The keys may be fully ‘weighted’. This acts to mimic the feel of real piano keys. If you hit a key hard you get a loud sound and if you touch it gently you get a softer one.
Accessories
Which MIDI keyboard should i use?
Are you a complete newbie to the music world? you want to learn how to play the piano but don’t know where and which tools are better to start? There are tons of brands and keyboards in the market for all types of skill levels, purposes, and budgets, but which one you should choose if you are a beginner? what specs are the most important to look for? we’ll leave some tips and recommended keyboards that will guide you to choose more wisely.
Tips for choosing the best MIDI keyboard
Weighted Keys
Space
Consider if you have enough space to place your keyboard. Their length can go from 12.5 to 58.5 inches according to the number of the keys they have.
Full-Sized Keys
The closer to full-sized piano keys the better, if you get used to smaller keys you may have trouble playing bigger keyboards.
Portability
Are you planning to carry your keyboard everywhere you go? Check how much it weights before buying it, they may vary between 1.5 to 15 pounds.
4 MIDI Keyboards you might want to try
We love Korg MicroKEY Air for one simple reason: no wires! its Bluetooth connection makes it easy to use and less messy. It comes in 25, 37, 49, and 61-key models for all kinds of skill levels and spaces. The 37, 49, and 61-key models provide an assignable switch jack for connecting a damper pedal also have pitch bend and modulation wheels. On all models, you can use the octave buttons in conjunction with the key transpose function to play MIDI’s entire range of notes. Works with Mac, iOS, and Windows. You can check it here for more specs and here if you want to buy it.
Midiplus AK490 makes learning comfortable and simple, with 49 keys, control buttons for going up or down in the octave scale plus pitch and modulation wheels, easy enough to use and understand. Has compatibility with both Mac and Windows, one of it’s more attractive feature is that can plug & play because doesn’t need a driver, making it very practical. If you want to learn more about this keyboard, you can check it here and if you looking where to buy it, you can click here.
Nektar SE49 has 49 full-size keys and comes with 4 different velocity curves (plus 3 fixed ones) so you can adjust the keyboard response to your needs and skills. Left to the keys you can find four buttons to go up or down -3/+4 octaves with LED indicators, transpose buttons, a fader, and pitch & modulation wheels. Compatible with Windows, Mac and iOS, and comes with its own Nektar DAW software (but can work perfectly with other ones). Know more about this awesome keyboard here or if you are interested to purchase it here.
What we like most of the Worlde KS49C Midi Keyboard is that it comes with a holder for the Ipad and you can plug your headphones or speakers to hear it without a PC, even so, it also comes with a USB connector and a MIDI out. 49 keys, buttons to control octaves and transpositions, and one master volume slider. If you want to know more specs you can click here and if you want to buy it, check this link here.
How many keys should be enough?
What does the number of keys mean?
You can find MIDI Keyboards with 25, 32, 49, 61, and 88 keys like a full-sized piano, but what it’s the difference between them? The answer is simple: the more keys, the greater the instrument’s range. A 25-key keyboard has only a 2-octave range, while a 49-key keyboard has a range of 4 octaves, a 61-key keyboard has a range of 5, and an 88-key keyboard spans 7.
What does it mean to have a wide range?
A wider range will allow you to play more complex songs with more variety of higher and lower notes. 61-key and 88-key are also more comfortable to play with two hands.
How do I know what number of keys its the best for me?
Always think first in your skill level and the purpose of your keyboard. If you are a beginner 49-key MIDI keyboards will be enough to learn all the basics but if you want to become a full pianist you might go with 61 or 88-key. Fewer keys are more suited for casual players or musicians that only want to record simple basslines or leads or prefer to play with one hand alone.
Which one I will need to practice in Musicuso?
To learn with Musicuso apps you’ll require a MIDI Keyboard of 49-Keys because it’s more than enough to learn all the basic piano lessons, single-note bass lines or single-note melodies or very simple three-note chords and most of the 49-key keyboards come with buttons to switch between the main four octaves with pitch and modulation wheels. The perfect mix in note range, size, weight, and complexity.