Akai Professional MPK Mini 25-Key Ultra-Portable USB MIDI Keyboard Controller (OLD MODEL)

I've been using midi controllers for nearly 15 years now and have tried most major brands. When I decide to go traveling I needed a midi controller that is compact enough to fit in a backpack, have 25 keys and 8 controller knobs to use with the 8 macro control sets in Ableton Live. The drum pads are an added bonus but not entirely necessary for me as I do own a Korg PadKontrol which I keep in my room wherever I'm currently staying. The keys are the typical spring action synth style keys which are to be expected of this size/price range. They do feel solid and not cheap.MPKmini Pros:It's Light weight and compact.Offers plenty of midi control for such a small size.The height of encoder knobs, pads and keys are set just right. This means they are unlikely to catch on my bag as I transfer it in and out or catch on other items in my bag during transport. This is huge plus over other controllers in the market.Feels solid / well made.Is USB buss powered - Yay!Built in arpeggiator, although Ableton Live has this feature in the software and is far more sophisticated.Two bank modes for the 8 pads: so a total of 16 pads :Useful for Live's Drumracks.It comes with a discount voucher for Ableton Live (wasn't useful for me as I already own the full suite version).Cons:No pitch or modulation wheels but these could be assigned with the encoder knobs but still not practical. Compared to other small midi controllers out there, this seemed like the only compromise.Drum pads aren't as responsive as I would have liked. This can however be modified by opening the MPKmini and placing some tape between the pads and the sensors (this is easy and the instructions on how to do this can be found on the internet) Be warned that this will void the warranty though. The pads on my Korg padKontrol are far better than the ones on the MPKmini but still not a problem now I have modded it.Over all I'm very pleased with the MPKmini. It serves as a great travel controller with plenty of controls and useful features for getting ideas down and mucking around with automation. It is well built and light weight which is ideal for someone who travels a lot with a single laptop bag.

Brilliant product. Great size for use on a laptop (I use Macbook pro 13" retina).Key size took some getting used too like all new product.The pads are great for use on inputting drum patterns in a project.

Good, compact, seems pretty sturdy. Pads could be a bit more sensitive, but I have heard from other reviews you can enhance their sensitivity (with a bit of DIY and selotape, although this does void the warranty). Keys are smaller than you think! If you can get a longer one do. Otherwise a good piece of kit..

This controller is perfect for my minimal set-up: Logic Express 9 on an iMac. It sits unobtrusively on the desk and has already transformed my workflow (which has previously relied on qwerty input). Automation is simple to map within Logic and the keys are nicely responsive. The pads are great although I haven't worked out how to map the pads to the key-range I want yet - I find the keys are great for drums anyway. All round, and at this price, highly recommended.

I have had this item for around 6 weeks and was enjoying using it, especially the drum pads. I noticed one day when plugging the micro usb lead in, that the micro usb socket on the keyboard had started to wobble. I thought nothing of this until i plugged the usb lead in last week a little heavily and the micro usb socket broke off inside the case. As I am a bit techy i thought "ok well lets have a look and see if I can fix it", so I took a look inside the case. The micro usb socked is basically only held in place by the black plastic outer cover and four rather puny pieces of solder that attach it to a circuit board. There is no bracket or screws to hold the socket firmly in place onto the circuit board and frankly having looked at it, I am surprised it didn't break sooner. This piece of kit is great fun, but in my opinion is poorly made in regards to its micro usb socket, which lets the whole keyboard down. As the soldering is very fine I am not sure if it can be easily fixed either. I hope you don't have these issues but I felt I should let you know my experience.

I'm very new to midi products and needed something to help with Protools on my laptop that could be moved quickly andlight enough to be carried back and forth , without breaking my back .The AKAI MPK worked as soon as I plugged it in , It saved me so much time . For its price/quality a very fine productto have . Thanks Guys !

This works like a charm with Garageband, simply plug in and play. The material it self feels very delicate but it sure can take a beating

i brought this item last week only to find out that the software is only compatible with mac 10.7 or above! so please dont waste your time buying this if you still have a mac older than lion.other than that, everyone says its a brilliant piece of equipment and i look forward to finally using it once i get a new mac.