AKAI Professional MPK Mini– 25 Key USB MIDI Keyboard Controller with 8 Backlit Drum Pads, 8 Knobs and Music Production Software Included

Product Information

The pads on the Novation MK3 take the cake over the MPK Mini Mk2. You have 16 RGB-lit pads versus the 8 pads on the MK2. Overall Comparison

Akai also suggest that you turn off the internal sounds when using it with your computer, so you don’t get sound out of the keyboard at the same time as using a virtual instrument. It’s essentially turning Local off, which makes sense except that if you want to use the internal sounds with your DAW the speaker is now disabled, and the volume in the headphones drops massively. It’s just strange. With Class Compliant, plug-and-play capability, MPK mini Play doubles as a powerful MIDI controller and instantly connects to your favorite DAW for immediate music production duties. 4 assignable rotary encoder knobs In need of some fresh new instruments and effects? Our friends at Reason Studios have you covered. Registered customers can now get a 6-month FREE subscription to Reason+. After the strips, you will see some control parameters and your classic octave up and down buttons. 16 RGB-lit velocity-sensitive pads take-up the middle of the controller.Although I just mentioned this above, the MIDI out is probably the greatest feature in my opinion. The other features are great, however, this is something that you don’t usually find from mini controllers. Sustain Input Akai includes its MPC Beats software, a quality DAW (digital audio workstation) that can be a great tool for music production. Also included is VIP 3.1, full of VST instruments and effects that integrate seamlessly with MPC Beats.

don’t have to worry about power adapters, chargers, or cables when it’s time to play music. The upgraded built-in speaker delivers increased output and added low-end response, making for more enjoyable playing and jamming. With an There’s no onboard audio or audio out here, meaning that neither model is capable of being a standalone performance device. But, really, if you’re looking for that kind of device, you’re not going to be happy with the limited two-octave span in the first place. Further settings and behaviours including MIDI channel, specific CC assignments, knob behaviour and aftertouch are set in the desktop editor app (MPK mini 3 Program Editor). When you look from left to right, you are met with a pitch-bend strip and a modulation strip. I will get into this in more detail a little further into the review. Talking of the pads, they can’t be faulted. Lifted straight from Akai’s category-leading MPC range, one glance at the Mini Play’s sharp OLED screen with its accurate, real-time readout of velocity and values shows just how sensitive they are, both to velocity and aftertouch. In this respect, the MPK Mini Play all but warrants its price tag with its pads alone, and indeed Akai has enjoyed success with pad-only mini-controllers such as the LPD8.

If you need a backpack-ready controller keyboard, there’s almost too much choice, but Akai's latest is pretty special

For any feature we don’t talk about in this section, you can assume the MK3 is more or less identical to its predecessor. We’re just highlighting the differences below. Upgraded Keyboard and Build Quality The Input Ports section in MIDI/Sync Preferences will display all available MIDI input ports in a list. Devices will automatically appear in the list when connected provided that Enable MIDI ports when discovered is set to ON. As producers, you struggle to get inspired if you're using the same thing. A lot of times, a piece of analogue gear can break you out of that rut" – Shaun Lopez on crafting synth sounds for the long-awaited second album from Crosses