MIDI-Controller

MIDI Controllers – Keyboards and Pad Controllers for Software Instruments

A MIDI controller makes no sound on its own — it's a keyboard or pad surface for playing and triggering software instruments in your DAW, without endless mouse-clicking. This collection covers keyboard controllers, pad and launch controllers, and DJ-focused MIDI gear.

Keyboard controller or pad/launch controller

A keyboard controller like Arturia KeyLab 49 mk3 gives you a playable keybed plus knobs and pads mapped to your DAW. A launch controller such as Novation Launchkey 61 mk4 is built around clip-launching workflows, especially in Ableton Live. Need genuine weighted piano action for practice as well as MIDI control? M-Audio Hammer 88 Pro covers both.

Where to start

Want a well-rounded controller that maps deeply into most DAWs out of the box? Arturia KeyLab 49 mk3 is where we'd start. Living inside Ableton Live? Novation Launchkey 37 mk4 is built specifically for that workflow.

The brands we carry

We carry Arturia, Novation, M-Audio, Studiologic and Allen & Heath.

Hear it in our Warsaw showroom

The biggest difference between us and a mail-order shop: you can hear the gear before you buy it. Our showroom at Nowogrodzka 6A/102 in Warsaw is there so you can try it on your own material, not a shop demo. Book a visit or just swing by — we'll help without the sales pitch. Call: +48 573 580 840.

FAQ

Do I need a MIDI controller if my synth already has a keyboard?

Not necessarily for playing that synth — but a dedicated controller is still useful for triggering software instruments in a DAW, which a hardware synth's own keyboard usually can't do as flexibly.

Weighted, semi-weighted or synth-action keys?

Weighted if piano-realistic feel matters to you. Synth-action (lighter, spring-loaded) if you're mostly playing synth parts and want faster, easier key response.

Keyboard controller or pad controller — which do I need?

Keyboard if you play melodic and chordal parts. Pad/launch controller if you're triggering clips, samples or beats — many producers eventually own both.

Guides & related

• What Is MIDI, and How Does It Actually Work?
• Arturia KeyLab 88 Mk3 – Ultimate Hammer-Action MIDI Controller

See also: Keyboard Synthesizers · Keys · Samplers