Best 61-key controllers in 200-300 range

[Magpel]

This guitarist/bassist/songwriter type is putting together his first live keyboard rig, after three years of fairly focused woodshedding and writing on an instrument I've always played a little. Exciting and scary, because It's really an if-you-build-it-they will come scenario;  I have dramatically expanded what I can do on keys in this period, but nothing is solid and reliable in my technique yet, perhaps because it hasn't had to be. I've earmarked a June gig as the debut of this new thing. 

I've decided to go the MacBook--soft synths/samples--controller route for a lot of reasons. I figure I already have Keyscape and a lot of virtual instruments that I like. I could probably ask a host of questions on the problems and logistics of a laptop-controller  (i.e., do all of you folks who use laptops live use an external interface, or do any of you just take the headphone output from the computer?)

ANYWAY, to stay focused, I'm looking for a 61 key controller. For this application, DAW integration and advanced controller features mean very little to me. I will certainly assign a few knobs and faders, but they all seem to have enough of those for my needs. So I'm looking for best feel and build. Definitely want semi-weighted, not synth action. The contenders are all the usual suspects: Alesis, M-Audio, Artutria, Nektar, etc. Obviously there is no final truth on this question; just looking for players' experience. My opportunity to try anything out is limited. Are there any with a reputation for a good, meaty, velocity sensitive feel?

[Mighty Motif Max]

Do you need an expression pedal? If not, I highly recommend the Novation Launchkey MK3 series. I like the keybed and build quality is pretty good.

[Delaware Dave]

M-Audio Code 61.  ticks every box.

 

expression pedal input

sustain pedal input

5 pin midi in/out

USB midi

9 sliders 

buttons

dials

pads

4 zones

space for a pad/tablet

mod wheel

pitch wheel

semi-weighted keybed

transpose function

12 presets

real time edit and store on the keyboard

separate editor for windows

under 11 pounds for the 61 key version

comes in 25, 49 and 61 keys

comes in black or white

powered via usb-midi or separate power adapter.

under $300.

here's one for sale from a trusted dealer (they are hard to find): link

 

i have one. love it.

[bill5]

3 hours ago, Mighty Motif Max said:

Do you need an expression pedal? If not, I highly recommend the Novation Launchkey MK3 series. I like the keybed and build quality is pretty good.

I agree but it's synth action, not semi-weighted as the OP wants.

 

OP, are you sure semi-weighted is a must? It really limits your options. In fact, the M-Audio Keystation 61 MK3 is the only option I know of. Never used though so can't speak to being good or bad.

 

The Code 61 above might be another option if you're open to used keyboards.

[allan_evett]

I've had good luck with Nektar controllers. Had a GX 61 in the teaching studio for a couple years, then sold it to a student when he went away to college. Was using a Casio CT-S500 for playing examples to students, but as a controller it came up rather short. So for computer/module stuff I picked up a demo Nektar GXP 49, which is working out well so far; though having some additional control features is tempting, so that might  become a Nektar Panorama T4 - 49. Even the Panorama T6 61-key is well within your price range.  I've owned Roland A series, M-Audio, and a couple others since the late 00's. The capabilities and actions of the Nektar gear has impressed me.

[bill5]

And the Impact LX88+ is only $320 and semi-weighted. Can the OP live with extra keys?   

[Mighty Motif Max]

3 hours ago, bill5 said:

I agree but it's synth action, not semi-weighted as the OP wants.

 

OP, are you sure semi-weighted is a must? It really limits your options. In fact, the M-Audio Keystation 61 MK3 is the only option I know of. Never used though so can't speak to being good or bad.

 

The Code 61 above might be another option if you're open to used keyboards.

It's definitely not as springy as most synth actions and feels "heavier" and more solid, which is how I define a semi-weighted feel (regardless of whether there are actual weights under the keys or not, that's what the actual end feel results in).

[stoken6]

6 hours ago, Mighty Motif Max said:

It's definitely not as springy as most synth actions and feels "heavier" and more solid, which is how I define a semi-weighted feel (regardless of whether there are actual weights under the keys or not, that's what the actual end feel results in).

This is the key sentence. "Semi-weighted" tends to mean: synth-style sprung action, but not crappy. 

 

Question to @Magpel, when you say

13 hours ago, Magpel said:

a few knobs and faders

Define "a few"? Do you need 9 faders to act as a drawbar controller, for example? Do you need expression pedal? Aftertouch? Etc. If you're going for a software rig, faders and expression pedal can be added "externally" and do not need to be built into the keyboard.

 

Cheers, Mike.

[Magpel]

Thank you for the great responses.  To answer a few of the questions that have come up...

88 is def "too many keys"     Already with 61, I have concerns. It's about fitting an efficient key rig into my guitar/singer stage real estate in a five piece band. Also will be used in a duo setting.

I'm fairlyaware of the range of features and would say, I don't need a drawbar bank. Aftertouch is a plus but not required. Expression pedal is also nice but non-essential. Price and playability are the big factors.

I'm not over-stressing the decision, since it is not a huge buy.

[Ibarch]

I would second the Nektar recommendations. I have an Impact 25+ and it plays OK. It's not the smallest footprint but I preferred the feel to any others I tried. 

 

I was particularly not impressed with the  quality of similar priced  MAudio controllers. They felt like cheap toys and I've seen better keybeds on Fisher Price gear. 

[Irena]

I'd add Native Instruments A61 to the list.  Barebones features compared to some others in this price range, but If you don't need much beyond some knobs and a solid keybed, I've found it to be one of the best <$300 options for build quality and playability.

[Delaware Dave]

17 hours ago, Delaware Dave said:

M-Audio Code 61.  ticks every box.

 

expression pedal input

sustain pedal input

5 pin midi in/out

USB midi

9 sliders 

buttons

dials

pads

4 zones

space for a pad/tablet

mod wheel

pitch wheel

semi-weighted keybed

transpose function

12 presets

real time edit and store on the keyboard

separate editor for windows

under 11 pounds for the 61 key version

comes in 25, 49 and 61 keys

comes in black or white

powered via usb-midi or separate power adapter.

under $300.

here's one for sale from a trusted dealer (they are hard to find): link

 

i have one. love it.

i forgot to mention that the Code 61 has after touch as well.  there isnt a keyboard mentioned so far that has more features nor is a better bang for the buck.  doesnt mean you have to use the features but they are there.

[Reezekeys]

I don't think anyone is going to be getting a Code 61 right now, unless they find one used.

[drawback]

3 hours ago, Irena said:

I'd add Native Instruments A61 to the list.  Barebones features compared to some others in this price range, but If you don't need much beyond some knobs and a solid keybed, I've found it to be one of the best <$300 options for build quality and playability.

I haven’t owned one of these, but just on the basis of a music store comparison with a Novation & M-Audio in that price range, I’d go with this one. Solid & smooth feel, and if 9 faders and expression aren’t needed.

[Magpel]

I had my finger on the trigger of the NI A61. I was doing a final idiot check of features to make sure it has what I need, when—luckily I guess—I discovered it has a somewhat startling omission—no easy transposition by semitones from the surface controls. The only answers to semitone transposition are buried deep deep in its “smart scales” features, which require the use of the software.

And since this is for live use, I simply do not trust the ease of access of MIDI shifting transposition in whatever DAWs and hosts I am using either.

OK yes it is a tiny bit embarrassing to show up at THIS forum in particular and confess that I need semitone transpose. The focus of my keyboard woodshedding has been to get comfortable in all keys, and it is really working, so well I would say I almost more key-liberated now on piano than on my main instrument (guitar really does favor certain keys no matter what Ted Greene tells you  ),  BUT when I trot my keyboard playing out at a June gig, the three likely compositions I will be playing were written and practiced over and over again in certain keys, and then we decided our female violinist is going to sing them. Ultimately I won’t need to cheat with transpose, but I really WILL on June 10, lol. 

I am little stunned that a controller that so clearly prides itself on smart scales and harmonizers and ‘easy” chord generators doesn't have a two button semitone transpose control—the original MIDI cheat. They have two octave transpose buttons. The shift—Octave combo has been dedicated to toggling to fixed velocity.

OH WELL! 
 

[drawback]

Nektar Impact GXP61 has been recommended and appears it has all the boxes ticked…

[Reezekeys]

9 hours ago, Magpel said:

OK yes it is a tiny bit embarrassing to show up at THIS forum in particular and confess that I need semitone transpose.

 

Don't be embarrassed. I agree with you that transpose should be an easily-accessible function on a midi controller, even though I can't remember the last time I used it. Whether or not I ever do use it, I still want it; there are too many unanticipated kinds of musical situations one can find themselves in. From a firmware standpoint, programming a button to add or subtract a midi note number has to be one of the easier jobs for a keyboard manufacturer. FFS they make controllers that light up like christmas lights and decide what notes of the scale are gonna sound if you decide to go Jackson Pollock on the keyboard - the least they can do is have an easy way to transpose!

[stoken6]

4 hours ago, Reezekeys said:

I agree with you that transpose should be an easily-accessible function

Not "too" easily-accessible. I've accidentally hit the transpose button in an over-enthusiastic spot of organ smearing, and with imperfect monitoring it takes a few moments to realise why something sounds off...

 

Cheers, Mike.

[Reezekeys]

I hear you - but "accessible" doesn't necessarily mean "right next to the keyboard." Although, in my case that's exactly where the buttons are! 🙂 

 

Clawing through the cobwebs of my memory, there may have been one time I accidentally hit that octave up button - at least that didn't change the key I was playing in! 🙂 

 

My complaint about the semitone transpose function on this Roland was one of my first forum posts here 12 years ago... and some of the responses I got almost made me never come back! I will always defend having the button, maybe not always using the button.

 

[Magpel]

The transpose intrigue deepens. The Nektar GXP 61 has two directional transpose buttons--no shift required. Launchkey requires shift+octave but that's fine. Heading to Alto Music today to mash a few keys and leave with one.

The issue is I am also looking at the Nektar Panorama T6 because of the fact that the GXP is utterly bereft of controller knobs. While I don't need many, I would like some. The T6 lacks the top level transpose buttons of the GXP and I can't tell if it is simple shift+ operation away because...Nektar doesn't post their manuals on the their site.

Also, there is language surrounding the GXP that suggests, to me, that it may have a different and weightier keybed than the T6. It looks like the GXP series might be "player" oriented in that respect. Just a hunch based on the marketese.  Anyone know if T6 is the same keybed?

 I'll have a nice 30 day return window from Alto, so all is well, and I have found the help here invaluable, thanks.

[Adam Burgess]

I love my Arturia Keylab mkII 61. 

• Keys feel among the better ones out there
• Has a Transpose button on the panel
• Many pedal inputs & real MIDI and USB
• Setup software is excellent


EDITED TO ADD:

• Build is excellent. Really solid.
• It fits in a 49 key-size case

 

[Magpel]

To anyone still following, went down to Alto Music (a major independent big box music store in upstate NY that used to have a glory of a keyboard department, but everything has changed there since Covid).

I wanted to compare the Launchkey with the two Nektars—GXP 61 and Panorama T6.  Dude had the P6 pulled when I got there—a mothership DAW controller closer to $600 than $300. Didn’t have the T6 in so I compared the other two. I had every reason to go with the Novation except that for me, keybed feel was no contest in favor of the GXP61. The unit I got was open box and during a sale, so I got it for less than $180. It already has some buggies with being detected and Identified by two different Macs here, but then I haven’t read the scant little manual yet, have I? In this class compliant age I never anticipate any device recognition bugs. Reminded me of the old days.  Anyway, very satisfied with the feel. Wish it had a few knobs. Perfectly adequate for starting this new gigging experiment though. Thanks again.

[Reezekeys]

That's a good price for a 61-key board with aftertouch and expr. pedal input. But, "some buggies with being detected and Identified by two different Macs here", that's kind of serious don't you think? The manual says its class-compliant. Good luck.

[Magpel]

48 minutes ago, Reezekeys said:

That's a good price for a 61-key board with aftertouch and expr. pedal input. But, "some buggies with being detected and Identified by two different Macs here", that's kind of serious don't you think? The manual says its class-compliant. Good luck.

Yeah, noteworthy for sure. I’m watching it closely. It has “gotten better” over the course of a few (keyboard) restarts. I have a month return window.

[Magpel]

That something evergreen should come from this thread…I emailed Nektar and found out that the Panorama T line does not share a keybed with the GXP 61. That was sorrrt of clear from the marketing blurbs but never really nailed down. I think the GXP is perhaps oddly positioned as a “player’’s” unit, ultralight on controller functionality but providing a feel that a real player might be able to live with in a pinch. I like it. But now I want knobs. I could bring my Arturia MiniKey along but now this rig is looking might futzy for something that going to be used three or four times a show…

[RandyFF]

Not sure why you’d be embarrassed to use the Transpose function, esp as a learning player who’s primarily a guitarist.

 

I recently was involved in a band that had 30-40 songs for me to learn in short order.  I found the Transpose function very useful for learning the song, to get it in my fingers, and then, as time permitted, learning it in the key the band plays it in with no transposing.  That is an exercise in learning it in various/all keys as well!

 

The value of that is that for any given song, some keys are just more natural than others, a good place to start and a confidence builder, esp for the comping and solo parts of the song.

 

On another note, I discovered CHORDIFY, an app that pulls music from YouTube. The AI behind it translates the chords into measures, so you get the video of the performance to play along with, and it steps thru the song with chords in a simple chart- very very handy for learning a song quickly.  And you can easily specify what key you want to see the chords in.  There are various apps that do similar things with AI.  

 

RealSongBook Pro was another great find: they pull their chord charts from Ultimate Guitar and it’s incredibly easy to edit the chart to your liking, or write up a chart from scratch.  Both of these apps are relatively cheap as well.

[bill5]

I have found this site very handy for quickly getting the chords for a song too: https://www.ultimate-guitar.com/explore

 

They have it notated for guitar or piano.

[Baldwin Funster]

Re transpose. My band wants to shift a song down a whole step for the singer. It's a gospel influenced fast rocker. Written and played in A. It lays perfect in that key because the original B3 guy played it that way. In G its doable without trouble but not near as fun. I use the transp key without apology or regret. If I forget to set it back so be it. These days I'm feeling like F who don't like it.

[Jose EB5AGV]

On 8/11/2023 at 12:01 AM, Baldwin Funster said:

Re transpose. My band wants to shift a song down a whole step for the singer. It's a gospel influenced fast rocker. Written and played in A. It lays perfect in that key because the original B3 guy played it that way. In G its doable without trouble but not near as fun. I use the transp key without apology or regret. If I forget to set it back so be it. These days I'm feeling like F who don't like it.

 

Nobody seems to care when a guitarist puts a capo on the guitar neck, so the transpose buttons should not be taboo to keys players. Kudos to those who can transpose on the fly, though 👍🏻

[bill5]

On 3/27/2023 at 4:43 PM, Magpel said:

To anyone still following, went down to Alto Music (a major independent big box music store in upstate NY that used to have a glory of a keyboard department, but everything has changed there since Covid).

I wanted to compare the Launchkey with the two Nektars—GXP 61 and Panorama T6.  Dude had the P6 pulled when I got there—a mothership DAW controller closer to $600 than $300. Didn’t have the T6 in so I compared the other two. I had every reason to go with the Novation except that for me, keybed feel was no contest in favor of the GXP61. The unit I got was open box and during a sale, so I got it for less than $180. It already has some buggies with being detected and Identified by two different Macs here, but then I haven’t read the scant little manual yet, have I? In this class compliant age I never anticipate any device recognition bugs. Reminded me of the old days.  Anyway, very satisfied with the feel. Wish it had a few knobs. Perfectly adequate for starting this new gigging experiment though. Thanks again.

I'm curious how it's been working out now that you've had it awhile?