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Hi guys, i'm just wondering what you think would be the best midi keyboard to buy for a starting producer is. I've been looking at the Akai MPK Mini but the non existent mod wheels is a bit concerning. Any advice?


Akai MPK Mini

I was actually going to recommend one of the MPKs when I came in here. Have been playing on a friends MPK25 and it's a fucking delight. Quick search priced 'em at around 250 though, that's a little steeper than I'd guessed. The mini looks alright, but not having a pitch bend wheel would get annoying pretty quick IMO. While the pads are nice, I feel like it's not quite as important as a pitch / mod wheel. I'd keep looking. I started with an Oxygen O2. It was alright for a little bit. Not at all bad to start prudcing on.

IMO mod wheels are really not important, and i LOVE that akai, great keyboard. if you absolutely want the wheels the m-audio oxygen line is really cheap and great for startup, however it is bulky as bollocks. if your like me and you do most of your producing while travelling buy yourself a korg nanokey cuz of its size and ease of use. but all around that akai you mentioned is my fav pick..

Yeah i'm not really wanting to fork out a hell of a lot for a midi keyboard as I don't really know what i'm doing and i'm still learning. Thanks for the reply!

i personally like to have a pitch and mod wheel. check out the axiom 25 if you like having the pads.
http://www.zzounds.com/item--MDOAXIOM25II

lyons238 wrote:i personally like to have a pitch and mod wheel. check out the axiom 25 if you like having the pads.
http://www.zzounds.com/item--MDOAXIOM25II

Yeah I've looked at that, its a bit out of my price range. Like I said, i'm not really wanting to fork out a huge amount

Archetype wrote:

lyons238 wrote:i personally like to have a pitch and mod wheel. check out the axiom 25 if you like having the pads.
http://www.zzounds.com/item--MDOAXIOM25II

Yeah I've looked at that, its a bit out of my price range. Like I said, i'm not really wanting to fork out a huge amount

get one used. i did for 85 bucks. works perfect.

edit: mine is the older model one though, which is still perfectly fine...

lyons238 wrote:

Archetype wrote:

lyons238 wrote:i personally like to have a pitch and mod wheel. check out the axiom 25 if you like having the pads.
http://www.zzounds.com/item--MDOAXIOM25II

Yeah I've looked at that, its a bit out of my price range. Like I said, i'm not really wanting to fork out a huge amount

get one used. i did for 85 bucks. works perfect.

edit: mine is the older model one though, which is still perfectly fine...

that's a hell of a buy. dope.

Archetype wrote:

lyons238 wrote:i personally like to have a pitch and mod wheel. check out the axiom 25 if you like having the pads.
http://www.zzounds.com/item--MDOAXIOM25II

Yeah I've looked at that, its a bit out of my price range. Like I said, i'm not really wanting to fork out a huge amount

oxygen 25, or the E-mu xboard 25 both decent and pretty cheap if your budget is between $100 - $200

doesn't really matter to me about the mod wheels or pitch bends...I have a casio ctk-533 ... old model, but it gets the job done for me

I've got an MPK mini, great little MIDI controller and it feels great to jam on.

If you want the pads I would not suggest the MPK mini. It's a nice little keyboard for the cost, but the pads are horrible on it. The knobs and keys are fine though.

If you just can't afford to drop a stack of cash on something all at once, I would suggest checking out sweetwater.com. They offer a 3 easy payment option and it makes it a lot easier to pay for your stuff. I can't afford to just drop 300-400 dollars on something very often, but I can afford to pay 75 dollars a month. Not to mention it's a no interest deal so you're actually paying off the item instead of interest.

As for suggestions here's a couple.

If you don't mind not having the pads and knobs there's the Korg Microkey. Very nice little keyboard IMO.
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/microKEY/

M-Audio Oxygen 25
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/Oxygen2-25/

If you can manage to scrape together a bit more money, you could go for something like the Novation Nocturn. I've read good things about it, but never actually tried it myself.
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/Nocturn25/#

whatever you're going to buy, DON'T buy the nanoKEY or the LPK25.
the nanokey is simply horrible, once i saw it sitting in front of me at a music store i understood the negative reviews. everything about it screams "cheap plastic toy".
at the moment i'm using a friend's lpk25 and while it's enough to play basslines and basically anything that doesn't need velocity, the velocity curve on that thing really eludes me. it just doesn't feel nice, not at all.

I have an mpk mini and find the keys are far too small to be any thing other than shit.

I've also found the keys to be plasticy and too small. That and the knobs just will not work and the software that came with it AND the one I downloaded off the akai website does not work and the "upload" button doesn't work on the software. Not recommended from me but tbh I don't know anything about midi so that may be why I'm having these problems.

I love akai products, they just seem well made and they work perfectly with ableton (I think they may be the same company so that may be why they work well together). Anyways I have the akai apc40 wich I love and the LPD8. If your just looking for pads I would go with the LPD8...I've enjoyed it

i picked up an MPK25 for a hundred bucks at a pawn shop new in box, and this thing rocks! i installed the more sensitive pads and life is a good place right now.

DJ Crackle wrote:

lyons238 wrote:

Archetype wrote:

lyons238 wrote:i personally like to have a pitch and mod wheel. check out the axiom 25 if you like having the pads.
http://www.zzounds.com/item--MDOAXIOM25II

Yeah I've looked at that, its a bit out of my price range. Like I said, i'm not really wanting to fork out a huge amount

get one used. i did for 85 bucks. works perfect.

edit: mine is the older model one though, which is still perfectly fine...

that's a hell of a buy. dope.

u can find a used axiom 25 anywhere from 85-115, no problem. i just happened to catch a bid at the perfect time and managed to steal mine for 85 .

thing is in great shape and works mint. does have a few very tiny scratches here and there from storing it but you cant even see them. oh and it does have a piece of something stuck inside it that rattles around when i shake it. ill take it apart one of these days to get it out lol. but too lazy as of now.

nocturn 25 is very nice and the mpk25 is also very nice. those are the other 2 contenders other than the axiom 25.

Novation is also running a promotion on some of their gear, which includes the Nocturn 25. If you buy it and register it within the next week or something they'll give the V-Station and Bass Station synths, as well as an FX suite.

Cakewalk A-300 Pro. exactly the same at the Roland A-300 Pro but its about 125 instead of 250 at dolphin. Awesome little keyboard, 39 full size keys, 9 knobs, 8 faders and 8 pads, and a pitch thing and a mod thing. well worth it imo!