The Best 25-Key MIDI Keyboard Controllers Under £100 For 2018
1st Mar 2018
Looking to buy a MIDI Keyboard? Join Music Matter As We Handpick Some Of The Best 25-Key MIDI Keyboards For Under £100 For 2018 Featuring: Novation, Nektar, M-Audio & More!
Looking to buy a MIDI Keyboard? Well that's where Music Matter come in. We have handpicked some of the best 25-Key MIDI Keyboards for under £100 from 2020 to help you get started creatively on a budget.
We look specifically look at 25-Key keybeds and added extras such as software and encoders. All the while giving you the right information to which one would be best suited to you. Featuring the very best brands such as: Arturia, Nektar, Novation, M-Audio, AKAI and IK Multimedia.
What Is A MIDI Keyboard?
MIDI is the protocol that is used to trigger electronic and virtual instrument using either note data inputted from a sequencer or played from a keyboard. A MIDI keyboard is by far the best way to ‘play’ instruments on your computer as it offers the most natural experience and is infinitely preferable in most cases to using the mouse to draw notes. Most people will use MIDI at some point, whether it’s to compose entire tracks or just to add some keyboard flourishes to an acoustic recording.
You don’t have to be a piano player to use a MIDI keyboard, they are suitable for everything from playing simple patterns to full virtuoso performance, depending on the size and number of keys. The trick is in choosing one that best suits your needs.
Common features that you would see in various MIDI Keyboards are:
Velocity
how hard you would press down on a key would detirmine the velocity sent to the track you are working on, the harder the press the higher the volume.
Pads
Encoders
Connectivity
So Why A MIDI Keyboard?
MIDI Keyboards are an extremely important part of any studio set up, whether that be professional or Home recording, simply because you can create authentic sounding instruments right from a piano layout, if you can't find a Saxophonist in time? Then load a saxophone VI or sample on your Keyboard, Your Drummer's running late? Trigger some drum sounds via the pad and if you need something atmospheric that no manual instrument can produce then this is the product for you.
Another reason to use a MIDI Keyboard is that it saves a huge amount of time in the long run, inputing data manually in to your DAW is a real drag and can take days so when using a MIDI Keyboard you can set the right program, effects, volume, panning and input notes quickly and effeciently.
Novation Launchkey Mini MK2
The Launchkey Mini MK2 by Novation is a 25-key USB MIDI controller that features pre-mapped control for many popular DAWs. It also has 16 velocity-sensitive, multi-color, backlit trigger pads that can be used to launch loops, samples and more. The controller is compatible with Mac, PC and iPad.
Additionally, the Launchkey Mini is equipped with 8 assignable knob controls that can be used for controlling mixer functions, effect parameters and more. It makes use of Novation's pre-mapped templates that allow for automatic control of popular DAWs such as Ableton Live, FL Studio, Pro Tools, Reason, Cubase, Logic and others.
Novation Launchkey Mini MK2 Key Features
Music Matter Recommends:
We're talking deep deep Integration with the Novation Launchkey Mini Mk2, pretty much out of the box & ready to go with most DAWs, Buttons, pads & similar are all assigned right then & there making this the easiest Keyboard controller to get to grips with.
Akai MPK Mini MK2
Make music anywhere with the MPK Mini. You get 25-keys of synth-action fun, plus a 4-way thumbstick to twist your sounds in any direction imaginable. Trigger your sounds with the eight MPC-style pads, and control your plug-ins and more with the eight assignable control knobs. Throw this controller in your backpack and make music wherever creativity strikes!
Akai MPK Mini MK2 Key Features
Music Matter Recommends:
The MIDI Keyboard market is crowded which makes MPK Mini MK2 even more impressive to emerge as a top contender - hugely portable, comes with some awesome software & the drum pads are as good as any higher priced controller.
M-Audio Oxygen 25 MKIV
M-Audio pioneered the portable MIDI controller market with the Oxygen series of keyboard controllers. Today, M-Audio continues to be a leader of this technology by developing intuitive controllers for software-based music production and performance. Thanks to continued innovation over the course of nearly a decade, the new Oxygen series controllers offer more control, deep hardware/software integration, and come equipped with a reliable build that enables you to make music on the go or implement these controllers into any studio.
M-Audio Oxygen 25 MKIV Key Features
Music Matter Recommends:
Tabletop MIDI Controllers on a budget don't really come better than the Oxygen range, featuring full size keys, pro pad area & a wealth of software (which as of late has been expanded even further!).
Arturia Minilab MK2
The Arturia MiniLab MKII features a wide variety of controls and ways to play and make sounds. The 25-key, velocity sensitive keybed features slim keys to incorporate the 2 octaves for a vaster playing range. The velocity sensitive keys give a more natural feel, ideal for pianists transitioning from analog keyboards and pianos into the digital era. The keys also help to produce a more natural sound when working with a DAW, recording the velocity automation for a more natural and dynamic performance. The 8 multipurpose RGB backlit pads are ultra responsive and provide added control when it comes to triggering sounds and inputting scores.
The pads can be used for finger-drumming as well as triggering vocal samples, synth FX and more. Other expressive performance controls including highly responsive touchstrips, suited to creating transitions as well as controlling automation and other parameters. 16 rotary knobs are also included for controlling your favourite effects, levels and more; with two of the knobs clickable for deeper control.
Arturia Minilab MK2 Key Features
Music Matter Recommends:
The Arturia Minilab MK2 contains an amazing amount of effects and presets for such a compact MIDI Keyboard. What's great about the Arturia Minilab is that you create a fantastic array of sounds either in a professional studio environment or out there on the road.
Nektar SE25
As the centre point of your MIDI keyboard, the keys are one of the most important parts of your controller. Their playability is integral to their design. If the keys don't feel right, then it doesn't matter how good the rest of the functions are.
Fortunately, the SE25 features everything that makes full-sized keyboards play great. In order to keep the SE25 small, Nekter has opted for mini keys but don't let that put you off. The new keybed allows for organic and natural playing, despite its size. Fully adjustable velocity sensitivity curves allow you to modify the keyboard to suit your playing styles.
Nektar SE25 Key Features
Music Matter Recommends:
A bit of a different approach to the MIDI keyboard, aesthetically striking, super slimline & the most portable of the lot, you could even fit this in your back pocket!
25-Key MIDI Keyboard Controller Comparison Table:
| MPK Mini MK2 | Oxygen 25 MKIV | Impact LX25+ | Minilab MK2 | Xkey | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number Of Keys | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 |
| Key Size | Mini | Full | Full | Mini | Full |
| Velocity Sensitive | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Trigger Pads | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Software | Akai Pro MPC Essentials, SONiVOX Wobble, and Hybrid 3 by AIR | Ableton Live Lite, SONiVOX Twist, Xpand!2, Pro Tools First & Eleven Lite | Bitwig 8-Track | Ableton Live Lite, Analog Lab Lite and UVI Grand Piano Model D | NA |
| Encoders | 8 | 8 | 8 | 16 | 0 |
| Connectivity | USB | USB | USB | USB | USB |
| Pitch Bend / Modulation | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Dimensions (mm) | 12.5" x 7.13" x 1.75" | 3.7" x 9.6" x 19.3" | 18 3/4" x 10 1/2" x 2 3/4" | 14" x 8.7" x 2" | 15.27" x 5.3" x 0..62" |
| Weight | 1.65 lbs | 4 lbs | 4 lbs | 3.3 lbs | 1.3 lbs |
