Recommend midi keyboard around £300

[The Elf]

I've always had a love/hate relationship with the Roland bender lever. In some instances it's perfect - especially for wild solos and some sync-lead fireworks, but much of the time it's simply a PITA.

Happily I have a selection of both here, but I couldn't live with a Roland bender alone.

[Dr Huge Longjohns]

Hmmm, the combo of potential driver issues and mod lever frustration issues are putting me off the Roland, have to say. Maybe the M Audio is the way to go and damn the expression pedal? Although people do seem to rave about the keyboard feel of the Roland and some even take the spring out of the lever so it works like a normal wheel!

[Sam Spoons]

My Roland Juno-D keyboard feels much nicer than the one on my Alto 25 note keyboard even with my minimal keyboard chops.

[Dr Huge Longjohns]

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaagh! Talk about a lather of indecision. I'll have to find a shop (remember them?) that stocks both and give em a go.

[Sam Spoons]

Aaaaaaaaargh, me too............

[Dr Huge Longjohns]

So, decided on the M Audio. Will report back when it arrives and plugged in. Thanks for all the excellent input.

[Eddy Deegan]

So, decided on the M Audio. Will report back when it arrives and plugged in. Thanks for all the excellent input.

Several times I've found spawning a thread to 'think aloud' about something often yields useful results, even if through the lifetime of that thread you end up shifting your requirements a little bit with a nudge here and there from various posters.

There's a lot to be said for a group conversation. The same goes for creating music, I suppose - the trick being to find the right group to do it with

[Dr Huge Longjohns]

And if it all goes pear shaped you've got somebody else to blame!

[Drew Stephenson]

And if it all goes pear shaped you've got somebody else to blame!

Whoah there! I put a disclaimer in and everything!

[Dr Huge Longjohns]

Very pleased with the M Audio. A 'does exactly what it says on the tin' sort of product. Worked fine straight out of the box, seems well made and the keys are nice to play. Also they don't rattle like many cheap keyboard keys do. The octave switching has a good feature, the colour of the light above the up and down switches change colour depending on how far you are from 'home' which is useful.

The only tiny niggle, for the sake of completeness, and it is really tiny is that the keyboard sags very very slightly in the middle under heavy playing. This is cured currently with a thin pad of post it notes. What do you expect for £76 including postage?

What you perhaps don't expect for that amount is a load of excellent free software bundled in. This includes, amongst others, an XLN Addictive Grand Piano (£89 to buy on their site) another grand piano and an electric piano from Air (which is excellent, with 70 very usable presets). I can't get the mini grand to work, currently, but gifthorses, mouths etc.

[Drew Stephenson]

What you perhaps don't expect for that amount is a load of excellent free software bundled in. This includes, amongst others, an XLN Addictive Grand Piano (£89 to buy on their site) another grand piano and an electric piano from Air (which is excellent, with 70 very usable presets). I can't get the mini grand to work, currently, but gifthorses, mouths etc.

That was actually one of the reasons I chose it. I've been very happy with the bundled piano and the synth.

[Dr Huge Longjohns]

DId you get the Air Mini Grand piano? Can't get it to work at all. Interface loads fine but just goes Clunk when you press a note. THe component is there and all authorised afaics but just clunk.

[Wonks]

[Drew Stephenson]

Nope, I got the Xpand2 synth but the main piano plugin was Sonivox EightyEight. They've obviously changed their software pack.

[Dr Huge Longjohns]

Finally got the AIR piano going, needed a software update. I've got pianos coming out of my ears now!

[Wonks]

I've got pianos coming out of my ears now!

You must be a grand and upright person.

[Sam Spoons]

DId you get the Air Mini Grand piano? Can't get it to work at all. Interface loads fine but just goes Clunk when you press a note. THe component is there and all authorised afaics but just clunk.

Interesting, I wouldn't have expected 'Air Piano' to make any actual noise at all

[Guest]

I have just bought an Akai MPK249 which is really good and has an excellent semi-weighted keyboard. The 61 key version is slightly over your budget.

https://www.andertons.co.uk/akai-mpk249-controller-keyboard

[Dave B]

I've nearly splurged on the Akai MPKs a few times for ideas that I've had. They seem very well spec'd and are class compliant. And I know that a few name bands use them to drive their Mainstage rigs so they seem fairly gig-worthy. Yes, they cost more, but it looks like they are worth it!