Affordable & Portable Midi Keyboards
oh hey what’s up so it seemed like a
good time to do another the best MIDI
keyboards video this will be my 3.0
installment and there’s some new stuff
out there’s some stuff that I haven’t
talked about on the channel before that
I wanted to get into and I wanted to
focus today’s installment on portable
MIDI keyboards because I think that’s
what most people are really interested
in right now you want something that you
can use in the studio but also take with
you on the go
most of these are affordable as well so
that’s always a plus I think there’s
more great options than there’s ever
been for people who are looking for a
portable MIDI keyboard now as you can
see we got quite the stack to get
through today so I’m gonna try to keep
this as short and to the point as
possible so in this video I’ll go over
my favourites to talk about some pros
and cons hopefully help you find the
keyboard that is right for you and as
usual I will be doing a giveaway you’re
gonna pick multiple winners details for
the giveaway will be at the end of this
video so stay tuned for that but I think
that’s enough intro let’s get into the
video alright so starting us off today
is the latest offering from my friends
over at our Toria this is the new micro
lab and I just gotta show love
Vittorio’s software cents have been one
of the main cornerstones of my
songwriting process for years now and
more recently I’ve started using their
MIDI keyboards and have just been
completely satisfied I think the thing
that really sets their keyboards apart
is the keybed itself which in my opinion
just offers some superior playability
and just an overall better experience
this micro lab is a stripped down and
slightly more rugged version of the mini
lab mark – you can see here the size
difference and some difference in
features obviously the mini lab mark –
gives you some drum pads and all of
these programmable knobs which are
really great to have but if you’re
looking for the most compact option the
micro lab does offer the same key bed
that is in the mini lab mark – which is
great you got your pitch Bend and
modulation strips which function really
well you’ve got octave buttons you have
a sustain button and then you’ve got
this button that allows you to play one
finger chords so what you do is you hold
the button to play a chord and then you
can trigger that chord with any No
not necessarily a feature that I’m
personally gonna use too much but
definitely worth mentioning well the
most notable things about these a Toria
MIDI keyboards is that they come
packaged with some great included
software most notably in my opinion is
analog lab light analog lab light is a
vintage keys and vintage since plug-in
suite which gives you access to over 600
presets and sounds it’s a great
introduction into the world of notorious
synth and keyboard sounds which are some
of my favorite and most used plugins the
micro lab also has a built-in USB cable
and it wraps around the MIDI keyboard
nicely too always got a cable with you
and it keeps it nice and organized
personally I love that they included
this I feel like when I’m on the go I’ve
got dozens of cables that I need to keep
track of and this is one less thing that
I have to think about this rubberized
edge is really nice too and it comes in
a few different colors but the micro lab
is substantially more lightweight than
the mini lab mark – the thing that I
really like about this mini lab is it
feels super professional and sturdy and
heavy the plastic is really heavy-duty
I can’t really say the same about this
micro lab but I think that that’s okay
because this one is geared more towards
the person who wants the ultimate
lightweight portable option so if you’re
interested in Vitoria you want to try
out some of their plugins and you’re
looking for the most portable
lightweight and inexpensive option check
out the micro lab these are some one on
the Amazon right now for writing on each
box and I’ll be sure to include a link
in the description for those of you who
are interested but I think that’s a
steal you get this great key bed you get
some great included software you get a
nice portable yet rugged package that
fits nicely in a backpack you really
can’t go wrong this has been my main
on-the-go MIDI keyboard for the past
month or so you can see already got a
little bit of wear and tear on ER but
I’ve been totally happy this does
everything that I needed to do I don’t
really miss the drum pads all that much
because you can play all your drum
sounds right on your keyboard but if you
do want something that’s still
lightweight and portable a little more
heavy than the micro lab of course you
get drum pads and you get some
programmable knobs check out the mini
lab these sell for right around a
hundred bucks on Amazon and I still
think this is one of the best MIDI
keyboards on the market so I wanted to
bring it up for you guys
I’ve already done a pretty extensive
review of this keyboard I’ll be sure to
link a video up for you and even with
the micro lab coming and I still think
this is my mini MIDI keyboard of choice
but that’s gonna do it for our look at a
Tori of MIDI keyboards alright so next
up is the keyboard that I was probably
most excited to check out this is the
new launch key mini from Novation ya
know
fancy that I my first try – all right so
all right so oh all right so next up is
the keyboard so next up is to keep
alright so next I hope it still works
because I haven’t filmed any other demo
stuff yet nothing shakin on the inside
so that’s not a good sign I’m just
kidding that took me like a lot of tries
as far as the previous launch key minis
were concerned I was just a little bit
more impressed with some of the other
options that were available but this is
the latest this is the mk3 this is the
third installment of this launch key
mini and I think they really added some
stuff to this keyboard that makes it
worth considering so let’s talk about
that up until now I think the undisputed
champion of size portability features
was this guy the Akai MPK many everybody
seen this a lot of people use this one
and it was just kind of the best
all-around option if you were looking
for something small and portable but
also with quite a few features and then
this guy came along which little size
comparison very similar in size the
launch key mini is just slightly thinner
- and it definitely feels like the
launch key mini is coming for this crown
so size of portability right out the
gate eight plus this is gonna have no
problem fitting in any bag that you have
for my guitarist friends this will
probably fit in the front pouch of your
guitar bag so if you’re going to like a
writing session or a jam session or
whatever you can kind of just bring
everything in one bag which is always
dope even though the plastic is pretty
lightweight and I definitely wouldn’t
want to drop this thing this doesn’t
feel cheap it has a nice enough weight
to it and just the overall design of the
product makes it feel kind of premium
for the price tag now the only thing
that I’m not so crazy about is this key
bed there’s not a whole lot of key
travel if there’s a little bit like
you’re playing a toy the velocity
sensitivity in my experience works just
fine so there’s no issues there it’s
just that the playing experience on this
keyboard isn’t the greatest which listen
this keyboard offers a lot of other
great features which we’re going to get
into so the keypad not being the best
isn’t a deal-breaker at all for me now
anybody familiar with the Novation
launch key line knows this this is a
product that is
mostly geared towards Ableton Live users
now I’m not in Ableton Live user so I’m
not going to be able to download that
for you I will be sure to link in the
description below in proper demo of how
this controller links up perfectly with
Ableton Live but I’m hoping to make a
case for this keyboard as a great option
no matter what dog you’re using this
launch key mini has 16
velocity-sensitive RGB backlit pads but
even for as small as these drum pads are
I have been super impressed at how well
they function we got this fixed cord
control which like the micro lab that we
looked at will allow you to program a
cord and then trigger it with a single
note we’ve got our pitch and modulation
strips over here on the side we’ve got
eight different programmable knobs
we’ve got octave controls we have a
transpose feature and on the back
they’ve not only included a sustain
pedal input but they’ve also included
this MIDI out jack which will allow you
to connect and control other made
devices which is pretty crazy because
you usually don’t see that feature and
the device at this price point and then
I think the feature that people are most
ghast about is the arpeggiator because
it’s pretty complex it can do a lot and
it’s kind of the first built-in
arpeggiator that has taken a swing at
the built-in arpeggiator in the Akai MPK
mini which is also very good but I think
Novation takes it a few steps further
the launch committee also does come
bundled with some great included
software most notably Ableton Live Lite
which is the intro version to Ableton
Live so you buy this MIDI keyboard and
you have a da W to get started with
making your music so the launch
committee is just jam-packed with
features and for my money I do think it
has the slight edge on the Akai MPK mini
as the ultimate portability plus
features champion the Akai MPK mini is
still a really solid option and if you
want more information on this keyboard I
will be sure to link up the video where
I do a little bit more of an extensive
review of this keyboard but I do really
like the new kid on the block sand
ovation launch key mini mark 3 is here
to stay I think if you’re in Ableton
Live user this is the option for you
this is the way to go
so that is the Novation launch key mini
mark 3 so next up I have the complete
control m32 MIDI keyboard from Native
Instruments and not a first glance this
may not look like the best option if
portability is your top priority and
that’s because this keyboard offers 32
keys as opposed to 25 which is what you
normally get in the smaller size MIDI
keyboards I will say this will fit in
most bags or backpacks but yeah if
portability is your ultimate priority
this is the biggest keyboard that we’re
going to talk about today what I like
about this mini keyboard though is that
it is still small enough to be
considered portable but it’s also big
enough that it doesn’t feel like you’re
working on a tiny little keyboard when
you’re in your studio the key bet is
really really nice to play really great
velocity sensitivity in the keys the m32
offers some great dock controls right on
face at the keyboard it has these eight
programmable knobs which can easily be
dialed into perfection with up of this
little LCD screen that will give you a
readout for whatever parameter you’re
controlling with your knobs
and this keyboard will integrate
perfectly with any instrument found in
Native Instruments Komplete software as
well as any nks instruments like a Toria
output and you heat this keyboard also
comes bundled with some incredible
software including Ableton Live Lite to
get you started making music again
Ableton Live Lite is a great intro
version of Ableton Live you also get
some great native instrument staples
like Maschine essentials and monarch as
well as the complete control software
just to name a few
the f32 also comes with Native
Instruments Komplete start which
technically anybody can go and download
it’s a lot like what a Toria has done
with analog lab lite complete start is
kind of an intro into the world of the
native instrument sounds so all things
considered the keyboard its playability
its functionality the included software
the size and portability but still it’s
got some extra keys than the other ones
do the price tag however is a little bit
higher than some of the other keyboards
that we looked at today the m32 right
now is selling for about one hundred and
thirty dollars on amazon so just have to
decide if these extra features and the
included software are worth the price
mark up for you but in any event the
complete control + 32 is a great option
especially if you’re looking to get into
the world of native instruments so
lastly I’ve got kind of an interesting
device that I want to check out with you
guys this was a product that was sent to
me recently from a company here in New
York and they asked if I’d be willing to
share some thoughts and so far in my
limited use of this device I’m pretty
impressed this is the morph from sin
sole and as you can see
it’s soups portable super thin now for
as small as this packages the morph
boasts some pretty impressive technology
the morph has 20,000 pressure sensors in
it which is really just a fancy way of
saying that you will have a ton of
dynamic range to play with but
technically speaking this isn’t just a
MIDI keyboard it’s intended to be an
all-in-one control surface for artists
and the control service changes its
function with the swapping of these
silicon overlays so if you want to play
keys you have an overlay for that
if you want to play drums you have a
separate overlay for that and there’s
even a separate overlay for music
production with some drum pads and some
piano keys this one’s actually really
cool but they also offer silicon
overlays for video editing and for your
computer keyboard so in theory this
device really could be kind of a
one-stop shop for all of your computer
video editing music production needs the
thought of throwing just one super thin
device in my bag along with my computer
knowing that kind of all my bases are
gonna be covered is ideal to say the
least there’s no question that I think
the technology is there for this device
and I think it functions really well
personally I would see myself using this
music production overlay probably the
most the keyboard overlay definitely
functions just fine but I definitely
missed the feeling of actual physical
keys with that key travel underneath
maybe I’m too old-school maybe I’m set
in my ways but that’s just something
that I’ve missed but again it’s like
what do you expect from a piece of
rubber it’s actually kind of remarkable
that this control service is registering
notes the same way a MIDI keyboard would
if you’re a creative professional or
even an aspiring one I think this is a
really interesting device to consider
whether I’m reading music or producing
or editing video the thought of being
able to have some nice controls right at
my fingertips is really interesting I do
think the $250 price point is gonna
steer a lot of people away from this
that 250 gets you the control surface
and an overlay of your choice each
additional overlay is thirty five bucks
so the sense of morph might just be the
ultimate compact portable versatile
control
for creatives and musicians but it’s
simply going to come at a slightly
higher price tag than some of the other
options that we looked at today so you
will just have to determine if this is a
good device for you all right so we
covered a lot today that’s quite the
ambitious undertaking by your boy
Patrick so I’m frankly exhausted and
definitely sweating so let’s get into
the giveaway details and we’ll wrap this
thing up so if you want to be entered to
win one of the MIDI keyboards that we
talked about today all you need to do is
subscribe to this channel and hit that
notification bell and leave a like and a
comment on this video let me know in the
comments below which one of these MIDI
keyboards is your favorite and why and
yes I am gonna pick a couple winners for
this giveaway I pick the first winner
when the video hits 500 likes and the
second winner when the video heads a
thousand likes so good luck to all of
you thank you guys as always for your
support of this channel these giveaways
are just a small way for me to show my
gratitude so until next time guys my
name is Patrick I’ll catch y’all soon
all right peace
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Mini Piano Review
The mini piano is a kind of grand piano designed by the Brasted Brothers in early 1934 under the trade name of Eavestaff Ltd.. The distinguishing factor that sets this particular mini piano apart from all other kinds of upright pianos is that the sound-generating mechanism is located below the keys, enabling a very economical utilization of real estate. The piano has four tuned tones and, like its forerunner the grand piano, it is also quite large. The Eavestaff family later went on to design and manufacture musical synthesizers and cellos.
Today, as is the case with all good things, the mini piano has seen better days. The main problem being the tendency of many people, particularly young kids, to play songs such as Back in Black with their mini piano instead of the real thing. Although it is true that the songwriters probably had a lot more fun recording it than they would have done if they had used a full sized acoustic instrument, the guitar and drum set in the background is probably what made the song popular in the first place. It also probably influenced listeners to try to recreate the sound on their own miniature instruments. This has lead to a situation where you can hear a great number of different styles of music being played on the same instrument.
If you are a person who likes to play music on your piano and who has never played an actual instrument before, the best solution for you is to get yourself or a friend an electric mini grand piano and a drum kit. You will have the advantage of using the piano and the drum kit in your own home and at a much lower cost than you would ever find in a studio. Not to mention that you can use the equipment you get from a rental shop for much cheaper than you would ever pay for a piano or a drum set.
For someone who has already played an instrument and knows how to play it, getting a mini electric piano and a drum kit is great for learning how to play. It will give them the opportunity to expand their musical horizons by learning how to play songs in a different style than they might have traditionally learned. The best way for most people to learn how to play a new instrument is to take lessons from a professional. However, this can be expensive and many people do not have the money to take a course so they just begin to play on an instrument they like.
Getting a mini electric piano and a drum kit can be just what you need to take your music to the next level. They are smaller than upright pianos and much easier to handle. They are much more comfortable to sit down and play and they are designed to move easily under your feet making it very easy for you to play. They are small enough that you can even put them in a car and drive around with them. They are also much less expensive than an upright piano making them a great investment for anyone wanting to get started with a musical instrument.
One of the biggest advantages is that a mini piano and a drum kit can be very portable. If you want to take your music farther than you might have otherwise you can bring them along with you. If you find that you are moving from town to town with your mini piano or drum kit, then they will be a great way to take your music wherever you go.
Last update on 2021-01-27 / Disclaimer: as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.