![]() So, what makes the Akai MPK Mini Mk3 so great?įirst of all, it’s tiny, but you probably gathered that from the name. Since the release of the original MPC, Akai have been a big part of the electronic music production game. It would be hard to create a list of the best MIDI controllers without having at least one entry from Akai. ![]() Those are the two main kinds of MIDI controllers, but if you can imagine any kind of instrument, you can bet there’s a MIDI controller that emulates it.įor example, electronic drum kits from the likes of Yamaha and Roland typically have MIDI outputs, and you can also find MIDI controllers that emulate wind instruments like saxophone or clarinet Best Akai MIDI Controller: Akai MPK Mini Mk3 Then, you’ve got pad-style controllers, which have grown in popularity in recent years with the rise in production tools like Ableton Live, and music production giants like Madeon really embracing this technology. Most of the controllers we’re going to look at here are keyboard-style MIDI units. There are a few different kinds of MIDI controllers, though.īy and large, the main kind of MIDI controller that music producers use is the MIDI keyboard. What kinds of MIDI controllers are there? To summarize, MIDI controllers allow you to record performance data, which you can later manipulate, and run through virtually any sound engine to produce a variety of tones, timbres, and instruments. ![]() ![]() That’s why you can play the same piece using a piano sound in Ableton, and then very easily switch over the sound to say, a bass guitar, without having to reprogramme the piece. It’s then your computer (or external sound module, if you’re playing in outboard gear world) that turns the performance data into sounds by running it through some form of sound module. You play some form of performance information into the controller, and it stores that information in your computer as performance data.īut it doesn’t actually produce any sound. The MIDI controller, then, takes care of the first part of that. The second thing that happens is that the keys on a piano respond to that performance data, and through various mechanisms, hit a bunch of strings inside the piano body to bring about the sound we all know and love as the piano.Įssentially how MIDI works is by separating those two pieces of information. Let’s call that the performance data module. the notes and note lengths required to perform a given piece) from your brain (whether in your memory, or through sight reading) through your fingers and onto the keys themselves. The first is that you’re taking a piece of performance information (i.e. There are really two main things going on there. To start with, MIDI is an acronym that stands for Musical Instrument Digital Interface.īut what does that actually mean in practice? If you’re a seasoned music producer with a strong understanding of MIDI devices and their workings, then feel free to skip ahead.īut for anyone who’s new to the game, or is in need of a quick refresher, let’s take a quick look at what MIDI is all about. Best Non-Keyboard MIDI Controller: PreSonus ATOM 16-pad Performance Controllerīefore we dig straight in to the top 10 MIDI controllers on the market, I want to make sure everyone here is on the same page.Best Innovative MIDI Controller: ROLI Seaboard Block.Best MIDI Controller for iOS: IK Multimedia iRig Keys 2 Mini.Best Alesis MIDI Controller: Alesis V61.Best M-Audio MIDI Controller: M-Audio Keystation 49 MK3.Best Arturia MIDI Controller: Arturia Keystep Pro.Best Korg MIDI Controller: Korg MicroKey 2 Air 25.Best Native Instruments MIDI Controller: Native Instruments Komplete Kontrol S49.Best Novation MIDI Controller: Novation 49 SL MkIII.Best Akai MIDI Controller: Akai MPK Mini Mk3.What kinds of MIDI controllers are there?.
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