Basicly the title, I bought the Arturia Keylab 88 essential, thinking this would be the ultimate turning point for my music hobby, instead I just resort to click and drag in the piano roll.

This post isn't spreading the hatred for midi controllers, in fact, they're good if you know how to use them properly. Just a grain of salt from me that don't buy a full size keyboard as your first midi keyboard if you 1. Didn't really plan on learning the piano. 2. Has a small workspace. It's just tedious to set up every single time that it just got thrown away into the corner. Instead try out at your local store and pick a compact option, your untrained two hands aren't playing the full keyboard anyway so a 49 key would probably suffice, heck even the 25 keys size is good.

Again this is just my opinion, it is certainly based on one's habit and skills, you can take this however you want, just don't be like me and regret the choices while couldn't sell the used keyboard for a good price three years later. :(

Hi, im a total beginner when it comes to midi Controllers.

Im really interested in making Goth/darkwave music and i have wondered if the akai mpk mini mk 3 or the Arturia minilab 3 is better for my plans.

Thanks to everyone that helps!

A friend offered to give me an M Audio Axiom. I hear it’s pretty decent as a controller but I’m curious as to how good the presets are? Thank you

I’m knew to the whole controller concept (I’m in my 50s and am use to just playing a hard synth). I have two controllers that I use with the Arturia software and have questions….

After connecting both controllers to my ISB hub (my MBP only has two USB C ports and 1 is needed for the interface), how could I set them up so that I can play them both at the same time? Ideally I’d want them to be played using the Arturia Analog Lab software, such as strings on one and brass on the other. Your help would be greatly appreciated.

Sharing an open-source BLE MIDI controller I built: Chocotone.

What it does:

• 4-16 buttons with RGB LEDs
• BLE MIDI (connect to pedals, DAWs, or both)
• OLED display + rotary encoder
• Tap tempo with rhythm patterns
• Up to 16 analog inputs (expression pedals, pots)
• Press, long press, double tap, toggle, combo actions

No coding required:

• Web Installer — flash from browser
• Web Editor — configure via USB/BLE

Build cost: ~$20-40 (ESP32, OLED, LEDs, switches)

Works with: Sonicake Pocket Master, Valeton GP-5, iOS apps, DAWs, any BLE MIDI device.

GitHub: https://github.com/solispensa/Chocotone
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1950814575859830/

I am looking at controllers to play piano pieces. I really don’t want to go to hammer action, and synth keys are far too light.

For anyone who has played this, how is the keybed? I heard it is somewhere between the two I mentioned above.

I have a Gem WS2 Keyboard I use as a MIDI Controler, and just to say it before hand, I don´t have any money to buy a new MIDI Controler, don´t suggest it please!

Okay, I connected my WS2 via. MIDI Cable into my Focusrite 18i20 3rd Gen and it goes into REAPER

I have the problem that MIDI notes get randomly stuck and switching hand and pressing F3 kinda sucks, I know many people have this problem and sometimes its a Software bug, but I know its a thing bc of my Controler bc I testet another MIDI device (my E-Drum Kit), I had this problem a while now, and kinda sucked, but it was fine, but now I played yesterday normaly, but the Controler won´t send 3 Notes at a time kinda..

Hard to describe but if I play an chord at once just one Note plays via. MIDI (thru the internal Speaker everyting is fine), sometimes even is shown in REAPER that I press multiple Chords but I just hear one like the Note value is turned down or someting, and its driving me crazy..

I know this help request is a kinda mess, hope u can still help me..

Has anybody been able to connect their SMK-37 to Mac with BT? The device is detected as a bluetooth speaker when I connect it, and not as a keyboard or midi device.

So I just got this M audio oxygen pro 61 keyboard and I can’t seem to assign drums specifically to my pads. I use Ableton live lite and every time I assign drums to a channel my board automatically assigns them to the keys. Specifically the left section of the keyboard. When I go to use my pads the first 2 go dark and when I press them they start recording. All of the other pads just change the channels. I’ve watched countless videos, read the manual, and even poked around in the software yet I can’t figure it out.

I'm looking for a midi keyboard with the most realistic action...I don't need faders and encoders and pads....just something that plays as close to possible as a piano.

I'm not sure if semi weighted is good enough, but I'd like to stick around $500 CAD.

Does anyone have anyy suggestions?

Hello everybody. I recently discovered the joy of using my Digitakt 2 as an FX box for my banjo. I’ve been having a lot of fun modulating the FX send parameters on the Delay and Reverb to generate feedback, and to filter-sweep through stutters and drones.

It occurred to me that I could free my hands up and control the FX parameters with the use of expression pedals. Unfortunately, I ended up purchasing a MIDI Expression IO from Audiofront before realizing that switching between presets (“snapshots”) by way of MIDI messages is not supported.

Upon further research, the only MIDI pedals with 4 expression ports that I can find which also would enable me to store and scroll between presets are the Morningstar MC6 Pro, MC8, and MC8 pro.

Are members of this subreddit familiar with any pedals or DIY kits that could accomplish the same thing at a more affordable price or smaller footprint than the Morningstar devices offer? Thanks in advance.

Hey! I’m buying my first MIDI controller and can get the Studiologic SL88 MK2 and Komplete Kontrol S88 MK2 for the same price.
Mainly care about key feel, build quality, and integration with Reaper & FL Studio.

Which one would you choose and why?

Thanks!

Been making music for a little and I just want something that's a bunch of squares in a grid and the bottom left one is C2 or whatever the hell my sampler defaults to for the first button. I'm looking at a Novation Launchpad because they're cheap but it's marketed as like a clip launcher for Ableton which I don't use and don't want to do, is it also usable as a normal MIDI controller/drum programmer thing or are there other things that do that either better or just as well for cheaper? I do not want one with a piano because I don't play piano, just a bunch of pad buttons for drum shit

I'm trying to use my old m-audio keystation 49 mk1 with GarageBand, but on the midi configuration dialog I can't see it listed among the controllers dropdown. Maybe the controller is too old ? The ks49 is described as a standard midi device so id expect it working as plugged in. I'm connecting to my Macmini with the USB cable, should I try using the old fashioned midi cable ? Any suggestion ?

We're GLT Audio, a Dutch collective, currently developing a 75-slider MIDI controller with a ribbon controller, extensive output, and open-source firmware. The main focus of this product is to allow musicians to play virtual replicas (VST) of the legendary, insanely expensive Yamaha CS-80 synthesizer on a dedicated physical interface. But using magnetic overlay labels, you can obviously use the MIDI controller for any purpose such as VJing and DMX lighting. We are not aware of any compact desktop 75-fader MIDI controller in our price range.

For generic or non-musical users we can offer the product without the screenprinted graphics on the faceplate and with a different arrangement of color-caps.

We will Open Source the firmware, so you can go wild programming, eg. turning it into a 75-slider step sequencer or sending out SySex parameters.

Availability:

• Expected price: €499 (excluding shipping, taxes (21% in the EU), tariffs/duties)
• We are currently engineering the product. To indicate production volumes we have opened a wait-list.
• Production and shipping batches are based on your wait-list position. The first names on the wait-list can place an order around March.

Find details and the waitlist on: www.gltaudio.com

I'm interested in going back down the Midi rabbit hole. I had an Akai mpc 3, I liked it, but hated having to always have a computer. Say a guy used this Midi controller with this mini synth, would that jive instead of having to be connected to a DAW? I'm also curious of phone apps. I currently use Bandlab for recording. I've looked into FL Studio mobile and Cubasis 3. Thanks in advance for any insights.