You now know which are the best 88 key keyboards on the market right now. You also know the difference between different keyboard-types, and what features to look for when buying them. Pads are velocity-sensitive with aftertouch and have different functionalities, yet are initially assigned to drum/percussion sounds, and you can load your samples to them. Hit and hold down the pad for aftertouch intensity when it’s activated. Also, with ‘Bank,’ you can switch between the two corresponding banks. Essentially, a digital piano is a pseudo-synthesizer that focuses on reproducing pre-loaded sounds.

The number of keys is the most obvious limitation on a MIDI keyboard. With fewer keys, you won’t be able to cover as many octaves at once. MIDI controllers range from 49 to 88 keys, although 61-key and 88-key controllers are the most popular types. These sizes offer you enough range to play nearly any part without compromising.The only thing that might leave some players wanting? Although those knobs and individual displays are undeniably cool, you don’t get faders or drum pads as you do on the KeyLab. Still, the S88 is a stellar deal and a no-brainer for musicians already using Native Instruments software. A top-of-the-line Yamaha digital piano, for instance, has acoustic piano-like keys. This means that the keys are harder to press (i.e. require more finger strength). It also has features to mimic the complex acoustics of a real piano. The fact that it also has 88 keys – a rarity among MIDI controllers – makes it one of my topmost recommended models. Although the keys on the Launchkey Mini are not weighted, they feature a new mini-key mechanism that delivers an enjoyable playing experience. The controller is equipped with various additional controls, including eight rotary knobs, 16 velocity-sensitive RGB pads, and two touch strips for pitch bend and modulation. Of course, that’s not always the norm. Many of the best-selling synths in music history have built-in keyboards. The popular Nord Juno, for example, has a 49-key keyboard built into it. The still popular Nord Juno (source: Juno Records)

Do you need a controller for your DAW and couldn't care less about onboard sounds and acoustic piano-like performance? Do you need plenty of programmable buttons, pads, knobs, and instant integration with Ableton and Massive? The pitch bend and modulation wheels’ look, feel, and quality are pretty impressive, making articulating the pitch in performances give light to your expressive changes. Of course, you can change the modulation intensity of effects like vibrato or tremolo, but it is also possible to assign these wheels to an array of MIDI messages. +/-buttons, you can assign different functions like a program, CC, and MMC messages. By default, they control octave/transpose up and down functions.

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A MIDI keyboard is a keyboard that plugs into a computer and helps you control a DAW. Think of it as a physical interface for your DAW. You have access to all advanced functions with this button. Here the keyboard goes into Edit mode, whereby the keys are used for selecting functions and entering data, such as transposing, selecting MIDI channels, etc., and thus gives you more out of the keyboard. As before, there’s a Fatar keybed and Light Guide, and in our tests we welcomed the arrival of proper pitch and mod wheels rather than touchstrips. That said, a single horizontal touchstrip is supplied and can be used for additional expression. If you liked the idea of Komplete Kontrol the first time around, the good news is that there’s even more to like about it now.