Modern technology tends to favor portability as a feature and the ability to work remotely. That’s why we’re going to cover today the most portable group of keyboards that come with 25 keys, what’s essential to know about them and what are the pros and cons compared to other models.
At a Glance: Our Top Picks for 25 Key Midi Controller Keyboards
- OUR TOP PICK: Akai Professional MPK Mini MKII
- RUNNER-UP: Novation Launchkey 25 MK2
- BEST BUDGET OPTION: Korg, 25-Key Midi Controller (NANOKEY2BK)
Table of Contents
Are All 25 Key MIDI Controller Keyboards the Same?
25 Key MIDI Keyboards offer different controls based on price range and main purpose. It can provide you with pads, sliders, knobs, encoders or any mix of those controls. Some act like a sound card with keys and there are even models that are so portable you can actually roll them up!
And while they all come with 25 keys, even those keys come in different sizes because of the small-form concept. But at the end of the day, they all provide you some controls for music production leaving it up to you to decide what you would find the best.
Can You Really Find a Quality Model That’s Affordable?
Affordable models always trade features for its price. For example, some may have decent pads with terrible keybed. That’s completely fine for a hip-hop producer that would use keys occasionally. Being affordable doesn’t mean it can’t be good enough and searching for the best quality can lead you to overkill paying hundreds while buying something even under $100 range would do the trick for you.
And as we’re talking about controllers, bear in mind that the actual sound will come from an external source. Every MIDI Keyboard sends only notes and controls to your computer no matter how expensive it is.
Comparison Chart of the Best 25 Key MIDI Controller Keyboards
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Review of the Best 25 Key MIDI Controller Keyboards
The Best 25-Key MIDI Controller Keyboards coming up. We hand-picked for you some of the best bang-for-buck models out there.
Best Overall:
Akai Professional MPK Mini MKII
No products found.
PROS
CONS
What Recent Buyers Report
Buyers love its design and consider it as a very affordable way to get more into music. But, we also need to say that they complain that the keys can snap off easily. Also, you shouldn’t rely too much on Akai customer support and especially about free software it comes with.
Why it Stands Out to Us
As we expected from Akai, 8 pads set up-right are wonderful. We are amazed at how compact this unit is built and how many features are packed inside. Akai even placed shortcut commands on keys if you press the shift button first and preset banks allow you to store settings for different software.
Who Will Use This Most
Younger musicians will be thrilled by its awesome modern design. The ability to pick between several color variations will be especially praised. Pads will intrigue those who would want to create beats anytime anywhere and its miniature size will make it fit into every travel plan you have in mind.
Bottom Line
This device won’t be your main studio MIDI Keyboard but it will be the one you’re going to carry everywhere and reach out to write down something fast or to lay down drum demos before the real drummer comes for recording.
Runner-up:
Novation Launchkey 25 MK2
No products found.
PROS
CONS
What Recent Buyer Report
While being designed for Ableton Live, buyers are amazed at how Automap works instantly with other software. Keybed gets only kudos and over met users’ expectations. Design is praised and the only complaint comes for the pad size as it may appear small for playing drum patterns on the fly.
Why it Stands Out to Us
Regular size 25 keys controllers are getting harder to find these days. Novation offers an Automap feature to instantly link all controls in order to save you some serious time for setting everything up. And 16 pads are appealing for any FL Studio or Ableton user who doesn’t enjoy mouse clicking.
Who Will Use This Most
Trained keyboard players will praise the regular size keys and their decent response. Its key size is ideal for playing synth bass and well-built wheels make it excellent for leads. Triggering samples is intuitive thanks to RGB backlit and while it could find a place in the studio, we would recommend it for live performance.
Bottom Line
When you think about your regular small-form MIDI Keyboard, this is something that you should imagine. Everything works flawlessly, so giving that decent build quality and layout that’s intuitive for Ableton and FL Studio users makes this offer sound even better.
Best for the Money:
Korg 25-Key Midi Controller (NANOKEY2BK)
No products found.
PROS
CONS
What Recent Buyers Report
Buyers are very satisfied with this product and especially with the free software it comes with. They are well aware of their limitations and price range. DAW software compatibility is excellent and the only drawback is that because of drivers it requires USB reconnecting if your computer goes to sleep mode.
Why it Stands Out to Us
It was made to be carried in a bag and occupy the minimum space. That’s why KORG decided to go for a modern and somewhat futuristic flat-surface design and leave out any knob or slider. It’s also nice that it comes with buttons for sustain, pitch, and mod allowing you at least some extra control.
Who Will Use This Most
Modern music producers and composers, people who spend most of their time outside, musicians on a tour, composers that want to have some gear always with them in case of an instant burst of inspiration, young people that are still exploring if music is their call.
Bottom Line
Laptop touchpad can help you when you don't bring a mouse with you. We could say you should think the same way about this KORG product. It can’t replace a regular MIDI keyboard but you may find it handy because of its almost non-existing weight.
4. M-Audio Oxygen 25 IV
No products found.
PROS
CONS
What Recent Buyers Report
Based on the buyers’ buzz, there are several reports of returned devices. Those who got their model working properly comment pads’ excellent response even for advanced use. They also comment that touch sensitivity of keys could be calibrated better and that modern OS isn’t fully supported and may require manual setup.
Why it Stands Out to Us
8 rotary knobs allow you to tailor this MIDI keyboard to your needs thanks to DirectLink instant mapping feature. Pads are bright and big enough so you can make beats in real-time or trigger samples. M-Audio improved this purchase with several lite versions of professional DAW and virtual instrument software.
Who Will Use This Most
Studio users may use it as a “set and forget” tool while live performers will appreciate the full size of the keys. Guitarists or bassists may enjoy faster and more shallow response this keybed provides while both professional and inexperienced users may find a place for this kind of unit.
Bottom Line
If you’re looking for an additional MIDI keyboard for your performing live or some small-form controller to fit your project studio but you know you could benefit from full-size keys, this M-Audio model can work well for you.
5. Arturia MiniLab MkII
No products found.
PROS
CONS
What Recent Buyers Report
People are amazed by the quality and design of this product. Yet, while it works excellently with Arturia software it seems that current drivers for the encoders don’t respond the best with third-party software. It’s worth mentioning that pads appear to be a little bit smaller than usual.
Why it Stands Out to Us
We can’t think of another model in a given price range with encoders instead of knobs. Encoders allow 360 degrees rotation without starting and ending point - this provides more fluent virtual instrument control. Keybed is probably the best mini-keys we’ve seen so far and proves that you can have a decent keybed despite small-form factor.
Who Will Use This Most
Users that play Arturia virtual instruments frequently as a hardware design was optimized for it and people who are aiming towards becoming professional musicians or producers. It could be used as a decent DAW controller because of 16 encoders and electronic and hip-hop composers can utilize those 8 pads definitely.
Bottom Line
If you’re looking for a professional MIDI keyboard, Arturia did an excellent job. Everything about it was designed for advanced and long-hour work and we can only recommend it to anyone who plans to get more serious with their musical adventure.
Pros and Cons of 25 Key MIDI Controller Keyboards
Now that we covered the best models available, here’s some quick features reminder about 25 Key MIDI Keyboard in general:
Pros
Below are the main pros.
Price Friendly
25 Key MIDI Keyboards are the cheapest MIDI Keyboards you can find on the market which makes them ideal if you’re on a budget.
Small-Form Factor
If you have limited space, you will appreciate every inch you can save to maintain order in your bedroom or project studio. If you don’t play keyboards daily, you may find this size to be ideal.
Kings of Portability
25-keys MIDI Keyboards did a similar thing that laptops did for computers and made it possible to work on music remotely.
A smaller number of keys makes them a lot lighter. Manufacturers reduce the weight further with less physical controllers and cheaper keybed. They even make special types where carrying them around is an uncompromised priority so we can find MIDI keyboards weighing less than a pound.
Cons
Below are the main cons.
The Number of Keys
25 keys are not meant for regular keyboard playing. Most keyboard lines require a bigger key range. One could handle songs within the 37-keys, but the real fun starts from 49-keys.
Build Quality
Portability is always traded for build quality. These units are made to be lightweight and exclude high-quality material. It’s rare to find models in this range that are built to last.
Conclusion
Whether you’re looking to grab something ultra-portable or you’re building your studio gear, 25-keys MIDI Keyboards offer both of the worlds while definitely saving you some budget and space. Think of it more as a handy than an essential part of your music equipment that can only improve your workflow.
People Also Ask
The next FAQ section will help you with a couple of doubts that bother most of the inexperienced buyers. It can help you to decide if you’re really looking for 25-keys MIDI Keyboard or you’re going for a bigger and less portable product and how good can it be for piano lessons.
Is 25 Keys Enough For a MIDI Keyboard?
It’s based a lot on what you have in mind to play or record. 25 keys can be enough for playing bass lines or synth leads but it won’t be sufficient for anything more technically demanding. 25 keys are considered as an extra keyboard gear, not your first choice.
Can You Learn Piano With 25 Keys?
You can learn how to read notes. But, because of the small number of keys, you won’t be able to use it with both hands. Also, keybed type is much lighter and smaller than regular piano keys (those are made from wood) so the feel and response would be much different.
