With a range of different portable and beginner-level MIDI controllers flooding the market lately, it can be difficult for a producer to decide which one of the many different options is right for them and their music studio.
Donner, who has made many other popular MIDI controllers over the years, just released their new DMK-25 Pro which features a sleek and elegant aesthetic improvement over its earlier iteration.
We were sent one of these keyboards to review, and it was fun learning how this keyboard stacks up against the rest of the entry-level keyboards on the market lately. So let’s dive into our review…
What Is The Donner DMK-25 PRO MIDI Keyboard?
The Donner DMK-25 Pro is a 25-key MIDI controller with a range of functions whose sole purpose is to help producers of any level start composing music fast.
Offering many new features and improvements over the other Donner models and iterations, this new keyboard checks many boxes that new producers are looking for in a keyboard.
It has faders and controller points, keys that feel pretty good to play, software to integrate your DAW and setup better, and so much more. Overall, it’s a sleek and sexy MIDI controller that gives even the heavy hitters, like Akai, a run for their money.
We’ve got the basic rundown, so let’s dive into the details.
My Favorite Features On The Donner DMK-25 PRO
After messing around with this keyboard for the better part of two weeks, here are some of the features that stood out to me and made this DMK-Pro keyboard something you should certainly consider when trying to find the right MIDI keyboard for your setup and workflow.
Its Musicality
I was most impressed by the range of music features that this thing had that allowed you to generate unique ideas immediately.
The intelligent Dynamic Scale mode and the Real-Time Multi-Mode Control make arranging and producing basic ideas a breeze, which is unique and fun about this keyboard. I found myself cranking ut starter ideas to later flesh out into full tracks within minutes of loading this thing up.
It’s Size
I knew this was billed as a smaller controller going into this, but I was even more shocked than expected when it arrived at my door. It was even more travel-friendly than I could have guessed!
What caught me most by surprise was just how damn thin it was, allowing me to slot it into my laptop compartment in my backpack so I could bring it over to a friend’s house for a studio session and a student’s house for a production lesson. Sure, its lightweight design and thin build come at the expense of some other functionality, but for what it is and how to describes itself, I couldn’t have been more stoked!
The Company That Makes It
Donner makes a handful of different MIDI controllers and production gear. I’ve followed some of their stuff for a while now, but this was my first opportunity to interact with their team.
Their customer support line is fantastic and can quickly and easily help assist with any troubleshooting issues that may come up. I experienced some cases with the software included, and I was able to promptly remedy the problem with the resources they had posted online and through the help of their support team.
I have even heard of stories of Donner offering to replace units that were not working as intended, which is an impressive measure of good faith in today’s world.
Donner has also partnered with Melodics, which provides Donner customers with 40 free lessons and one beginner course with the purchase of the DMK-25 PRO. This is also available for all Donner MIDI keyboards, pad controllers, and e-drum customers.
The Price
Lately, entry-level MIDI controllers are flooding the market with different options and temptations. Each offers only slight variations on what the others bring to the table. But these minor variations can often cause fairly-substantial jumps in prices.
The Donner DMK-25 Pro avoids the creeping price hikes, coming in at a completely justifiable retail price of only $109.
This is an excellent keyboard for being an entry-level MIDI keyboard with a ton of decent functionality that few other competitors offer.
What I Wasn’t Crazy About
No keyboard at this price point will be perfect, and entry-level gear comes with many issues that beginners may overlook but are true thorns in pro producers’ sides.
While I by no means had a laundry list of gripes with this keyboard, here are the two things that stood out to me that could be improved upon.
Velocity Sensitivity
I love the number of knobs, faders, and control points on this thing, but the drum pads were less impressive. While they were functional and responsive, the velocity sensitivity didn’t measure up to other drum pads I’ve used on MIDI controllers at this price point.
The keyboard’s thin and lightweight build quality made me hesitant to go hard on the drum pads, too. While this might have just been a perception matter, I feel I should at least mention it.
Cable Placement
Okay, I know this is nit-picky, but cable placement and how you hook keyboards up and into your setup is essential.
I tend to put my MIDI keyboard directly in front of my computer when producing, which means I typically gravitate towards controllers and keyboards whose cable comes out of the lefthand side of the controller.
But the cable attaches from the back of this keyboard, which means it fits into my setup, although a bit more clunkily than I would have liked.
Specs On The Donner DMK-25 PRO
Number of Keys: 25
Key Size: Mini
Controls: Pitch bend and modulation touch strips, eight backlit pads, four assignable knobs, four assignable sliders, eight function buttons, six transport buttons, OLED display for visual feedback.
Connectivity: USB Type-C, 3.5MM Jack MIDI out
Dimension: 337X183X26 MM
Weight: 0.68kg
Will Vance is a professional music producer who has been involved in the industry for the better part of a decade and has been the managing editor at Magnetic Magazine since mid-2022. In that time period, he has published thousands of articles on music production, industry think pieces and educational articles about the music industry. Over the last decade as a professional music producer, Will Vance has also ran multiple successful and highly respected record labels in the industry, including Where The Heart Is Records as well as having launched a new label with a focus on community through Magnetic Magazine. When not running these labels or producing his own music, Vance is likely writing for other top industry sites like Waves or the Hyperbits Masterclass or working on his upcoming book on mindfulness in music production. On the rare chance he's not thinking about music production, he's probably running a game of Dungeons and Dragons with his friends which he has been the dungeon master for for many years.
