MIDI keyboards are a great tool for playing music, music production and even for live performance. A beautifully designed and functional minimalist MIDI keyboard or controller can be a great addition to your music setup and also complement the overall look of your space.
There are a plethora of MIDI keyboards available today which makes it hard to find the right one with a minimalist design and good functionality. To address this, I have done a good amount of research and have put together a list of the 7 best minimalist MIDI keyboards or controllers based on design and features.
Without wasting any more time, let’s check out the list!
7 Best Minimalist MIDI Keyboards (Based on Design)
1. ROLI Seaboard Block Wireless Keyboard Controller
Buy or Check The Price Here (Amazon)
First minimalist MIDI keyboard on the list is the Seaboard Block by ROLI. This MIDI keyboard has an ultra-minimalist design with and all-black matte finish with thin white lines to indicate the black keys on the keyboard.
The keys doesn’t feel like a conventional key on a keyboard as it is not pressed but touch-sensitive. Moving your fingers up and down a key allows you to create a pitch-bend effect, which can be used in many creative ways.
The design also makes this keyboard very portable, which makes it great for traveling musicians or producers. Furthermore, it is wireless, which removes the hassle of dealing with wires and help keep your setup minimalist and clutter-free.
Interestingly, the Seaboard has magnetic block DNA connectors which allows you to connect it to other ROLI products like the Lightpad Block, Live Block, Touch Block and many others.
Features:
- Size: 11 x 1 x 5.5 inches
- Wireless and portable
- 5D Touch for creative exploration
- Magnetic Block DNA Connectors
2. Xkey Air 25-Key Bluetooth MIDI Controller by CME
Buy or Check The Price Here (Amazon)
This 25-key wireless MIDI keyboard by CME has a really beautiful, minimalist design. It has an all-white design, with thin edges which makes it look elegantly modern and sleek.
It is very thin, at only 0.6 inches thick and has a weight of less than 2 lbs. This makes it super portable, which is great if you need to place it in your bag and move around. Furthermore, this MIDI keyboard has a very good build. The frame is constructed from anodized aluminium which makes it durable, which is great for long-lasting use.
It is velocity sensitive, which makes it great for music production and also for doing live performance. The full-sized piano keys gives your fingers a comfortable playing experience.
Moreover, it is very easy to use. It is plug and play, and is compatible with PC, Mac, Linus, iOS and Android.
Features:
- Size: 20 x 8 x 4 inches
- Thin and portable
- Wireless, plug and play
- Anodized aluminium construction
- Full-sized piano keys
3. Arturia KeyStep Controller & Sequencer
Buy or Check The Price Here (Amazon)
Arturia is a well renowned electronics company based in France, and they are known to make many beautifully designed musical instruments and this KeyStep MIDI Keyboard is no exception. It has an gorgeous minimalist-looking all white design. The buttons are also designed to complement the keyboard beautifully.
The Slimkey keybed has velocity sensitivity which makes it perfect for creative uses. It also has an Arpeggiator mode with various settings you can explore for interesting musical creativity.
Through its controller and polyphonic step sequencer, this minimalist midi keyboard is able to control both analog and digital devices.
While having plenty of features, the KeyStep is quite portable and easy to carry around. Furthermore it only weights around 3 lbs.
If you want an even portable Arturia MIDI keyboard, you can check out the MicroLab, which is a smaller yet still beautifully minimalist MIDI keyboard.
4. Korg nanoKEY 2
Buy or Check The Price Here (Amazon)
The KORG nanoKEY 2 is a very lightweight and small MIDI keyboard with a very minimalist design. I have personally owned this for a few years now, it is great for portable music production as it can fit easily in your bag, and is very simple to use. it also comes in a white version which looks pretty cool too.
The key’s are very low profile and is velocity sensitive. It has simple octave buttons and a sustain which is great if you want to somewhat emulate a piano. However, if you want something to feel more like a piano, this may not be a good choice as the key travel is very short.
Overall, for the price and functions, this can be great for a quick and simple music production setup.
Features:
- Size: 14.60 x 1.60 x 3.70 inches
- Small, thin and portable
- Plug and play
5. Korg microKEY Air 25
Buy or Check The Price Here (Amazon)
This is another beautifully designed minimalist MIDI keyboard by KORG. The microKEY Air 25 is a great, wireless MIDI keyboard. The design is simplistic, yet elegant. It features 25 keys with a thumbstick which you can use to modulate the pitch. It also comes in 37, 49 and 61 keys version which is great if you want a fuller piano-like experience.
The microKEY MIDI keyboard is another keyboard that I personally own. After much use, I can say I prefer this over the nanoKEY. The keys feel really great to use, and the wireless functionality removes the hassle of dealing with cables. This keeps my setup looking very minimalist. However, I do wish it utilizes a built-in chargeable battery instead of having to use AA batteries.
You can wirelessly connect this to the iPad and play it almost immediately which is great. Additionally, if you plan to use this for music production, it comes with music software bundles which is great.
Features:
- Size: 18.11 x 6.49 x 2.83 inches
- Great feeling keys
- Wireless, plug and play
- Music software bundles
6. Akai Professional LPK25 MIDI Keyboard
Buy or Check The Price Here (Amazon)
Designed by the reputable Japanese electronics company AKAI, the LPK 25 is designed to have very thin edges. This gives it a very mobile/portable form factor while also looking very minimalist. It also comes in a wireless version, which is thicker in design.
It is only 13 inch in length which makes it fit easily into any bag. It weighs less than a pound, which makes this MIDI keyboard ultra-portable.
It has 25 mini keys with velocity sensitivity for a nice, realistic keyboard experience. Furthermore, it has octave up and down buttons plus a sustain and arpeggiator function for a complete midi keyboard operation.
The arpeggiator has various timings/settings to choose from and there are 4 programmable memory banks which you can use for instant recall of effects, DAW mappings, virtual instruments and others.
Features:
- Size: 3.80 x 13.40 x 1.10 inches
- Weighs less than 1 pound
- An option for wireless version
- 4 programmable memory banks
7. Akai Professional MPK Mini MKII LE Black
Buy or Check The Price Here (Amazon)
The MPK mini by AKAI is one of the most popular MIDI keyboards today, and it is also my favorite. This all-black version looks really sleek and minimalist. It also comes in a white, and the original version.
The inclusion of MPC drum pads makes it great for programming drums and even live performance. Although not as portable as the other ones in this list, the buttons, pads and knobs makes this a complete mobile music production controller, which can double as a performance instrument. It weighs only about 1.65 lbs which is lightweight for carrying it around.
It is easy to use, without any driver you can just plug and play. Furthermore, this MIDI keyboard works easily with popular DAWs. All the 8 Q-Link knob can be assigned to different parameters in your DAW for easy mixing and tweaking.
Also, this comes with free sounds, software packages and digital instruments, which makes it great to start off your music production.
Features:
- Size: 7.13 x 12.52 x 1.73 inches
- Programmable drum pads, knobs
- Thumbstick for pitch modulation
- Free software packages
Wrapping Things Up
Whether it’s just for casual playing, or serious music production, a well designed minimalist MIDI keyboard can enhance your overall music experience while also look really good for your space. Hopefully this list has helped you or give you some ideas on choosing your new favorite minimalist MIDI keyboard!
