Best electronic instruments in 2025, including MIDI keyboards, drum pads and samplers
Electronic instruments have come a long way since New Order sequenced Blue Monday using binary code. Now it's all quantised beats, USB-C, and expensive noise-cancelling headphones. And if you're in the market for modern melodies, these are the machines you need.
From MIDI keyboards to beat pads, below you'll find an orchestra of tools for making electronic music. Whether you're tinkering with your first track or ready to lay down another lo-fi banger, the kit listed here will help you sample, sequence and synthesise your way to a smash hit. Or at least something worth sharing on SoundCloud.
Don't know your MIDI DIN from your MIDI in? We've also broken down some electronic lingo to help you out. Give it a read, and you'll know your controllers better than Jean-Michel Jarre knows his laser harp.
Why you can trust Stuff: Our team of experts rigorously test each product and provide honest, unbiased reviews to help you make informed decisions. For more details, read how we test and rate products.
The best electronic instruments you can buy today:
The rhythm rig
1. Native Instruments Maschine Mikro
Amadeus never needed drum pads. Then again, Wolfgang didn't do trip-hop beats. If your unfinished symphony is more Massive Attack than Mozart, try this groovebox.
Colour-coded pads help you compose percussion parts with targeted taps, while a Smart Strip lets you mix up your kicks with Perform FX. Plus, the Maschine software has more instruments than an orchestra.
The groovy grid 2. Novation Launchpad X
You need light and sound for a desktop disco. Luckily, this rainbow grid does both. Like a dancefloor for your fingers, the 64-pad plinth lets you paint your tunes with RGB pixels.
Designed for Ableton Live, it also functions as a fully mappable MIDI controller. Tap out patterns on the velocity-sensitive squares, and the capture mode will ensure you never miss a beat.
The stealthy stepper
3. Arturia BeatStep
Sometimes the biggest beats start with something small. Don't let its stature fool you: this compact controller can do it all. Use its pressure-sensitive pads for finger drumming or switch to sequencer mode to create 16-step patterns.
Matching pitch knobs give you granular command of every note, while iPad connectivity means your rhythm isn't tied to a desk.
The sound snatcher
4. Teenage Engineering EP 133 K.O. II
The music man might be able to play the piano, but can he record a dog's bark and sequence it into a drum and bass banger? Probably not, but this distinctive sampler can.
Styled like a Lego answering machine and just as fun to play with, battery power and a built-in mic mean it's made for going walkabout. Punch-in effects let you mangle samples on the fly, too.
The standalone studio
5. Yamaha SEQTRAK
You could build a studio in your shed. Or for a portable production setup, try this Yamaha hybrid. Part sampler, part sequencer, part synth – plus a sound effects section: the SEQTRAK is a self-contained station for crafting electronic jams.
Lightweight but heavy on features, it includes a library of 2000 presets. There's even an integrated speaker for impromptu gigs.
The rugged recorder
6. Roland SP-404MKII
It might look like a hardcore calculator, but this button box is actually built for crunching notes, not numbers. Tough enough for any beat battle, its hands-on interface and signature sounds have made the SP a cult hit with DIY musicians.
An OLED display makes it easier to layer loops, stack effects and slice samples in real time, which is a lot more fun than solving equations.
The mini maestro
7. Akai Professional MPK Mini MK3
The Swiss Army doesn't need a MIDI controller. If it did, this would be the one. A fun-sized performer you can play several ways, it's a versatile utensil for tinkering with tunes.
The 25 mini keys keep your fingers busy, along with eight pads, a pitch stick and a built-in arpeggiator. Assignable knobs complete the ensemble. The only thing missing is a bottle opener.
The tactile tinkler 8. Roli Seaboard M
When is a mini keyboard not a keyboard? When it's a haptic slab of sonic expression. Swapping regular keys for a responsive playing surface, the smallest Seaboard lets you glide, slide and press your way to organic sounds that a pitch wheel could only dream of – from swelling synths to string vibrato.
Need more range? Magnetic connectors let you attach additional boards for extra octaves. Buy Now
The portable performer
9. Korg nanoKEY Fold
Even composers need a summer break. Pack this travel-sized MIDI keyboard for tunes wherever your next tour takes you. Lightweight at just 126g, the flat-pack piano folds in half without sacrificing features.
25 silent membrane keys mean you can rehearse without disturbing fellow passengers, while a pair of touch sliders let you perfect your melodies, whether you're taking them to Malibu or Ibiza.
How to choose the best electronic instrument
Looking to buy the best electronic instrument but don't know where to start? Here are some things to consider:
Pads: Want to finger drum like Fred Again? Pick a tool with percussive pads. Some are velocity-sensitive for responsive beats, while others have RGB backlighting for better visual feedback when you're deep in the groove.
Want to finger drum like Fred Again? Pick a tool with percussive pads. Some are velocity-sensitive for responsive beats, while others have RGB backlighting for better visual feedback when you're deep in the groove. Keys: MIDI keys come in different renditions, from plasticky plonkers to pressure-sensitive sets. If you play piano, you'll want ivories with proper travel. If you just need to trigger chords, a lighter touch will do.
MIDI keys come in different renditions, from plasticky plonkers to pressure-sensitive sets. If you play piano, you'll want ivories with proper travel. If you just need to trigger chords, a lighter touch will do. Connectivity: USB-C, MIDI DIN, CV/GATE: connectivity can make or break your setup. Check what language your gear speaks before shelling out. Some instruments double as audio interfaces, with input ports for mics and other sources.
USB-C, MIDI DIN, CV/GATE: connectivity can make or break your setup. Check what language your gear speaks before shelling out. Some instruments double as audio interfaces, with input ports for mics and other sources. Software: Not all tools are plug-and-play. Some need a digital audio workstation (DAW) to function. If you prefer jamming to programming, pick one with built-in brains so you can noodle without a laptop.
Now check out Stuff's guide to the best creative control panels.
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Best electronic instruments in 2025, including MIDI keyboards, drum pads and samplers
Electronic instruments have come a long way since New Order sequenced Blue Monday using binary code. Now it's all quantised beats, USB-C, and expensive noise-cancelling headphones. And if you're in the market for modern melodies, these are the machines you need. From MIDI keyboards to beat pads, below you'll find an orchestra of tools for making electronic music. Whether you're tinkering with your first track or ready to lay down another lo-fi banger, the kit listed here will help you sample, sequence and synthesise your way to a smash hit. Or at least something worth sharing on SoundCloud. Don't know your MIDI DIN from your MIDI in? We've also broken down some electronic lingo to help you out. Give it a read, and you'll know your controllers better than Jean-Michel Jarre knows his laser harp. Why you can trust Stuff: Our team of experts rigorously test each product and provide honest, unbiased reviews to help you make informed decisions. For more details, read how we test and rate products. The best electronic instruments you can buy today: The rhythm rig 1. Native Instruments Maschine Mikro Amadeus never needed drum pads. Then again, Wolfgang didn't do trip-hop beats. If your unfinished symphony is more Massive Attack than Mozart, try this groovebox. Colour-coded pads help you compose percussion parts with targeted taps, while a Smart Strip lets you mix up your kicks with Perform FX. Plus, the Maschine software has more instruments than an orchestra. The groovy grid 2. Novation Launchpad X You need light and sound for a desktop disco. Luckily, this rainbow grid does both. Like a dancefloor for your fingers, the 64-pad plinth lets you paint your tunes with RGB pixels. Designed for Ableton Live, it also functions as a fully mappable MIDI controller. Tap out patterns on the velocity-sensitive squares, and the capture mode will ensure you never miss a beat. The stealthy stepper 3. Arturia BeatStep Sometimes the biggest beats start with something small. Don't let its stature fool you: this compact controller can do it all. Use its pressure-sensitive pads for finger drumming or switch to sequencer mode to create 16-step patterns. Matching pitch knobs give you granular command of every note, while iPad connectivity means your rhythm isn't tied to a desk. The sound snatcher 4. Teenage Engineering EP 133 K.O. II The music man might be able to play the piano, but can he record a dog's bark and sequence it into a drum and bass banger? Probably not, but this distinctive sampler can. Styled like a Lego answering machine and just as fun to play with, battery power and a built-in mic mean it's made for going walkabout. Punch-in effects let you mangle samples on the fly, too. The standalone studio 5. Yamaha SEQTRAK You could build a studio in your shed. Or for a portable production setup, try this Yamaha hybrid. Part sampler, part sequencer, part synth – plus a sound effects section: the SEQTRAK is a self-contained station for crafting electronic jams. Lightweight but heavy on features, it includes a library of 2000 presets. There's even an integrated speaker for impromptu gigs. The rugged recorder 6. Roland SP-404MKII It might look like a hardcore calculator, but this button box is actually built for crunching notes, not numbers. Tough enough for any beat battle, its hands-on interface and signature sounds have made the SP a cult hit with DIY musicians. An OLED display makes it easier to layer loops, stack effects and slice samples in real time, which is a lot more fun than solving equations. The mini maestro 7. Akai Professional MPK Mini MK3 The Swiss Army doesn't need a MIDI controller. If it did, this would be the one. A fun-sized performer you can play several ways, it's a versatile utensil for tinkering with tunes. The 25 mini keys keep your fingers busy, along with eight pads, a pitch stick and a built-in arpeggiator. Assignable knobs complete the ensemble. The only thing missing is a bottle opener. The tactile tinkler 8. Roli Seaboard M When is a mini keyboard not a keyboard? When it's a haptic slab of sonic expression. Swapping regular keys for a responsive playing surface, the smallest Seaboard lets you glide, slide and press your way to organic sounds that a pitch wheel could only dream of – from swelling synths to string vibrato. Need more range? Magnetic connectors let you attach additional boards for extra octaves. Buy Now The portable performer 9. Korg nanoKEY Fold Even composers need a summer break. Pack this travel-sized MIDI keyboard for tunes wherever your next tour takes you. Lightweight at just 126g, the flat-pack piano folds in half without sacrificing features. 25 silent membrane keys mean you can rehearse without disturbing fellow passengers, while a pair of touch sliders let you perfect your melodies, whether you're taking them to Malibu or Ibiza. How to choose the best electronic instrument Looking to buy the best electronic instrument but don't know where to start? Here are some things to consider: Pads: Want to finger drum like Fred Again? Pick a tool with percussive pads. Some are velocity-sensitive for responsive beats, while others have RGB backlighting for better visual feedback when you're deep in the groove. Want to finger drum like Fred Again? Pick a tool with percussive pads. Some are velocity-sensitive for responsive beats, while others have RGB backlighting for better visual feedback when you're deep in the groove. Keys: MIDI keys come in different renditions, from plasticky plonkers to pressure-sensitive sets. If you play piano, you'll want ivories with proper travel. If you just need to trigger chords, a lighter touch will do. MIDI keys come in different renditions, from plasticky plonkers to pressure-sensitive sets. If you play piano, you'll want ivories with proper travel. If you just need to trigger chords, a lighter touch will do. Connectivity: USB-C, MIDI DIN, CV/GATE: connectivity can make or break your setup. Check what language your gear speaks before shelling out. Some instruments double as audio interfaces, with input ports for mics and other sources. USB-C, MIDI DIN, CV/GATE: connectivity can make or break your setup. Check what language your gear speaks before shelling out. Some instruments double as audio interfaces, with input ports for mics and other sources. Software: Not all tools are plug-and-play. Some need a digital audio workstation (DAW) to function. If you prefer jamming to programming, pick one with built-in brains so you can noodle without a laptop. Now check out Stuff's guide to the best creative control panels.
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Read more: Best cordless vacuum cleaners in 2025 for tackling every mess Design & build: Svelte and subtle At first glance, the Saros Z70 doesn't look drastically different to other premium robot vacuums. There's no obvious arm sticking out, no dramatic redesign. That's because the OmniGrip arm folds away entirely under a tinted panel, keeping the top of the unit completely flush. Combined with the puck-free navigation system, it means this robot is under 8cm tall and can easily get under most furniture. The dock is a large, modular unit that handles everything from emptying the dustbin to hot water mop washing and drying. I'll commend Roborock on the fact this isn't quite as tall as other docking stations I've stuck in my living room, but I'd say that it's just as wide. This thing is as sleek as a docking station can be, if slightly industrial-looking, and thankfully easy to maintain. Water tanks are accessible from the top, and the dust bag pulls out from behind a panel at the bottom. There's even a detergent tank for automatically refilling the bot. I'm a bit miffed Roborock didn't include this detergent like every other robot vacuum I've ever tested, but here we are. I'll also note that this water tank seemed to drain fairly quickly for the amount I used it. Flip the Z70 over and you'll find a rubber roller brush, a lifting mop pad system with dual spinning heads (one of which kicks out for edge cleaning), and Roborock's usual anti-tangle setup. The OmniGrip arm itself uses a pincer-style grabber and comes with a secondary camera on the arm to assist with positioning. Overall, it's an incredibly thoughtful and clever design, even if the arm's real-world performance is limited. Features: Everything but the kitchen sink So what can the arm actually do? It's strong enough to lift light objects (up to 300g) like socks, slippers, and sandals, then move them to designated areas. Or, it can just pick them up to clean underneath and put them back again. The app lets you choose what objects to pick up and where to put them. The problem is, it only works well under very specific conditions. After experiencing a few problems, Roborock told me that the object (and robot vac) must be on a hard floor, properly oriented, well lit, and not near a wall. That's a big asterisk for a headlining feature. You can manually control the arm through the app, but it has the same limitations. I will say that the arm performs brilliantly, when it works. There were times I caught it lifting up slippers to clean underneath them, so everywhere was free from dust. But that was when it worked. There were plenty of times when it didn't. Sometimes it would misidentify objects. Other times, it would struggle with grabbing or placing items correctly. On one occasion, it picked up an object only to drop it on itself and trigger an error. Controlled remotely, it worked reliably and was genuinely satisfying to use – when you met its stringent rules for operation. Still, the potential is obvious. If Roborock can improve the AI to recognise more object types, allow the arm to operate more freely, and make autonomous pickup more reliable, it could change how we think about robot vacuums entirely. But we're not quite there just yet. Play Beyond the arm, the Saros Z70 is loaded with features. 22,000Pa of suction makes it one of the most powerful cleaners available. But I'm not sure that the raw numbers translate into real-life success here. Dual mop pads apply consistent downward pressure and lift when needed to avoid wetting carpets. I actually found that by using Roborock's smart navigation, it detached the mop pads, cleaned carpeted rooms first, then came back to pick up the mop pads and fill up with water. Genius! The mop system can detect when pads are dirty and wash them at the dock using 80°C water, before drying them with warm air. Navigation works without a LiDAR tower, which contributes to the vacuum's low profile. It proved very reliable in my home, even in tricky layouts. The chassis is able to navigate thresholds up to 4cm. There's definitely something satisfying about watching this robot vac give itself a little leg up. Performance: Mixed results As a cleaning device, the Z70 excels more the most part. Suction on carpets is excellent, edge mopping is surprisingly thorough, and general navigation is precise. I particularly enjoyed the 3D mapping in the Roborock app where the navigation system can identify obstacles and items of furniture. In day-to-day use, it picked up almost everything with Turbo mode switched on for all rooms, but a noticeable amount less in Max mode. Where this robot vac struggled was on hard floors – particularly in the kitchen. It just could not seem to reliably pick up crumbs of varying size. At first, I thought this was because it was mopping and sucking at the same time, but switching the mop off had no effect. This is a little concerning in Turbo mode, as the lower modes wouldn't have had a chance. Speaking of mopping, the dual mops cover large areas quickly and leave no streaks, and the auto-lift feature reliably prevents wet carpets. However my unit made a persistent rattling noise while cleaning, which I suspect came from the arm or its housing. It didn't affect performance, but was irritating over long sessions. Yes, I could hear the noise even when the vacuum was in its Turbo mode. The dock is a workhorse, handling emptying, mopping, cleaning and drying with minimal fuss. It's a bit noisy during operation, but not excessively so. I'd actually say that its quieter than other robot vacs I've reviewed, including the Eufy Omni S1 Pro. Charging is fast, and battery life is strong – easily enough to clean a medium-sized home in one go on the lower modes. But on Turbo mode, it'd have to come home and recharge about 70% of the way through a clean. In fairness, the app does warn you of this when you set it to Turbo mode. Interface: One of the best apps Roborock's companion app is one of the best in the game. It's intuitive, packed with features, and makes the Z70 easy to control. The arm functions are well integrated into the app, with simple toggles to enable or disable object pickup, custom zones, and sorting bins. There's a handy remote view mode with camera switching, and you can manually control the arm's pitch and angle if needed. You can use this remote viewing mode without the arm too, in case you want a mobile security bot while you're on holiday. Elsewhere, the SmartPlan mode I mentioned analyses your home and cleaning habits to adjust settings automatically. Or you can get hands-on and tweak suction, water flow, cleaning patterns and more. You can even talk to the vacuum by saying 'Hello Rocky,' though I found this more of a novelty than a useful feature. It also wasn't particularly accurate, which is becoming a bit of a trend with this vacuum. As expected, Alexa and Google Assistant integration is also included. Roborock still says that Matter support is coming later via an update, but I managed to add my Saros Z70 to the Apple Home app – so it appears to have arrived at least in part. Roborock Saros Z70 verdict The Roborock Saros Z70 is one of the most ambitious robot vacuums I've ever tested. The built-in mechanical arm takes it beyond simple home-cleaning and firmly into the realm of home assistance. And while the arm isn't perfect just yet, the fact it exists at all is still a technical marvel. There's something genuinely exciting about watching a robot vacuum pick up a slipper, clean underneath it, put it back, and then carry on like nothing happened. The app is superb, and manually controlling the robotic arm feels more like playing a futuristic game than household chores. That said, the arm's autonomous smarts aren't quite ready for prime time. The list of objects it can recognise is limited, the conditions have to be perfect, and in testing it failed more often than it succeeded when left to its own devices. While the Z70 is also one of the most powerful vacuums Roborock has made, performance is a mixed bag. It vacuums brilliantly for the most part, mops effectively, and gets under low furniture that rivals can't reach. But it seemed to struggle on hard floors. There's clear promise here – and Roborock says updates are coming – but for now, it's a feature you'll mainly use manually or as a party trick. Add in a very high price, and it becomes a little harder to recommend to anyone other than early adopters. Stuff Says… Score: 3/5 The Roborock Saros Z70 is a wildly ambitious robot vacuum that adds a robotic arm into the mix. While its cleaning, navigation and app experience are mostly top-notch, the mechanical arm tech isn't quite ready for prime time. Pros Robotic arm tech is a first and genuinely innovative Excellent vacuuming and mopping for the most part Dock easily takes care of most maintenance Remote control via app is surprisingly useful Cons Automated arm functionality is unreliable Rattling noise while cleaning which seems concerning Struggles with cleaning hard floors Very expensive Roborock Saros Z70 technical specifications Functions Vacuum, mop, robotic arm pick-up Controls App, Alexa, Google Assistant, built-in voice, Matter Run time 180 minutes Dimensions 350x353x79mm, 12.4kg (robot) 381x475x488mm, 4.9kg (dock)
