The AKAI Professional LPK25 is a slimmed-down version of the MPK Mini 3 with a lower price to boot. For music production, it rocks, and for learning to play keyboard in a digital setting, it nails that too. The beauty of the Alesis V49 is it’s a package with a lot of choice. You also get a ton of killer music software to play around in, including ProTools, First Alesis Edition, Ableton Live Lite 9 and Eleven Lite, Mini Grand, DB-33, and Xpand 2. If you are planning to learn piano, then the Alesis V49 is a solid choice.Īlong with the keyboard, the V49 also boasts octave up and down buttons to control the pitch, modulation buttons, and four programmable knobs. And let’s face it, pressing one pad is easier than mastering three fingers.Īll that said, if you’re looking to learn to play music on a keyboard, it’s going to be a lot easier to master if you’ve got more than 25 keys. Many of us who use midi keyboards often don’t worry about learning cords, simply because we can program a chord onto a pad. With the offering from Akai and Novation, you’re working on a much smaller scale, which is great for beginners but can be a problem in the long run if you just want to jam out without worrying about loading the right notes onto specific keys. The Alesis V49 is a solid choice if you want to jump in with a near full-sized piano keyboard. The more detailed stuff like programming the knobs and loading in presets can come at a later date once you’ve got the basics down. All you really need to know to get started is how to press keys and slam drum pads. You get a digital workstation software included with the MPK Mini, so you’re free to start making sounds in a flash. So, why is this one of the best midi keyboards for beginners? It’s the simplicity. The MPK Mini MK3 also comes with a deep software to get you up and running complete with over 1500 different sounds.

There are also eight drum pads, programmable knobs to load with different plugins, and a thumbstick for controlling the pitch of different keys. Do not start with non-weighted keys because you’ll be causing yourself more problems down the line. It’s a 25-key keyboard and each of the keys are weighted, meaning you get a different note depending on how hard you press. In fact, it’s the midi controller I use.ĭespite its smaller form factor, it’s got everything you need to get underway. The AKAI Professional MPK Mini MK3 is a serious piece of tech that’s perfect for newcomers to the world of midi keyboards.

Alesis v49 presets