Best MIDI Controller Keyboard

Very generic question I know...
But in your opinion what is the best MIDI Controller Keyboard and what are you using it with.

I have heard and read so many random statements about these damn things that I dont know who the hell to believe.
Ooooh get the MPK blah blah... Naw the Axiom is best... Oxygen this and that... My head hurts...

So help a brotha' out here.

I like EMU's Xboard. It has velocity sensitive keys with aftertouch. Works well with Reason 4.

http://keyboards-midi.musiciansfriend.com/product/E-Mu-Xboard-49-USBMIDI-Controller?sku=706284&src=3WWRWXGB&ZYXSEM=0&gclid=CIeW1tXTwKUCFUbf4AodW3txWw

edirol PCR series got faders pots, light weight and sturdy keys feel decent works well with reason ableton cubase etc never had an issue with any daw peace

Explicit- wrote:Very generic question I know...
But in your opinion what is the best MIDI Controller Keyboard and what are you using it with.

I have heard and read so many random statements about these damn things that I dont know who the hell to believe.
Ooooh get the MPK blah blah... Naw the Axiom is best... Oxygen this and that... My head hurts...

So help a brotha' out here.

Ex, what are you planning to use the controller for? If it's for your home setup, don't even bother. You can just run your Yamaha through your Mbox and do the same shit a midi controller would do, minus playback/record of a software sequencer and minus all the little parameter knobs. But if all you need is something to play the synths, you have what you need. You just have to initiate playback and record from the actual software itself instead of being able to do it from the controller. If you are going for portable though, the Akai MPK series are cool, and the Axioms seem cool as well. Pound uses the Axiom 25 and **** Reason up with it! Just wait til you hear his beat tape! Wow!

I like the axiom pro series. Has 8 pads, sliders,knobs, groups,programable settings and call functions, usb, midi I/O thru, transport bar.

DJ Hellfire wrote:

Explicit- wrote:Very generic question I know...
But in your opinion what is the best MIDI Controller Keyboard and what are you using it with.

I have heard and read so many random statements about these damn things that I dont know who the hell to believe.
Ooooh get the MPK blah blah... Naw the Axiom is best... Oxygen this and that... My head hurts...

So help a brotha' out here.

Ex, what are you planning to use the controller for? If it's for your home setup, don't even bother. You can just run your Yamaha through your Mbox and do the same shit a midi controller would do, minus playback/record of a software sequencer and minus all the little parameter knobs. But if all you need is something to play the synths, you have what you need. You just have to initiate playback and record from the actual software itself instead of being able to do it from the controller. If you are going for portable though, the Akai MPK series are cool, and the Axioms seem cool as well. Pound uses the Axiom 25 and **** Reason up with it! Just wait til you hear his beat tape! Wow!

Well my thought process was that my MM6 rarely gets touched...
It collects dust and on eBay I can get about $300 or more for my MM6 and use that towards buying a midi controller which some are running for under $200...

Seems like used Axiom49 are going for under $200 these days... And with the extra money it can go towards building my PC.

I been using my MM6 as a controller for some of the plugins in PT8 but I dont use the actual sounds in the machine.
So I figure why not just sell it. IDK...

I'd look into the Axiom 25 or 49 man. Im thinking of buying one of those (probably the 25) myself. Never used midi controllers before, but Im thinking using it for things like Moog and piano plugins. only so much i can do with the microkorg, especially with the small keys i cant play it like a real keyboard/piano

Axiom 25 would be my choice for you

Axiom 49. My opinion.

Personally, I would just keep the Yamaha. I'm sure the MM6 is better built than those cheapy MIDI controllers. I have a novation x-25, and that thing costs way more than the ones you are looking at. You know what? I have all kinds of random quirks with that thing, like the octaves jumping up or down. -Novation is step up from M-Audio, and E-MU.

I'm a lot happier with my Fusion. Less knobs and no sliders, but I only have two hands and things still get done. Never have any problems with it. I don't miss the X-station one bit.

I'm in the same boat as you... I'm just using the Fusion as a controller cause my sound card clonked out. So I'm not using the sounds either...

Moral of the story: Keep what have, don't take a step down just because you're not using the sounds...

This is the 3rd midi keyboard i have owned and prolly easily the best .Novation remote 25 sl

the cosmic pimp wrote:

This is the 3rd midi keyboard i have owned and prolly easily the best .Novation remote 25 sl

Got the SL61

Axiom has it all. I sport the Oxygen 49, I have an MPC to do my padwork already, thats all the axiom has on it as far as I have experienced.

axiom 49 is nice for a cheap controller.... I suggest full weighted though if you play keys..... for quick midi melody programming the axiom works fine.

the 25 model has less buttons then the 49 and 61 so programing it is more of a pain since more buttons are multi tasking (ie: pushing two at once to do a 3rd ability) ... I believe the pro series has aftertouch and that is the only upgrade i know about... other then that it feels the same physically.

what software will you be using the controller with?


you best bet is to keep the yamaha.

the keyboard alone is worth the keeping price.
none of the midid controllers even come close

Lord Toranaga wrote:what software will you be using the controller with?


you best bet is to keep the yamaha.

the keyboard alone is worth the keeping price.
none of the midid controllers even come close

Reason and possibly other software aswell...

I only paid $300 for the Yamaha. It was a great deal offered to me by a friend of a friend.