustain pedal (from my Yamaha keyboard) plugged into the AKAI which I have mapped to a kick drum sound. This way, I can tap out the hi-hat and snare, for example, on the keyboard while simultaneously using the sustain pedal to play the kick drum. Or I could use the pedal to hold notes instead.
- Standard MIDI connectors - These let you connect to other MIDI devices rather than just to your computer via USB. Most under-$100 keyboards will probably be USB only. But I noticed that the Alesis QX25 ($99) has a standard MIDI Out connector (in addition to USB). It also has a sustain pedal jack.
I find rotary encoders really useful, so I'd recommend staying away from the cheaper keyboards that don't have any. But that shouldn't be a problem as there are quite a few keyboards available for under $100 that include rotary encoders. Here are a few examples:
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/MiniLab/ (http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/MiniLab/)
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/QX25/ (http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/QX25/)
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/MPKMini/ (http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/MPKMini/)
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/AxiomAIRm32/ (http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/AxiomAIRm32/)
One option of course is to just buy an old synth second hand, if size don't matter that is
or even Goodwill will have one that has midi in / out for under $30 on occasion. And I recently found out that Goodwill *will* take it back if its DOA.
After a few months of having NO idea what the hell I was gonna get (if anything) I ended up getting a M-Audio Oxygen 25 25-Key USB MIDI Keyboard Controller for under 100 bucks off of Amazon. A friend said it worked very well for what he needed and I'll need it for even less. I have a feeling that I'll eventually find a keyboard/organ VSTi that I like and wish I had more keys, but for my current ability on a keyboard this should be more than sufficient. I hope. Maybe.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002VYJDYW/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i01?ie=UTF8&psc=1 (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002VYJDYW/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i01?ie=UTF8&psc=1)
I bought the oxygen 25. I'm already regretting not getting a used one with more keys. I don't need a ton, but a good VSTi keyboard plug-in and a larger keyboard and I'd be able to try to recreate that feeling of piano lessons in the third grade.
The good news is it works. I can now add synths and bass lines etc via keyboard if I want.
Wow. This small oxygen25 has been here for over two years? Hard to believe. And I rarely use it.
So I went and got me a m-audio keystation 61es used off of shopgoodwill.com. It'll be here in a few days. Hopefully it works. I wonder if having enough keys to play like a piano might make a difference in using it. Or remembering anything from those third grade piano lessons.