The Novation Launchkey takes the pole position for a few reasons. The Novation has a great semi-weighted action and feature set and offers the best bang for your buck right now in 2023.

You get seamless DAW integration with the Launchkey Mark 3, and a great amount of control over your sounds with the knobs and faders.

16 premium pressure-sensitive pads can be used as drum pads but also act as a sequencer, which is a unique feature that sets the novation apart from its competition. The pads also have polyphonic aftertouch and RGB lighting.

What else makes novation feel premium? The keybed has a scan rate of 10khz and is very expressive for a synth-style keybed, and you can see scales, modes, and zones, instantly with the feedback from the RGB lighting.

You also get several LCD screens which Novation says are excellent for use in Ableton Live, as are the keyboards, as a whole, but this keyboard is great for any DAW you choose to use including Logic Pro and Reason.

You have premium-feeling mod wheels on the left (where they should be!), and the keyboard feels sturdy. The Novation MK3 also comes in a mini version, 37, 49, 61, and 88 key variants. 

The Nektar LX is a fantastic beast. If you want 8 velocity-sensitive pads, 8 knobs, and 9 faders, the LX series has you covered.

The LX88 is lightweight with a slim build that enhances its portability (18 Kilos). However, its editing settings via LED display and key entry might feel somewhat old-school to some users.

The keys feel good, and the mechanical noise is quite low. This is something that is often lacking in more affordable keyboards. The keyboard is semi-weighted, providing a balanced and enjoyable playing experience.

It also features nine sliders, nine buttons, eight knobs, eight pads, and transport controls, offering extensive control over your music production.

DAW Integration

The LX88’s DAW integration has been improved significantly, with assignments standardized across over 100 common VST instruments.

This standardization allows for predictable control over various functions such as amplitude and filter envelopes, filter cutoff and resonance, oscillator pitch, and level.

Conclusion

The LX88+ is a bargain at £300, and it comes bundled with a free copy of Bitwig 8-Track, making it a worthy semi-weighted midi controller for pro studios.

Whilst the GX is a better bargain, it is missing the drum pads, knobs, and faders on the LX. If you need those extra controls, then the Nektar LX is for you.

Design

While the GX series from Nektar may seem basic, what you get may impress you.

With a surprisingly good semi-weighted keybed, a few useful transport controls, buttons, two mod wheels, connectivity that ticks your boxes on the back panel, and a very attractive price tag, what’s not to like?

DAW Integration

Nektar keyboards work seamlessly with all major DAWs. Their integration is well known, and I think for a MIDI controller under £400, these are hard ones to beat.

Conclusion

The key action is extremely playable for a semi-weighted keybed, and if I had around £200-£300 to spend on a MIDI keyboard, the GX and LX series would be high on my list.

M-Audio also boasts that the Keystation can be connected to IOS devices such as your iPhone and iPad.

This is an appreciated feature for musicians who like to use their devices to power their MIDI keyboard instead of a PC and allows for extremely small setup rigs.

Conclusion

The Keystation is a keyboard that every musician can get by with, and proves to be a good all-rounder. Similar to the Nektar GX, it is very minimal and sleek in design, without knobs, faders, or drum pads cluttering the front panel.

You get decent keys, and with its plug-and-play functionality with DAWs, you are ready to go with minimal fuss.