Buying Guides / 24 November 2023

Gift Guide for Keyboardists 2023

It’s not all black and white when it comes to finding the perfect gift for a keyboardist. Luckily we’ve put together some top-notch products that will delight anyone who spends time behind a keyboard. Here’s our gift guide of pianos, workstations and synthesisers for 2023.

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1. Roland GO:KEYS Music Creation Keyboard

Roland GO:KEYS Music Creation Keyboard

Buying for someone new to the keys? The Roland GO:KEYS Music Creation Keyboard is a versatile and user-friendly instrument that empowers musicians of all levels to create music with ease.

  • Endless Creative Possibilities: With over 500 high-quality sounds for a wide range of musical styles, the Roland GO:KEYS keyboard offers endless creative possibilities.
  • Loop Mix Function: The innovative Loop Mix function allows you to create professional-sounding tracks by simply triggering loops and phrases with the touch of a button.
  • Endless Fun: The Roland GO:KEYS keyboard lets you play along with your favourite music—streamed wirelessly through its powerful onboard speakers.

2. Alesis Prestige Artist 88-Key Digital Piano with Graded Hammer Action Keys

Alesis Prestige Artist 88-Key Digital Piano with Graded Hammer Action Keys

Got an experienced pianist to impress? The Alesis Prestige Artist 88-Key Digital Piano is a top-of-the-line instrument that offers an exceptional playing experience.

  • Authentic Piano Sound: The Alesis Prestige Artist features high-quality piano samples that accurately reproduce the rich and nuanced sound of a grand piano. 
  • Expressive Playing Experience: The graded hammer action keys on the Prestige Artist ensure that the lower keys feel heavier and the higher keys feel lighter, just like an acoustic piano. 
  • Intuitive Controls and Design: The Prestige Artist is designed with user-friendly controls and a sleek, modern aesthetic. The intuitive interface and clear display make it easy to navigate through the piano’s features and settings, ensuring a seamless and enjoyable playing experience.

3. Alesis Recital Pro 88-key Hammer Action Digital Piano

Alesis Recital Pro 88-key Hammer Action Digital Piano

Learning the piano comes easy with the Alesis Recital Pro – a versatile 88-key digital piano with hammer action keys, multiple built-in voices, and a plethora of connectivity options.

  • Lesson Mode: The Recital Pro features a “Lesson Mode” that divides the 88 keys into two zones with the same pitch and voice. This makes teaching, learning and playing together really easy.
  • All the Connectivity You Need: The Recital Pro features a headphone jack for quiet private practice, a sustain pedal input, stereo outputs, and a USB-MIDI output for connecting to a computer for instrument plugins and more. 
  • Learning Made Easy: The Recital Pro comes with free trials from Skoove and Melodics – a great combo to speed up your learning process.

4. Arturia KeyLab Essential MK3 MIDI Controller

Arturia KeyLab Essential MK3 MIDI Controller

MIDI Keyboards are all the rage these days and make a great gift. Arturia KeyLab Essential MK3 is one such feature-rich and versatile MIDI controller that provides an exceptional playing experience for musicians of all levels.

  • Enhanced Control and Expression: The Keylab Essential Mk3 offers a wide range of controls, including 49 or 61 velocity-sensitive keys, 9 faders, 9 rotary encoders, and 16 backlit performance pads. These controls allow for precise manipulation of virtual instruments and DAW parameters, giving you enhanced control and expression in your music production.
  • Extensive Software Suite: The Keylab Essential Mk3 includes an extensive software suite, featuring Arturia’s Analog Lab software with over 6,500 sounds from their award-winning V Collection. This gives you access to a vast array of iconic synthesizers, pianos, organs, and more.
  • Seamless Integration: With its deep integration with popular DAWs, the Keylab Essential Mk3 has dedicated DAW command centre buttons, transport controls, and customizable mappings to make it really easy to control your choice of software. 

5. Arturia Keylab 88 MkII MIDI Controller

The Arturia Keylab 88 MkII is the perfect premium gift for those looking for a top-shelf MIDI controller. With its sleek design and advanced features, it is a perfect choice for musicians and producers seeking a high-quality controller.

  • Unparalleled Feel & Expression: The Keylab 88 MkII boasts a hyper-realistic 88-note keybed feel thanks to its premium Fatar weighted keys that replicate the touch and expression of a traditional piano.
  • Intuitive Controls and Workflow: Arturia has designed the Keylab 88 MkII with a focus on user-friendly controls and an intuitive workflow. The ergonomic layout of knobs, faders, and pads ensures effortless navigation and quick access to essential functions, making it a breeze to create and perform music.
  • Seamless Integration and Control: The Keylab 88 MkII is equipped with comprehensive connectivity options such as expression, sustain, CV/Gate, MIDI, USB and 3 assignable auxiliary pedal inputs – allowing for seamless integration with your favourite music production software. 

6.  Akai Professional APC Key 25 MK2

Akai Professional APC Key 25 MK2

The Akai Professional APC Key 25 MK2 is a compact and versatile keyboard controller that makes a great present for any avid Ableton fan. With its 25-key layout, it offers a convenient and portable solution for creating music on the go.

  • Pick Me Up, Take Me Out: The APC Key 25 MK2 is designed with portability in mind. Its compact size and lightweight construction make it easy to take with you wherever you go, whether it’s to a studio session or a live performance.
  • Simple Controls, Powerful Music: With 25 velocity-sensitive keys, 8 endless 360-knobs, 40 RGB-backlit pads and a whole lot more – the APC Key 25 MK2 allows for dynamic and expressive playing for the ultimate portable music-making experience.
  • A Bundle of Options: The APC Key 25 ships with Ableton Live Lite and an assortment of world-class plugin instruments from award-winning sound design company AIR Music Technology.

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