Tag Archives: midi controller

Arturia’s KeyStep 37 is a $199 MIDI controller with scale and strum modes

Posted on by
Arturia's KeyStep family is getting a bit bigger with the announcement of the KeyStep 37. The new $199 controller fits in between the $149 KeyStep and $449 KeyStep Pro. As you might have guessed from its name, it features 37 velocity-sensitive slimke...

Native Instruments crams its powerful music-making software in a standalone groovebox

Posted on by
Basically everyone in the music world right now is trying to break away from the PC. It’s not that DAWs and VSTs don’t have their place. But there’s a growing desire to put actual hardware in front of people and all the better if that hardware works...

Arturia’s KeyStep Pro is a near-perfect MIDI controller for hardware synths

Posted on by
For hardware synth and drum machine enthusiasts, there are two controllers that stand above most of the competition: Arturia’s KeyStep and BeatStep Pro. Their combination of USB, MIDI and control voltage connections mean they play nice with everythin...

MPK Mini mk3 is solid but iterative upgrade to a classic MIDI controller

Posted on by
Akai’s MPK Mini mkII is one of the best-selling MIDI controllers out there. It’s small, affordable, and has a solid arpeggiator plus the best pads on any budget or midrange controller. But, it’s also over five years old. The portable MIDI controller...

iRig Keys 2 Mini is a MIDI controller with a headphone jack for your iPhone

Posted on by
iRig is no stranger to the world of portable MIDI controllers. And, frankly, there’s no shortage of great keyboards out there that will fit neatly into your backpack. But IK Multimedia was one of the earlier brands to start building music-making gear...

New Launchkey MK3 MIDI controllers add a powerful arpeggiator

Posted on by
Last year Novation updated its portable Launchkey Mini MIDI controller. The new Ableton specific features and powerful arpeggiator quickly made it one of, if not my favorite, portable MIDI controller. Now, all those features are making their way over...

Joué Play is a cheap, simple and customizable MIDI controller

Posted on by
In 2016 a little French company called Joué launched a Kickstarter campaign for a shapeshifting instrument it simply called the Joué Board. It was one of a rash of new and experimental types of MIDI controllers that embraced emerging technologies lik...