REVIEW – Like many middle-class American kids, I was forced to learn piano growing up. Even though I hated this at first, I eventually came around and also elected to play in the school band, and have loved to learn and play new instruments ever since. I mostly noodle around randomly and make up things or play songs by ear, but I’ve been hankering to try out some digital music creation for a while now. When the offer to review the Synido MIDI Keyboard Controller Beat Maker Machine came in, I jumped at the chance to open the gateway to digital music creation. I’ve played with tools like GarageBand and other DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) softwares in the past, but creating things through a mouse-click interface just wasn’t intuitive for me, especially for melodies. This is where a MIDI keyboard and beat pad should make things a lot easier.
What is it?
The Synido MIDI Keyboard Controller Beat Maker Machine is a control surface with a variety of inputs geared towards music production or performance. This particular model features a beat pad for drums, a 25 key keyboard section, and a variety of extra knobs and controls, plus some neat stuff like built in arpeggio tools and on-the-fly modulation and pitch bend.
What’s included?
- TempoKEY K25 MIDI Keyboard
- Canvas zipper pouch with shoulder strap
- 1/8″TS to 5-pin DIN Female Converter (MIDI)
- USB-C to USB-A cable
- USB-A to DC Power Charging Cable
- USB-A to USB-C OTG Adapter
- Cleaning cloth
- Manual
Tech specs
Click to expand
- Keys: 25 velocity sensitive piano keys, 8 backlit beat pads, 8 rotary knobs, 6 transport buttons, pitch bend and modulation touch strips
- Display: OLED status display
- Connectivity: USB-C, MIDI-out, Sustain jack
- Input power: 5V, 300 mA
- Size: 344 x 183.3 x 46.3 mm
- Weight: 960g
- System compatibility: Windows, MacOS, and any MIDI compatible system
Design and features
The Synido MIDI Keyboard Controller Beat Maker Machine looks like a small keyboard (25 keys, 2 octaves) with a bunch of extra buttons and knobs up top. These controls can be used to play drum rhythms, record any melodic instruments, and control different aspects of the DAW software workflow. The Synido K25 is available in both black and purple, and as you can see the purple colorway is the one they sent over. Everything on the exterior is plastic, but it feels like it could take some abuse without breaking.
On the left of the controller are two touch-sensitive strips that can change pitch and modulation of a note while playing. Next to those is a small OLED screen that relays useful information when in use. Above that is a large 360 degree spinner knob. Below the screen are four control buttons for transposing and changing octaves.
In the center of the controller resides the pad bank, 8 velocity sensitive pads that are backlit. These are great for playing various drum samples. Below those are looping and playback controls as well as a record button.
On the right hand side we have 8 programmable knobs, with six push buttons beneath that control things like arpeggio settings, knob and pad banks (you can have multiple banks of pads and knobs mapped to different controls and instruments depending on your DAW and needs).
The keys feel lighter and more toy-like than standard piano keys, but I quickly adjusted to them and it felt natural playing just about anything I wanted to. They are velocity sensitive, meaning you can use light and hard presses to play notes softer and louder.
On the back of the controller are the input/output jacks: MIDI Out (a headphone size cable converts to 5-pin MIDI with the included convertor), Type C USB, a 1/4″ Sustain pedal input jack, and the DC5V power input. I did all my testing on a Windows PC with the USB-C cable, and no power input was needed. If you’re doing MIDI to another synthesizer or machine, you’ll need to use the provided USB to DC5V cable to power the controller.
On the bottom are two rubbery strips to provide stability.
I tested out the Synido MIDI Keyboard Controller Beat Maker Machine with both MPC Beats and FL Studio (DAW softwares), and it worked out of the box with both. In most DAW softwares, you can map specific commands and controls to the various input knobs/pads/buttons on the controller. You may want the Synido software at some point though, I installed that and you can see the screenshot above. This software allows for granular control of every single input, button key, etc., as well as a host of setting changes like how velocity is handled and translated (people who prefer to play with softer or heavier keypresses will want to change these settings). The software is available for Mac, Windows, and Linux, and you can write changes to different settings right to the controller itself so even after it’s disconnected and moved it will retain those changes.
Performance
I’m no master musician, but if I dedicate more time to learning and playing often, the Synido MIDI Keyboard Controller Beat Maker Machine could definitely help me get there! I tested with multiple DAW software, and since I’m a beginner, I quickly preferred the MPC Beats DAW software, which is free. If you’re on Mac, GarageBand is a great option as well.
It took multiple sessions and watching tutorials to even get some basic tracks down, so I have a long way to go still (this is no fault of the Synido K25 controller, it’s just a learning curve on my part with a new type of software). Once I had the basics though, it was remarkably easy to start playing around with creating tracks and experimenting with different instrument and drum sets. The video above shows a quick example of laying down some tracks quickly and easily with the Synido MIDI Keyboard Controller Beat Maker Machine.
What I like about the Synido MIDI Keyboard Controller Beat Maker Machine
- USB and MIDI compatibility mean it should work with just about anything
- Still learning the Arpeggio controls, but being able to play custom arpeggios with single note presses is a neat feature
- Competitive price and items like the MIDI converter jack and carrying case included
What needs to be improved?
- The keyboard keys feel a bit toy-like, I’d prefer something more like a regular piano experience, though I know in digital keyboards this is often a big jump in price. Maybe a Pro model with weighted keys and nicer movement mechanisms could do well?
Final thoughts
Overall, the Synido MIDI Keyboard Controller Beat Maker Machine seems like a great way to get into making digital music, be it samples or beat loops or entire productions. It appears to have all of the same functionality as the most popular MIDI controllers in its category, and in many cases adding extra features like the built in arpeggio function and the modulation/pitch bend strips. I look forward to this device being in my music toolkit for years to come!
Price: $99.99
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided for free by Synido. Synido did not have a final say on the review and did not preview the review before it was published.
