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If you want to produce truly great music, then there is no better DAW than Reaper
This is because Reaper is a truly awesome music making product and it’s perfect for beginners and professionals alike.
While searching for midi controllers to use with reaper, I found something disturbing
All the articles covering the choice for best midi controller for reaper were all sub standard or pure garbage
And a Midi controller being an expensive piece of equipment, no one wants to waste money buying a piece of musical equipment that doesn’t work or is of poor quality
Which is why I decided to write this article showing you my top 5 choice for good midi controllers that you can use with Reaper
This article will show you my top pick, the considerations you need to be aware of before making a purchase and where to get them so you get good value for your money.
Related: Here is an article I wrote showing you the best audio interface for reaper
Our Winner After Careful Consideration
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5 Best Midi Controller for Reaper
1. Nektar Panorama T4 Midi Controller
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This is without a doubt one of the best products you can get if you are someone that fancies Reapers and is looking for a midi controller.
The Nektar T4 is a 49 keypad 2nd Gen synth action keyboard with aftertouch which makes it very easy to get the right touch without your music creation
It has 8 super sensitive pads with ideal pressure for getting just the right amount of tension when making beats.
Its unique chord can trigger up to 6 notes from one key or pad and has notes played until deactivated.
This is a truly inspiring tool with real time control of trigger rate, accent, swing and gate.
You can easily switch it on and off at any time with dedicated repeat buttons and it easily syncs to an external clock
It also allows you to control the velocity with pressure or wheels
One amazing thing about the Nektar Panorama T4 Midi Controller is that you get instant access to Nectar plugin control in any VST DAW.
This allows you to customize mappings or create plugin maps from scratch, browse patches directly from the controller and layer up to 8 VST plugins with mix control of volume, pan, mute and select
It comes with a USB connection for power and data connection which allows you to easily connect to your computer.
This is truly an awesome midi controller to get for your home studio.
2. Arturia Keylab MKII 49 Midi Controller
- 49-note MIDI Controller Keyboard with Aftertouch
- 5 Expression Control Inputs - Black
- 16 RGB Backlit Perfmance Pads
- 9 Rotary Encoders
- 9 Large Faders
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The second controller on the list is the Arturia MKII 49 Midi Controller
It is a terrific midi controller that is fairly new and comes with impressive midi technology.
It comes with aftertouch and it comes loaded with 16 sample pads
This means that you can easily setup this keyboard and get started making a beat without getting extra samples and pads.
One unique thing about this controller is that it has great velocity sensitive pads can be used for creating different genres of music such as hip hop and electronic music.
Here is an article I wrote showing you the 5 best keyboard for hip hop production
Durability is also a key feature with this controller.
And this is something that Arturia keyboards have excelled at for a very long time
All their keyboards are well made and put together.
The one thing is disliked about this controller is that if you are a serious producer then you are definitely going to miss the built in arpeggiator of other midi controllers.
It comes equipped with 5 expression control inputs and 16 RGB backlit performance pads which gives the ability to create amazing music without any issues
It has 9 rotary encoders and 9 large faders for easily controlling and tweaking your music as you create them.
This is an ideal midi controller for reaper which will make a good addition to your home studio.
3. Novation 49SL MKIII Midi Controller
- Bring MIDI hardware and CV/Gate synths together
- Easily integrate hardware with your DAW
- The perfect controller for Ableton Live music-making software
- Internal 8 track pattern based sequencer
- 1 routable clock for the whole system. Novation now offers a 3-Year Warranty on this and all other Novation products.
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The next controller I will recommend for use with Reaper is the Novation 49SL MKIII Controller
This is a centrepiece Midi controller that can be used to control your home studio while working perfectly alongside with your DAW
It has an 8 track polyphonic sequencer which makes working with your hardware easy and creatively rewarding.
This keyboard allows you to bring hardware and CV/gate synths together by plugging them all into your DAW giving you total control of every aspect of the creation of your songs
It has five color LCD screens which give you full parameter feedback so you can easily see everything you are controlling in real time.
It also allows you to quickly record your movements as automation into the sequencer bringing life to your productions
The midi and analogue clock and transport controls helps you keep everything running in time and in sync.
It has highly customizable mappings for hardware and software which helps you easily control everything
This is a very good midi controller for reaper and I highly recommend it as an addition to your home studio.
4. Akai Professional MPK261 Midi Controller
- 61 semi weighted, velocity sensitive full size keys and a premium piano style keybed for unprecedented response and natural feel
- 16 RGB illuminated MPC style pads each with 4 banks for 64 pads: The perfect solution for triggering samples, loops, one shots, melodics and more
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The Akai brand has been a popular and quality producer of musical equipments which makes them get a spot on my list
This is a 61 keys semi weighted, velocity sensitive full size keys and a premium piano style keybed for unprecedented response and natural feel.
It has 16 RGP illuminated MPC style pads that each have 4 banks of 64 pads.
This makes it very easy for you to easily setup and start creating beats or music without worrying about where to get samples or loops.
It is also the perfect solution for triggering samples, loops, one shots, melodics and more
It comes equipped with 24 assignable Q link controllers comprising 8 knobs, faders and switches that allows for hassle free mapping and unprecedented DAW, virtual instrument and virtual effect control.
This keyboard allows you to take control of your peripheral midi equipment courtesy of an onboard USB midi interface with 5 pin midi in and out.
It has an MPC mainstay controls which include MPC note repeat, arpeggiator, MPC full level, tap tempo and time division.
Hi, I use Reaper, so I found your post very interesting!! Just one question: you talk about keyboards with a lot of keys! What about the Arturia Keylab MKII with 25 keys? I’d need something smaller than the ones you suggested. Thanks!!