Customer Reviews

Korg nanoKEY 25 Key USB Controller Keyboard, Black

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(10)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

Like probably most computer composers, I've lived with the tradeoffs of trying to have a computer keyboard and a midi keyboard handy when basically they are designed to be in the exact same position relative to my hands. While I won't be writing masterpieces with this little guy, the size puts it right where I want it for putting in a few notes or chords while keeping my desktop organized for regular non-musical work. Just having it there is like finally getting to scratch an itch I've had for years. The build quality is very good--for what it is...a tiny handy two octave musical data entry tool. Also, it looks very cool.

Great little keyboard. Excellent for traveling! However, when I received it, one of the keys didn't work, so I had to get a replacement. The keys do feel a bit on the cheaper side of things, a little bit wobbly, plastic, springy-feel. But it works fine. The velocity is fine too. Works much better than using your keyboard pad if you're a Logic user (which doesn't have velocity sensitivity).

I'll keep this short and sweet. I find myself doing a lot of laptop production on the go (can't really concentrate at home), and really *needed* a portable keyboard to see the keys and play chords on. I thought the Korg would be perfect. Owned it for about a month, used it maybe 4 or 5 times, and one day I opened up my bag to see a couple keys off and the paper-clip/model airplane latch to have fallen off the keyboard. I don't ever recall dropping my laptop bag -- I had a cheap mouse and pair of sunglasses in the bag that looked completely unscathed. Tried putting the keyboard back together, but no luck.

Korg -- if you advertise a unit as portable (which this small keyboard surely is), please make it hold up to at least a minimal amount of abuse. I'm not asking for it to be bulletproof, and I'm sure if I had a hard case the unit would still be fine.

Would've given this 2 stars for at least a bit of utility, but thinking of my wasted $50 isn't making me feel any better. I'll be picking up the new Akai portable keyboard, scheduled to be released 3Q 2009.

If this thing was 10 dollars I would say yeah go for it, maybe it would be nice for your laptop when you are on a road trip or something(Assuming you don't have a mac and aren't using logic or garage band which have keyboard pianos built in). Unfortunately it isn't 10 dollars, it's 60 dollars. The thing seriously feels like a toy, and not a well made toy. It feels like the kind of toy you buy at the dollar store. It's plastic keys make snapping sounds when you press them down which make you think it is going to break at any moment. Not only that but sometimes the keys just don't work. Are they seriously asking for 60 dollars when it clearly costs under a dollar to make? Korg you have gone downhill since the 80s. Get your act together. I owned a Korg M3 for a while which is the top of the line music workstation. It didn't impress me either. A week after I bought it a few of the drum pads stopped working and I returned it. Bottom line is don't bother with this Nano, it isn't worth your time.

I bought the Korg nanoKey with much excitement from the very good reviews. But my experience with the product is similar to the person who wrote the bad review.

Right out of the box, one of the keys was not working. A few days after, I discovered it was unhinged and it eventually fell off.

The rest of the keys are OK, plus the key sensitivity is good as advertised. However, the keys are just NOT sturdy and secure that minimal transit can cause them to fall off. :(

This is an interesting little device sold as a portable/personal keyboard. What you are really buying is a massive software package from Korg that includes a full implementation of the original M1 synthesizer unit as well as a sample Ableton package.

This little touchpad keyboard will allow you to access the software packages. The keyboard supplied is designed to lie across the touch pad area of a 15" or larger laptop. It has little spacers on the bottom to keep it from touching the computer touch pad while it is in use. The "keys" are pressure sensitive but provide almost no feedback to the user.

For serious studio use a full size USB enabled MIDI keyboard controller works much better and can easily be configured to the software packages and computer.

The unit comes with all the cables needed to connect the the keypad to the laptop. Several user codes are supplied to allow downloading the software packages from the Korg and Ableton web sites.

As would be expected, as a Korg branded product the quality of the product and documentation is execelent. If you need a keyboard to compose or practice while you take long flights or other trips the nanoKEY, a laptop and some earbuds is all you need to work for many hours.

An excelent value.

I got one of these things when it was new, and loved it. It was usable, rather inexpensive, and tiny. However, it recently broke. I had it in a cabinet, and I slid a magazine on top of it. One of the pages caught a couple of keys and tore them off! Wow, this thing is FRAGILE. It is OK if you take care of it, but useless when you have to throw it away.

Akai came out with the LPK25, which is the same concept, but looks more like a real keyboard. It is about the same width and depth as the Nanokey, but is over twice as thick which may or may not be a factor for you. The LPK25 adds an arpeggiator, but drops the pitch-bend buttons. The Nanokey also comes with a license for the basic M1 software synth (also usable as a VST) that the Akai does not come with, and the Akai is about $20 more.

...and the key response is poor. Check out reviews on this versus the Akai LPK25 before you make a decision!!!

The KORG Nano Key is an answer to my prayers. As a guitar player with no piano experience whatsoever, I was stymied when first learning to use a DAW (Digital Audio Workstation). I knew nothing of MIDI or the dozen or so VSTi plugins that came with the DAW. I knew I needed a keyboard but didn't want to sink a lot of money into one.
Enter the Nano Key. It does everything I need for entering MIDI data into the DAW, it's velocity sensitive, meaning the harder you hit the key the louder the note sounds. I'm sure some will say its light weight or a cheap piece of plastic but I don't intend to do much pounding on the keys...after all, I'm not Little Richard or Jerry Lee Louis. LOL
Hey, for 35 bux I'm completely satisfied.

This is a very good product for anyone looking to throw together some music in a program like FL Studio. I'm trying to get into digital music production now and was looking to hook up my huge midi keyboard to my computer, but I came across this nanoKEY and couldn't pass it up.

The Korg NanoKEY is very small and thin; It can easily be placed anywhere without getting in the way. There are several traction dots on the bottom to prevent it from slipping and sliding while you're working. While it doesn't have all the keys that an actual Keyboard would have, it does allow you to change the octave and pitch on the spot with buttons that raise them both up and down. Best of all, it's cheap and allows plug n' play, so you just plug it in the USB slot and you're ready to go!

However, like other reviewers have said: the keys are very iffy. They feel very stiff as opposed to an actual Piano/Keyboard key. I wouldn't recommend this if you have hardcore tendencies of getting into the music and slamming down on keys, which is hard not to do when you're on a roll sometimes. If you take good care of your products and treat the NanoKEY with ease, you'll have nothing to worry about.

All in all, I highly suggest this item to anyone looking to throw some music together digitally and is looking for a more compact solution.