Music producers require the best keyboard for making beats. This simply boils down to the fact that they really have to deliver the best hits for their clients and artists. For producers that are in the hip hop genre, they need to get a standard keyboard that will make it very easy to create beats.
Also, it is essential to know that these types of keyboards are very many on the market and you need to pay proper attention before you can get the best. Hence, we have outlined the various keyboards that will serve your purpose and deliver the best beats you can ever imagine.
- Akai Professional MPK Mini MKII – Best Keyboard for Making Hip Hop Bets
- Novation 49SL Keyboard – Best MIDI Keyboard for Making Beats
- Korg KRONOS2 88 Key – Best Keyboard for Music Production
- Akai Professional MPK249 – Top Keyboard for Beats under $500
- Alesis VI61 Keyboard Controller – Best Beginner Keyboard for Making Beats
Criteria For Selecting The Best Keyboard For Making Beats
Choosing the best keyboard for making beats can seriously become a challenge if you don’t know how to look for what you want and things to put in consideration before going to the market. We have listed four of the most important things to consider before making a purchase.
Price: This is one of the most essential parts of buying these types of keyboards because you need to understand what your budget is saying and the class it can possibly purchase. The well-known brands like Akai professional are the reputable ones with a considerable price and with standard quality. So you mustn’t overpay for less quality.
Number of Keys: You need to understand what you want and need before going to the market. This will readily help you to choose wisely. Knowing the number of keys that will make your work easy is part of this and you should clearly look out for them. If you prefer the ones with the full 88 keys, go for it, but if the ones with the lesser keys will work for you, then you can choose that. The most important thing is for the keyboard to meet your needs.
Brands: We have different brands with varying functions and features. They all, however, serve the same purpose, but you should understand and know the brand that is common amongst producers like you and go for them. The Akai professional is trendy and delivers absolute quality all the way.
Review: Go through review articles to know more about your potential keyboard before making a purchase. This will immediately get you familiar with the device, and you will know what is right and wrong about it. It will outline its features and give you insights into what makes it unique.
Read: Best Multi-Effects Pedal For Live Performance
Top Keyboards For Making Awesome Hip Hop Beats
1. Akai Professional MPK Mini MKII
This is a great keyboard that will help you create the beat you so much desire. It comes with various features that will make your beat creation smooth and sleek.
You will be enriched with a USB MIDI controller that comes with 25 velocity-sensitive action keys plus a dedicated octave for the adjustment of the keyboard’s melody delivery.
You will get access to an innovative 4-way thumbstick that will help in creating dynamic modulation and pitch control.
Also, the built-in arpeggiator is designed with adjustable resolution, modes and ranges. All these are going to let you create the best beat of your life.
2. Novation 49SL MkIII, MIDI and CV Equipped Keyboard Controller
This keyboard will easily allow you to sync your hardware together with no complications. Your CV/Gate will be able to work together with this keyboard.
You can use this controller too with the AbletonLive music software to create live music with ease. With the inbuilt 8 track pattern-based sequencer, you can fully express yourself on this keyboard.
Additionally, you will also get a single routable clock for the whole system and varieties of other features for live mixing and beat creation.
It comes with a 5 colour LCD screen that delivers full feedback from the parameters so you can clearly see everything you are doing on the keyboard.
3. Korg KRONOS2 88 Key (KRONOS8)
This keyboard is on our list because of its excellent design and many arrays of features that will give you the best of time while creating beats.
With an array of proper and distinctive sound engines, you can absolutely do no wrong with this keyboard because you will always deliver the best.
This is one of the most innovative keyboard sets you will see on the market, and you are definitely going to love the colourful touch screen.
It also comes with touch drag features that allow you to use the screen to create endless magic with sounds.
4. Akai Professional MPK249
Akai Professional has been known for its unique delivery of quality keyboards for a long time now, and it is not about to change with the Akai Professional MPK249 keyboard.
This keyboard presents with 49 semi-weighted velocity-sensitive keys, and the availability of the premium piano style allows for the best response and natural feel.
The 16GB illuminated MPC style pads are all made to come with 4 banks each and they all house about 64 pads to help in triggering samples, melodies, loop, and one-shots.
The onboard USB MIDI interface will help you to take charge of your peripheral MIDI equipment, and this will be done with 5 pin MIDI input and output.
Read Also: Best Powered Speaker for Keyboards
5. Alesis VI61 61-Key USB MIDI Keyboard Controller
The Alesis VI61 61-Key USB MIDI Keyboard Controller is presented with 61 full-sized, semi-weighted keys with an aftertouch.
It also comes with USB MIDI and 5 pins MIDI out that offer excellent flexibility with MIDI connectivity plus you can manipulate virtual instruments and plugins on this keyboard.
You will also have access to production software immediately after you purchase this keyboard. Additionally, the 48 assignable buttons and 16 knobs will help to interface with your music software to produce the best of output.
Furthermore, the LED screen display will give you sleek visual feedback, plus you will love that the buttons and knobs are very well illuminated.
Read: Best MPC For Beginner
Buying Guide
Whether you are looking to make hip-hop beats or a huge bass house, you should do thorough research before purchasing the appropriate keyboard. You should pay attention to numerous tiny details before spending any money, and in order to help you out to narrow down your research, we have assembled a brief buying guide you should follow to get the best possible product.
Action
The action represents the responsiveness of the keys on the keyboard when you press them. Every keyboard model has different firmness and resistance, so it is best to check this in person. You have a choice of weighted and unweighted keys to choose from. Unweighted keys are quite easy to push, while weighted ones respond similarly to a traditional piano.
MIDI Compatibility
MIDI is a common electronic instrument language that enables instruments to communicate with each other by sending and receiving signals. Although it is not a necessary feature for beginners, it is very important for advanced users that want to interface the keyboard with a computer.
Computer Connectivity
Most of the high-end keyboard brands offer you the option to connect their products to a computer. It is a valuable feature that allows you to create your own music in numerous composition programs. Purchasing a keyboard that has a computer connectivity option at the start will save you the hassle of upgrading later on.
Keyboard Size
The size of the keyboard you should opt for largely depends on your skill level of playing. For example, a full-sized keyboard with weighted keys is an excellent choice, but it offers fewer sound options. On the other hand, for everyone that is interested in electronic music, smaller keyboards with unweighted keys offer you a variety of sound functions and options.
Frequently Asked Questions
What MIDI keyboard is best for making beats?
A quality MIDI keyboard for making beats should be portable, cost-efficient, and it needs to add extra fragrance to the music.
How do you make beats with MIDI keyboards?
You can make beats with MIDI keyboards by connecting them to your computer or USB. You do not need to have many skills in playing the piano to do this because you can use creative software and sound samples to do so.
How long does it take to get good at making beats with the keyboard?
This largely depends on your creative inspiration and understanding of the music. It can only take a couple of days to learn how to use the DAW system, but you can spend hundreds and hundreds of hours putting this knowledge to creative use.
How can I connect my MIDI keyboard to a PC or Mac?
Most of the modern MIDI keyboards have a USB port that you can connect directly to your PC or Mac. However, if you do not have that option, a MIDI keyboard can be set up using a MIDI cable.
What equipment do I need to start making beats?
You need a quality MIDI keyboard, computer, beat-making software (DAW or digital workstation), audio interface, and studio headphones.
Conclusion
The array of best keyboards for making beats listed in this article is definitely going to blow your mind because they have all been thoroughly scrutinized before we chose them. Each of these keyboards is with unique features that make them one of the very best in the market.
Also, we hope you will make good use of the criteria for selection as they are the most important things you need to look out for when choosing the best keyboards for making beats.
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