Akai MPK mini mk3

A
mini MIDI
keyboard is
always useful
– sometimes it’s
all we need to
produce or
perform music.
A popular example is the Akai MPK
mini, which is now up to mark 3.
The box contains a printed quick
start guide, and a USB cable. The
MPK mini has some substance to it,
which is reassuring. Overall,
everything looks and feels functional
and like it’s making good use of the
surface area. There are 10 buttons, a
joystick (excellent, we love these),
eight backlit velocity sensitive pads,
an OLED display, eight full rotation
knobs, and of course, the two-octave
keyboard. Round the back, there’s
only a USB port and a 1/4” sustain
pedal switch. It must also be
mentioned that the MPK mini mk 3
is also available in grey, red, white,
and black, so you can coordinate or
clash with your other gear, depending
on your inclination.
The keyboard is updated with the
new Gen 2 dynamic keybed – you
won’t get the full-size keys
experience, but they’re impressively
playable and they can be used with
the onboard arpeggiator, as well. The
pads are also updated, including
and of course MPC Beats. This is
actually a tidy little controller for a
laptop music setup.
We powered the MPK with the
Kenton USB MIDI Host, and got it
going with hardware including the
Behringer TD-3 synth – this makes
the MPK mini mk3 a more attractive
offering for musicians with hardware.
The MPK mini mk3 is a
well-built, versatile, controller/
keyboard. Whether it’s worth
upgrading from the previous
version(s) is debatable, but it’s
defi nitely a going proposition for a
newcomer, or for a professional who
needs something compact to take to
the studio or hotel or stage.
pressure- as well as velocity-
sensitivity. The knobs rotate over
360º, making it easier to pick up the
current positions in whatever software
you’re using. There are changes to
button functionality and layout, and
the case itself has had a style refresh.
There’s a hefty software bundle
included. If you don’t already use
one, the MPC Beats software makes
for a good starter DAW, and the AIR
Instruments plugins, including
Hybrid, Mini Grand, and Velvet,
function inside any DAW you may
have, or indeed as standalone soft
instruments. There are also other
instruments and effects built into
MPC Beats. Also included are a set
of MPC expansion packs, and,
crucially, a software editor, allowing
creation of custom programs and
assignment of specifi c MIDI
functions like notes, CCs, and PCs,
toggling aftertouch on/off, and more,
expanding the range of possibility.
That OLED display is kind of
weeny, but crisp and bright. It does a
good job of conveying relevant
information, starting with using the
Prog Selection button and the pads
to choose different presets, which
include chord and scale modes, and
programs available to integrate with
DAWs, including FL Studio,
GarageBand, Ableton Live, Logic Pro,
THE PROS & CONS
+
A do-it-all package;
just add an audio
interface, and you’re
ready to play
Decent selection of
controls. Joysticks
are fun: they work
very well as
synth controllers
Nice keys, especially
for a small device
OLED display is a
step up from LCD
displays of the past
-
D oesn’t readily work
standalone with
hardware, but can
achieve this with a
USB host device
FM VERDICT
9.0
A nifty keyboard that can
fi nd a place in any situation,
and with virtually any music
gear. The software bundle
makes it a compelling all-in-
one solution
Akai MPK mini mk3 | Reviews
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