Finale Forum

Could anyone recommend the best MIDI keyboard for Finale? I can spend up to about $1000. Thanks for any help you can offer.

I'm not sure that there's any particular keyboard that works "best for Finale" more than any other.

Generally, you just want to send MIDI notes when you're using Simple/Speedy Entry, and any keyboard will do that, even a $30 one. I'm not sure to what extent Finale records CC controller data, or to what extent it would be useful if you did.

Most MIDI keyboards are USB these days, and they 'just work' when plugged into any computer. If they only have dedicated MIDI sockets, then you'll need some kind of hardware interface.

If having a weighted full-size 88-key keyboard is important, then that's another factor.

Thank you. I've just read several posts in other forums where people have trouble with certain midi keyboards communicating with Finale so I just wondered if people had good experiences with particular keyboards. I'm not looking for anything terribly cheap. I'd like to invest in something that will last and expand over the years. Do you have any suggestions for a higher end keyboard that you've had experience with on a Mac running Finale 26? Thanks

The size is something to consider as small keyboards with only e.g. 25 keys need to be transposed to input higher and lower notes (they usually have dedicated buttons for that). 61 key keyboards won‘t fit on every desk, as well as an 88 key instrument. You‘ll be faster in inputting notes if you have short distances between the MIDI keyboard and the computer keyboard. With an 88 key keyboard you have additional options to use the unused keys for Finale functions (requires some effort). It depends on the key feeling, if you‘re a pianist, you would prefer weigthed keys, especially, if you input piano music.
If you‘re a guitarist, consider a MIDI guitar or any other MIDI controller. Basically, the controller sits between you and the computer hand thus has to connect to your abilities and reflect your habits as a musician.

Over the years I used lots of different MIDI controllers with Finale, including all sizes of keyboards or grand pianos. Currently, it‘s an old Evolution MK225c right behind my computer keyboard and a Kurzweil PC-4 and a Roland Fantom-G7 in the keyboard space to the right. They are all connected to a multiport MIDI interface.

In the past, with earlier versions of Finale, there were some bugs with various keyboards, but I think they're all fixed now.

Hi, which one did you take at the end? Actually, I'm in search of a keyboard, but don't know which one to choose. I thought of AKAI keyboards (like this one), but I'm not sure. So I'm open to considering some other options.

It depends to some extent to what kind of music you're doing, but 25 keys is pretty small--that's only two octaves. They have ways of switching those octaves up and down, but you might find yourself having to switch often, which can slow you down. On the other hand, if you want to be mobile with keyboard and laptop, then the size is a plus.