Rank #6 in Best MIDI Keyboard Controller 2026: 10 Ranked on Price Per Key
M-AUDIO Keystation 49 MK3 USB MIDI Controller
Price and rating as shown on Amazon when we collected them. Both change.
The M-AUDIO Keystation 49 MK3 is a 49-key USB MIDI controller selling for £75.00, sixth in this guide. Of the 49-key boards priced in the guide it is the cheaper of the two — the Nektar SE49, also 49 keys, is £64 — and its price works out at about £1.53 a key. The 25-key Akai MPK Mini MK3 is £79, which is roughly £3.16 a key. What the extra money buys on the mini boards is pads, knobs and bundled software, not keys.
The listing carries 4.4 stars from 11,618 ratings, and of the 100 ratings broken down on the page, 71 are five-star and 17 four-star. The £144 Oxygen Pro 49, by comparison, carries 603 ratings. The Keystation has no pads and no knobs: its controls are a volume fader, transport and directional buttons, pitch and modulation wheels, octave up and down buttons and a sustain pedal input. Its own bullet promises the transport buttons give "easy control of your software", and one buyer found the record button was not automatically recognised by their DAW — the listing's own wording, and that buyer's experience, are both worth reading before you buy. Everything on this page comes from the Amazon listing, not from testing by us.
How those 11,618 ratings break down
An average hides its own shape. This is the spread behind the 4.4 stars.
Specification
Exactly as published on the Amazon listing, field for field.
| Price | £75.00 |
|---|---|
| Rating | 4.4 out of 5 from 11,618 ratings |
| Number of keys | 49 full-size, velocity-sensitive |
| Price per key | About £1.53, against about £3.16 on the 25-key Akai MPK Mini MK3 |
| Power and connection | USB powered, plug-and-play to Mac or PC, no drivers or power supply required (as listed) |
| Controls | Volume fader, transport and directional buttons, pitch and mod wheels, octave up and down, sustain pedal input |
| Software included | MPC Beats, Ableton Live Lite, Xpand!2, Mini Grand, Velvet, Touch Loops, plus Skoove online lessons and 60+ Melodics app lessons |
| Size and weight | 18.9 x 82.2 x 6.8 cm; 2.18 kg; plastic body |
What buyers actually say
Quoted from customer reviews on Amazon
Verified purchase“No complaints. Worked straight out of the box connected to my M1 Mac Mini running GarageBand. Not a problem for me, but the transport buttons (e.g. record) aren't automatically recognised by the DAW. Also, I'm not interested in the freebie software that may be important to other reviewers.With its simple layout, I got this for learning to play the keyboard, and to help with composition and embellishing my home recordings with different instruments and sounds. This is the largest size to fit on my small desk and fits the bill for my requirements. The pitch and modulation wheels weren't a necessity when I was looking for a midi keyboard but I am finding them really useful. It's a plastic construction but feels robust enough for home use and has enough weight not to easily slide around the desk during use! As a guitarist learning to use/play the keyboard I'm enjoying the simplicity of just switching it on and playing, without cables and tuning up getting in the way of the creative process or practice. Overall I am happy with this keyboard and feel it ticks all the boxes for me.”
Verified purchase“For a small midi keyboard it works fine for basic melody or chord input. I had to download asio4all so I could use it with abelton live but up and running after that. The velocity isn't particularly sensitive but again works well enough to input random velocities.”
What it is up against
The rivals it was ranked against in Best MIDI Keyboard Controller 2026: 10 Ranked on Price Per Key.
Questions people ask
How many keys does the M-AUDIO Keystation 49 MK3 have?
49 full-size, velocity-sensitive keys, according to the listing.
Does the M-AUDIO Keystation 49 MK3 need a power supply or drivers?
No. The listing describes USB power and plug-and-play connection to a Mac or PC with no drivers or power supply required.
Can the M-AUDIO Keystation 49 MK3 be used with an iPhone or iPad?
The listing says it is compatible with iOS devices via the Apple to USB Camera Adapter, which is sold separately.
What software comes with the M-AUDIO Keystation 49 MK3?
MPC Beats, Ableton Live Lite, Xpand!2, Mini Grand, Velvet and Touch Loops, plus free online lessons from Skoove and over 60 app-based lessons from Melodics.
Does the M-AUDIO Keystation 49 MK3 have drum pads or knobs?
No pads are listed. The controls are a volume fader, transport and directional buttons, pitch and modulation wheels, octave up and down buttons and a sustain pedal input.
How much is the M-AUDIO Keystation 49 MK3 per key?
At £75.00 for 49 keys, about £1.53 a key. The 25-key Akai MPK Mini MK3 at £79 works out at about £3.16 a key.
Comments
Reader comments are not checked against the manufacturer's claims above.
No comments yet
Be the first to add something we missed — a price change, a spec that turned out wrong, or how one of these held up.
Leave a comment
No account needed. Own one of these? Tell other readers how it actually performed.