In this article we’ll first present master keyboards, which are a type of piano keyboard perfectly compatible with learning piano on Tokatab.

Their main advantages are that you just need to plug them with a cable to a computer, tablet or phone to use them with musical applications; their weight is very limited and especially, their price is much lower than digital pianos.

Their main disadvantage is that they cannot generate sound if they’re not connected to a computer, tablet or phone. Moreover, their touch is often less close to that of a real piano than digital pianos. But to discover the pleasure of piano without breaking the bank it’s an excellent choice!

For a budget around 100€, it’s also possible to find new or used synthesizers, much more rarely used digital pianos, but this seems to us to be poorer choices… We’ll talk about this later in this article!

What is a Master Keyboard?

Like a computer mouse or a keyboard for writing text, master keyboards, sometimes also called “midi keyboards” are controllers. That is, they serve to control musical functions of the computer, phone or tablet to which they’re connected. The majority of musical applications like Tokatab and all music software are compatible with master keyboards.

The most frequent use of master keyboards is made by composers of CAM (computer-assisted music) like, for example, hip hop beatmakers or composers of music applied to image. Master keyboards are part of the essential tools of their home studios which they can use to play and record the different instrumental parts of their music.

Master keyboards can have 25, 49, 61, 88 keys. Some models are offered with 76 keys.

For beatmakers, master keyboard sizes of 25 and 49 keys are suitable. On the other hand, to start and to be able later to play most pieces of the piano repertoire, whether in accompaniment or solo piano, it’s preferable to have a master keyboard with at least 61 keys. If you start on 49 keys, as soon as you’ve made progress, it will often be too small to play pieces. The ideal being to have 88 like a “real” piano.

Here’s a photo showing a composer using a master keyboard:

The Ideal Tool for Learning Piano with Tokatab at Low Cost

Tokatab uses a fun and progressive learning method that guides you to gradually learn the pieces and exercises offered in the repertoire, and the pianistic gestures they contain. From the simplest chords and rhythms to large arpeggios and more technical melodic lines. If you have a master keyboard, you can connect it to Tokatab which can give you immediate feedback on your playing and guide you very precisely in your learning of pieces and piano techniques by suggesting what to play based on your level and the next notions to learn.

Moreover, connecting your keyboard to Tokatab will allow you to have a piano sound wherever you are just with your master keyboard and your phone for example! (or your computer or tablet)

The Tokatab Team’s Master Keyboard Choices

Many master keyboards have numerous buttons, pads and a plethora of additional functions. It’s practical for composing music but not useful for using Tokatab or other piano learning applications. Here below is a non-exhaustive list of “simple” master keyboards, without too many buttons, which seem to us to offer good value for money and be adapted to learning with applications. All benefit from velocity-sensitive keys. This means the sound is more or less loud depending on the pressure exerted on the keys, in musical terms, they allow you to play with nuances, to have good pianistic sensations.

The NEKTAR SE 61: The Budget-Friendly

PRICE: around 95€

For more info or to buy it:

https://www.thomann.de/fr/nektar_se61.htm

https://www.musicstore.com/fr_FR/EUR/Nektar-SE61

The M-audio Keystation 61 MK3: The Market Reference, Solid and with Good Touch

PRICE = around 115€

For more info or to buy it:

https://www.woodbrass.com/claviers-maitres-61-touches-m-audio-keystation-61-mk3-p268103.html

https://www.thomann.de/fr/m_audio_keystation_61_mk3.htm

The M-audio Keystation 88 MK3: The Market Reference, with as Many Keys as a “Real” Piano

PRICE = around 185€

For more info or to buy it:

https://www.thomann.de/fr/m_audio_keystation_88_mk3.htm

https://www.woodbrass.com/claviers-maitres-88-touches-m-audio-keystation-88-mk3-p339173.html?

Where to Place Your Master Keyboard?

Master keyboards are rarely sold with stands to place them on (otherwise called “stand”). This is more often the case for digital pianos and synthesizers. But they have the advantage of being very light and not bulky. You can therefore place them on a desk or table without difficulty, the important thing being to be able to adjust your seating so as not to sit too low relative to the keyboard (the ideal position being that the elbow height should be a little above the keys). Otherwise purchasing a stand to place it on and adjust the height seems advisable to us.

The Advantages of Master Keyboards! 😎

• Their price is affordable.
• They’re easy to transport.
• They allow an optimal learning experience with music learning applications.
• They benefit from velocity touch.
• In most cases, they’re delivered with a cable to connect them to a computer.

The Disadvantages of Master Keyboards… 🙁

• Their touch is not comparable to that of a real piano or digital piano (but they’re 5 to 10 times cheaper)
• They generate no sound as long as they’re not connected to software or an app.
• They’re rarely delivered with a pedal and stand (which is also the case for synthesizers)

Synthesizers

Arranger keyboards, often called “synths” or “synthesizers” look a lot like master keyboards but their main advantage is that they can produce their own sound thanks to speakers. They allow you to play piano sounds but also sounds of other instruments, play accompaniments with drum rhythms or even record (small) compositions. For us these functionalities are often gimmicks, unless you go for higher budgets, with arranger keyboards that can be real work and composition tools for musicians.

Caution, it’s very difficult to find synthesizers at a price below 150€ and having velocity-sensitive keys (which seems essential to us to have more feel with the instrument), a midi interface (allowing them to be connected to music learning applications like Tokatab), and speakers with sufficiently good sound.

To have a sufficiently advanced instrument, we advise you not to take the lowest prices. Here are some instruments that seem interesting to us. They all offer midi and USB interfaces to connect them to music learning applications and velocity-sensitive keys to make nuances.

The Startone mk400: The One That Seems to Have the Best Sound

PRICE = around 180€

For more info or to buy it:

https://www.thomann.de/fr/startone_mk_400.htm

The Casio CT300: The Most Portable

PRICE = around 180€

For more info or to buy it:

https://www.woodbrass.com/claviers-%20-pianos-arrangeurs-casio-ct-s300-p309182.html

https://www.thomann.de/fr/casio_ct_s300.htm

The Yamaha psr e373: The Safe Choice (but at a Cost..)

PRICE = around 220€

For more info or to buy it:

https://www.thomann.de/fr/yamaha_psr_e373.htm

https://www.woodbrass.com/claviers-%20-pianos-arrangeurs-yamaha-psr-e373-p339257.html

Buying Used: Master Keyboards or Synthesizers in Good Condition for Around 50€

If you have a limited budget but really want to start or restart piano (for example with Tokatab, very good choice!), you can turn to buying a used master keyboard. They’re common on classified ad sites and sometimes they’re in good condition and at interesting prices. It’s not rare to find a 61-key master keyboard in good condition and at a price around 50€.

If you’re leaning toward buying a used master keyboard, we recommend reading these 2 articles published on the Tokatab blog that will certainly help you in your purchase:

https://www.tokatab.com/journal/achat-piano-occasion-particuliers-5-questions-a-poser/

https://www.tokatab.com/journal/verifier-piano-numerique-achat-occasion/

Digital Pianos and Acoustic Pianos

At the price of 200€, impossible to find a new piano or digital piano. In used condition, instruments at this price that aren’t completely worn out are very rare but among the mass, perhaps a good deal awaits you. It’s certainly a complicated purchase but one that’s worth trying for the most daring, we give you advice that can be useful to you in this article:

https://www.tokatab.com/journal/quoi-acheter-comme-piano-pour-un-budget-de-300-euros/

Note from the Tokatab Team

We have no partnership with the brands and sites we talk about in this article. We advise you on models we know but other good instruments exist. We invite you to test several sites to find the best prices and delivery times.

Beautiful music to you!