GarageBand is usable on all Apple devices, including smartphones, tablets, laptops, and desktop computers. It is not compatible with Windows or any other platform, though there are some free GarageBand alternatives for Windows PC that are worth a look (some of these work with other OS platforms too). What makes Surge a great product for your MIDI keyboard is obviously that you can create just about any kind of sound you want with it. That makes practicing, sequencing, and messing around with your MIDI keyboard that much more fun! A MIDI keyboard is most useful when connected to a computer (and DAW) because it gives you the ability to transmit code to your DAW to produce recording information. Atmos Piano is simplistic. It only features a few controls. But again, for soft piano sounds, it’s quite reliable, and fun to play with. A great practice and recording tool overall. We’ve already covered Surge in multiple guides (and raved about it), so we won’t be going over all its features again. Suffice it to say, Surge is so versatile that you could create entire projects with it (without the need of relying on another synth – hardware, software, or otherwise).

Best Free Midi Keyboard Software 2023 - MIDINation 15 Best Free Midi Keyboard Software 2023 - MIDINation

This is a powerful, sophisticated, feature-rich DAW designed specifically with beat making and compact MIDI keyboards/controllers in mind. That’s kind of what makes it a hard product to review, honestly, because you can do just about anything with it sound wise, though a lot of the sounds seem primitive, or video game inspired. Spitfire Audio’s LABS encompasses a wide range of beautiful, organic sounding virtual instruments, including strings, guitars, pianos, brass, drums, vocals, percussion, synths, and experimental. There aren’t many gaps in their incredible library! This one is a recent discovery for us, though it’s entirely possible you’ve come across Prism Audio’s Atmos Piano before. That’s why we figured the MiniSpillage Compact Drum Synthesizer wouldn’t be a bad addition to this list.Digital keyboards, for example, usually have internal sounds as well as MIDI compatibility. They are more versatile than MIDI only keyboards, but they are also more expensive. Its built-in features make it easy for you to get up and running with your beats, with genre templates for various popular styles of music, as well as the ability to start remixing included songs, which is a great way to learn the workflow and included tools. It just so happens that Waveform also has an amazing synth called 4OSC built right into it. It might not look like much from the outside, but it can produce a lot of different classic synth sounds, making it highly versatile. It also has multiple presets you can choose from, if you need a little inspiration, or don’t know how to dial in your own synth sounds.

Piano Time Carols - Pauline Hall - Oxford University Press Piano Time Carols - Pauline Hall - Oxford University Press

Waveform also comes with an FM synth, sampler, and micro drum sampler. Not a huge selection of tools, but still handy. Besides, the DAW is compatible with most VST plugins, and there might be a few virtual instruments on this list you’d like to install on your machine. Additionally, you might be inclined to play with piano, synth, strings, or other virtual instruments. The easiest way to do this is with a proper host, like Waveform Free.

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So far as free “soft piano” sounds are concerned, yeah, LABS – Soft Piano might do a better job, but Atmos Piano is still quite solid for evocative, atmospheric, ambient piano sounds. Throw on a little reverb or delay and play around with it. I’m sure you’ll get some pleasing, usable sounds for projects requiring toned-down piano sounds. The MIDI keyboard can be an exciting discovery for some, especially when they realized it can be used to trigger any virtual instrument installed in their DAW. Best Free Midi Keyboard Software, Final Thoughts Naturally, MuseScore supports MIDI keyboard input, which means you can easily write music for piano, guitar, orchestra, jazz, choir, band, marching, and more. MuseScore is the self-proclaimed “world’s most popular notation software” for Windows 10, with millions of users. I suppose it could be argued that the best keyboard is one with multiple connectivity options, with internal sounds, the ability to send code to software recording, and the ability to plug it into an amplifier or speaker. As already noted, such options do exist, and they can be a little more expensive.