Top 5 MIDI Keyboard Programs

Here we will show you the best MIDI keyboard programsThere are several options for composing music, recording MIDI keyboards, or recording notation. Some programs are more complex than others, but they also have more functionality.

In this guide, we will try to give you direction and show you the software you need, to find out if you really want to excel with MIDI. Think about the tasks you are going to solve using these tools. Software that allows you to record tracks will be really useful for working with MIDI.

In a nutshell, such software should allow you to record a track that will contain all the data about the midi controller key you pressed at one time or another.

For example, if you are playing a chord, a MIDI track must store information about each key; otherwise, the chord cannot be divided into at least three notes, each of which can be edited separately, which is one of the main features of this technology. Below you will find the most sought-after MIDI keyboard software and its features.

Maybe you may be interested: The 7 Best Programs to Record Music.

1. Appleton

Starting off our list is Ableton Live. This is a complete digital workstation for macOS and Windows. Unlike other software sequencers, this product is focused on live performance. That being said, it is more than capable of being a vehicle for music creation, mixing, as well as the mastering process.

DJs also use Ableton Live, as it has controls for things like beatmatching, crossfading, which are often used by turntables. Not only does it allow you to work with MIDI, but it also has an impressive range of built-in midi effects.

MIDI recording, importing, exporting and editing are all possible. All of these benefits are complemented by a minimalist design, an easy-to-use interface and constant updates.

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2.FL Studio

It has support for midi keyboards and with its help you can record tracks. The community of this program is not as wide as that of, say, Cubase, but there are plenty of tutorials. Some even believe that this program is “for starters“, which is often not entirely justified, as its functionality is very broad and constantly evolving. The main advantage of FL Studio is its intuitiveness, which is why, most likely, a statement like “it's too simple” comes to mind.

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3. Cubase

It is worth warning that Cubase is not easy to deal with, but it will be worth it. It is good for both beginners and professionals.It is so popular that you can easily find a lot of different plugins and extensions for it.

Tutorials are also easy to find on the Internet, and a wide range of diverse specialists will be happy to share their knowledge of working with Cubase with you. Allows you to work with MIDI, save and export the results of your work.

This is one of the most used MIDI keyboard programsIt is ideal for both studio and home recording. You can easily create almost any style of music on it. Another great advantage is the community – you will have relevant live forums at your disposal, which are filled to the brim with useful information on a variety of topics.

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4. Sibelius

It is one of the most recommended MIDI keyboard programs if you want to compose music and are interested in recording notation. It is an incredibly powerful instrument in the hands of composers. It was created just for them. It offers hotkeys and everything is geared especially for writing music in a classical style.

Download here.

5. MidiPiano

An extremely simple way to work with MIDI, which will be useful both for drawing and for teaching. It is a MIDI file player capable of recording and editing them. During file playback, the virtual keys of the program are highlighted in special colors so that the player understands what to play, what and where. There is a classic piano roll, which in a convenient form allows you to prescribe and correct the game.

Download here.

You may want to know: 10 Best Music Players for Windows

What is the MIDI standard?

It is worth pausing a little on the concept of the MIDI standard. Acronym derived from the term “digital interface of a musical instrument”. Some people mistakenly think that only sound packages such as GM, GS or XG are related to this concept.

In fact, by using commands With special effects from any MIDI device, you can transfer a lot of additional information, including the selected sound itself and its binding to the keyboard, the effect currently used, keystroke strength and modulation, the transmit channel, and much more.

These commands provide two-way communication between tools and software. And any set can be recorded as a corresponding MIDI file, which can be played back in some specialized program for writing (creating) music.

The main types of MIDI keyboard software

Now let's go directly to the software. There are many MIDI keyboard applications today. However, it should be noted that all modern MIDI programs can be conditionally divided into several main types:

• Simplest keyboard apps for real-time gaming with minimal sound set support.
• Tracking software with MIDI support;
• MIDI sequencers (including for viewing the score);
• Complete tools with advanced capabilities.

Equipment needed

It is worth remembering that you will be working with sound. This occupation, of course, is not so demanding on the hardware like, say, modern games, but it has its own characteristics. If you only need to type on keyboards and work with notation, then 4 GB of RAM should be enough. The more RAM, the more tracks you can run in parallel; the more tracks you run in parallel, the slower the computer will start.

If you want to comfortably record several musicians in parallel, which often happens on multiple tracks, then be prepared to provide 6 to 8 GB of RAM. As a result: the minimum required to have 4 GB of RAM and an i3 processor (of course, newer = better).

As for the hard drive, it is recommended to have at least 500 GB, since there are many music projects and this way you will always have enough memory, and you will also enjoy a margin for the virtual memory.

Which MIDI keyboard should I choose?

The price of keyboards varies greatly and for several reasons. At the initial stage, it is important to choose a polyphonic keyboard rather than a monophonic one, because the former allows you to play several notes at the same time. The monaural keyboard simply creates more problems for you. There are piano interfaces with action MIDI that simulate the feeling of playing a real piano. The latter are more expensive, but perfect for pianists.

You need to learn: How to Use iPad as a Midi Controller

Final thoughts

Ableton Live is just as intuitive as FL Studio and, thanks to its excellent marketing strategy, has a wider range of compatible MIDI devices. It doesn't really matter which of the MIDI keyboard software you choose from the list. All of the chosen ones are almost identical in functionality and capabilities.

The most important thing is that you like the interface, interact with the functionality, and work with the program to get inspired. After all, you can switch from one program to another at any time; the basis for writing music is the same.