Can you really upgrade Push 3 in less than 30 minutes? We put Ableton's new Upgrade Kit to the test
We go against the clock to find out how quick and easy it really is to transform Ableton's tethered MIDI controller into a standalone groovebox
Controllers
All the latest Midi and keyboard controller news, reviews and tips on MusicRadar
Latest controllers news
The SoundForce SFC-08 could be the most affordable route to owning a ‘hardware’ Oberheim OB-X, though you’ll need to bring your own synth plugin
This bespoke MIDI controller looks like a beauty
Ableton’s Push 3 Upgrade Kit is here, and it looks like it’s incredibly easy to turn your MIDI controller version into a standalone instrument
Is it worth the $1,049 upgrade price, though?
6 of the best new controllers and sequencers in 2023
Ableton's vastly reimagined third iteration of Push takes the top spot this year, but who else made our shortlist?
Chroma chameleon: Arturia’s limited-edition KeyStep Pro controller comes with blue LEDs and lets you customise the colours of your tracks
Who said that grey was boring?
The VTech Kidi DJ Mix is the gift you need to buy for your kids this Black Friday, if only so you can play with it yourself
It’s got lights, it’s got sampling, it’s got launch pads and it’s on sale at a great price
The gear that time forgot: 15 synths, samplers and controllers that could have been classics, but weren't
We take a backwards glance at the groundbreaking music technology products that never quite made it
Polyend’s Play+ introduces four synth engines, turning the sample and MIDI machine into a fully-fledged groovebox
Now you can furnish your beats with analogue-style and FM sounds, and there’s multitrack USB audio streaming, too
Roland’s A-88MKII MIDI Keyboard just got a free MIDI 2.0 update… so what does that actually mean?
The updated MIDI standard’s rollout has been slow, but maybe it’s starting to gather some momentum
Latest controllers tuition
Play Like a Pro: Perfect your pitchbend
Take control over your pitchbend to play like Stevie Wonder
Play Like a Pro: How to control software with your keyboard
Set your controller keyboard up to master your software
Top tips for performing live on a laptop: hassle-free gigs with virtual instruments
Master your live VST performances
Major and minor triad chord charts: root positions and inversions on a piano or MIDI keyboard
Your handy visual guide
How to play the blues scale on your piano or MIDI keyboard
The blues scale - a scale you need to know
How to play chord inversions on a piano or MIDI keyboard
The same chord can be played in different ways...
How to develop finger strength, speed and dexterity for piano or MIDI keyboard
A few exercises to up your keyboard skills
Latest controllers reviews
Akai Pro APC64 review
- £339
- $399
Not so much a tweak as a full upgrade, the Akai APC64 acquires new abilities – and a new audience?
Nektar Aruba review
- £255
- €329
- $299
Sprucing up its MIDI drum controller with a raft of new features, Aruba offers a slick new way of performing your software drum instruments
Digit Music Cmpsr review
- £299
A hardware controller that merges accessibility, music, and gaming practices into something everybody can use… with a very large joystick!
Akai MPC X Special Edition review
- $2499
Akai's flagship MPC gets a refresh, but it's about more than just the retro grey paint job
Donner DMK-25 Pro review
- £125
Small but mighty, this controller delivers a ton of functionality and value. We take the DMK-25 for a spin
Roli Seaboard Rise 2 review
- £1099
Roli’s long-awaited sequel has finally arrived. We find out if it rises to the occasion
Akai MPK mini mk3 review
- £90
- €99
- $119
If you need a backpack-ready controller keyboard, there’s almost too much choice, but Akai's latest is pretty special
Novation Launchkey 88 Mk3 review
- £380
Novation’s Mk3 keyboard controller range now has an 88-key model. We plug up the new Launchkey 88
