Recommendations for a 25 key portable keyboard as input to Dorico 4.3?

Dorico
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Hello World,
New owner of Dorico & Cubase looking for a portable keyboard solution to use with a Microsoft Surface Pro 8 tablet. Have looked at Akai and Arturia models, wondering what others are using. Thanks in advance for any input …

Note input with keyboard question
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Welcome to the forum. There are tons of perfectly fine options in this space. Akai is great. I like Alesis personally.

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Any midi keyboard should work fine for note input into Dorico but if portability is a big concern, I haven’t seen any other 25-note keyboard as compact as the Akai LPK 25. It lacks pads and does require a usb connection but if your needs are limited to note entry it has a tiny footprint and works fine.

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these 25 key units are interesting to me… would a one with pads be useful for drum set notation input?

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Thanks gentlemen. Just looking for simple note input on the road for now. Will wade deeper into pads and such as the need arises. Have a wonderful week!

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This is what I use and works fine:

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Look at the XKEY also. It’s really lightweight, thin, easy to carry.

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I did a little write-up of the Xkey when I bought it last fall. It’s a really great keyboard! Initial Windows setup was a bit frustrating. I never did figure out how to use it without MIDIberry, but it works fine with it.

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I like the Korg Nanokey. It’s not good for playing, but very small and good for note entry. It also has velocity sensitivity, which is good for use as a trigger pad for key switches that require velocity sensitivity.

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Thanks for the reply. The Korg unit caught my eye after I ordered the Akai LPK25. Do you find the unconventional keyboard at all distracting though? As an amateur pianist who although is not looking to use it as a performance tool I still wonder if the reverse color scheme and somewhat odd spacing of the keys might hinder accurate, creative note input. Again I am new to this space so I might be overthinking this. As usual …

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Another vote for the Akai, though when I’ve found myself without the MIDI keyboard, then I’ve managed very well with Dorico’s on-screen keyboard. Just for note input, obvs!

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Disregard the comatose reply below. The phrase “It’s not good for playing” is too much to comprehend prior to proper caffeine consumption. Thanks again.

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Funnilly enough I’ve never used the on screen kbd, actually I tend to have very different input methods depending wether I’m working in Nuendo (exclusively playing everything) or in dorico (qwerty and mouse input almost exclusively). I should really try midi input, perhaps I’m so used to working in this way that I’m missing major workflow enhancements…

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I am very happy with the Akai LPK 25.

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That’s a good question. The color scheme is not an issue for me. However, the key spacing is a bit odd and not really conducive to “playing” in any normal sense. For note input, it works fine, as long as you’re not trying to play in real time. It’s also handy for entering big chords where you need to reach well past an octave. But the main reason I like it is because it fits into a small laptop case with my MacBook.

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So I am looking into one of these for current situation where I need to work away from my studio for extended periods, using my laptop. Main purpose is really to enter notes in Dorico, doubt I will do much real time playing…but maybe little bits at a time.

I think I have narrowed it down to a few, but I am wondering what some of you feel about the “mini” sized keys on these?

The Korg Nano2 is clearly the smallest one, and would work for simple entry, but in terms of quickly grabbing chords, perhaps without having to even look down at it…I’m not sure it would work, but curious how that is working out for some of you using it. The LPK25 seems mentioned here a lot, good size, good price. I hear it has stiff keys? Any issues with the mini sized keys for quickly grabbing chords? The Xkey 25 is a lot more money then the mini’s but has full sized keys and is still pretty compact. How do people feel now after having spent time with that one?

I also have Arturia’s keyboard, and M-Audio’s on my list to consider…

well…anyway..just looking to hear thoughts, regrets, pros and cons…For me this will not sit on a desk for the most part, it will be for when I’m away from my main desk, but if it has an additional use on my desk in some capacity beyond my main controller, I’d use it too why not.

I don’t have a way to test out any of these to even see what mini sized keys would be like.

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I have theLPK25. Takes a bit getting used to the mini keys and chords are slightly hard to depress cleanly, but all in all, a good (and cheap) solution for traveling. It fits nicely in my computer bag with a few other peripherals.

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The korg nanokey for me works very well. It is not like an piano keyboard but I’m so used to it and it takes almost no space. Real time playing is not really an option but enter notes is really fast.

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I have used all three of your candidates. I used the Akai LPK for a long time and loved its small size. The Korg Nano2 is even smaller and fits into the thinnest of spaces. Its layout of the “black” and “white” keys is unusual and allows for all keys to be the same width which I found helpful for entering notes one at a time but is less conducive to actually playing a piece as if it was a piano keyboard. I eventually moved to the xKey 25 which I much prefer for its full-size keys and still very manageable size. There is limited vertical travel on xKey if you are looking for something really piano-like but I don’t find this a problem for inputting music into Dorico.

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Novation has a great selection as well. The Launchkey Mini 25 is pretty compact and also relatively full-featured. I have the 49-key Mk4 and love it.