Akai MPK mini USB Keyboard & Pad Controller

Akai has announced the MPK mini, a new $199 mini USB keyboard and pad controller.

Description:

MPK mini balances portability and software control by melding together the immediate control and grab-and-go convenience of the LPK25 and LPD8. The MPK mini is less than 13 inches across and weighs just over one pound and easily fits into a laptop case, backpack or messenger bag for extreme portability.

The MPK mini keyboard is designed for quickly entering notes and phrases into a computer and is also velocity-sensitive. Dedicated Octave Up and Down buttons access different pitch ranges and a Sustain button provides further performance options. The MPK mini also has a built-in arpeggiator.

MPK mini’s eight backlit, velocity-sensitive pads are based on Akai Professional’s MPC line of iconic music production stations. Great for firing one-shot samples and sequencing drum patterns, the pads can send note information, MIDI CCs, or even program changes. Pressing the Bank button will quickly toggle between two banks of pads for 16 pads in total. Additionally, the MPK mini has eight assignable Q-Link knobs to control virtually any software parameter.

MPK mini is plug-and-play with Mac or PC and requires no software driver installation or wall power for operation. The included software editor quickly maps MPK mini’s controls as well.

12 thoughts on “Akai MPK mini USB Keyboard & Pad Controller

  1. I know assumptions are the mother of ALL fuckups but maybe you can program one of those knobs as a mod wheel… would obviously lose the functionality of whatever it was doing before but still… i agree though no MOD or pitch wheels is a bummer. Still for $199, I still might get suckered into this thing or I should just prolly pickup the LPK25 since I already own the LPD8… lol, ah well

  2. Akai keeps pushing back the release date of the ipk25 every month or every 2 months, so I am not optimistic. Orignal release date was what? March of 2010, and here we are in October.

  3. Akai just released the LPK25 and LPD8 have not been out for long.
    I just recently purchase those two products for travel.
    They are awesome. This compact design is awesome.

    Its great that they have a new product, but they came out just a little over a year ago!!!

  4. One day the equipment will be the same size as the Font is in the manual. Maybe we will even get a manual with some training in it. Why is everything getting smaller and smaller and cheaper, and more amature. Price yeh, but are you a professional or an amature.
    I wonder whats happening. I thought Akai would put out a bigger MPC, with a better file transfer system.

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