Recommend a midi keyboard with pads

[ToonArmy]

I'm an old school 70's, 80's and 90's rock guy. I play guitar & bass and can form some chords on a piano. I have a decent setup for my DAW with limited space on my desk. I'd like to keep the desk clean and uncluttered - basically my laptop, mouse and a midi keyboard with drum pads - 25 or 37 keys is fine. Pressing keyboard keys to play drums is not my bag, baby. I used to program a Roland R-5 drum machine back in the day.

My question is which keyboard would you guys recommend for Waveform? I'm using EZDrummer 2/3.

[dajonaga]

I own an M-Audio Oxygen Pro Mini and can recommend blindfolded...
https://www.m-audio.com/oxygen-pro-mini

But if you do not need faders and/or 37 keys... the Oxygen Pro 25 is actually a better choice...
More pads, more knobs, no mini keys, semi-weighted, channel aftertouch, standard 5-pin MIDI out, power switch:
https://www.m-audio.com/oxygen-pro-25

[Peter Widdicombe]

Yeah, it's a tradeoff. I got a 25-key XKEY (I have other 61-key but they don't move...), and even with inversions I'm always wishing for a few extra keys... But it DOES fit into a large laptop case along with a laptop.

[frankpain]

the Oxygen Pro 25 is actually a better choice...

[SuitcaseOfLizards]

I ended up with a dual layout: Nektar LX49+ and an MPD218. I can't find a keyboard with pads that have a hold/toggle mode, so the MPD covers that (and it's easy to program with the editor, and switching modes is a button press).

Not the cheapest solution, but for me steady use for a year now with few complaints (other than 'damn I suck')...

[Teksonik]

The Drum Pads on my Akai MPK261 have been amazing. Great feel and response, aftertouch if you need it, 4 banks of 16 pads.

The keyboard itself has a great feel for my style of playing anyway. The whole unit is built like a tank. They do have a 25 key version but I recommend at least 49 or if you have the room 61 key.

https://www.akaipro.com/mpk225

[ToonArmy]

Thanks, all.

I decided to go with M-Audio Oxygen Pro Mini. Found an open box one on Amazon for $103.00 CDN. It is spotless.

Spent a lot of time last night trying to figure out how to map the transport keys. Finally figured it out thanks to a thread on this forum. Tracktion's documentation/manual is terrible.

[maglaemu]

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For your needs, a compact MIDI keyboard with drum pads like the ones from qwertybro.com (https://qwertybro.com) could be perfect. I remember when I upgraded to a similar model—it fit snugly on my desk next to my DAW setup, keeping everything tidy. The drum pads were a lifesaver for triggering EZDrummer beats without reaching for a separate controller. Qwertybro.com has some solid options with responsive keys and durable build quality, ideal for jamming out your guitar and bass tracks alongside EZDrummer.

[Dza808king]

Novation SL49MK3 is a great controller especially for ableton and I'm after trying most controllers ,