Donner Starrykey-37: the all-in-one MIDI keyboard with FM synth we already know - January 24, 2026

NAMM 2026: Donner Starrykey-37 is a MIDI keyboard with a MIDI sequencer, an audio interface, Bluetooth, and an FM synth engine, but wait a second…

At NAMM 2025, the Chinese company Donner showcased the Essential L1 Synthesizer. Full review here.

This year, Donner is focusing more on the guitar market, but it is also showcasing a new all-in-one MIDI keyboard with the Starrykey-37. Daily Synth Anatomy readers or active YouTube subscribers will already be familiar with the keyboard.



Donner Starrykey-37
The Starrykey-37 is a new compact all-in-one MIDI keyboard. However, the Donner Starrykey-37 isn’t actually that new. It’s just new that it bears the Donner logo. The keyboard is also sold by another company under the name MWave SMK-37 Pro.

Looking at the specs, it’s the same MIDI keyboard, just with a different logo and name. So both the Starrykey-37 and the SMK-37 Pro come from a Chinese OEM manufacturer, which both companies buy from.

The special thing about these two MIDI keyboards is that they offer a surprisingly large number of features for a relatively low price.

They feature a 37 spring-loaded mini keybed with velocity support but no aftertouch. Above, you can find 16 velocity-sensitive RGB pads, eight endless encoders, and four faders. Plus, you have two layers, giving you a total of 32 pads, 16 knobs, and 8 faders.



It also features a great feature set that extends playability. It gives you hands-on control over built-in scales and built-in chords, a 7-mode arpeggiator, note repeat, and a 64-step sequencer.



Built-in DX-7-style FM Synthesizer
Like the MWave SMK-37 Pro, the Starrykey-37 also houses a 12-voice Yamaha DX-7-style FM Synthesizer engine with six operators and 32 algorithms. It also comes with built-in effects, including a lowpass filter, distortion, delay, and reverb.

You can save up to 128 patches, and it’s also compatible with DX-7 patches. Spoiler alert: It’s not an FM engine on par with the original DX-7. It’s fine for messing around, but any iPad FM synth app for a few bucks sounds better.

I hope the sound quality in the Donner version is better than in the MWave, but I’m not sure. The Donner Starrykey-37 also shares the same USB-C audio interface capabilities as its dishonest twink.



It lets you route the FM engine’s audio in your DAW. At the same time, you can also use the audio output to hear the synth output or the output of your DAW.

Further, it has built-in Bluetooth that supports both audio and MIDI. On top of that, it has a built-in battery that gives you up to 10 hours of mobile creativity, says Donner.

Unlike the MWave version, Donner ships the Starrykey-37 with additional software, including Cubase LE, Wavelab LE, Cubasis LE3, and Melodics.

I haven’t tested the Donner version, but I have tested the MWave SMK-37 Pro, which has identical features.

First Impression
This is a good example of OEM manufacturers and of companies buying their products from them. The Starrykey-37 is the SMK-37 Pro and vice versa.

I ordered it from AliExpress for around $70 last year. For that price, it’s a nice keyboard with a decent key action. Unfortunately, the synth engine isn’t great.

It randomly creates noise, an issue I haven’t been able to eliminate yet. This also happens with audio transmission over USB. I can’t say if Donner improved this in their version. The built-in sequencer is nice but not very sophisticated. The arpeggiator and the chord functions are hands-on and work fine.

In direct comparison with the major players, the difference in quality is noticeable. However, considering its dense feature set and the price I paid, it does its job very well.

Donner Starrykey-37 is available now for around $134,99/129,99€. It can be lower depending on the active coupon codes.

More information here: Donner

Source: https://synthanatomy.com/2026/01/do...i-keyboard-with-fm-synth-we-already-know.html

 

You’d think they’d stick to a more approachable four operator fm synthesis instead of six if you can’t go very deep… heck the free dexed plugin is more advanced and you can just get started right away if you have the right xetup