Best for Ableton: Novation Launchkey MK III 61.Best small keyboard: Arturia KeyStep Pro.Best weighted keyboard: M-Audio Hammer 88.Best for beginners: Akai Pro MPK mini mk3.Best modular: Joué Music Instruments Joué Play.

Best overall: Native Instruments Komplete Kontrol S88.

Here are our picks for the best MIDI keyboards. Don’t worry, however, because we break it all down for you. How many keys do you need? What kind of connectivity is best for you? How much money do you have to spend? You’ll need to consider all of these (and more) before you can start collecting royalty checks from all your future hits. The world of MIDI controller keyboards is a broad one, with more variables than a badly planned high school science fair project. It’s a little more complicated than just getting any old thing with piano keys and plugging it into your computer. Don’t start popping corks yet, though, as you still need to choose the kind of MIDI keyboard that’s best for you. The right keyboard lets you input all those notes and chords that are going to set the world on fire.

Paired with a decent computer, an audio interface, and maybe a set of studio monitors or mixing headphones, a MIDI keyboard can mean you’re in (show?) business. And at the center of it all should sit one of the best MIDI keyboards. Nowadays, you have access to incredibly powerful, surprisingly intuitive music-making software and hardware. Until recently, even the most basic of home studios seemingly required an advanced degree in electronics to understand how to hook everything up-to say nothing of the cost.

It’s never been easier (or cheaper!) to make music thanks to computers and affordable MIDI keyboards.

Best keyboard for mpc live