Akai ProfessionalMPK Mini Plus - USB MIDI Keyboard Controller with 37 Mini Keys, 8 MPC Pads, Sequencer, MIDI/CV/Gate I/O, Music Production Software and Native Instruments Sound Package

Really nice MIDI controller. Comes with a USB-A cable to connect to a computer (no MIDI cables, which is normal for controllers, so not a surprise). Lots of good functions. The keys ARE small and feel kind of plasticky (they are, after all, plastic), but it's well made, and seems like it will last. Responsive pads for the percussion pads (rubberised -- 8 of them). Modulation wheel feels just right -- not too loose, not too stiff. The pitch bend wheel has a nice spring, and feels solid. Good set of keys and knobs. Some gate sync connections, a sustain pedal, and the 37 keys is a good size going up 3 full octaves -- I prefer it over the smaller 25 key formats. It's still small enough to be portable without being limited for use.The size of the keys makes playing full pieces a bit impossible, but it's a controller, and not meant for that. It's good for keying in the notes you want where you want them, and maybe doing a chord or two and a short run. Overall, I'm super pleased with this controller.

The keys take a little adjustment, but once broken in it feels like quality item. It’s super lightweight and portable. Its compact form makes transporting this controller incredibly easy. The drum pads are a bit stiff but can be adjusted for better performance. The interface has a lot of control buttons, which can be intimidating at first but are incredibly easy to use. It’s plug and play with some setup required if you use a DAW other than the one it comes with; functions on any DAW regardless with instant response during play. Akai is known for their quality products, and with the three free, industry grade plugins that come with it, it makes this price seem like a bargain.

Really like this.Bought it as something for the family, I seem to be using it more than anyone else though.Didn't buy it for portability but, have had to move it plenty of times. I even took it on the go with a Steam Deck and used it just fine with LMMS. It all depends on the DAW you choose weather or not you can use it with a Steam deck since it's Linux based.Build quality is great. I mean it is made of plastic and a bunch of decent switches but they all do have velocity sensitivity.The software it comes with free is alright but it's kind of personal preference. I started with LMMS and it works decent enough but you should try out the software ... if you can before you buy. We'll, really you shouldn't buy it for the DAW anyways.Still worth it for me and all my kids like getting to play around on it.

Spoiler: Definitely my favorite "controller" as tested.DISCLAIMER: I did not test any bundled software. This review is primarily an "out of the box", plug-and-play test. The vast majority of the playing, looping and configuration was in Garageband for iPad and a little in Logic Pro X for iPad. I watched a lot of reviews on YT and decided to try them for myself. I wasn't sure which controller would work best for me. I am relatively new to the DAW/MIDI controller world. I have dabbled in piano and synth for decades, but am definitely not an expert. Below is my take on the Akai MPK Mini Plus.Devices tested (for comparison):⦁ Arturia Minilab 3⦁ M-Audio Oxygen Pro Mini⦁ Akai MPK Mini Plus - THE DEVICE BEING REVIEWED⦁ Akai MPK Mini Play mk3Things I liked about the Akai MPK Mini Plus:⦁ Pads are best of breed. To me, they feel like they "should". Solid, not wobbly or sloppy. Easy to control precise strikes and velocity for beats. Akai pads are a big selling point for me. The MPK Mini Plus and Mini Play mk3 both have great pads. The Mini Plus are square and larger than Mini Play, but both are excellent.⦁ MPK Mini Plus has 8 endless encoders. That's a good amount of controls to assign in your DAW. Without faders, 8 is probably a good idea.⦁ Physical pitch and mod "wheels". They worked as expected.⦁ Discreet transport controls, including sequencer play/stop. I like these on the Mini Plus. I definitely prefer discreet buttons to "shared" (especially if shared with pads).⦁ 37 keys. Definitely my preference. 25 is very limiting, and 32 is an unnecessary middle ground. My opinion: go minimal (25) if space is extremely limited or go full 3 octaves (37). 32 keys doesn't make sense to me.⦁ Sequencer: works well. Visuals are on the tiny OLED screen, but it works.⦁ MIDI in AND out "plus". Only the Mini Plus has this many useful ports among the controllers I tested. Makes this more compatible and "future proof" as your needs/setup change.⦁ Quite a lot of function labels on the face of the device. This makes it easier to use a "shift" keypress and the clearly labeled button/key to select a parameter. I find it easier to recall what function is where. Some may not like the "cluttered" labeling.Things I DISliked about the Akai MPK Mini Plus:⦁ key feel was not bad, but not as good as Arturia. They were thinner, look and feel less like "real" keys. I was able to play smooth, melodic key parts pretty comfortably. I didn't adjust the velocity. Maybe that would have helped.⦁ The preset for Garageband didn't map completely to iPad OS. None of the controllers I tested did, so this isn't really a dig on the Mini Play specifically.⦁ No faders. Not sure that's a deal breaker for me, but might be for some.Overall build quality - Akai MPK Mini Plus: Excellent. Everything feels like quality. Pads are really, really good. Keys feel good, but not quite as good as Arturia. Encoder knobs feel really good.

The media could not be loaded. I can fit both hands on this 37 keyed midi controller that I've been using with Ableton Live . The stop and play, rewind ,etc.buttons make it easy to record with. The knobs go all the way around. The pads feel good ,they have 2 banks and several functions and the action on the keys is just right. There's a sequencer on there and it's capable of hooking up to synthesizers and drum machines with 5 pin in/out/USB/3.55mm but I haven't got that far with her yet but I will. The downside is there's not much literature on the mpk plus so good luck with that ,just a smattering of YouTube videos and some Reddit articles. Overall, I got it at a fair price and it's fun to play even though I haven't figured the whole thing out yet . I bought it to replace my Akai mpk mini 3 and I'm glad I got the mpk plus instead. I like it much better . It's more diverse and you can do more with it in a lot of different ways and it's still compact enough that it won't take up much room in your studio. Plus it's compatible with pretty much every DAW out there. So,if I were you and I needed a keyboard controller then I'd get this one because that's what I did. 😁