Budget Midi Controller

Pipcelona

Hi guys,

So ive recently got myself a 4th gen focusrite scarlett 2i2 and I'm gonna be using Reaper as a DAW. It'll be mostly used for guitar and vocals, but figured I'd pick up a budget friendly Midi controller too. I'm thinking less than £150. 49 keys would be a good place to start rather than the mini ones. Any suggestions?
Cheers!

Basher

I'd be looking at the Nektar LX49 mk3.

Only drawback is no 5-pin midi out but if you're not looking to control external hardware that's not an issue. 

I've had the previous version for a few years and it worked well with Reaper for controlling VSTs. There seem to be a lot of new features with the mk3s and a much better screen/menu system too.

There's the Novation Launchkey series for a bit more but I'd be happy with the Nektar. Mine's very light and compact too so it's doesn't take much more desk space than a mini key controller but is much nicer to use (IMO).

Pipcelona

great, thanks a mill. I'm not sure if i need something with semi-weighted keys/velocity sensitve/aftertouch keys? im concerned about how piano sounds would 'feel' without these

Basher

Pipcelona said:

great, thanks a mill. I'm not sure if i need something with semi-weighted keys/velocity sensitve/aftertouch keys? im concerned about how piano sounds would 'feel' without these

As far as I know, everything you look at will be velocity sensitive, i.e. the faster you hit the keys, the louder the midi value that is produced.

Key weight is another thing altogether and the whole "semi-weighted" category is a bit of a minefield in my experience. I've found that one manufacturer's definition of semi-weighted is someone else's idea of a completely unweighted keyboard! You've just got to try them out and be prepared to return them if buying online.

If you want something that feels piano-like you're not going to find that on a 49 key, £150 controller. Properly weighted actions almost always only come with the 88 key controllers (although I do have a 73 key weighted action keyboard) and tend to cost much more.

Don't forget that the weighted key thing cuts both ways. The more "pianistic" a keyboard feels, the less organ or synth like it becomes! It all depends on what sounds you are using. 

Aftertouch is also rare in smaller, cheaper controllers and I don't know of anything with it at this end of the budget. It never bothered me as I'm typically using VSTs that emulate old synths and keyboards that never had it (MiniMoog, Jupiter-8 etc.). It's nice to have but again, you're going to have to spend a lot more if you want it.

The exception to everything above is buying second-hand but, in my experience, this can be risky for two reasons. Firstly, people seem to nearly always expect way too much for what are electronic/tech items. They seem to want to sell for most of what they paid for stuff while ignoring the fact that newer versions of the gear will often have way more features than an older keyboard. Secondly, and this was a surprise to me, these things can wear out over time! Keyboards become clicky and noisy, while switches and sliders can break. Not a reason not to buy used but be sure to try gear out if you can.

Sorry if all this is obvious to you. Just summarising my findings.
 

Pipcelona

Thanks so much Basher, thats all invaluable information. Yeah, I guess really all I need is the velocity senstive keys, which as you said is pretty standard now. I'm not sure I need all the pads/knobs/faders as a starter unit, I can always progress to that if needs be, it'll be mainly just guitar and vocals with some keys to prop it up. In regards to new or secondhand, definitely gonna go with something new to future proof myself as much as possible! I like the look of the Nektar range at this budget so I'm thinking of heading in their direction. Having said that, M-Audio's Oxygen 49 MKV is very appealing too...

ewal

I like my Novation Launchkey 25 and have never found the number of keys restrictive. I also like the look of the Arturia Keylab models, and both come with a good software bundle.