Akai Pro MPK mini plus II

Akai Professional MPK mini plus II

 

The MPK mini has been the first controller on a lot of desks for years. The plus II
is the grown-up version of that line: it keeps the footprint that fits next to a laptop, and
adds three octaves, a colour display and hardware outputs that let it hold its own in the
middle of a studio.

 

The 37-key mini keybed is built to be played. The eight RGB MPC pads respond to how
hard you hit them, so finger drumming, clip launching and chord progressions all live on the
same surface.

 

What is unusual in this class: the plus II works without a computer. The 5-pin MIDI
output drives an external synth, and the three CV jacks drive a modular rig. Each of the
three has its own job, marked PITCH, GATE and MOD on the rear panel. One thing worth being
clear about: those jacks and the DIN socket are OUTPUTS. The unit drives external hardware,
it does not take MIDI in over DIN. The computer connection is USB-C, and that one works both
ways.

 

The creative controls are not decoration. Arpeggiator, Chord and Note Repeat are
joined by Glitch, Mutate and Strum, and those earn their keep at the point where an idea
exists but does not sound interesting yet. Thirteen preset slots are on board, eleven of
them yours to overwrite.

 

Key features

- 37 velocity-sensitive mini keys, three octave range

- 8 RGB MPC pads, velocity sensitive

- 8 endless knobs plus a push encoder

- Arpeggiator, Chord and Note Repeat, plus Glitch, Mutate and Strum

- Colour display with real-time DAW feedback

- 13 preset slots, 11 of them user presets

- 5-pin DIN MIDI output and three CV outputs for external and modular gear

- Pitch bend and modulation wheels

- Studio Instrument Collection sound library included

 

Connections

- 1 x USB-C port, power plus MIDI in and out

- 1 x 6.35 mm TS sustain pedal input

- 3 x 3.5 mm TS CV outputs, marked PITCH, GATE and MOD

- 1 x 5-pin DIN MIDI output

 

Specifications

- Keys: 37, mini size, velocity sensitive

- Display: colour LCD, 160 x 80 pixels

- Pads: 8, velocity sensitive, RGB backlit

- Knobs: 8 endless 360 degree knobs, plus 1 push encoder

- Wheels: pitch bend and modulation

- Buttons: 2 with bi-colour LEDs, 16 with single-colour LEDs

- Power: USB-C, bus powered from a computer or from a separate USB-C wall adapter

- Dimensions: 49.3 x 19.2 x 5.4 cm

- Weight: 1.46 kg

 

DAW compatibility

Akai lists the following versions: MPC 3.10, Ableton Live 11 and 12, FL Studio v26,
Logic Pro 12, GarageBand 10.4.14, Cubase 15 and Bitwig Studio 6.1.