Which MIDI keyboard for beginner?

[n1rv4n4]

Hi, I am a beginner using midi/keyboard with only a few weeks experience so please excuse any ignorance. I'm running a macbook air currently using Ableton Live 9.

I have been practicing with a borrowed midi keyboard getting used to using Ableton. It's a no frills, 49 key with only octave + and -, pitch blend and modulation. I'm looking for something I can use for a while to learn a lot on, so not really keen on just the basic keys (would be into drum pads etc).

Where I'm from this is all quite expensive and we don't have many music shops so I have narrowed it down to these few:

Alesis QX25 - $200 (more classic style)
M-AUDIO AXIOM AIR MINI 32 - $170 (has more keys which could be handy)
Akai MPK mini $200- (heard good things, but also heard it has quite small keys)

If anyone has any experience with these brands/models that could give me any insight I would be very thankful.

 

[n1rv4n4]

Bump? Anyone???

 

[happyrat1]

You're not going to learn a lot about music with a 25 key keyboard.

I'd suggest getting a mid level low end 61 key Yamaha or Casio MIDI keyboard with onboard sounds to start you off properly.

A Casio CTK-6200 sells on Amazon for the Same $200 as your price point and offers a hell of a lot more sounds and features for a beginner student than any of the controllers you mentioned.

http://www.amazon.com/Casio-CTK-620...=UTF8&qid=1398218165&sr=1-1&keywords=ctk-6200

Also it can be used in a pinch as a MIDI controller to control all of your VSTis on your MacBook as well.

Just my $0.02...

Gary

 

[n1rv4n4]

thanks gary. I will look into that one.