Reddit reviews AKAI Professional LPK25 | USB-powered MIDI Keyboard with 25 Velocity-Sensitive Synth Action Keys for Laptops (Mac & PC), Editing Software included

LPK25

or you can buy an LPK25 for the same price

I have the nanoKEY, and it's a fairly useful input option. The modulation is all-or-nothing though, which is a little annoying. However, if you just need something cheap to input notes, this isn't a bad start.

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PS: I should note that AKAI has some very competitive alternatives.

http://amzn.to/gpdiFt - Akai Pro LPK25 Laptop Performance Keyboard
(A little pricier but it feels better than the chiclet-style keys of the nanoKEY and has a few more features.)

http://amzn.to/dVdX1L - Akai Pro MPK mini
(Bigger keys, even more features, and it comes with 8 drum pads. It's only marginally more expensive, at $100 even.)

The Akai LPK25 is amazing value for the money. I got mine for around 30 quid on Amazon.

This is dependent on what type of beats you'll be making, but consider doing some research and getting a three piece mic set for your drums (kick, snare, hats/cymbal) as well as an interface with enough mic inputs. Based on a couple reviews of those monitor speakers, I might go for something wired and a little more conventional amongst home producers. Apparently the low end on those struggle a little bit, which means you'll be overcompensating your low end and probably fucking up your mix. If it's what you want, though, after awhile you'll learn the speakers and know what to adjust in terms of mixing. To be honest, with your headphones you can wait a little bit on the monitors unless you really want them.

Edit: I just noticed the types of beats you'd be making in your initial post. If you can swing the money I think you would enjoy getting some mics on your drums. Also, I owned the MPK Mini II for awhile when I first started and always wanted the extra 8 pads. I drummed for about a decade before I started making beats, and I think you, as a drummer with the sampled based music you want to make, would agree.

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If I were you I'd get the MPD218: https://www.amazon.com/Akai-Professional-MPD218-Controller-Software/dp/B0116X17JW/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3QREITWBNB2P3&keywords=mpd218&qid=1574714057&s=musical-instruments&sprefix=mpd%2Cmi%2C156&sr=1-1

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and the LPK25: https://www.amazon.com/Akai-Professional-LPK25-Ultra-Portable-Controller/dp/B002M8GBDI

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It would essentially be the same thing with 8 extra pads, without the thumbstick modulator (which I don't think you'd be using a ton), at ~$40 more. You'd also be able to separate the pads and keys which is nice if you don't have a ton of extra desk space.

I do a decent bit of transcription, arranging, engraving type stuff freelance and I use Finale. I use a small keyboard and the Speedy Entry Tool. I can enter things pretty much as fast as I can play one hand. But heck, even if you can't play it, you'll still be able to move faster this way than any other method I've found. Honesty, even Hyperscribe (where you play it in) ultimately ends up being slower because you have to go double check for mistakes or spend forever fiddling with quantization settings.

Basically, use the numpad as your note durations and press the keys down on the keyboard that you want to notate. This makes chords in quick succession very easy. Also, if you're playing a relatively simple bass or melody line, you can literally input it faster than you could play it in with Hyperscribe using this method. You just get used to the rhythm of hitting the keys then hitting the correct duration like 5 would be a quarter note. For rests, don't hit any keys on the keyboard and just hit your duration. Depending on certain factors, you may have to deal with respelling chords into different enharmonic spells, which is easy enough using the 9 key. Even triplets and other tuplets are easy. Just hit Ctrl+3 (for triplets) and then end the pitches in the duration that tuplet would encompass. Dots are the . and so on. You can learn it by touch very quickly. If you mess around with it, you'll find plenty of other tricks to speed things up as well.

The only stuff that can slow you don't is if you have to deal with layers.

I personally use the KORG nanoKEY, though since I don't need to be as portable, I've thought about switching to the Akai Professional LPK25 or at least using it at my desk while keeping the nanoKEY for travel (which was the original reason I picked it). These have smaller than normal keys which is both a pro and a con. It feels a bit foreign to the hand, but it also lets you reach more notes if you're transcribing things bigger than you can actually play. It also makes them more portable.

I haven't really messed with much else in a really long time. I know there's plenty of software out there to record your playing and give you a piano roll or rough notation view. I know Cakewalk does this, but I'm honestly not that familiar or proficient with it or any other software that does this because it's not something I need to use often.

For the type of stuff you're doing, you literally might be served better by creating lead sheets rather than actual sheet music. For the vast majority of what I play at the keyboard when gigging, I'm reading either a lead sheet or a pure chord sheet and just comping in the appropriate style. It also takes up less space in my book that way. This is also easier to quickly hand-write than actual sheet music.

If you want to get slightly more specific, I'd highly recommend recording yourself, video if possible. Very often I will arrange a tune out very specifically, or compose an intro at the keyboard and just not really have the time to sit down and notate it out, or it might be a work-in-progress. For a lot of these, I'll just get my ideas together, then record myself playing it and sort of file it away on my computer so that I can skip the heavy lifting of the transcription of my own playing later by just listening and watching what I had previously done. Often, I just don't every transcribe my arrangements. I might just find that I need a song I haven't touched in months for a gig and I'll go listen to give myself a refreshing on my previous arrangement and just play the actual tune from chords rather than sheet music. It also takes up a lot less space.

Audio Interface: http://www.amazon.com/PreSonus-AudioBox-USB-Audio-Interface/dp/B00154KSA2/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1464108100&sr=8-7&keywords=Audio+interface

MIDI Keyboard:http://www.amazon.com/Akai-Professional-LPK25-Ultra-Portable-Controller/dp/B002M8GBDI/ref=sr_1_12?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1464108184&sr=1-12&keywords=midi+keyboard

Headphones:http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-202-Professional-Headphones-Black/dp/B003LPTAYI/ref=sr_1_1?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1464108227&sr=1-1&keywords=sennheiser

I use the AKAI LPK25. It's $70 on Amazon, 25 velocity-sensitive (unweighted) keys, some octave controls and not a whole lot else. I've had it for a few years, it seems unlikely to break. I'm not really a keyboard player, but I use it for composition.

Personally I would recommend Logic X, Its an advanced program but also not too difficult for beginners to start picking up the basics. Not too expensive either.

Get yourself a cheap midi-keyboard to start with as well...maybe something like this: http://amzn.to/19dya9X. Its definitely for beginners but is ideal for getting ideas/melodies down and so cheap it wont matter if you decide to upgrade in the future,
Or this might give you a bit more flexibilty: http://bit.ly/119KjYx

You probably should get some monitors as well, they are much better for mixing with than headphones. Definately do a bit of research first but I have owned these and loved them! http://bit.ly/119KjYx

Its an expensive and time consuming hobby, but can be so rewarding! Good luck to ya!

i have a M-Audio keyboard with some assignable encoders, 6 pads, velocity and aftertouch, full size keys, arp and a sequencer. I'm not sure the model but i'll send over a picture shortly.

i also have a tiny tiny akai controller, here's the amazon link to that one: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002M8GBDI/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 they keys are small and aren't awesome, but they are velocity sensitive, and it's a super duper portable/minimalist controller :)

Cool thank you! I just wanted to ask.. I switched to this instead:
https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B002M8GBDI/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Just because it's cheaper basically. But do you know if there would be any noticeable difference between that and the other one I was looking at?

Yeah man, I'd say just read reviews. That one doesn't look like there's much to go wrong so why not?

The smallest one I've used is this:
http://www.amazon.com/Akai-Professional-LPK25-Ultra-Portable-Controller/dp/B002M8GBDI/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1453320168&sr=8-4&keywords=25+key+midi+keyboard

Felt a little plastic-y but it gets the job done.

I currently run with this one.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003D0DJ9I?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00

Hey guys, I'm kind of trying to get into producing from a musical background but finding it quite difficult. Think getting a midi keyboard would be good because I think I'd find it more intuitive to have an actual keyboard in front of me but I'm really cash strapped just now and for the foreseeable future.

So yeah my question: which of these is better just to start me off? pretty cheap and might not be great but I don't want to invest anymore than this kind of money just now

http://www.amazon.co.uk/LPK25-Ultra-Portable-Keyboard-Controller-Laptops/dp/B002M8GBDI

or

http://www.juno.co.uk/products/m-audio-keystation-mini-32-mkii-usb/465133-01//?currency=GBP&flt=1&gclid=Cj0KEQjwid63BRCswIGqyOubtrUBEiQAvTol0cEFhLNeWnChIypSyuk9al5gFlCVH-PmGBr1Pj1TPjIaAovL8P8HAQ

Keys are plastic and unweighted, but that doesn't bother me since I'm not a pianist. Pads are not as sensitive as Maschine's pads, but they are still pretty good (I hardly ever use them though).

If you want a really cheap, strictly keys midi controller, then you can get something like this:

Akai Professional LPK25 | 25-Key Ultra-Portable USB MIDI Keyboard Controller for Laptops https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002M8GBDI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_x4qKybPJ5BGGB

The only reason I got my Akai MPK mini MK2 over the LPK25 is because I thought it would be a cool portable midi controller that can kinda do it all. In reality, I only use it for the keys so just get whatever you prefer, both are fairly cheap.

Would it ever be worth getting something like the MPKmini which is advertised as the combination of the LPD8 and the LPK25

So I’m getting back into making music as I just built a new computer. I got a copy of FL studio, went to hook up my audio interface and my microkorg, only to realize that my old interface is no longer supported, and there are no windows 10 drivers. Also my USB to MIDI adapter doesn't seem to work. I love the micro Korg as an analog synth, but should I just look at buying an inexpensive midi such as the [Lpk25](Akai Professional LPK25 | 25-Key Ultra-Portable USB MIDI Keyboard Controller for Laptops https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002M8GBDI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_Shm2Ab3X4WJK5) or would the microkorg also perform better as a midi controller?

Akai Professional LPK25
https://amzn.com/B002M8GBDI