Can't find a purely MIDI keyboard?

I love a bargain. I've gotten the Volca Keys, Bass, & Beats on that strength, and whilst they're limited to quite a measely sequencer, I do love their sounds all the same (esp the Keys)

But anyway, being that my background is as a kinetic musician anyway, I don't have an issue with recording phrases live, but obviously the touchscreen keyboards are a bit wank for that...

Luckily, they have MIDI in connections, so I started shopping around for a MIDI keyboard, figuring I'd be spending about £35-£50 quid. Now, I might just be a dickface, but I absolutely cannot find a cheap MIDI keyboard - they're all USB Keyboards. They're advertised as USB MIDI Keyboard, but they're NOT MIDI whatsoever. It's a right ballache! Im not swimming in cash, I'd rather not have to fork out hundreds just to get the most from my synths.

Do any of you wonderful folks know of a bit of klobber that might help a brother out? Cheap is fundamental, but if I'm going to have to forfeit my frugality, be honest...

cheers <3

I dont think you're going to get anything new at that price but ebay might throw up something from Edirol, Evolution or maybe even one of the old Novation Remotes (the non-SL kind)

is trend towards usb connections over real midi is pretty infuriating , i feel your pain

Must be able to find a Roland PC-180 somewhere 2nd hand? I've had mine for about 11 years now. Built wonderfully.

I've had varying success with USB -> MIDI adapters so also an option.

The Alesis Q and QX series have actual midi outs, plus they're fairly affordable. The QX keyboards also have individually assignable drum trigger pads as well as faders and knobs, pretty good!

bump, are there any mini-key keyboards that have an actual midi out port? I'd like one to use with my monomachine either live or at my desk (which has limited space). I have the aforementioned Alesis QX but it's got 61 keys so isn't exactly compact/portable!

  On 3/15/2015 at 11:46 AM, modey said:

bump, are there any mini-key keyboards that have an actual midi out port? I'd like one to use with my monomachine either live or at my desk (which has limited space). I have the aforementioned Alesis QX but it's got 61 keys so isn't exactly compact/portable!

Only half joking.

probably a good option:

get a raspberry PI, any USB-midi keyboard and a standard USB to midi dongle.

The PI can pass midi messages from the USB keyboard to the dongle. done.

My old E-Mu Xboard has a midi out.

I got a used axiom 49e for cheap and it's never failed me over the last six years... it'll be in your budget, it's a bare-bones controller but I love mine. (it has both a single MIDI out & a USB midi out)

I ended up getting a yamaha cbx-k1 in translucent blue (like the old imacs). It's perfect for the monomachine.

i had the same trouble looking for a keyboard few month back, they are all usb! I got a Alesis VI61 which has DIN and USB, kind of expensive though :(

  On 4/11/2016 at 9:47 PM, luke viia said:

I got a used axiom 49e for cheap and it's never failed me over the last six years... it'll be in your budget, it's a bare-bones controller but I love mine. (it has both a single MIDI out & a USB midi out)

I've had an old, first generation Oxygen 8 that I got second hand a decade ago and it's always been perfectly serviceable and reliable.

I recently went for a CME XKey 37: not too expensive, compact, poly AT (configurable to channel AT), class compliant USB, and it has a break-out cable for DIN MIDI. No complaints so far. 

The keys feel a bit like a PC keyboard but the thing is very playable (as far as I'm qualified to tell:)