
The Akai Professional MPK25 is plug-and-play for Mac and Windows. It has semi weighted keys with after touch, 8 pads with LED lights, there are 8 knobs and 9 faders, MIDI in and out, mixer controls, pedal inputs, and more. Reviewers love the feel of the keys and pads of this model. The Novation Impulse 25 is a higher-end model with a much better build quality than the cheaper models on this list, but it still comes at a reasonable price. Price: $119 at Amazon Novation Impulse 25 USB MIDI Controller It works with most DAWs and comes with Ableton Live Lite.

There’s also a 49-key model of the M-Audio Oxygen with more features for $169. The 25-key version has synth-action velocity-sensitive keys, 8 velocity-sensitive trigger pads, 8 assignable knobs, one fader, pitch and mod wheels, and more. M-Audio doesn’t get as much respect as some of the other brands, but their Oxygen line offers a lot of features for the price. There are two version of the M-Audio Oxygen 25, one with pads and one without. Price: $99 at Amazon M-Audio Oxygen 25 MIDI Controller The Alesis QX25 works with most music software for Mac, PC, and iOS.

On the downside, some reviewers complain that the keys aren’t as sensitive and the build quality isn’t as good as other models.

It also features eight assignable rotary controls, seven function buttons, and two performance buttons. What sets it apart from similarly-priced models are the 16 velocity-sensitive launch pads with three colored lights that can be programmed for all kinds of things. The Novation Launchkey Mini has gone down in price a lot lately, making it one of the best economical choices. But there a couple of decent controllers with pads and 49-keys for under $200 if you really want the larger keyboard.īelow is a list of the best MIDI keyboard controllers for under $200. The best keyboard controllers under $200 are mostly 25-key versions, along with mini 25-key models, which have smaller keys than standard keyboards. It makes most sense to just buy a more advanced MIDI keyboard controller from the beginning since you can get a really nice one for under $200. Buying a controller with pads only or a controller with keys and no pads is more expensive in the long run if you decide to get one or the other later. This article is going to focus on MIDI controllers that have the most bang for their buck. Some have pads, keys, sliders, wheels, knobs, and various buttons. MIDI keyboards come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes.
