AKAI Professional MPK Mini MKII - 25 Key USB MIDI Keyboard Controller with 8 Drum Pads and Pro Software Suite Included - Limited Edition White Finish

I received my AKAI MPK mini II promptly. The box was securly packaged and came with a standard USB to plug into your laptop or PC. There was also two booklets and a small flyer, one booklet contains "important safety instructions and warrenty information", the other, "AKAI professional MPK mini user guide" and the flyer, general information on how to register and download all the required software at [...]. When you register and log into akaipro.com you will be prompted to enter your serial key, this key is situated on the back of the MPK mini user guide, it will look something like this "(46)F74285121086845". Once this step is complete you can successfully go ahead and download all of the required software and bonus sound packs.The MIDI device itself is wonderful, not only does it boast great aesthetics but it performs flawlessly. The action on the keys are smooth and comfortable, the quality is higher than I anticipated. All of the buttons and knobs have a good sterdy feel and the the eight pads are very responsive. The whole device is built to a high standard and feels well crafted. It is very portable providing one with easy of mind when travelling with your music equiptment, you will have no problem fitting this MIDI keyboard inside a small backpack.Mine was purchased to use with Abletone live 9 suite and this device is litterally plug and play, Ableton has no issues responding to the controller. The only thing you will be required to do (if you want to) is map all of the buttons and knobs to designated effects or whatever you like.Have no fear in purchasing this product, the quality is superior compared to other devices for the same price. I have no regrets in this purchase and I sure will be purchasing AKAI products again in the future.

This is a fantastic piece of audio equipment, and I have used it to produce custom ambient audio and soundtracks for my YouTube channel.I combine it with Ableton Live and after an extremely tough learning curve, I've managed to get enough functionality from it to make it worth the price. I'm very tech-oriented and I can usually discern my way around various gear, but it is definitely not beginner friendly.YouTube tutorials have been invaluable, so be prepared to watch a good few of them to get started.That said, it is a wonderful piece of gear and very much a decent quality product. The more expensive Novation boards are probably even better, but this one fit my needs just fine and is a fair price for what you get.Mine came bundled with lots of software too, a nice bonus. Recommended.

I bought this controller to use with all the excellent music apps that are coming out on iOS at the moment. It's the perfect size for slinging in a bag and taking with you on a train journey.If you're looking to find a midi controller for this purpose, you'll probably already know that you need to buy the seperate "Lightning to USB Camera Adaptor" in order to give you a USB port that you can connect such a device to. Normally this would be all you need, HOWEVER the Akai MPK Mini MKii does NOT support the "Low Power Mode" that iPads require. This issue would have been a deal breaker for me but I discovered that there's a workaround that tricks the iPad into delivering the full power needed by the Akai. All you need is an unpowered USB hub, and for some reason this tricks the iPad into giving it all the power it needs. I bought this one and I can confirm that it enables you to connect the Akai to an iPad (mine is an iPad Mini 2).As for the keyboard itself, I think it's pretty great for the money. Unfortunately it loses 1 point for the keybed being a bit too "spongey" and for not having an easily accessible way to change midi channel (although you can use the configuration tool to set up multiple patches, each on a different midi channel). I wasn't too bothered by the included software. The MPK Essentials program seemed utterly dire, but the "Hybrid" soft synth sounded excellent.

Tremendous value for a synth. Comes with its own software so you can play/record through your computer (but note, the included MPC Essentials software is only single track, so no good for multi-track work). Free plug-ins download easily, and are a pretty good starting point offering a range of sounds. My son has it working on Reaper, and it is proving to be versatile and easy to use, and it seems happy to work with all the plug-ins he has downloaded. As with any electro music gadget, it pays to understand computers/sound cards/audio set ups - having said that, the on-line instructions are clear and easy to follow, so I would have thought most newbies will be OK. Rock on!

Fantastic keyboard. I am an amateur, occasional music producer and I assure you that this device is fantastic for its price. It's small enough to take it anywhere with you and is extremely easy to set-up (one cable -> settings in your software -> done). All keys and buttons are very responsive, I had no issues at all in 1.5 years. The design (let's admit, it always good to use something that looks good) is fantastic and I do not regret getting the hippster-ish white version. The only downside - dust really sticks to it. And when I say "stick", I mean that you probably will need some termite to peel it off. On the other hand, just keep your instrument clean and you will be fine.