By Will Betts, September 16 2025

Still tapping out lead lines using your laptop keys? It could be time to invest in a dedicated MIDI keyboard controller. The best MIDI keyboard controllers are powerful beasts, that make playing parts more comfortable, musical, and quicker to record – all while reducing trackpad clicks.

But not all MIDI keyboards are made equal. Before you grab one, make sure you think about:

• Features like drum pads, knobs, faders, or aftertouch for extra expression
• How many keys you need (25, 49, 88?)
• Whether you’ll be producing at home or on the go
• If you want DAW and plugin control

This guide breaks down the best MIDI keyboard controllers in 2025 so you can find the one that fits your workflow, and your wallet.

TL;DR: Best MIDI keyboard controllers in 2025

These are our top picks. Click to jump straight to each product.

Full-size keys 

• NI Komplete Kontrol 49 Mk3 – Best MIDI keyboard for build quality and plugin control
• Arturia KeyLab 49 Mk3 – Feature-packed MIDI keyboard at mid-range price
• Novation Launchkey 49 Mk4 – Best budget MIDI keyboard, especially for Ableton
• StudioLogic SL73 Mk2 – Best MIDI keyboard for real piano feel

Mini keys

• Arturia MiniLab 3 – Best MIDI keyboard controller under £100
• Akai MPK Mini Plus – Rugged mini keyboard with an extra octave
• Novation Launchkey Mini Mk4 – Best mini MIDI keyboard controller for Ableton Live

Komplete Kontrol S49 Mk3 (£549)

For keyboard players who want to get hands-on with sounds quickly, and don’t care about drum pads.

Who should buy the Komplete Kontrol Mk3? Producers who want a solidly-built MIDI keyboard controller that lives in your studio, and a few choice controls with context, rather than loads of knobs and faders. It’s an easy “yes” for users of NI plugins like Massive, FM8 or Kontakt, because these are all so well integrated with the hardware. If you’ve splashed out on a software bundle like Komplete, the keyboard’s patch browser helps you take full advantage of your sounds.

What’s unique about the Komplete Kontrol Mk3? Light Guide – the colourful lights that appear above each key – both looks fantastic and has a bunch of uses. It can light up different scales, making improvising in unfamiliar keys easier – this makes more difference than you might think. And, when using Kontakt instruments, the colours can differentiate between different sample zones, too.

What’s great about the Komplete Kontrol Mk3? Build quality is excellent, the semi-weighted keybed feels great for synth parts and more piano-like sounds. The display is the biggest and most informative out there, and DAW control is simple but effective. When a soft synth or Kontakt library is set up for Komplete Kontrol (via NKS mapping), the keyboard is a great fun to use, with key parameters auto-mapped to the controller’s knobs. And the range of NKS-enabled instruments is broad, including Arturia, Universal Audio, u-he, Output and more. 

What are the drawbacks of the Komplete Kontrol Mk3? First off, it’s pricey. Second, you must use the Komplete Kontrol plugin for the hardware to play nice. Because NKS instruments work so well with it, when you use a soft synth that isn’t mapped, it feels like you’re not getting your money’s worth. Favourites like Omnisphere and Serum lack NKS support from their developers, though you can buy third-party mappings. The Komplete Kontrol Mk3 series is very focused on the keyboard experience, lacking drum pads and faders. Also, it’s not possible to automate effects in Komplete Kontrol, which feels like a strange choice.

What are the different Komplete Kontrol Mk3 versions?

• S49 – 4 octave, semi-weighted keys (£549)
• S61 – 5 octave, semi-weighted keys (£659)
• S88 – 7 octave, hammer-action weighted keys (£749)

Key size: Full-size
Physical Controls: Knobs, DAW Transport
Built-in display: Yes, Colour, 1280 x 480 
Physical Controls: Knobs, DAW Transport
Other features:

• Arpeggiator, Scale-lock modes, One-finger chord mode
• Polyphonic aftertouch

What software comes with the Komplete Kontrol Mk3?

• Komplete 15 Select (a cut-down version of NI’s top plugin bundle)
• Komplete Kontrol
• One Kontakt instrument of your choice
• Ableton Live Lite, iZotope Elements Suite

Alternatives: If your budget doesn’t stretch to the S-series, but want you to stay in the NI ecosystem, the Komplete Kontrol A-series starts at £119 (with 25, 49, 61-key versions). These lose Light Guide and aftertouch, and swap the big colour display for a tiny monochrome one. But they still auto-map plugin parameters to physical knobs, have DAW control, and come with the same software bundle. 

Check out ADR using the Komplete Kontrol S49 in Summer Garage Production Secrets (@17m00s)

Arturia KeyLab 49 Mk3 (£379)

For Arturia plugin lovers who want different control styles.

Who should buy the Arturia KeyLab Mk3? Anyone who’s already in the Arturia soft synth ecosystem, and loves the tactile feel of different controls (knobs, faders, pads, buttons). 

What’s unique about the Arturia KeyLab Mk3? For the price, KeyLab Mk3 has a unique feature set, sitting somewhere between Komplete Kontrol S-Series Mk3 and Novation’s Launchkontrol keyboards. Its deep integration with the Arturia instrument library is strong. It offers touch-sensitive faders, alongside touch-sensitive rotary knobs (letting you see what parameter you’re touching before you move anything) and drum pads that double for Ableton Live clip launching.

What’s great about the Arturia KeyLab Mk3? The Arturia KeyLab Mk3 has solid-feeling keys with a little more resistance than most semi-weighted options, housed in a sturdy metal chassis with wooden sides, and comes in both white – a good look in brighter studios – and black. It includes Analog Lab, Arturia’s “best-of” collection of presets from their full library of synth emulations, making sound selection quick and fun. Now officially compatible with NKS, the KeyLab Mk3 lets you browse and control NKS-enabled plugins directly from its display, working as a seamless extension of your virtual instruments, and it’s also significantly more affordable per key than the Komplete Kontrol S series.

What are the drawbacks of the Arturia KeyLab Mk3? Unfortunately, there are some teething problems with NKS integration, making it a pain for some users. 

What are the different Arturia KeyLab Mk3 versions?

• 49 – 4 octave, semi-weighted keys (£359)
• 61 – 5 octave, semi-weighted keys (£463)
• 88 – 7 octave, with hammer-action fully-weighted piano keys (£839)

Key size: Full-size
Physical Controls: Drum pads, Knobs, Faders, DAW Transport
Built-in display: Yes, Colour, 480 x 320 (3.5-inch)
Other features:

• Arpeggiator, Scale-lock Modes
• One-finger chord mode with pressure-based chord spreading and strum controls
• Channel aftertouch (Polyphonic on pads)

What software comes with the Arturia KeyLab Mk3?

• Analog Lab Pro
• Mini V4, Augmented Strings, Piano V3, Rev-Plate-140
• Native Instruments Komplete Select
• Ableton Live Lite 12, iZotope Elements Suite

Alternatives: If you can live with a smaller monochrome display, don’t mind a lighter keyboard feel or a  lighter build, and 8 drum pads rather than 12, you could opt for the less expensive KeyLab Essential at about half the price. KeyLab Essential keyboards (49, 61, 88-key) come in at £159, £209 and £333 respectively.

Novation Launchkey 49 Mk4 (£229)

The best budget MIDI keyboard controller for Ableton Live, with added sequencing chops

Who should buy the Novation Launchkey 49 Mk4? Ableton Live users who want deep DAW control from a MIDI keyboard controller while on a budget. If you prioritise musical performance controls over keyboard feel and tactile plugin control, this is for you.  

What’s unique about the Novation Launchkey 49 Mk4? Launchkey Mk4s are the only keyboard controllers that let you sequence clips in Ableton Live directly from the hardware. It’s like having a mini Push built in. The 49- and 61-key models are the only budget MIDI controllers with faders on the left side, making it easy to play chords with your right hand while adjusting volumes or controls with your left. They also include fader buttons for record-arming tracks and switching modes. On top of that, the built-in arpeggiator is impressively powerful for a budget device, featuring a unique strum mode that lets you step through an arpeggio using the mod wheel – very unusual.

What’s great about the Novation Launchkey 49 Mk4? The Novation Launchkey 49 Mk4 stands out for its solid build quality at a reasonable price and its intuitive layout. Most impressive is the deep Ableton Live integration, where the encoder knobs allow you to move the playhead, adjust cycle lengths, zoom, and more, making it feel like an extension of the DAW. Its RGB backlit drum pads are both velocity- and pressure-sensitive, doubling as clip and scene launchers that mirror on-screen colours. Also, Chord mode adds real musical value by turning pads into chord triggers, with the option to increase complexity via a knob – perfect for sounding like a skilled keys player without years of practice.

What are the drawbacks of the Novation Launchkey 49 Mk4? You won’t find more advanced performance features like keyboard aftertouch, but the pads do have polyphonic aftertouch just in case you’re dying to add extra detail to synth pads. The pitch and mod wheels are in a slightly odd place on the 37, 49 and 61-key models, and the faders feel a bit flimsy. The display is very small, too – smaller than the Arturia KeyLab Essentials screen (see KeyLab Mk3 alternatives section). There’s also no dedicated plugin control like Komplete Kontrol or KeyLab.

What are the different Novation Launchkey Mk4 versions?

• 25 – 2 octave, synth-action (£169)
• 37 – 3 octave, synth-action (£199)
• 49 – 4 octave, semi-weighted waterfall, 9 faders (£229)
• 61 – 5 octave, semi-weighted waterfall, 9 faders (£279)

Key size: Full-size
Physical Controls: 16 pads, 8 endless encoders, DAW Transport (9 faders, model dependent)
Built-in display: Yes, Monochrome 
Other features:

• Arpeggiator with strum mode controlled via mod wheel
• Advanced chord modes
• Scale-lock modes
• Pads with velocity-sensitivity and polyphonic aftertouch
• 5-pin MIDI output

What software comes with the Novation Launchkey Mk4?

• GForce Bass Station, Oberheim SEM, Oberheim OB-EZ, Axxess synth
• Klevgrand Slammer, Røverb, Luxe
• Orchestral Tools Parallel Orchestra
• Ableton Live Lite 12
• Cubase LE
• Komplete 15 Select
• Melodics

Alternatives: If you love the sound of the Ableton Live features but need something more portable, check out the Launchkey Mini Mk4 keyboards, starting at £109.

StudioLogic SL73 Mk2 (£419)

A great fully-weighted, hammer-action MIDI keyboard controller for pianist-producers on a budget.

Who should buy the StudioLogic SL73 Mk2? Any producers who need six or seven octaves, and the feel of hammer-action piano keys on a budget – but don’t really care about DAW control.

What’s unique about the StudioLogic SL73 Mk2? It has an excellent piano-action keybed, and a built-in audio interface. With the Numa Player – a standalone app on Mac, iPad and Windows – you can access some decent piano, string, pad, organ and clavinet samples, and even use the combo of SL and iPad as a stage piano rig. But they’re unlikely to be sounds you’d want to use in dance music production.

What’s great about the StudioLogic SL73 Mk2? It’s built like a tank. It also uses the same keybed as the Arturia KeyLab 88 Mk3, at about half the price. As a master keyboard designed to trigger several sounds at once, it’s easy to split the keyboard into zones, each on a different MIDI channel. That could be useful if you have a few go-to sounds in a template and want to build tracks quickly. 

What are the drawbacks of the StudioLogic SL73 Mk2? Beyond transport (play, stop, record, cycle), it’s got no automatically mapped performance controls for your DAW. You can set up performance controls manually with MIDI CC messages, but by modern controller keyboard standards, this element is archaic. Plus, the pitch and mod sticks aren’t to everyone’s taste.

What are the different StudioLogic SL Mk2 versions?

• SL73 Mk2 – 6 octave, Fatar TP/100 hammer-action keybed (£419)
• SL88 Mk2 – 7 octave, Fatar TP/100 hammer-action keybed (£449)
• SL88 GT Mk2 – 7 octave, Fatar TP/400 Wood (grand piano-like) keybed (£754)

Key size: Full-size
Physical Controls: Pitch stick, X/Y sitck
Built-in display: Yes, Colour
Other features:

• Channel aftertouch (not polyphonic)
• 5-pin MIDI in and out
• Audio interface (stereo line output, headphone out)
• 3 pedal inputs
• MIDI 2.0
• USB-C powered

What software comes with the StudioLogic Mk2?

• StudioLogic Numa Player

Alternatives: If you’re looking for the same hammer-action keybed, but way more performance controls, then check out the Arturia KeyLab 88 Mk3.

Arturia MiniLab 3 (£95)

Very probably the world’s best MIDI keyboard controller under £100. 

Who should buy the Arturia MiniLab 3? On-the-go producers and those with a smaller studio space who want advanced Arturia plugin control without the huge price tag.

What’s unique about the Arturia MiniLab 3? The level of plugin control at this price and size is unsurpassed. That’s down to Arturia’s Analog Lab plugin, which serves up 500 presets from the company’s collection of synth emulations. It’s also thanks to NKS compatibility (learn more in the KeyLab Mk3 entry), which auto-maps crucial controls from hundreds of software instruments onto the hardware.

What’s great about the Arturia MiniLab 3? Even though it’s mostly plastic, the build quality is sturdy, and both black and white models look slick. The keys feel great for a mini allowing more expressive playing than some competitors, and the RGB backlit drum pads also are decent quality, though not quite as responsive as the MPK Mini’s. In the DAW, the bank of eight encoders can map to Ableton device macros with values shown on the tiny display, while the faders map to track level, sends A and B and pan. That’s a lot of per-track control. And then there’s DAW control on the drum pads, via a shift key. Overall, with Analog Lab, it beats out NI’s Komplete Kontrol M32 and A-series controllers for plugin control.

What are the drawbacks of the Arturia MiniLab 3? The MiniLab 3’s transport controls living on the drum pads is a bit clunky, and the drum pads aren’t the best. Also, having touch strips for pitch and modulation controls isn’t for everyone, but it’s a small compromise for such a fully-featured controller. 

Key size: Mini
Physical Controls: 8 pads (velocity/pressure sensitive), 9 encoders, 4 faders, pitch/mod strips
Built-in display: Yes, Monochrome, two-line
Other features:

• Arpeggiator, Chord mode
• 5-pin MIDI output
• Pedal input

What software comes with the StudioLogic Mk2?

• Analog Lab Intro
• Ableton Live 12 Lite 
• UVI Model D (grand piano plugin)
• NI Komplete 15 Select
• Melodics
• Arturia Control Editor

Price: From £95

Alternatives: For deeper Ableton Live control, check out the Novation Launchkey Mini, or if you have more Native Instruments soft synths, then the Komplete Kontrol M32 (£109) is worth a look.

Akai MPK Mini Plus (£125)

This mini MIDI controller has enough keys for two-handed playing, and best-in-class drum pads.

Who should buy the Akai MPK Mini Plus? Producers who want great portable drum pads and a smidge more keyboard real-estate than other mini keyboards.

What’s unique about the Akai MPK Mini Plus? The main selling point is having 37 keys on a mini keyboard, making it possible to comfortably play two-handed parts on a tiny device. It also has an onboard sequencer (though not Ableton-integrated like the LaunchKey Mk4) and MIDI and CV ports meaning you can use it with hardware and modular synths, if that’s something you aspire towards.

What’s great about the Akai MPK Mini Plus? Its drum pads are best in class – taken from the iconic beat machine, the MPC – and they have just the right spacing and responsiveness. Like the whole MPK Mini range, it has low profile rotary encoders, making it virtually unbreakable in a bag. And new NKS compatibility means controls of enabled software instruments are auto-mapped onto the hardware’s eight rotary encoders.

What are the drawbacks of the Akai MPK Mini Plus? The keyboard action is passable but not as good as the MiniLab 3. PLus, there’s no clip launching in Ableton, or mixer control in any DAW.

What are the different Akai MPK Mini versions?

• MPK MIni Mk3 – 25 keys (£75)
• MPK Mini Plus – 37 keys, pitch/mod wheels, DAW transport (£125)

Key size: Mini
Physical Controls: 8 pads (RGB backlit), 9 rotary encoders (endless), pitch/mod wheels, X/Y joystick
Built-in display: Yes, monochrome, three-line
Other features:

• 5-pin MIDI In/Out
• CV, Clock In/Out
• Pedal input
• Arpeggiator, Scale lock modes, Chord mode, Note Repeat
• Tap tempo

What software comes with the Akai MPK Mini Plus?

• MPC Beats
• Komplete Kontrol
• NI Komplete 15 Select

Alternatives: If you’re desperate for on-board sounds, check out the MPK Mini Play. Or, if you just don’t have space in your bag for the Plus, check out the smaller MPK Mini Mk3.

Novation Launchkey Mini 25 Mk4 (£99)

Ableton control with in-DAW sequencing at a mini price.

Who should buy the Novation Launchkey Mini Mk4? Ableton Live users who need a small, but powerful mini keyboard to throw in a bag. It has the same “brain” as the other Launchkey Mk4 controllers on this list, so if you like their features, but want a smaller footprint, this is it.

What’s unique about the Novation Launchkey Mini Mk4? The Ableton integration is the best going in this size of keyboard controller, but the ability to control Ableton’s step sequencer on the hardware (just like with its bigger sibling, the Launchkey 49) makes it a unique prospect at this price. 

What’s great about the Novation Launchkey Mini Mk4? The biggest thing going for the Launchkey is its Ableton integration – and it is excellent. Clip launching is well-implemented via RGB pads, which double as velocity and pressure-sensitive drum pads. For and the arpeggiator and chord modes are both musical and interesting. And with new NKS compatibility, you can get more plugin control than ever via Komplete Kontrol software which maps to the controller’s eight encoders. 

What are the drawbacks of the Novation Launchkey Mini Mk4? The keys feel a bit cheap, and the pitch/mod strips are not my cup of tea, but they don’t break easily in a backpack. The knobs on the Launchkey Mini Mk4 are also a little bit fiddly if you have bigger fingers. All that said, it’s still a rugged and powerful little controller.

What are the different Novation Launchkey Mini Mk4 versions?

• 25 – 2 Octaves (£99)
• 37 – 3 Octaves (£139)

Key size: Mini
Physical Controls: 8 rotary encoders, pitch/mod strips
Built-in display: Yes, monochrome, three-line
Other features:

• DAW Transport
• Scale modes (snap-to scale, filter out, easy scale)
• Chord modes
• Arpeggiator with chord, strum and more

What software comes with the Novation Launchkey Mini Mk4?

• GForce Bass Station, Oberheim SEM, Oberheim OB-EZ, Axxess synth
• Klevgrand Slammer, Røverb, Luxe
• Orchestral Tools Parallel Orchestra
• Ableton Live Lite 12
• Cubase LE
• Komplete 15 Select
• Melodics

Alternatives: The MiniLab Mk3 is the closest competitor, but you might also want to check out the M-Audio Oxygen Pro Mini (£75). It has 32 keys, real pitch/mode wheels, but none of the deep DAW control of the Launchpad Mk4.

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