I'm not a piano player, and currently own an Arturia MiniLab 3, which is amazing, but am looking for something with more keys, probably around the 37 key area. It also ideally needs to be a small form factor so it can sit on the desk without taking up too much space. It'll be used for doing film/game music as well as techno, but it's moreso the film/game music side that's necessitating more keys so I can play parts in easier. On that note (no pun intended), having a proper mod wheel and faders to use for expression and dynamics CC controls would be a pro, but willing to consider options that don't have these if it excels elsewhere.

It'll be used with Cubase, and so if it's something that can work well with Remote Control it'd be a bonus, but I can lock scales and so on on from the DAW, so that side of things isn't critical as I won't be using it with hardware.

The ones I was contemplating are below, but some are 4 or 5x the price of others, so to truly consider them they'll need to add the extra value for my specific use case:

• M-Vave SMK 37 Pro (has aftertouch, has mod wheel, has pads, has faders, has bluetooth, sequencing options)
• KORG microKEY 2 37 (has mod wheel, no aftertouch, no faders, basic keyboard, pitch and mod wheel only)
• Behringer SWING 32 (has aftertouch, lots of sequencing options, hardware connections, no faders, no mod wheel)
• M-Audio Oxygen Pro Mini (has faders, has pads, has encoders, no aftertouch)
• Arturia Keystep 37 (has aftertouch, lots of sequencing options, hardware connections, no faders, no mod wheel)
• AKAI MPK Mini Plus (has mod wheel, has pads, no aftertouch, no faders, MPK Mini 4 just released so could be replaced soon)
• Novation Launchkey 37 Mk4 (has mod wheel, has pads, no aftertouch, no faders)
• Novation Launchkey Mini 37 Mk4 (has pads, no mod wheel, no aftertouch, no faders)
  
• IK Multimedia iRig Keys 2 (Pro) 37 (has mod wheel, has pads, has encoders, no aftertouch, no faders)
• Arturia Keystep Pro (has aftertouch, lots of sequencing options, hardware connections, no mod wheel, no faders)

Of the above, I'm currently leaning towards taking a punt on the fully featured M-Vave (but know nothing about them or their quality). Or, are there other options?

Or, should I considering stepping up to a 49 or 61 key and mounting under my desk on a pull-out shelf, even as a non-piano player? And would something like a Novation Remote 49 SL MkIII or Arturia Keylab 49 Mk3 be a good option, if so?

NOTE: I am intentionally not mentioning Native Instruments' options because I do not like the way the company deal with decommissioning hardware arbitrarily by de-supporting them in software updates to force customers to upgrade, so won't consider their hardware ever again after being burned on previous Komplete Kontrol, Maschine, Kore, and Guitar Rig hardware.

 

Novation ReMOTE 37 SL maybe

 

https://www.midiplus.com.tw/en/product-detail/X3mini/

 

37 keys is just enough to be constantly annoyed you didn't get 49 or more. If you're doing more than leads/bass and you don't need traveling form factor, I would recommend 49+ keys. 49 key is also generally the minimum to get a halfway decent keybed (piano player or no, crap keybeds still feel cheap..also you can't get actual piano action in anything less than 76 key anyway, it'll be semi weighted synth action).

Depending on your desk setup you can also go up rather than down, eg I have a novation slmk3 49 key that sits atop wood 3U monitor riser. I then got a standalone vesa mount with a flat plate for the widescreen, that sits on the riser, SL sits on the plate, nothing obstructed. Other vesa is a pole clamp behind that, second monitor ontop of first. No additional desk space was consumed beyond what a widescreen and some knickknacks would have taken up.

 

Not so long ago I was looking for the same as you. You have to think, how much space do you have available? Do you want mini keys or full size keys? Are you gonna travel with the keyboard? Are you gonna use it with Synths or drum machines? If the controller has pads or faders, are you going to use them? If so, how much? if you're a person that mains computer keyboard and mouse I recommend that you buy a midi controller only with keys and maybe some pads, because you're gonna pay for faders that will not be used.

Sooo:
-Launchkey: If you're going to travel with it I'd advice against full size keys (i.e. Novation launchkey 37), also although launchkeys have a tons of options they are quite crammed so you have to use key-combos, so you will have to really really develop muscle memory to be able to use it fully. So maybe you will pay for something that you're not gonna use. This knobs sucks very hard
-MicroKey: If you're not using pads and faders I'd not buy microKey, because it feels cheap and fragile.
-Behringer: I personally do not like Behringer products, some people say that they're good, but I always have problems with them.
-M-Audio: I have a 61 keys M-Audio midi controller, very robust, very good. But, for me, Oxygen tries to be a good all rounder, but fails because has everything crammed and very little of everything.
-M-Wave: I do not have knowledge of them, but the pads seems quite small, and i do not like 2x8 pads format, but the knobs looks robust

So for me it's

Do you want very usable pads and knobs? APK mini
Do you want the best key feel? Keystep 37
Do you want to pay less but for keys only? I-Rig
Do you want a quite-robust sequencer? Keystep pro
Do you want full size keys? Launchkey
Do you want some rudimentary ableton integration? Launchkey or launchkey mini

 

I love my Arturia Keystep 37. A lot of people own these things. I don't gig, but if you do, that's a good gig keyboard too, due to the small size. Anyways, while they aren't full sized keys, they aren't very small either. I find them very easy to use... but the benefit of the smaller keys of course is the footprint this keyboard has on your desktop is super tiny. I used to have a Nektar Impact LX25+, and this thing takes up a lot less real estate.. I don't miss the full sized keys in the slightest.. and I have to stress again, the keys aren't that small at all. Try one out in store.

You're incorrect about it not having a modwheel though. It has both a modwheel and pitch wheel, they're strips rather than your standard dial thing, but they work well all the same though.

I actually never use the sequencer/arp though, but they're pretty good. I'd just rather do that with a VST.

THAT ALL SAID, I actually would like one more octave. I wish they made a Keystep 49. I'd buy that in a heartbeat. (note: keystep, not keylab.. I want a slimmed down controller..)

 

Last edited: Nov 16, 2025 at 11:34 PM

Following cuz i was more less on the same boat. My microkey 37 started to fail after 12 years of usage: some keys are failing (already opened it and cleaned it, but I think it's the rubber contacts that got too old and weak) and the mod and pitch wheels are sending midi messages out of nowhere by jittering. My alesis 49, on the other hand, feels a bit too big to carry around (and I am no keyboard player lol).

I have crossed out the 32 keys options as I am very used to the microkey 37 (in my opinion, it is the perfect size for my needs), but I 'd rather not buy another because I need some pads and faders/knobs.

PS: another thing to consider is if you want traditional mod and pitch wheels or are ok with touch strip ones.

PS2: if you are not taking it anywhere (= portability does not matter), I would not buy anything under 37 keys. Just my 2 cents.

 

Last edited: Nov 16, 2025 at 11:39 PM

If you look at the original post, I mention having "a proper mod wheel", so the "no mod wheel" comments on the features of each keyboard related to not having "a proper mod wheel", as I had the strip type on the NI KK S25 Mk1 I had years ago and hated it. It was next to useless for proper modulation and feel for things like orchestral instruments for me.

 

As per reply I just posted about my original post referring to wanting "a proper mod wheel"

 

Unfortunately, many 37 mini keys options do not have proper wheels (lauchkey mini, for instance. The full size 37 keys do have proper ones).