It also has aftertouch, which isn't a dealbreaker for me, but seems nice to have. Really, I was more or less decided on the A49, but then I saw the M-Audio Code and it made me hesitate, as it is similarly priced and has drum pads and sliders, the one thing which is missing for me on the A49. I really like the look of the Native Instruments ecosystem, and if money weren't an object, would 100% go for the S49, but as it is, I'm a university student and just can't justify that to myself or my bank account.

In terms of DAWs, I haven't really settled on one yet - I currently have Logic, but as a complete beginner with experience and therefore no vested interest in any one in particular, will probably try Studio One or Ableton as well before settling on one. I deliberated for a long time between sizes, but decided on a 49-key as 61 seemed a bit overkill for my desk, especially since I already have a piano for playing full pieces on. I have played the piano for over 15 years and own a normal 88-key piano, but I would like to get into music production, in which I have zero experience. I'm having difficulty choosing between them though. Hello! I'm looking to buy my first midi keyboard, and through a lot (and I mean a lot) of research, narrowed it down to these two.

Native instrument a49