Rank #3 in Best MIDI Keyboard Controller 2026: 10 Ranked on Price Per Key
M-AUDIO Oxygen 61 MKV USB MIDI Controller
Price and rating as shown on Amazon when we collected them. Both change.
The M-AUDIO Oxygen 61 MKV is a 61-key USB MIDI keyboard controller with 16 backlit velocity-sensitive pads, 8 assignable knobs and 9 assignable faders, listed at £129.77 and sitting third in this guide. Its price-per-key figure is £2.13 (£129.77 ÷ 61). That is well below the £3.16 a key charged for the £79 25-key Akai MPK Mini MK3, but it is not the cheapest per key here: the £75 49-key M-AUDIO Keystation 49 MK3 works out at £1.53 a key and the £64 49-key Nektar SE49 at £1.31. What the Oxygen 61 does with its money is give you more keys in the same purchase rather than fewer keys with a heavier software bundle.
The ratings do not track the price either. The Oxygen 61 MKV carries 4.5 out of 5 from 1,012 ratings, against 30,642 ratings on the £79 mini board and 603 on the £144 Oxygen Pro 49 — so the 61-key model has more than 1.6 times the ratings of the 49-key Oxygen Pro while costing £14.23 less. Two lines in the listing are worth reading closely before buying: the spec sheet lists Windows 10 and Windows 7, with no macOS version appearing anywhere in the listing, and one spec field describes the keyboard as "USB MIDI Keyboard 61 Keys Piano Keyboard with Sustain Pedal and Pitch & Modulation Wheels", while the bullet points promise only a sustain pedal input and name just the USB MIDI cable as included. Everything on this page comes from the Amazon listing for this product, not from our own testing.
How those 1,012 ratings break down
An average hides its own shape. This is the spread behind the 4.5 stars.
Specification
Exactly as published on the Amazon listing, field for field.
| Price | £129.77 |
|---|---|
| Rating | 4.5 out of 5 from 1,012 ratings |
| Keys | 61 full-size velocity-sensitive |
| Price per key | £2.13 (£129.77 ÷ 61) |
| Rating spread | 73% five-star, 3% one-star in the listed histogram of 100 ratings |
| Pads and controls | 16 backlit velocity-sensitive pads (2 banks of 8), 8 assignable knobs, 9 assignable faders |
| Platform (as listed) | Windows 10, Windows 7 — no macOS version appears in the listing |
| Sustain (as listed) | Bullets list a sustain pedal input; one spec field reads "with Sustain Pedal and Pitch & Modulation Wheels" |
What buyers actually say
Quoted from customer reviews on Amazon
Verified purchase“Great keyboard. Connects easily via USB. Build quality seems good so far. Keys are weighted, not quite like a piano but more for using with a DAW and synthesisers. As a controller all function keys are provided - volume sliders, pan controls and transport controls (loop, stop, start, record). As I use Magix Samplitude Music Studio DAW they keyboard is recognised straightaway. I understand that setting up Cubase can be a long-winded affair (plenty of help available on line on Steinberg's site). Keys are full size which is essential if you have large hands.”
Verified purchase“A very good 61 note controller keyboard for the price. Plenty of knobs and faders and I was surprised at the good keyboard action.”
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 Oxygen 61 MKV have?
61 full-size velocity-sensitive piano style keys, as stated in the listing.
Does it include a sustain pedal?
The listing does not say it does. The bullets list a 'sustain pedal input' and the special features say 'sustain input', while one description field says 'with Sustain Pedal and Pitch & Modulation Wheels'. Only the USB MIDI cable is named as included.
Is it Mac compatible?
Nothing in the listing says so. Platform is given as Windows 10 and Windows 7, and Hardware Platform as Windows; no macOS version appears anywhere in the data.
What software is included with the M-AUDIO Oxygen 61 MKV?
MPC Beats and Ableton Live Lite are listed as supported software, plus a choice of one of three curated Komplete 15 Select bundles: Beats, Band or Electronic.
How much is the M-AUDIO Oxygen 61 MKV and how is it rated?
£129.77, rated 4.5 out of 5 from 1,012 ratings.
How does its price per key compare?
At £129.77 for 61 keys that is £2.13 a key, against £3.16 a key for the £79 25-key Akai MPK Mini MK3, £1.53 for the £75 49-key M-AUDIO Keystation 49 MK3 and £1.31 for the £64 49-key Nektar SE49.
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.