Should I buy... Korg Micro key 37 review
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- Опубліковано 15 жов 2024
- Korg micro key 37: costs 80-90$, but feels like it's much more expensive. Still, should you buy it?
Korg microKey has a great play feel and combined with TouchDAW has managed to cancel my plans to buy a larger master keyboard with plenty of MIDI controllers.
This keyboard is small enough to permanently sit on top of your desk and be there when you need it.
Key size is the main drawback, and if you're a serious keyboard player looking for a main keyboard, this WILL be a problem.
The first one I bought back in 2013 broke down (bricked), but I was so satisfied with it that on the very same day I bought another one just like it.
I found your review very helpful, and also appreciated your sense of humor. Thanks, and happy trails : )
aye, what he said ;)
edit: i got two of them on fleaBay (one each, original and microKEY2, one dead but it was only the USB port). They both have the same keys and I really like the way they feel. Thanks for the help!
Finally a video showing the sensitivity! thanks
I think this is the only sensible review out there. At least when looking for people talking about 61 keys version and the size of keys. Very professional! Keep making reviews. I hope you earn money on this.
finally a guy that seems smart and made a good choice to get this midi controller
or was I just hopping for someone to tell the good thing properly about this keyboard and showing it clearly. I've been seriously looking into buying this midi controller but the thing is this video kinda help me to make my mind up. :)
Although I would have like to get the old version of it where there was 2 usb inputs to plug my steinberg USB eLicenser and a mouse to manage my usb plugs better but well I'll have to live without it since it looks like they don't really make these anymore as it seems. but anyways thanks for the simple and clear video on why to buy this thing! :P
top quality review mate. Straight to the point. Think I'll have a look at the air version
At last, a *helpful* review! Also, under another comment you mentioned it's pretty quiet - that's what I wanted to learn.
Thank you :)
I've tried lots of controllers with mini keys, and these are the best of the bunch for me. And the build quality is actually pretty good, especially with the full size USB connector.
if u start making reviews on anything i ll bet everyone will follow you
That's my plan: 1) make reviews 2)??? 3) rule the universe
ua-cam.com/video/tO5sxLapAts/v-deo.html
;)
Great review, perfect as you described its intended user base. I bought the 49key and love it. The M1 bundled software has fantastic sounds...
actually best review I've ever seen and happy people are pointing it out too, thanks bro
I'm a serious piano player who took a very long break and now I suck at piano; however, I'm looking to move on to digital production and need something that works for input only. Seems this is it, and your review is--by far!!--the best that I could find. MUCH appreciated! I'm definitely buying this as I need it for input into a DAW, nothing else. Again, thanks for the awesome review!!
Great advice. You are concrete, clear and present different possible customers, one of which I could identify with. ¡Gracias! 👏🏽
Love this review thank you. Sounds perfect for my home studio and i just found a second hand one for $75 and you helped make up my mind.
Great review and fantastic comments.
Well done. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and time.
Lovely controllers the Microkey! ❤
I have the 61, and also the 61Air and I love them so much because of their extreme portability
The velocity curve is set as you want, I personally shifted the sensitivity one point up (gave it more difference between low and high vel)
The Air one is amazing! I use it bt paired to an android tablet Samsung Tab S3 with FL Studio mobile and its sooooo amazing!! No wires!
I bought it and its great for music production!
I have a CME key 25 for similar uses but 25 keys is no good left and right hand jamming. Even if you're no good. Upgraded to the Korg even though I have gotten better at writing in piano roll.
Does it have a built-in speaker?
No, the only midi controller with a built in speaker I know of is Akai MPK mini play, but it has only 2 octaves.
@@lobster-music is there a new mini keyboard that has 37 keys other than this and the arturia keystep?
Novation Launchkey 37 MK3, Arturia Keystep Pro and iRig Keys 2. These are ur alternate best options despite them being expensisve
for 5-7 years being on youtube I put not more than 10 thumbs up, so... get it man.
Thanks, I really appreciate it :)
great review. i'm sold.
Great review, great sense of humour - 5/5 would watch again.
Great advice! I'm a piano player looking for a portable keyboard to use when making little melody sketches and stuff, or just a keyboard to be able to play outside or at a friend's place. And instead of, somehow, bringing my piano to a friend, I'm going to buy this! Thanks for the advice mate!
Just remember that you still need a laptop + an audio interface, or the bluetooth version with Iphone / IPad :)
@@lobster-music Yep! I looked into it and saw that. Thanks!
Thanks. I'll buy it.
Great Review and You really helped at comments section.
Does this come with software so you can edit and print out if you want? I don't care about changing from piano to a organ, but want to put in quarter notes, half notes and others notes and inserts drum beats.
No, you are thinking about a DAW software - it does not come with one
There are free DAWs however, like Reaper.
Thanks well done. I have decided to get this (37 key too) for composing music, and creating a notated version using a notation program. Being pretty nifty on the piano, I am sure this gives me the finesse to control these cute little keys. (I had a 25-key one before but I have mislaid it.) So if you are not experienced in playing piano, I suggest you do a bunch of scales (on a piano) for two weeks, and then the Microkey will be a dream. 😀
What are your thoughts on the modulation and pitch wheels? I play with one hand on those always (synth solos, basically). Do the wheels have a good feel?
Thanks man :)
Pitch feels really nice, modulation could have a bit more resistance - it turns too effortlessly for my taste, but mircokey is really light, so adding more resistance would make keyboard move anytime you turn the wheel. Still, pretty good :)
@@lobster-music Appreciate this detailed reply, thank you very much!
I thought I bricked mine too. But it was just the wrong USB cable. It needs exactly the cable it came with, not just something that looks similar.
Actually, I learned how to fix the bricking later - you need to press both octave buttons for around a minute, it will do a hard reset :)
Great review, helpful and snappy. 10/10
i just saw this on a local store used for $15, thats why I watch your video. thanks!
Buy.it.immediately. :)
Also, cheers for a fellow pastafarian :D
Thanks for the review. Do you think 25 keys is okay or limited and not very useful? I’m thinking of moving up to the 37 key version.
It's pretty limited - i have a 25 key Akai keyboard, and into just not enough - with 37 keys you can actually play some two-handed stuff, while that's not really an option with 25 keys :)
Very useful and to the point review. Thanks!
Great video. had all I needed toknow in 33 seconds, thats how ya do it boi
such an entertaining review :) Thanks
Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed it. I'll try to post more of those now that the summer is over ;)
It did not work on the Redmi 13c phone. What is the solution?
Hi. Thanks for the video! How noisy are the keys? I need a silent midi keyboard because I record vocals with a condenser mic at the same time, for "live" performance.
I would say they are as quiet as it gets, it should be fine unless you whisper ;) When I'm playing hard, the loudest part is my finger hitting the key,, when playing softly, I actually can't hear the keys at all - I just did a quick test, its still my desktop controller after all those years :)
@@lobster-music Thank you so much
@@lobster-music Hi! Does this support half-damping?
@@kissapeles No. Only sustain pedal :(
Best review board I've seen today.
love your review; humour is great :)
Hi there! I'm trying to learn piano, but I'm a student so my budget is really limited. I found the 61 keys version at a good price. Do you recommend it for starting?
Eljoaco22 its ok and fun for the beginning, but if you want to learn piano (as in real piano), you'll have to change it after a year or so...if it's for fun mostly, it may be ok :)
Thanks for your answer!
Very helpful! Thanks!
Is it possible to connect it directly to AMP or to looper without a laptop/tablet? If not what type of Keyboards would make it possible? Thank you
Not possible - this is only a midi controller, not an instrument. Sorry for not answearing your question in the way you want me to, but I follow the 'friends fdon't let friends' rule ;)
The best way is to get the bluetooth version of this, Iphone/ipad or a laptop, and use that.
There are some cheap keyboards tha have sound, but they sound like toys. Those that actually sound good are 500 eur/$ +.
And there is a metric sh*t ton of really good sounding free VST instruments to use with your laptop, and the only cost is the inconvinience bringing your laptop tablet.
hi loved your review, i am a piano player and i thinking of purchasing this 37 key specially for travelling, if the keys are narrower i would love that since my hand span is very short. my question is would i be able to fit it in my bag pack or a cabin bag..?? since the dimensions provided on korgs website is 56.5cm width.. but from the pictures it looks like it would fit easily. also i am guessing if the keys are narrower it should be smaller... please please please reply. thanks in advance
Hi, one person asked similar question before you - it does not fit in a backpack, but it fits into a gymbag, and it also should fit in cabin luggage. Its funny how it both smaller than it seems and bigger than it seems at the same time :)
Some nice honest observations. I'm actually looking at an Air 25 only because I have several other keyboard controllers and synths so it will definitely NOT be my main board. I want the alternate joystick controller as well.
If youre looking for for something really compact and mobile, Air 25 will be the Perfect pick - 37 is small, but a bit too bulky for backpacks. Also - air is great with ipods...
@@lobster-music The Air 25 also has a sustain button and arpegiator that the bigger brothers lack for some reason.
Thanks. Have you tried also any other similar keyboard from Akai or M-Audio or Arturio in the same price range? Is Korg Microkey better in terms of key sensitivity and quality?
I have small hands and I'm looking for something small and budget-friendly to do two things - learn some basic playing skills and record some ambient & easy electronic music ideas into my computer (using Reaper DAW).
Actually I had Emu Xboard 49 many years ago but it was too large for my room space, so I had to put it away to use my computer normally and having to bring it out and connect every time when I got an inspiration could easily kill my inspiration. So, I gifted it away to my niece who was much more serious about learning music.
This seals the deal im buying this. Btw this keyboard is really underrated. Btw how is it holding up?
Love the Korg nanoKEY studio, and I love the Air version of this as well, but that's for synth/DAW stuff only... my hands are medium-large/big so I'll have to get something full-sized from M-Audio or whatever.
really love this review omg
you SHOULD buy, surely!
You spent many times obsessive looking for fife octaves keyboards - so why did't buy 5 octave version of micro key?
It was pretty much a spontaneous purchase, and I'm not even sure if 5 octave version was out back then - it must have been late 2013.
great review, thanks
reviews should be like this 👍
Hello! I have the berhinger umx 490 and I wonder if the keys are thinner on this. I plan to get this to have it sit in the desk always
It's much smaller, the size is 56 by 14 cm (22 by 6 inches)
@@lobster-music great! How is the key feeling?
@@savvassavva7535 as I said in the video, it's the best almond the small keyboards I played, beats Akai MPK by a mile
Perfect! I will give it a try!
I downloaded "Korg kontrol editor" hoping to be able to use transpose but it doesn't work.. I'm using garageband and Logic.. can anyone please guide me? How do you make the KORG KONTROL EDITOR work?
What exactly are you trying to achieve?
Is it still worth it to buy this after 3 years? Also, any software recommendations (Windows) for this MicroKey?
Yes it is - its main strength is the play feel and sensitivity, and those things do not get outdated every X years :) There is a new version that supports bluetooth, which is great if you have Ipad/Iphone, as you can play without a computer. No luck for android though - the audio latency is the problem here. Software recommendations - you can go the freeware path and install reaper and play around with free instruments - those will be mostly synths, like TAL noisemaker or Dexed. The software included with mikrokey will also have some pretty good synths. Also, there's native instruments kontakt player which is standalone and free and there are some free or inexpensive instruments compatible with it: ua-cam.com/video/hidSQXnJhi0/v-deo.html
Unfortunately, the software side is much more confusing than the hardware :/
human lobster project that’s cool to know! I’m buying one tomorrow but a pre-loved 37 cos no store is open right now to buy brand new 😅
I’ll try to play around once I have it. Since it’s a pre-loved, I’m not sure if I could still get the software that goes along with it so I downloaded Cakewalk. Thanks for the advice! ☺️
Hay do you have to plug it into laptop to get it to play the affects
Yes, it is only a controller, has no audio output.
Hi, Can you transpose the keys in semitones, and how good is the latency while playing via Bluetooth?
You only have the octave up/down button, but you can transpose in semitones in your DAW (MIDI modifiers). As for bluetooth, I have the USB version, but bluetooth is pretty good when it comes to latency - I dont usually notice it with my mouse/ keyboard :)
@@lobster-music Thank you :)
guys does anyone know if the microkey 37 air by korg can be used on android or windows 10? And if so what should I buy with it?
To my knowledge, Windows 10 may say it has bluetooth, but it doesn't seem to act the same as Mac computers. I've been able to connect speakers via bluetooth but no luck with my Roli Rise 49. From what I've read, midi over bluetooth is not a friend of Windows. Mac computers connect to the Rise 49 no problem as does my friends Microkey 37 Air. I can't comment on Android. There is a midi bluetooth device made by Yamaha that comes in both USB and 5 pin Midi Din versions that could possibly work with Windows 10.
Yes it can. I emailed the company and they said the only android app that works with this is sold for 20 dollars. It is called Korg Koasillator. Something like that.
such great review, thank you
Has your current MicroKey 37 broken down yet (bricked), or is it still running pretty good? I'm on the verge of buying one.
Still running :)
Good to know. Thank you!
Hi pls help!! I have the option of buying Evolution mk425c or korg k25. I compose music and I wanna have a keyboard with me all the time
Go with korg, unless you really need the control knobs - they are not very useful for composing, but mostly for sound design and mixing. Also, you will still need a laptop/iPad :)
I've thought about buying this and i'm wondering if there is a way to plug it into your iphone without having a bunch of cables. I have looked at the iRig Keys but it costs about 35$ more (i'm on a low budget).
MOOOSE look into the air version - as far as I remember it uses Bluetooth- it should be possible to use it with iphone with no cables at all, just make sure to check out korg forums to see which Iphones are supported.
Thanks!
Hahaha, this video is awesome and totally relatable. I also went crazy searching for keyboards with 61 semi-weighted keys, amazing feel, bla, bla, bla, and as guitar player, I cant even play the damn thing :D I even wanted to buy a separate keyboard stand, cause they're also big and bulky.
This video really puts things into perspective.
Which keyboard would you recommend buying for serious keyboardists at this price level?
Have you tried throwing money at the problem?
i bought the keyboard and it didnt work, then i installed drivers and it did work, but now it doesnt and doesnt come up in ableton midi even though windows sees it as a device. Any help?
Not really - what you can try doing is making sure that the keyboard is "seen" by windows before running ableton - DAWs usually scan for devices during startup. So, basically the only advice I have is to start restarting everything until it works :(
Thanks, didn't end up working so I returned it and bought a different keyboard.
I hope you are a smart person, cause I'l trust you and will buy it!
I'm not that sure I'm smart but I'm pretty sure you will not be disappointed :)
@@lobster-music hey man, will the keyboard work without a computer
@@nnaitex no. But, if you buy 'air' version with Bluetooth, it will work with ipad / iphone . Out of the USB midi keyboards, the only one with standalone capability i know of is mpk mini play.
is this touch response?
i can only play piano when im on school, and i need a small keyboard to play with can it make piano sounds?
This one Cant - it needs a computer, but there is a wireless Version that will work with iPhone.
@@lobster-music oh you need a software to install sounds ? i have a computer that's no problem for me. can i ask one more question? can i plug it to a power bank then play ?
@@ardamn6435 You need it to be attached to either a computer or Iphone to play it - it has no sounds, it's just a controller for software.
can i buy it (61 keys) for my 5 year old nephew to let him start piano?.. because i think it can be hooked up with some learning app on ipad. what do u think?. good idea?
Sounds like a good idea - I was worried that you're planning to connect it to a laptop, but iPad is definitely much better for a 5 year old :)
human lobster project ... yea the small size key should fit kids fingers nicely. my only concern now is the keyboard will become brick after awhile like u said. haha dayum.
I'm not an expert on 5 year olds, but electronic gizmos rarely live long enough to die a "natural" death with kids around, so I would not worry about the bricking problem in particular :D
hey. thanks for the advice man!
Best review.
Thanks - very useful video.
Only one thing that totally bugs me out!! Why in the world would they put the usb and the sustain pedal connections on the side?? WHY!? If the idea is to make a "micro" keyboard to save space, the connections on the sides work against that whole idea.. Makes no sense at all.. 🙄
Cost savings, follow the money :)
Hi. Does it recharge with USB or is it solely dependable on batteries?
Neither.
Haha, funny and useful video. Thanks!
Can it be wireless on Windows?
This version is USB, but there is a Bluetooth version, as far as I know it works with windows, of course as long as you have Bluetooth in your laptop/desktop ;)
very good review
looks nice, ordered mine today. but will it teach me slav?
Unfortunately, slav does not come with the included software package ;)
how do you get different sounds?
Basically, sounds come from the computer/iPad, not from the keyboard - the keyboard does not have a sound module.
Is the key feel better than the MPK mini? I have that and hate how the keys feel
I also have the mom, and I use it for the pads and knobs only. Korg keys feel like heaven compared to the mpk.
Does it work good on windows and synth modules?
Joaquin Odriozola perfectly fine :)
is there a transpose button?
Just octave up and down. you can also set up transpose in software (DAW or virtual instrument)
can we transpose using octave buttons? im looking for something that don't need to reach out DAW or vst for transposing
Just by octave, but not by semitone :(
i see. i wonder why they didn't put that feature. thankyou so much :)
where do i get software for windows, please
like other midi instruments, sounds. thanks
If you already have the drivers and a DAW (cubase, reaper, etc), just google for free midi vsti instruments ;)
Does it have a sustain pedal?
Brian Martin nope. No sustain pedal, not even a sustain pedal input.
Thanks!
No problem :)
Nice review, thx! Order it (Air version). 25 keys - kind of joke %))) Agree
Good keyboards?
Really good :)
I got the 61 key model to hold me off til I'm back home, then I'm going in on a yamaha p125
Haha best reviewed keyboard on yt
Rulgert Ghostalker's Korg MicroKey 61 Reveiw.....i would not call the keys weighted; semi-weighted maybe, but not weighted, and certainly not a quality hammer action weighted....when someone says " weighted keys" i expect to be able to snap the player side edge, of any key, and have the inertia carry it through to a strike....not the case with the Korg Micro Key, which i would refer to as a " spring action semi-weighted " board....i like the compactness, and overall layout, of the Korg MicroKey 61, but would have paid 400USD for a 61 key hammer-action board with the same dimensions that allows this one to fit in my work space....it also would be nice if each key's root width was 0.5mm more, provided the extra 3.05cm of the , then, keybed, would not add more than 1 or 2 cm to a very slightly extended unit.
Muito bom o som
1:59 that cup of tea... ohhh please dont do this HAHAHAHAHAH
I have buy korg microkey)
ninja turtles HAHAH
Haha, your such a funny guy, good review anyways
Watch your coffee!
DOES NOT PLAY WITH WINDOWS OPERATING SYSTEMS. KORG DOES NOT SUPPORT WINDOWS. DONT BELIEVE THE LIES.
I had two of those and they worked with Windows XP, 7 and 10. Either yours is broken and you should get it replaced or you're doing something wrong. Can you exactly describe what you're doing and what's the problem?
It does not have a MIDI port, but uses MIDI over USB, which is supported by most OSes. So, according to this guy: rafalcieslak.wordpress.com/2012/08/29/usb-midi-controllers-and-making-music-with-ubuntu/ it should work on ubuntu.
i am using it with windows 8 after downloading a driver from korg .
www.korg.com/us/support/download/driver/0/530/2886/
been working well with reaper ( d.a.w.) and standalone vst's
Ты русский?
Nyet ;)
haha you are very dry & very funny :)
Why you talk so damn fast ?
That's a very good question... And believe me, when I'm recording those videos I do everything to speak as slowly as I can :D I should work as an auctioneer.
Brzmisz jak polak
"if one talks like a duck and walks like a duck, one might be a duck"
- Sun Tzu ;)