At $50 retail, you get what you pay for: a relatively cheaper set of controller pads. We’ve listed the nanoPAD2 by Korg for one of our best USB MIDI pad controllers because of its price. Some other USB MIDI pad controllers to check out Korg nanoPAD2 Slim-Line

You can also check out the Akai MPD26 or their MPD32 for some extra features, such as foot switch inputs or LCD screens (not necessary, but if you need them, take a look). We think this is the perfect supplement for your rig (whether it’s live or studio-use) to go alongside your other gear, such as keyboards or DJ equipment. Configurable presetting is also possible here and it’s compatible with both Mac and PC. It also has their famous ‘Q-Link’ controllers so you can control pretty much every parameter in your software real time (great for performing). It’s also USB powered, excluding the hassle of an adapter (great for traveling, etc). It includes 16 velocity and pressure-sensitive pads with three different banks so you get a total combo of 48 possible sounds. We’ve chosen the Akai MPD18 not only because of the lower price of around $100, but because it does what we’re pretty much looking for: provides a solid and durable set of pads to play with. The pads are genuine MPC pads, which is basically what determines this to be the best out of all of the competitors: Akai Professional has been making drum pads since literally the 1980s. Our choice for the best USB MIDI pad controller The Akai MPD18

If we were to choose our favorite, it would be within the realm of $100 or less that also features some additional capabilities from a well-trusted brand. Most of us are using this piece of music equipment for a supplementation to our studio and live performances. When it comes to finding the right USB MIDI pad controller for you, it’s pretty much down to budget. Another awesome capability of these pieces of equipment is playing them live: i’ve gotten such good feedback from friends who have gone to my shows and said their favorite part were the drum solos I did (pretty improvised) during a few of the songs of my set. Typically used for drums, we also like to create our own little stabs and change the octaves, getting that natural feel for some recordings we do. When it comes to music equipment, one of our biggest passions is pressing on some genuine MIDI pads.

Midi drum pad controller