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We are having a look at the best MIDI keyboards available in 2021 and giving our thoughts on what we consider to be our top 10.
To help you choose we have included small MIDI keyboard reviews with each one along with our pros and cons.
Let's get started!
Here are the best MIDI keyboard controllers 2021:
- AKAI MPK Mini MkII – A Personal Favorite
- M-Audio Hammer 88 – Best Weighted Keys
- Arturia KeyLab Essential 61 – Best All-Rounder
- NI Komplete Kontrol S88 MkII – Best All-Rounder (Runner-Up)
- Akai MPK Road 88 – Best for Touring/Gigging
- Novation Launchkey 49 MkII – Best for Ableton Users
- M-Audio Keystation 49 MkIII – Best Beginner Controller
- Roli Seaboard Block – Best Alternative Choice
- Studiologic Numa Compact 2x – Best Hybrid
- Alesis V61 – Best Budget Controller
Akai MPK Mini MkII – A Personal Favorite
Since the first version of the MPK Mini, it has been one of the most popular MIDI controllers on the market. Despite its small stature, this little MIDI keyboard is a producers dream.
The main selling point of the MPK Mini MkII is the authentic Akai MPC drum pads. There are 8 pads that can be used for triggering drums, samples, or patterns. Samples can be assigned to bank A or bank B meaning you effectively have the use of 16 pads (8 at a time) and you can switch between banks instantly during a performance.
The MPK Mini MkII comes with 25 velocity-sensitive mini-keys with octave up/down functionality. While 25 keys don't exactly provide a huge range it's more than enough to lay down chords and lead lines.
There are 8 assignable knobs that allow you to edit parameters like cut-off, resonance, etc, in real-time. Some other nice performance features are a powerful arpeggiator and a note repeat trigger. Instead of a wheel, Akai has opted for a thumbstick to control pitch bend and modulation which is very intuitive.
Like most Akai controllers you get a pretty good software bundle with the MPK Mini MkII that includes MPC Essentials, Sonivox Wobble, and Air Music Tech's Hybrid.
Between the included software you have some powerful production tools and some really high-end synth, bass, and piano sounds. All of it is brought together via Akai's VIP 3.1 platform that makes accessing all of your plugins/VST's a breeze.
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This is top of our list because it's the pound for pound champ of MIDI controllers. Despite its small stature, this is one of the best-selling and most versatile controllers available.
For a producer or beatmaker, the MPK Mini MkII is a powerhouse that lets you do just about everything in the studio, on the go, or on stage. Add in the included software and the value for money is undeniable.
M-Audio Hammer 88 – Best Weighted Keys
The Hammer 88 by M-Audio is an absolute monster of a MIDI keyboard controller. It's also the most simple in our top 10 because it's nothing more than 88 keys with fantastic a hammer action feel.
What you get with the Hammer 88 is a truly realistic piano playing experience. It's aimed at musicians who primarily play the piano but still want the option to control all of their VST's.
This level of realism in the weight and action of the keys isn't usually found in a MIDI controller so M-Audio is definitely filling a gap in the market here.
A master volume fader along with pitch bend and modulation wheels are the only onboard controls. The volume fader can be assigned to control other parameters of your plugin/VST so there is some versatility there.
As you'd expect from a keyboard with such a realistic piano feel, the Hammer 88 has 3 pedal inputs for sustain, soft, and expression for more realism.
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So, it has no surprising features and not much versatility but it's still one of our top-rated MIDI keyboards. If you are a pianist or composer who wants a realistic piano feel in a MIDI controller you won't get better than this. It's the best weighted MIDI keyboard on the market right now.
It's great for studio work and live performance if you don't mind something a little heavier than the average MIDI keyboard.
Ultimately, you are trading features and versatility for precision and realism. If you're willing to make that trade the Hammer 88 is without a doubt one of the best MIDI controllers out there.
Arturia KeyLab Essential 61 – Best All-Rounder
The KeyLab Essentials series is a streamlined version of the successful KeyLab collection. The KeyLab Essential 61 is one of the slickest-looking MIDI keyboard controllers on our list.
This one is all about control, controlling as much as possible without leaving the keyboard. The aim is, of course, to increase your workflow and in music production that's important.
The Keylab Essential 61has transport controls that work perfectly with all major DAW's. It also has 9assignable faders and 9 assignable knobs which can control a huge amount ofparameters in real-time. This means less time clicking a mouse and more time atthe keyboard. The pitch bend and modulation wheels are also assignable.
There are also 8 very good backlit, velocity-sensitive pads – not quite MPC-quality but very good nonetheless. You can program entire tracks with keys, drums, samples and so on all from the KeyLab and this also makes it a very powerful live performance tool.
Arturia has added a Chord function that lets you trigger complex chords by pressing a single note, making composition much easier/faster.
Arturia tends to give pretty good software bundles with the Keylab range although the exact VST's do vary from time to time. Currently, you get a copy of the Mini V synth and the stage 73 V electric piano.
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This is just a high-quality MIDI controller in every sense. It's well built, versatile, easy to use, and comes with some great VST's. If you are looking for a keyboard to be the center of your studio setup then the KeyLab Essential 61 is for you.
Arturia says the KeyLab will have you spending far less time pointing and clicking at a computer and that's definitely true. That control and workflow are why the KeyLab series has been some of the best-selling MIDI keyboard controllers for years now.
NI Komplete Kontrol S88 MkII – Best All-Rounder (Runner-Up)
In recent years Native Instruments has become a name that producers of all levels are very familiar with. Their virtual instruments are used everywhere, from bedroom demos to chart-topping hits.
It's quite common for a producer/musician tot stick with a certain brand and if you are a NI plugin user then there's no better partner than their Komplete Kontrol S88.
NI's Komplete instruments are pre-mapped to the Kontrol S88 so there is no messing about to get set up. When you use your VST's there are two color screens to help you find and select whatever you need quickly.
Each key can also be illuminated by RGB lights in various colors to show different split groups, etc. For example, if you have drums mapped to certain keys and synth sounds to others, drums could be purple and synths yellow. It's not a feature that will make you buy this keyboard but it's one of several small details that add up to make your work easier.
It has 88 hammer-action keys with a pretty convincing feel, the weight offers enough resistance to be expressive. The keys have aftertouch which tends to works best on semi-weighted or lighter keys but it's still a nice feature to have.
There are transport controls that work with all major DAW's, 8 assignable knobs and pitch bend/modulation wheels. Underneath the wheels, you will find a touch strip which can be very useful depending on the sound/instrument you are using.
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The main issues with this keyboard are that as a realistic playing experience it's not as good as the Hammer 88 and as an overall control center the KeyLab Essential tops it.
However, if you are an avid Native Instruments user then the ease of use for you will outweigh everything else. Quite a simple verdict on this one, if you primarily use NI plugins then buy this, if you don't then look elsewhere.
Akai MPK Road 88 – Best for Touring/Gigging
Just launched earlier this year the Akai MPK Road 88 is the ultimate touring/gigging MIDI controller. The MPK Road 88 is actually built into a custom hard flight case so it's travel-ready then just flip the lid and it's ready for the stage.
It comes with Akai's exclusive Model-A keybed which is probably somewhere between an acoustic piano and a Fender Rhodes, very nice for gigging.
As the name suggests it has 88 keys and they come with a very nice aftertouch feature that is really useful for organ and synth voices.
In terms of onboard features, it doesn't have too many, there are pitch bend and modulation wheels, transpose buttons and a master volume. Akai has been very exact about what this keyboard is though, it's a rugged, road-ready controller with a very realistic key action. It was never intended to be anything else.
It features a 4-output soundcard so you can route your virtual instruments to monitors, mixers, etc, simultaneously with no issues. On top of that, it comes ready with some first-class virtual instruments like AIR Music Tech DB-33, AIR Music Tech Velvet, and AIR Music Tech Mini Grand for Road 88.
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This one is a no-brainer, if you gig often and you want to access your VST's with a realistic feeling keyboard, this is the best on the list.
Online Piano Keyboard Midi
If you play more synths than pianos then you may want something with lighter keys. If you like to utilize pads and samples etc in live performance then it's not the one, or if you want a realistic feel but primarily for home use then the M-Audio Hammer 88 is a better fit.
For a straight forward 88-key MIDI controller with a gorgeous key action for gigging you can't top the MPK Road 88 with its Model-A keybed and built-in flight case.
Novation Launchkey 49 MkII – Best for Ableton Users
The Novation Launchkey 49 is similar to the M-Audio Keystation 49 in many ways, it's unlikely to be the first choice if money is no object but it has to be on the list. We are looking at the 49-key version with 16 velocity-sensitive pads.
Novation are no strangers to drum pads so as expected they are pretty good quality here. The only complaint is that they are a little smaller than Akai's MPC pads but it's not a huge issue. That aside, the pads are responsive and you do get 16 so that a lot without having to switch banks, especially for a small keyboard.
Above the pads are 8 fully assignable knobs and rounding off the features are pitch bend and modulation wheels, transpose buttons and master volume.
Ableton Live Lite 9 is included with the Launchkey 49 and if you are an Ableton user already then a Novation controller is likely the way to go for you. Although the Launchkey works very well with other DAW's, it was purpose-built for Ableton and integrates with it better than any other controller.
The Launchkey is for producers who make a lot of tracks and want that fast workflow, again, especially with Ableton. Also included in the bundle is Novation Bass Station software synth, Novation V-Station software synth, Addictive Keys, 4gb of content from Loopmasters and even some free keyboard lessons from Melodics.
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The Launchkey 49 is a lower-priced MIDI controller so in all honesty, you can't really go wrong with it. There are a few things that could be better, but there isn't anything in particular that is bad about it.
If you want a cheaper MIDI controller with pads this is a good call because it has 16 rather than just 8 like most similar-sized controllers. If Ableton is your main DAW and you want something that you can get tracks going quickly with then you'll be very happy with the Launchkey 49.
M-Audio Keystation 49 MkIII – Best Beginner Controller
Keystation controllers have been around for some time and you'll never find a MIDI controller review article without one, or at least you shouldn't. They aren't widely regarded as high-end MIDI controllers but they offer great value for money which makes them hugely popular.
The Keystation 49 has 49 velocity-sensitive keys, nothing too fancy but they are full size and more than responsive enough. It's not the most robust casing either but it's light enough to take anywhere and it will survive a few bumps easily.
Now the good stuff, the Keystation 49 comes with transport controls that aren't common in such a low price controller. Besides the transport controls, there are pitch bend and modulation wheels and a master volume, all of which are assignable.
The quality of the wheels isn't great and don't feel as precise as they could be but you have to keep everything in context.
By context, we mean think about what you get for your money. You get a very reliable MIDI controller from a trusted name, you get transport controls to integrate with your DAW and it's light enough to travel easily.
The Keystation probably isn't going to top any lists but it should always be there because anyone who has used MIDI keyboards for a while has most likely owned one at some stage and had no complaints.
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You know exactly what you get with the Keystation, it's never going to be seen as the best but it's still one of the best-selling. The reason being that they are cheap, easy to use, and do everything you need to make music.
If you can't make music with a Keystation then you probably don't need all of those extra features anyway, this is a perfect starting point for any musician.
Roli Seaboard Block – Best Alternative Choice
This is a bit of an outside choice on our list. For anyone who isn't yet familiar with the Roli Seaboard Block, it's a soft pressure-sensitive surface with 24 raised keys which can be manipulated in various ways.
Roli calls this their 5 dimensions of touch – strike, press, glide, slide and lift. In simple non-technical terms, the keys are squishy.
The idea is that you shape your sound in a much more natural and intuitive way. Think of it like when you play with an orchestral VST, you instinctively wiggle your finger on the key expecting vibrato but nothing happens, with the Seaboard, it does. The included Equator software has many sounds that are just right for this.
Roli has a few different models, the Seaboard Block is the cheapest and smallest with 25 keys. However, there's a twist, it's called a block because you can build with it. Each side of the Seaboard block has little magnetic connectors that let you attach more Seaboard Blocks to extend the playing area or Roli Lightpad Bocks.
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Some people think the Seaboard Block is a gimmick and more of a toy than a real instrument. The issue is that it can't replace a regular keyboard, for piano/keys playing you need proper keys. Roli isn't trying to replace the keyboard though, it's a completely different thing.
Some keyboards have aftertouch so you can get a little vibrato or expression but aftertouch only does one thing at a time. With the Seaboard you can use vibrato, bend, modulation, cut-off, and more all from one fingertip.
As a producer, this is valuable time saved messing about inside effects or VST's setting parameters after the fact when you could play it all as you need to in real-time.
After the initial weirdness of it, it actually starts to feel natural and extremely expressive, well worth having.
Studiologic Numa Compact 2x – Best Hybrid
The Numa Compact 2x is a hybrid, so it's great as a MIDI controller but it also has some amazing onboard sounds so you can use it without a computer. Admittedly, for this reason, it may not be in everyone's top 10 list but it shouldn't be discounted just because it's not only a MIDI keyboard.
It has 88 semi-weighted keys with aftertouch but even for a semi-weighted keyboard, it's very lightweight indeed. So it's easy to get to gigs or rehearsals without needing to take a laptop. The onboard sound engines have some stunning pianos, organs, and synths that sound great through the built-in speakers.
So, everything above is really just an added bonus because as a MIDI controller it has lot's to offer too. There are 9 drawbars for the organ sound engine but they can be assigned to control parameters from either the onboard effects engine or your DAW/VST. It also has a very nice OLED display which is helpful on stage or at home.
Studiologic has gone for joysticks rather than wheels when it comes to pitch bend and modulation, they are very accurate and responsive so that will be a personal preference issue.
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It's a hybrid but don't be fooled into thinking it's a jack of all trades, master of none. The sound engines in this keyboard could match that of much more expensive instruments easily and it has all the MIDI capability that you need.
It may be an outside choice but having all the MIDI features and the option to play without a computer is well worth considering.
Alesis V61 – Best Budget Controller
The V61 from Alesis is exactly what you want if you are on a tight budget. It has 61 semi-weighted keys, they are pretty light but they are full size. The body itself is very slimline and not much broader than the keys themselves.
Despite being so slimline it still manages to fit in 8 pads located to the left of the keyboard. The pads are very good by any standard, responsive and well sized. Beside the pads there are 4 assignable knobs and a pitch bend and modulation wheel.
As far as performance goes, the keys are a bit too light but better than most you'd find in the price range. You would struggle to find a similarly priced keyboard with 61 keys and 8 pads so there can't be too many complaints.
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It's not going to blow you away but the combination of 61 keys, 8 drum pads, and the low price make it our best budget MIDI controller.
Conclusion
What is the shortcut key for screenshot. In conclusion, there are genuine reasons for buying every controller on this list. As always you should base your decision on which one suits your needs most.
Think about your budget, your workspace, and what style you play most. Do that till you eliminate any unsuitable keyboards then you should be left with a smaller list to choose from.
Hopefully, our small MIDI controller reviews can help you out, enjoy!
James is a writer and musician with a passion for audio production. He is a lover of all things tech, especially the latest keyboards, synths, DAW's, virtual instruments, and effects plugins. Musical interests include jazz, funk, hip hop, blues, and rock.
I received an email from a blog reader who had recently bought a MIDI keyboard so they could start practicing a bit of piano at home.
My previous blog posts on MIDI keyboards had all said something along the lines of 'plug in your MIDI device and open up you DAW software to play'. But what if you don't want to purchase any expensive software for writing and producing whole musical tracks? What if you just want some free software for practicing piano or messing around?
So following that I set out to find the best FREE MIDI keyboard software out there on each of the most common platforms Windows, Mac/ Apple and Android so you can plug in your MIDI keyboard and start playing straight away. This article summarises what I found.
But first, some context:
How does MIDI Work?
First things first, I always find it useful to briefly explain how MIDI works. If you, like me, came from playing a traditional acoustic instrument such as a piano or guitar, the world of MIDI and digital music production may be a little confusing. If you already know how it works feel free to skip this section!
MIDI is a digital signal, basically a series of 1s and 0s that allows different electronic devices to communicate with one another (I know, it sounds very dystopian!). This code communicates all manner of things from the note pressed, to how hard it is pressed and when it is released.
This is different to traditional instruments that produce an audio signal you can hear either straight away for acoustic instruments or through an amplifier for electric ones.
With a MIDI keyboard or other MIDI device not producing an audio signal, it needs to be plugged into another device which can convert the code into something we can hear. In the modern era this is usually a laptop or computer.
Modern MIDI devices pretty much always plug in and communicate via a USB connection. But simply connecting the device isn't enough. The computer will receive the code but to produce a sound it will need software of some sort.
That is where I hope this article will help.
Best Free Midi Keyboard Options – Windows
1) Piano Time for Windows 10
Piano time is a nice option if you simply want to plug in and play the piano.
It is an 'app' but that doesn't mean you need a tablet or phone to use it. Windows is changing to become more similar to Apple in the way they present software creating less of a disconnect between computers, tablets and phones. This means if you have Windows 10, you can now head to the Microsoft store and download apps to your computer.
There are paid apps in the windows store but as with the Apple and Android 'stores' that you may be more familiar with on your phones and tablets, many of the apps are free to download and use.
Ease of Use
Piano time is really easy to plug in and get going. I plugged in my Novation Impulse MIDI keyboard and it instantly recognized it without me having to go into the settings.
Features
Piano time is meant to be simple and for mimicking the sound of a piano. For this reason, you can't really adjust the sound. You won't find different instrument sounds, reverb or delay for example. But this might be a good thing if all you want to do is play the piano.
You can record and save clips of what you are playing which is a nice feature, and this allows you to record one part, play it back and then play something else over the top. Handy if you are doing a bit of songwriting. However, be warned, on the free version these clips will only remain in place whilst the program is open, to save or export the tracks you record as MP3 files you will have to pay a small fee to upgrade.
It comes pre-loaded with a few very basic tracks for you to play along with, think Amazing Grace or Mary Had a Little Lamb. The keys will light up and show you how to play along and you can slow it down or speed it up to suit. Perhaps this is most suitable for the absolute beginner or for a child learning the piano. Also useful for anyone using this to learn the piano are a few basic scale exercises you can play along with.
Other features include a metronome that can be adjusted. I did find the clicking a bit annoying but it does the job.
As with most pieces of MIDI software, you can use your computer keyboard to play if you don't own a MIDI keyboard. I would not recommend this as it is very hard to do, but Piano Time does have a feature called 'key mapping' which will show the corresponding keyboard letters above the relevant keys to help you play.
Sound and Performance
I found the sound to be ok. A nice bit of sustain and reverb make it sound quite realistic. However, the lower notes can sound a bit quiet compared to the higher notes and chords don't sound that great. This is annoying if you are trying to play notes with the left and right hand, as the right hand notes tend to drown out those of the left.
This can be frustrating as a quick ‘stacatto' press of a key isn't any different from when you hold it down. This makes notes merge together when you don't want them to or not ring out for as long as you might have hoped.
For me, the app had virtually no latency (time between pressing a key and hearing the sound). This is partly due to the app, but will also be due to your computer. If you are trying to use it with a computer or laptop that doesn't have much RAM or has a slow processor then this may not be the case. If you are experiencing MIDI delay check out this article.
Other people have noted that when adverts load it can cause the app to crash. This did happen to me once which was a pain. You can get rid of the ads by paying just a small fee so this might be worth doing if you are having this issue.
2) Piano 10 for Windows 10
Piano 10 is very similar in many ways to Piano Time. It is available for download from the Windows app store on any windows device.
Free Midi Downloads For Keyboards
Ease of Use
I plugged my keyboard in and it didn't work straight away this time. The menus in the app are also not the easiest to find with a series of symbol buttons to press, so I had to do a bit of random clicking to find out how to do it.
A button saying 'general MIDI' brings up a menu when clicked where you should be able to turn MIDI support on and then select your MIDI keyboard from the list.
So once you figure out what each button symbol means it isn't too hard to use.
Features
Different to Piano Time, Piano 10 has a few different effects and amazingly 126 different sounds for you to chose from. Including reverb, sustain and echo but unfortunately only one of these can be turned on at once.
An auto-chords function is pretty cool and is a great way to help learn different chords and chord types as the keys of the chords light up whilst you play.
As with piano time you can record short clips of yourself playing. You can save these clips but only as .xscore files to re-open in Piano 10 another time.
A metronome is also included with adjustable bpm.
Sound and performance
When testing the default piano sound it was ok, but pressing the keys too lightly meant no sound was played. So if you are trying to practice playing softly you may find this frustrating.
However, when the sustain effect is turned on I thought it sounded much more realistic and it felt nice to play.
Although it is cool having 126 different sounds to choose from, be warned, most of them sound pretty terrible. Fun to mess around with but you would never want to use them in a performance.
Probably the most annoying thing about Piano 10 is the fact you can't change the key size or get more keys to show on the screen. The whole keyboard will still play but you won't see all the keys light up on screen.
Being a free app it also has a banner with ads at the top but these are fairly standard and don't really interfere with the usability.
3) MidiEditor
If you want something a bit more advanced which will allow you to edit and export your MIDI tracks then MIDI Editor is free software that is a great introduction to some more advanced techniques.
Ease of Use
In terms of downloading and installing things are fairly simple. However, unlike the previous two options, this is a more traditional piece of software that you download from a website rather than the Windows App Store.
Once downloaded the settings are easy to find and here you can select your MIDI device and connect.
You should then hear a basic piano sound.
So in terms of getting a sound, it is fairly simple. However, if you are not familiar with MIDI you may find the software slightly confusing due to the more advanced features it has….
Features
The screen shows what is known as a ‘piano roll'. This is something to get familiar with if you plan on using MIDI in production.
As you play on your MIDI keyboard and press record you will see lines appear on the screen. This is a visualization of the digital code for each note. You can see it shows which note was played, how long for and other parameters such as velocity (how hard you played that note).
This is what separates digital MIDI data from a traditional audio recording. It is stored as a series of numbers (note, note length, etc) and then a sound is ‘overlayed' on top of that. So you could play the original notes with a piano sound but then change that to strings or a flute for example.
Features such as quantize, which automatically moves mistimed notes onto the correct beat are cool to mess around with.
Sound and performance
As a basic free introduction to MIDI editing software, MidiEditor does a pretty good job.
There are a couple of things that frustrated me though.
For example, when you record a track you can't see the notes appearing on the screen, you have to wait till you have finished recording and then they will appear. This just felt weird compared to the MIDI input I'm used to in a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW).
There are also no other built-in sounds to test apart from the piano and I couldn't find a way to import my own sounds either. Perhaps I'm expecting too much from free software.
Best Free Midi Keyboard Software on Mac (and Apple devices)
1) Garageband
Garageband has to be my favorite of all the free music making software available. I've written entire songs on the bus using this software on my iPad and have been happier with the sound than some tracks I spent weeks on in the studio!
It comes pre-installed on most Apple products but if not it can be downloaded from the app store for free.
Ease of Use
Garageband is quite a bit more advanced than some of the simple piano apps already mentioned in this article.
It is the closest you are going to get to proper a DAW without having to pay. A DAW is a Digital Audio Workstation. It is where all song artists create songs by piecing together tracks. There are many different ones with different people having different preferences. But if you are new to the music recording world then Garageband is a great place to start.
For this reason, it has massive potential but it does make it a bit confusing for the beginner. For example, when I connected my keyboard, it didn't work straight away. I had to navigate to preferences and select my device and I also had to change the output so I could hear the sound.
It is a similar process when connecting to an iPad, however, you will have to buy a USB to lightning adapter (such as this one).
All that said it is still very easy to get started in comparison to most DAWs which can be very overwhelming. There are plenty of great videos on Youtube to help you if you get lost.
Features
This is where Garageband excels over the other simpler apps. The possibilities are almost limitless.
You can choose from hundreds of pre-loaded MIDI sounds. There are pre-made drum loops to add in and play along to. Then when you want to add even more sounds or effects you can download free ‘plug-ins.
Because it is a DAW you can layer up multiple tracks, MIDI or Audio to create full songs and there are great built-in features such as EQ and compression so you can even try your hand at mixing!
Sound and Performance
The pre-loaded sounds do sound quite robotic and it is hard to compose a full song that will sound professional using just the MIDI samples. That does, of course, depend on your genre, for some electronic music you can do a pretty good job.
This may not bother you if you just want to practice the piano.
The performance is pretty good, I rarely ever experience any latency when playing. This is dependent on your laptop age and spec.
2) Pianu.com
This option technically applies to Windows too but I couldn't find another free app on the Apple app store that wasn't either terrible or tried to give me a virus.
So Pianu.com is actually a web-based MIDI keyboard and is a great option if you don't want to mess around downloading software and just want to get playing right away.
Ease of Use
This software is so simple to use (at least it was for me anyway!) Just head to pianu.com/keyboard-page and there you will see a big yellow button that says 'Detect My Keyboard'. Press this and you will see the following screen.
You are then ready to start playing
Features
Pianu is not very complex and won't give you all the features of Garageband. But many people have written to me to say they don't want something as complicated as that and just want to play some piano. For this it is perfect.
What Pianu is really meant for though is learning the piano. For this it has lots of built-in lessons, starting with the absolute basics and building you up from there. What I like most is you can play along with a lot of contemporary songs (Coldplay, Taylor Swift etc.) rather than the usual Ode to Joy or Amazing Grace which you get on most apps.
Sound and Performance
You would never want to use this piano for recordings or live performances, but it sounds fine for learning. The one annoying thing is the notes don't fully ring out and eventually just stop suddenly. But this is a minor issue when you are just practicing.
For a web-based application I expected performance to be dodgy, but it really wasn't. In fact I would say I noticed less latency than many other apps and my laptop fan was whirring away.
In recent years Native Instruments has become a name that producers of all levels are very familiar with. Their virtual instruments are used everywhere, from bedroom demos to chart-topping hits.
It's quite common for a producer/musician tot stick with a certain brand and if you are a NI plugin user then there's no better partner than their Komplete Kontrol S88.
NI's Komplete instruments are pre-mapped to the Kontrol S88 so there is no messing about to get set up. When you use your VST's there are two color screens to help you find and select whatever you need quickly.
Each key can also be illuminated by RGB lights in various colors to show different split groups, etc. For example, if you have drums mapped to certain keys and synth sounds to others, drums could be purple and synths yellow. It's not a feature that will make you buy this keyboard but it's one of several small details that add up to make your work easier.
It has 88 hammer-action keys with a pretty convincing feel, the weight offers enough resistance to be expressive. The keys have aftertouch which tends to works best on semi-weighted or lighter keys but it's still a nice feature to have.
There are transport controls that work with all major DAW's, 8 assignable knobs and pitch bend/modulation wheels. Underneath the wheels, you will find a touch strip which can be very useful depending on the sound/instrument you are using.
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The main issues with this keyboard are that as a realistic playing experience it's not as good as the Hammer 88 and as an overall control center the KeyLab Essential tops it.
However, if you are an avid Native Instruments user then the ease of use for you will outweigh everything else. Quite a simple verdict on this one, if you primarily use NI plugins then buy this, if you don't then look elsewhere.
Akai MPK Road 88 – Best for Touring/Gigging
Just launched earlier this year the Akai MPK Road 88 is the ultimate touring/gigging MIDI controller. The MPK Road 88 is actually built into a custom hard flight case so it's travel-ready then just flip the lid and it's ready for the stage.
It comes with Akai's exclusive Model-A keybed which is probably somewhere between an acoustic piano and a Fender Rhodes, very nice for gigging.
As the name suggests it has 88 keys and they come with a very nice aftertouch feature that is really useful for organ and synth voices.
In terms of onboard features, it doesn't have too many, there are pitch bend and modulation wheels, transpose buttons and a master volume. Akai has been very exact about what this keyboard is though, it's a rugged, road-ready controller with a very realistic key action. It was never intended to be anything else.
It features a 4-output soundcard so you can route your virtual instruments to monitors, mixers, etc, simultaneously with no issues. On top of that, it comes ready with some first-class virtual instruments like AIR Music Tech DB-33, AIR Music Tech Velvet, and AIR Music Tech Mini Grand for Road 88.
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This one is a no-brainer, if you gig often and you want to access your VST's with a realistic feeling keyboard, this is the best on the list.
Online Piano Keyboard Midi
If you play more synths than pianos then you may want something with lighter keys. If you like to utilize pads and samples etc in live performance then it's not the one, or if you want a realistic feel but primarily for home use then the M-Audio Hammer 88 is a better fit.
For a straight forward 88-key MIDI controller with a gorgeous key action for gigging you can't top the MPK Road 88 with its Model-A keybed and built-in flight case.
Novation Launchkey 49 MkII – Best for Ableton Users
The Novation Launchkey 49 is similar to the M-Audio Keystation 49 in many ways, it's unlikely to be the first choice if money is no object but it has to be on the list. We are looking at the 49-key version with 16 velocity-sensitive pads.
Novation are no strangers to drum pads so as expected they are pretty good quality here. The only complaint is that they are a little smaller than Akai's MPC pads but it's not a huge issue. That aside, the pads are responsive and you do get 16 so that a lot without having to switch banks, especially for a small keyboard.
Above the pads are 8 fully assignable knobs and rounding off the features are pitch bend and modulation wheels, transpose buttons and master volume.
Ableton Live Lite 9 is included with the Launchkey 49 and if you are an Ableton user already then a Novation controller is likely the way to go for you. Although the Launchkey works very well with other DAW's, it was purpose-built for Ableton and integrates with it better than any other controller.
The Launchkey is for producers who make a lot of tracks and want that fast workflow, again, especially with Ableton. Also included in the bundle is Novation Bass Station software synth, Novation V-Station software synth, Addictive Keys, 4gb of content from Loopmasters and even some free keyboard lessons from Melodics.
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The Launchkey 49 is a lower-priced MIDI controller so in all honesty, you can't really go wrong with it. There are a few things that could be better, but there isn't anything in particular that is bad about it.
If you want a cheaper MIDI controller with pads this is a good call because it has 16 rather than just 8 like most similar-sized controllers. If Ableton is your main DAW and you want something that you can get tracks going quickly with then you'll be very happy with the Launchkey 49.
M-Audio Keystation 49 MkIII – Best Beginner Controller
Keystation controllers have been around for some time and you'll never find a MIDI controller review article without one, or at least you shouldn't. They aren't widely regarded as high-end MIDI controllers but they offer great value for money which makes them hugely popular.
The Keystation 49 has 49 velocity-sensitive keys, nothing too fancy but they are full size and more than responsive enough. It's not the most robust casing either but it's light enough to take anywhere and it will survive a few bumps easily.
Now the good stuff, the Keystation 49 comes with transport controls that aren't common in such a low price controller. Besides the transport controls, there are pitch bend and modulation wheels and a master volume, all of which are assignable.
The quality of the wheels isn't great and don't feel as precise as they could be but you have to keep everything in context.
By context, we mean think about what you get for your money. You get a very reliable MIDI controller from a trusted name, you get transport controls to integrate with your DAW and it's light enough to travel easily.
The Keystation probably isn't going to top any lists but it should always be there because anyone who has used MIDI keyboards for a while has most likely owned one at some stage and had no complaints.
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You know exactly what you get with the Keystation, it's never going to be seen as the best but it's still one of the best-selling. The reason being that they are cheap, easy to use, and do everything you need to make music.
If you can't make music with a Keystation then you probably don't need all of those extra features anyway, this is a perfect starting point for any musician.
Roli Seaboard Block – Best Alternative Choice
This is a bit of an outside choice on our list. For anyone who isn't yet familiar with the Roli Seaboard Block, it's a soft pressure-sensitive surface with 24 raised keys which can be manipulated in various ways.
Roli calls this their 5 dimensions of touch – strike, press, glide, slide and lift. In simple non-technical terms, the keys are squishy.
The idea is that you shape your sound in a much more natural and intuitive way. Think of it like when you play with an orchestral VST, you instinctively wiggle your finger on the key expecting vibrato but nothing happens, with the Seaboard, it does. The included Equator software has many sounds that are just right for this.
Roli has a few different models, the Seaboard Block is the cheapest and smallest with 25 keys. However, there's a twist, it's called a block because you can build with it. Each side of the Seaboard block has little magnetic connectors that let you attach more Seaboard Blocks to extend the playing area or Roli Lightpad Bocks.
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Some people think the Seaboard Block is a gimmick and more of a toy than a real instrument. The issue is that it can't replace a regular keyboard, for piano/keys playing you need proper keys. Roli isn't trying to replace the keyboard though, it's a completely different thing.
Some keyboards have aftertouch so you can get a little vibrato or expression but aftertouch only does one thing at a time. With the Seaboard you can use vibrato, bend, modulation, cut-off, and more all from one fingertip.
As a producer, this is valuable time saved messing about inside effects or VST's setting parameters after the fact when you could play it all as you need to in real-time.
After the initial weirdness of it, it actually starts to feel natural and extremely expressive, well worth having.
Studiologic Numa Compact 2x – Best Hybrid
The Numa Compact 2x is a hybrid, so it's great as a MIDI controller but it also has some amazing onboard sounds so you can use it without a computer. Admittedly, for this reason, it may not be in everyone's top 10 list but it shouldn't be discounted just because it's not only a MIDI keyboard.
It has 88 semi-weighted keys with aftertouch but even for a semi-weighted keyboard, it's very lightweight indeed. So it's easy to get to gigs or rehearsals without needing to take a laptop. The onboard sound engines have some stunning pianos, organs, and synths that sound great through the built-in speakers.
So, everything above is really just an added bonus because as a MIDI controller it has lot's to offer too. There are 9 drawbars for the organ sound engine but they can be assigned to control parameters from either the onboard effects engine or your DAW/VST. It also has a very nice OLED display which is helpful on stage or at home.
Studiologic has gone for joysticks rather than wheels when it comes to pitch bend and modulation, they are very accurate and responsive so that will be a personal preference issue.
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It's a hybrid but don't be fooled into thinking it's a jack of all trades, master of none. The sound engines in this keyboard could match that of much more expensive instruments easily and it has all the MIDI capability that you need.
It may be an outside choice but having all the MIDI features and the option to play without a computer is well worth considering.
Alesis V61 – Best Budget Controller
The V61 from Alesis is exactly what you want if you are on a tight budget. It has 61 semi-weighted keys, they are pretty light but they are full size. The body itself is very slimline and not much broader than the keys themselves.
Despite being so slimline it still manages to fit in 8 pads located to the left of the keyboard. The pads are very good by any standard, responsive and well sized. Beside the pads there are 4 assignable knobs and a pitch bend and modulation wheel.
As far as performance goes, the keys are a bit too light but better than most you'd find in the price range. You would struggle to find a similarly priced keyboard with 61 keys and 8 pads so there can't be too many complaints.
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It's not going to blow you away but the combination of 61 keys, 8 drum pads, and the low price make it our best budget MIDI controller.
Conclusion
What is the shortcut key for screenshot. In conclusion, there are genuine reasons for buying every controller on this list. As always you should base your decision on which one suits your needs most.
Think about your budget, your workspace, and what style you play most. Do that till you eliminate any unsuitable keyboards then you should be left with a smaller list to choose from.
Hopefully, our small MIDI controller reviews can help you out, enjoy!
James is a writer and musician with a passion for audio production. He is a lover of all things tech, especially the latest keyboards, synths, DAW's, virtual instruments, and effects plugins. Musical interests include jazz, funk, hip hop, blues, and rock.
I received an email from a blog reader who had recently bought a MIDI keyboard so they could start practicing a bit of piano at home.
My previous blog posts on MIDI keyboards had all said something along the lines of 'plug in your MIDI device and open up you DAW software to play'. But what if you don't want to purchase any expensive software for writing and producing whole musical tracks? What if you just want some free software for practicing piano or messing around?
So following that I set out to find the best FREE MIDI keyboard software out there on each of the most common platforms Windows, Mac/ Apple and Android so you can plug in your MIDI keyboard and start playing straight away. This article summarises what I found.
But first, some context:
How does MIDI Work?
First things first, I always find it useful to briefly explain how MIDI works. If you, like me, came from playing a traditional acoustic instrument such as a piano or guitar, the world of MIDI and digital music production may be a little confusing. If you already know how it works feel free to skip this section!
MIDI is a digital signal, basically a series of 1s and 0s that allows different electronic devices to communicate with one another (I know, it sounds very dystopian!). This code communicates all manner of things from the note pressed, to how hard it is pressed and when it is released.
This is different to traditional instruments that produce an audio signal you can hear either straight away for acoustic instruments or through an amplifier for electric ones.
With a MIDI keyboard or other MIDI device not producing an audio signal, it needs to be plugged into another device which can convert the code into something we can hear. In the modern era this is usually a laptop or computer.
Modern MIDI devices pretty much always plug in and communicate via a USB connection. But simply connecting the device isn't enough. The computer will receive the code but to produce a sound it will need software of some sort.
That is where I hope this article will help.
Best Free Midi Keyboard Options – Windows
1) Piano Time for Windows 10
Piano time is a nice option if you simply want to plug in and play the piano.
It is an 'app' but that doesn't mean you need a tablet or phone to use it. Windows is changing to become more similar to Apple in the way they present software creating less of a disconnect between computers, tablets and phones. This means if you have Windows 10, you can now head to the Microsoft store and download apps to your computer.
There are paid apps in the windows store but as with the Apple and Android 'stores' that you may be more familiar with on your phones and tablets, many of the apps are free to download and use.
Ease of Use
Piano time is really easy to plug in and get going. I plugged in my Novation Impulse MIDI keyboard and it instantly recognized it without me having to go into the settings.
Features
Piano time is meant to be simple and for mimicking the sound of a piano. For this reason, you can't really adjust the sound. You won't find different instrument sounds, reverb or delay for example. But this might be a good thing if all you want to do is play the piano.
You can record and save clips of what you are playing which is a nice feature, and this allows you to record one part, play it back and then play something else over the top. Handy if you are doing a bit of songwriting. However, be warned, on the free version these clips will only remain in place whilst the program is open, to save or export the tracks you record as MP3 files you will have to pay a small fee to upgrade.
It comes pre-loaded with a few very basic tracks for you to play along with, think Amazing Grace or Mary Had a Little Lamb. The keys will light up and show you how to play along and you can slow it down or speed it up to suit. Perhaps this is most suitable for the absolute beginner or for a child learning the piano. Also useful for anyone using this to learn the piano are a few basic scale exercises you can play along with.
Other features include a metronome that can be adjusted. I did find the clicking a bit annoying but it does the job.
As with most pieces of MIDI software, you can use your computer keyboard to play if you don't own a MIDI keyboard. I would not recommend this as it is very hard to do, but Piano Time does have a feature called 'key mapping' which will show the corresponding keyboard letters above the relevant keys to help you play.
Sound and Performance
I found the sound to be ok. A nice bit of sustain and reverb make it sound quite realistic. However, the lower notes can sound a bit quiet compared to the higher notes and chords don't sound that great. This is annoying if you are trying to play notes with the left and right hand, as the right hand notes tend to drown out those of the left.
This can be frustrating as a quick ‘stacatto' press of a key isn't any different from when you hold it down. This makes notes merge together when you don't want them to or not ring out for as long as you might have hoped.
For me, the app had virtually no latency (time between pressing a key and hearing the sound). This is partly due to the app, but will also be due to your computer. If you are trying to use it with a computer or laptop that doesn't have much RAM or has a slow processor then this may not be the case. If you are experiencing MIDI delay check out this article.
Other people have noted that when adverts load it can cause the app to crash. This did happen to me once which was a pain. You can get rid of the ads by paying just a small fee so this might be worth doing if you are having this issue.
2) Piano 10 for Windows 10
Piano 10 is very similar in many ways to Piano Time. It is available for download from the Windows app store on any windows device.
Free Midi Downloads For Keyboards
Ease of Use
I plugged my keyboard in and it didn't work straight away this time. The menus in the app are also not the easiest to find with a series of symbol buttons to press, so I had to do a bit of random clicking to find out how to do it.
A button saying 'general MIDI' brings up a menu when clicked where you should be able to turn MIDI support on and then select your MIDI keyboard from the list.
So once you figure out what each button symbol means it isn't too hard to use.
Features
Different to Piano Time, Piano 10 has a few different effects and amazingly 126 different sounds for you to chose from. Including reverb, sustain and echo but unfortunately only one of these can be turned on at once.
An auto-chords function is pretty cool and is a great way to help learn different chords and chord types as the keys of the chords light up whilst you play.
As with piano time you can record short clips of yourself playing. You can save these clips but only as .xscore files to re-open in Piano 10 another time.
A metronome is also included with adjustable bpm.
Sound and performance
When testing the default piano sound it was ok, but pressing the keys too lightly meant no sound was played. So if you are trying to practice playing softly you may find this frustrating.
However, when the sustain effect is turned on I thought it sounded much more realistic and it felt nice to play.
Although it is cool having 126 different sounds to choose from, be warned, most of them sound pretty terrible. Fun to mess around with but you would never want to use them in a performance.
Probably the most annoying thing about Piano 10 is the fact you can't change the key size or get more keys to show on the screen. The whole keyboard will still play but you won't see all the keys light up on screen.
Being a free app it also has a banner with ads at the top but these are fairly standard and don't really interfere with the usability.
3) MidiEditor
If you want something a bit more advanced which will allow you to edit and export your MIDI tracks then MIDI Editor is free software that is a great introduction to some more advanced techniques.
Ease of Use
In terms of downloading and installing things are fairly simple. However, unlike the previous two options, this is a more traditional piece of software that you download from a website rather than the Windows App Store.
Once downloaded the settings are easy to find and here you can select your MIDI device and connect.
You should then hear a basic piano sound.
So in terms of getting a sound, it is fairly simple. However, if you are not familiar with MIDI you may find the software slightly confusing due to the more advanced features it has….
Features
The screen shows what is known as a ‘piano roll'. This is something to get familiar with if you plan on using MIDI in production.
As you play on your MIDI keyboard and press record you will see lines appear on the screen. This is a visualization of the digital code for each note. You can see it shows which note was played, how long for and other parameters such as velocity (how hard you played that note).
This is what separates digital MIDI data from a traditional audio recording. It is stored as a series of numbers (note, note length, etc) and then a sound is ‘overlayed' on top of that. So you could play the original notes with a piano sound but then change that to strings or a flute for example.
Features such as quantize, which automatically moves mistimed notes onto the correct beat are cool to mess around with.
Sound and performance
As a basic free introduction to MIDI editing software, MidiEditor does a pretty good job.
There are a couple of things that frustrated me though.
For example, when you record a track you can't see the notes appearing on the screen, you have to wait till you have finished recording and then they will appear. This just felt weird compared to the MIDI input I'm used to in a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW).
There are also no other built-in sounds to test apart from the piano and I couldn't find a way to import my own sounds either. Perhaps I'm expecting too much from free software.
Best Free Midi Keyboard Software on Mac (and Apple devices)
1) Garageband
Garageband has to be my favorite of all the free music making software available. I've written entire songs on the bus using this software on my iPad and have been happier with the sound than some tracks I spent weeks on in the studio!
It comes pre-installed on most Apple products but if not it can be downloaded from the app store for free.
Ease of Use
Garageband is quite a bit more advanced than some of the simple piano apps already mentioned in this article.
It is the closest you are going to get to proper a DAW without having to pay. A DAW is a Digital Audio Workstation. It is where all song artists create songs by piecing together tracks. There are many different ones with different people having different preferences. But if you are new to the music recording world then Garageband is a great place to start.
For this reason, it has massive potential but it does make it a bit confusing for the beginner. For example, when I connected my keyboard, it didn't work straight away. I had to navigate to preferences and select my device and I also had to change the output so I could hear the sound.
It is a similar process when connecting to an iPad, however, you will have to buy a USB to lightning adapter (such as this one).
All that said it is still very easy to get started in comparison to most DAWs which can be very overwhelming. There are plenty of great videos on Youtube to help you if you get lost.
Features
This is where Garageband excels over the other simpler apps. The possibilities are almost limitless.
You can choose from hundreds of pre-loaded MIDI sounds. There are pre-made drum loops to add in and play along to. Then when you want to add even more sounds or effects you can download free ‘plug-ins.
Because it is a DAW you can layer up multiple tracks, MIDI or Audio to create full songs and there are great built-in features such as EQ and compression so you can even try your hand at mixing!
Sound and Performance
The pre-loaded sounds do sound quite robotic and it is hard to compose a full song that will sound professional using just the MIDI samples. That does, of course, depend on your genre, for some electronic music you can do a pretty good job.
This may not bother you if you just want to practice the piano.
The performance is pretty good, I rarely ever experience any latency when playing. This is dependent on your laptop age and spec.
2) Pianu.com
This option technically applies to Windows too but I couldn't find another free app on the Apple app store that wasn't either terrible or tried to give me a virus.
So Pianu.com is actually a web-based MIDI keyboard and is a great option if you don't want to mess around downloading software and just want to get playing right away.
Ease of Use
This software is so simple to use (at least it was for me anyway!) Just head to pianu.com/keyboard-page and there you will see a big yellow button that says 'Detect My Keyboard'. Press this and you will see the following screen.
You are then ready to start playing
Features
Pianu is not very complex and won't give you all the features of Garageband. But many people have written to me to say they don't want something as complicated as that and just want to play some piano. For this it is perfect.
What Pianu is really meant for though is learning the piano. For this it has lots of built-in lessons, starting with the absolute basics and building you up from there. What I like most is you can play along with a lot of contemporary songs (Coldplay, Taylor Swift etc.) rather than the usual Ode to Joy or Amazing Grace which you get on most apps.
Sound and Performance
You would never want to use this piano for recordings or live performances, but it sounds fine for learning. The one annoying thing is the notes don't fully ring out and eventually just stop suddenly. But this is a minor issue when you are just practicing.
For a web-based application I expected performance to be dodgy, but it really wasn't. In fact I would say I noticed less latency than many other apps and my laptop fan was whirring away.
Best Free Midi Keyboard Software on Android
Yes, that's right, these days you don't even need a computer to use a MIDI device. You can now plug your MIDI keyboard directly into your phone or tablet and use that to create music.
I bought this simple USB C to USB adapter for under $10 and it allows me to play my 49 key MIDI keyboard through my phone.
As with the other devices mentioned above, you will need to download some software (an app) to do this and there are plenty of great free options to choose from.
1) Perfect Piano
Ease of Use
You may already know how to connect your android device to a MIDI keyboard, but if you don't it is very simple (you can find out in this step by step guide).
Flash image to sd card. Once plugged in the Perfect Piano app should automatically detect that a MIDI keyboard is connected and it should work straight away without you having to mess around with any setup! A real bonus for those who just want to plug in and play.
Features
The app has a keyboard that is set as default to a piano sound. But additionally, you get the choice of many more from strings to synths and loads of additional free sounds to download.
There is a sustain button to create the effect of using a piano pedal and you can record your efforts either in MIDI format or in audio format.
The app has some nice additional features such as ‘learn to play'. Where you can play along as notes descend on the screen, very similar to guitar hero (if you remember that game) except you are actually learning a real instrument.
Sound and Performance
With my android phone (which is a few years old now) I had no noticeable lag which amazed me. I've experienced many issues with MIDI latency using computers and laptops over the years. I can't guarantee you won't have issues but if your phone is newer than mine I'm sure it will be fine!
The sounds are really quite impressive. The piano does have that programmed sound but no more so than most other MIDI pianos out there. The synths and strings are great fun to mess around too.
I like how you can adjust the number of keys on the screen. A feature often lacking from many mobile MIDI apps.
Concluding Remarks
Nowadays there are plenty of free MIDI apps and software programs to choose from. The key thing is to ask yourself, what do I need the software to do? If it is to simply practice piano or mess about then stick to something simple. But if you think you might want to create full tracks or use more advanced techniques there is probably something out there for you too.
Once you are ready to progress the best option is to move to a DAW of your choice. I personally use Ableton Live which is particularly good for MIDI. But there are loads of others to choose from. My suggestion would be to download a free trial, watch a few ‘how-to' videos and see which one you find best.
The possibilities of music production using MIDI are pretty endless!
