AKAI Professional MPK Mini Plus - 37 Key USB MIDI Keyboard Controller with 8 MPC Pads, Sequencer, MIDI/CV/Gate I/O, and Music Production Software

Product Information

You’ll be given access to Akai’s complete DAW software, jam-packed with thousands of sounds, samples, loops, and VSTs for instant experimentation and music creation. It takes the classic MPC drum pads and DAW and computer integration of other MPK models and throws in Keystep-like functionality including the CV ports for hooking up modular gear and the onboard sequencer meaning the whole thing can be used entirely without a computer if required. The Plus is slightly bigger and heavier than its siblings but that’s not saying much since they are so small. With over 100 built-in melodic instruments, drum kits, and sound effects, the MPK mini Play is an all-in-one solution to portable jam sessions. I’ve been playing the piano, gigging in bands and failing to finish tracks at home for more than 30 years, 24 of which I’ve also spent writing about music and the ever-changing technology used to make it.

It’s possible to use it as a musical sketchpad and a super-compact studio controller, just as flexible with standalone live sequencing as it is with DAW control.Honestly the negative feelings I have is just that the keys feel like a toy and not a midi keyboard. The second-generation version of Akai’s Dynamic mini keybed offers a good, responsive feel and nice playability. How are you supposed to "seamlessly" control knobs 9-16 with only one bank of 8 knobs from the controller without having to reconfigure every time? The MPK Mini keyboard line revolutionized portable music-making for producers and beat makers all over the world. There are even cheaper keyboards with more additional options such as more faders, rotary controls or more transport controls for example.

This comes with an extended three-octave keyboard, a built-in sequencer, MIDI and CV/Gate connectivity, proper pitch and mod wheels, MPC pads, knobs, transport controls and more. It gives you the ability to enjoy playing music earlier, so you remain more enthusiast, and on the long run it help you with learning the scales. I'm able to map the knobs to certain parameters on the MPC One like pan and volume for programs, etc.The Gen 2 Dynamic Keybed features incredibly playable keys with a wider velocity range, delivering a world-class level of note dynamics and response. There’s auto-quantize with a range of settings including MPC Swing and the whole thing has a great vibe to it.

Be sure to continue holding these buttons until the MPK mini Plus powers on and you see the firmware version on the display. And with the Mini Plus’ onboard Play, Stop, Record, Loop, and Locator buttons, you’ll be able to record impressive instrumentation without taking your hands off the controller. The MIDI clock can be assigned as Internal or External: Internal meaning that the keyboard generates it's own MIDI clock and will follow itself (used when sync with another device is not necessary), and External, used when the keyboard will be receiving clock from an external source. Plenty of other controls are at your fingertips, starting with the assignable X/Y joystick controller. External USB hubs are a popular way to connect several devices to your computer at once, but the way that they merge and transfer data back and forth can affect the success of the editor and we recommend avoiding it if possible.Build up your own custom library of the latest sounds and instruments to craft your next musical masterpiece. Note: If you do not see any icons under the Expansions tab, it's likely that the Sample Packs have not been installed yet. For example, the knob K1 is set to CC1 and when turned all the way up, the MPK mini mkII will send a value of 127 over CC1. The MPC Beats installer is located in the i nMusic Software Center and does not require an authorization code to use.

We recommend connecting the USB cable to your computer first, and then connecting the other end to your MPK mini Plus while holding the SHIFT and PROG SELECT buttons. This means that instead of creating sound on its own, it will send MIDI messages to the software on your computer to generate sound and control your music production software. Signing in is not always necessary to utilize an iLok license, but having and using an account to keep track of your licenses is free and provides additional features and options for managing and moving your licenses when necessary. The pads feel nice when using with Ableton Live drum racks (I'm used to NI Maschine Studio) and the Ableton Live 11 script loads right up and works really well with the encoders. You can even record instruments or vocals with 2 stereo audio tracks to add live elements to your music.It’s simple math; adding MPK Mini Plus to any workflow equals expressive creativity and intuitive control for modern music creation and beat making. The updater may not be able to locate your MPK mini Plus if another application is connected, or trying to connect to it. MPK mini's 8 backlit, velocity-sensitive pads are based on Akai Professional's MPC line of iconic music production instruments.