In this segment of the Free Ableton Live 12 Music Production Class, J. Anthony Allen explains what MIDI hardware is, focusing on MIDI keyboards as the most common controller. He describes the typical layout—piano‑style keys, pads, and dials—and notes that while most controllers mimic a piano keyboard for familiarity, MIDI devices exist for virtually any instrument (guitar, saxophone, violin, cello). Allen advises viewers to select a controller that matches their playing comfort and skill, whether that’s a traditional keyboard or an instrument‑specific controller. He contrasts inexpensive plastic controllers like the Novation Launchkey Mini (≈$100) with high‑end options such as the Roland Seaboard, highlighting differences in build quality, key feel (full‑size, weighted vs plastic), and intended use (studio vs stage). The overall message is that for most production tasks—especially drum programming—a cheap, non‑weighted controller is sufficient, while a piano‑like feel requires a larger investment.
Chapters
Okay, so when we talk about MIDI recording and MIDI hardware, what we're really talking about is some kind of MIDI keyboard, right? Now here's the thing. When we think about MIDI keyboards, we tend to think about things like this. Okay? Now there's a lot going on here. What we have here is a piano like keyboard, okay? So it's got the piano keys that you're familiar with. It also has some pads and some dials. These can be mapped to do a whole bunch of different stuff. We'll come back and talk about those later. The keyboard part is what's going to play in notes. Now what's interesting about this is that most MIDI controllers look like a piano keyboard. And the reason they do is because most people know what a piano keyboard does, right? But other than kind of tradition, there's no real reason that your MIDI device needs to be a piano shaped one. They have MIDI devices for virtually everything. If you want, you can find MIDI guitars, you can find MIDI saxophones, MIDI violins, MIDI cellos. So a keyboard is probably the most versatile thing because we can just kind of flop our hands on it and do whatever we want. But if you are skilled with another instrument, you should totally get a MIDI controller that is that instrument. You know, like do what's comfortable. I'll show you a MIDI guitar in a couple videos from now. But, but back to hardware needs. You need a MIDI controller of some kind if you want to do any kind of MIDI recording and playing. Okay, so this is one. The good thing about these MIDI controllers is that they are made of plastic. They're relatively cheap, you know, like this one is, this is, let's see, a Novation launch key mini. And I don't remember exactly, but it's probably about 100 bucks or less. These are not designed to go on tour and be on stage. Really. They're, they're kind of cheap plastic things and they don't need to be anything bigger than that. I showed you earlier the Roland seaboard that I have connected to this computer. That's a fancy one. That's like a really fancy one. This is a cheaper one, so don't get anything fancy. If you want a piano like one, all you really need is some keys. And then you can decide if you want the keys to be full size piano keys. Do you want them to be weighted keys so they feel like a piano? Most of these are not going to feel like a piano. They're going to feel like pieces of plastic. And that's kind of what they're designed to do. If you want one that feels like a real piano, then you're going to be spending a little bit more. But when you're, like, programming drums, you don't care if it feels like a real piano or not.
