Nektar SE25 | USB MIDI Controller Keyboard with Nektar DAW Integration Black

I got this to replace a Korg nano 25 key keyboard that started having sensitivity issues. There aren’t too many options for this size and weight, and I use this as my travel keyboard controller. So here’s my comparison of the two. The main plus is that this is a real keyboard (with narrow keys), rather than flat buttons. It has the feel and play of a keyboard. Initially there were connectivity issues with my MacBook Pro, but after downloading their software, it was all good. The main negative is the height. Although most of the dimensions are about the same, the Nektar is twice as tall/thick as the Korg. Duh, keys versus flat buttons. While I can get a different case for road trips, I am nervous about packing it in my laptop case for flights. The quality seems really good, and I have a larger keyboard from this same company that has been great.

The keys are stable and well made. It was easy to connect to bitwig after registration. The keys are small and not full size as it is clearly stated in the Amazon discrimination. I'm using this for composing electronic music which does not require too many chords. I did, however, purchase the 61 key model to widen my choices and for full size keys. But I still use this little guy for straight sound and single key action. I have not used it for controling DAW yet.

For what I bought it for, it's excellent. NektarTech makes a good product, and I own one of their higher-end boards, and love it. If you're okay with a bare-bones board that you can throw in your backpack to save song ideas on the go, then this is perfect There's a slight learning curve to master some of the customizations, but in my opinion, it's pretty manageable. The only thing I wish I'd known before purchasing: modulation control is all-or-nothing. Not a huge surprise, but if you like to live around mid-range modulation, you shouldn't be looking in this price range. The rest of the customizations are outstanding. You won't forget you're on a budget board, but I haven't seen better for the price. 10/10 would buy another if this one got lost

(4.5/5) For what it is and what it's supposed to do, it's essentially perfect. The build quality and sensitivity are fine considering the price. I was looking to get the smallest keyboard available with keys that are big enough to feel actually playable (with accuracy) and without the extra stuff common to portable MIDI keyboards (touch pads, rotary knobs, etc), and that's what I got. For the most part, the only spatial features are essential ones, and it incorporates those in the smallest amount of space possible. The programmable features are a bonus. I haven't had any issues with it, but I've used it lightly. If you lose the micro USB cable that comes with it, find a replacement that delivers MIDI data, as the more common charge cables do not. Regarding cons, the keys get a bit noisy when you play with force, but not to the point where it's genuinely irritating. The only things I'd like to see different about it are changing the USB port to USB-C, and possibly incorporating two small wheels (or one reassignable wheel) for pitch bend and modulation without extending its length. The current pitch bend buttons aren't touch-sensitive so they can only crudely simulate pitch bending. Most importantly, it's not visually distracting (hence the title). I've never understood the trend of adding a bunch of rainbow lights to keyboards.

Super thin, light, portable, responsive, and a great value. It was literally plug in and play with Logic Pro. I bought this for making music on the go, but honestly I love it so much that it has almost made my full size keys Roland midi keyboard obsolete, just because of how small and convenient it is. I researched a TON of other mini sized keyboards, and this is the smallest footprint by far. I love that I can carry it around and throw it into my backpack or just move around my apartment freely. Also, I don’t have to be super careful with it since it’s only $50. I wish it had a mod/pitch bend wheel, instead of buttons. I still rate it 5/5 just for its portability, ease of use, and value.

I thought, it will feel very plasticy and cheap. I tried similar items returned them because they felt like baby toys and I always hit a random wrong note into my play. However , this is plastic but it still feels very responsive. Of course I hit the wrong keys too but I can control it much better. Its small desk size helps me to put quick notes into my DAW. I actually take this thing very serious. I’m very picky when it comes to hardware. Great product. Works for what it’s built for.

I have a home studio with several keyboards, but I wanted a small super compact keyboard to put on my desk just for auditioning sounds and quick ditties. This works perfectly sits next to my keyboard and allows me to audition sounds quickly as well as test out quick little melodies without having to switch to my full keyboard. It connected instantly. No drivers worked perfectly on first try.

Cool lil keyboard . Nice action and connects too my computer without issues . I use it with transcribing software and ableton live as well. The keys are touch sensitive as well.

Works beautifully.

Love everything about this keyboard! It's minimal, cute, and responsive. Great build quality. I also very much like the physical noise and feel of the keys – it gives me a good sense of connection mechanically.

Buscaba un teclado pequeño para tenerlo junto al teclado del PC y poder probar alguna ocurrencia de esas que te vienen a la cabeza de vez en cuando y no tienes ganas de encender todo el estudio para ver como suena. Con el precio que tiene yo creo que cumple el cometido perfectamente. La teclas sensitivas van muy bien y la conexión funcionó a la primera en varios DAW. Eso si, son teclas mas pequeñas que las standard. Por su relación calidad/precio yo creo que es recomendable.

Incredible value! I’ve seen people say they had problems setting it up, I can confirm after testing in both a free DAW (Tracktion waveform) and a paid one (Ableton) and its plug and play, both DAWs recognised it as a midi instantly and I could start using it, so I’d imagine it’s compatible with every mainstream DAW. It’s light weight making it easy for travel, although not the reason I bought it, I bought it because its size is ideal for my desk. All round it’s great fun and an incredible product, nothing else at this price point can compare.

Possiedo una LX25+ della quale sono sempre stato soddisfatto; purtroppo, a causa del poco spazio sulla mia nuova scrivania, avevo bisogno di una tastiera di dimensioni decisamente più contenute ma che offrisse almeno le principali caratteristiche del controller Nektar. Ho scoperto questa SE25 dello stesso marchio e devo dire che ne sono rimasto piacevolmente sorpreso. La costruzione è in plastica ma davvero di ottima fattura in rapporto alle dimensioni ed al prezzo. Ciò che la contraddistingue da tanti prodotti simili, è la sua completa integrazione con le daw più utilizzate in commercio grazie a degli appositi drivers che si possono scaricare dal sito previa registrazione del prodotto. Ho avuto un modo di testarla con successo su Cubase 10.5, Cakewalk by Bandlab e Studio One 4. Sono rimasto davvero colpito dal fatto che, nonostante il prezzo, sia presente un piccolo manuale cartaceo (in inglese) sufficiente, comunque, per spiegare nel dettaglio come utilizzare la tastiera fin da subito. Le altre guide per le varie daw, sono presenti nei file di installazione scaricabili. Buona anche la dotazione software: Bitwig 8 Track aggiornato alla recente versione 3. Se aggiungiamo che sia la tastiera che il software incluso sono pienamente compatibili anche con i sistemi Ubuntu/Linux, direi che per questi soldi è davvero difficile trovare di meglio.