If you’re a pianist this may not be the best keyboard for you (unless you’re primarily looking for something portable) – the MPK Mini MKII has synth-action keys meaning there’s not much weight behind each key like there is for conventional keyboards, plus it only has a range of two octaves at one time. All of the pads and knobs can be mapped to parameters using Ableton’s midi map mode. The keyboard is really easy to setup with Ableton – it doesn’t extra require drivers to connect to a Windows or Mac computer, so you can simply plugin the USB cable and you’re good to go. It has nostalgia-inducing MPC style pads that are also velocity sensitive, perfect for sequencing sample chops and drum samples like hip hop pioneers such as J Dilla. The MPK Mini MKII is compact with 25 velocity sensitive keys and is extremely light-weight at 1.65lbs or 0.75kg. It’s an extremely popular model used by artists across all genres and it can be found all over YouTube in minimalist-style beat recreation videos, like this one, The Akai Professional MPK Mini MKII is simply the best compact midi keyboard for Ableton (or any major DAW) available.

MPC style pads, assignable control knobs.

Native Instruments Komplete Kontrol S49 MKIIīest Midi Keyboards & Controllers for Ableton Live (Detailed) 1.

These keyboards (and controller) offer the best experience for Ableton users with a range of requirements: Best Midi Keyboards & Controllers for Ableton Live (Overview) Being one of the leading DAWs, Ableton is no exception to this.įor more information about midi keyboards, terminology, what to look for and the options available to you, skip to the end of this article. There are, however, some keyboards that are manufactured with a particular DAW in mind, making them especially compatible.

Most midi keyboards or controllers will work fine with any of the main DAWs (if you’re using a slightly more niche DAW, this isn’t always the case though). It allows you to naturally experiment, design and record ideas on the fly.Īs with all hardware nowadays, there’s a ton of options available to you from a range of manufacturers. A midi keyboard or controller is one of the most essential weapons in the armoury of a music producer.

Best midi keyboard ableton