AKAI Professional MPK261 – 61-Key Semi-Weighted USB MIDI Keyboard Controller Including Assignable MPC Controls including 16 Pads, Q-Links, Buttons and Plug and Play Connectivity
Premium Response
With MPK261, experience the ultimate in playing response from a controller equally suited to studio and live performance scenarios alike. The MPK261 comes equipped with 61 semi-weighted, full-size keys and a premium Akai Professional piano-style keybed for unprecedented response and natural feel. A dynamic, expressive response and faithful capture of every subtle nuance of your performance is assured thanks to MPK261’s velocity-sensitive keybed with aftertouch. In addition, onboard Octave Up and Down controls allow players to access the entire melodic range – perfect for bass lines, chords, solo leads and much more.
Premium Response
Genuine MPC Functionality
Total Control
Premium Response
| | | |
|---|---|---|
Ableton Live LiteAbleton Live Lite delivers much of the functionality of Ableton Live—the revolutionary, music production solution that lets you spontaneously compose, record, remix, improvise and edit your musical ideas in a seamless audio/MIDI environment. Live brings your acoustic, electronic and virtual instruments—as well as your digital audio and MIDI sequences—together in a single interface with unparalleled ease of use. | Hybrid 3 and SONiVOX TwistHybrid 3.0 is the next generation in synthesis. This high-definition virtual synthesiser combines the coveted warmth of analogue synths with a full range of futuristic digital manipulation capabilities. SONiVOX Twist is a spectral morphing synthesis virtual instrument. Comprised of a dynamic interface, an advanced pattern generator and onboard effects, Twist lets you create serious sounds using simple controls. | Welcome to The World of VIP Music SoftwareExperience expanded control of your VST instrument and effect collection with MPK261 and VIP3.1 (Free Download Included). VIP3.1 provides you with unparalleled access to your virtual instrument and effect collection, seamlessly integrating the hardware / software experience and grants the unrestricted freedom to create in a user-friendly, intuitive format. |
MPC Beats Software
Whatever you set out to achieve, MPC Beats will get you started. Incorporating the finest parts of the legendary MPC workflow, MPC Beats features all the essential tools for pro production.
Edit samples, mixdown your tracks, find any sound with the synth engines found on the legendary MPCs, record audio and much more.
MPC Beats will host your AU/VST plugins so as you expand your arsenal, know you’ll have complete compatibility with industry standard virtual studio technology.
| Weight: | 7.3 kg |
| Dimensions: | 31.19 x 93.09 x 8.61 cm; 7.3 Kilograms |
| Model: | MPK261 |
I Am however scratching my head about the one-star reviews. Unfortunately, some people look at the negative review percentages and base their purchase decisions on them. I feel the need to address some of them so that potential buyers can see how illogical and nonsensical they are. It’s not that the MPK225 is a one star controller, it’s that the buyers didn’t bother to read the description before purchasing it. Either that or they have poor comprehension skills.
My comments are proceeded by a –
“You can’t use it without an amplifier and/or a computer connected to it.”
-It’s MIDI controller. Nowhere in the description does it say that this controller has a built-in amplifier. This is not a self-contained keyboard. (Read the description).
“There is not plug-in feature for a headphone.”
-Nowhere in the description does it say that this controller has a headphone jack. (Read the description).
“No power adapter (for 6 Volt 1 Amp) included – is optional (come on, how ridiculous is that?).”
-Read the description
“This product did not come with a power supply cord. Why?”
-Read the description
-Not ridiculous at all in the year 2020+. Again, why would you buy something that doesn’t come with everything you want? (Read the description).
“It feels much heavier than described.”
-Lol, what??? It weighs what it weighs.
“It has an incredible high quality feel to it, but the outfitting is ‘cheap’, poor, at best, meaning Akai should include the power adapter, install a head-phone plug and/or make the controller bluetooth capable, and battery-capable.”
-Why not purchase a controller that has all of that? (Read the description).
“It’s ridiculous if you think about it. Why would you want to have only a 61 key keyboard other than for reasons being truly portable and then not being able to take it on the road trip, use it while in the bus cross country or in the car when bord or on the plane… Size = portability feature, very important. The only reason why I chose a 61 key and not a 88 key.”
-Since when is a 3ft wide keyboard considered “portable”? Wow, just WOW! Is this person being serious? I can’t say I ever saw a person on an airplane jamming away on a 61 key controller.
” I had to resort to buying the expensive heavy non-portable stationary 61 key controller in order to find out that I can only operate it with a direct power source such as at least a laptop (USB connection) – I could plug it into the car of course, after I buy a ‘longer’ cable. But you still can’t hear any sound until you set up speakers in your amplifier / computer through your MIDI/OUT connection.”
-Yeah, I’m sure this person had a gun pointed to their head. If you know a product isn’t capable of doing what you want it to do, why on Earth would you buy it?!?
-Regarding the need for sound. For portability, use a laptop. It has USB for you MIDI connection, and a headphone jack. That’s the way people do it with this type of controller.
“it’s going all back today.” What a shame, what a hassle, what an inconvenience.”
-This is what happens when you don’t read item descriptions. The shame is on you and not AKAI.
” I suggest, if you want to find out if this is what you want or need, if it is right for you, really, the only and best option is to buy it and look at it yourself and see if it fits your need and expectations.”
-Nonsense! In this day and age of information overload, a simple web search, YouTube reviews, a few phone calls to a music store, etc. can provide you with all the info you need.
That being said, of course you will have the occasional faulty unit. I think low ratings are fair in those cases especially if product support is unwilling to rectify the problem. Also, I wish Amazon would have a separate rating for bad shipping. It’s not a manufacturers fault if an item is late or damaged by the shipping company.
I bought a car once, the add said the car had no tires. I bought the car and then complained that it didn’t come with tires. You see how silly that is? READ THE DESCRIPTION!!!
This keyboard does what I need and then some. The pads are really incredible. Responsive and really fun to play. I put my portable pad controller on the shelf. This thing does it all – and it’s a standard in the industry so any DAW is going to pick it up right away. Akai’s support is horrible in my experience- so it’s a good thing it requires almost no support. The feel of the keys, the faders, knobs – you can’t ask for anything more.
It has really renewed my love for just sitting down and making music. They keys make you want to play.
Just a couple of issues: first, the box shows that it comes with Eighty Eight Ensemble. It does not. Apparently an expired agreement to include it. Most of the software it “includes” are obtained by registering the device and downloading. (Ableton Live Lite is included on a disc- everything else has to be downloaded) while this is not a huge issue, it does mean that the software it comes with is subject to change. If you really want Eighty Eight ensemble, be prepared to buy it.
Second, Akai’s website is not for the faint of heart. Try finding any downloads (editor, firmware update, anything) and you’ll likely end up frustrated. Just run it as is. It’s fine.
Finally, be aware the device IS USB powered so most people won’t need a power supply – but if you’re using it as a controller for a hardware device or you’re not hooking it up to your Mac or PC for whatever reason – you need to buy a power supply.
Definitely would buy again, but the way this thing is built I don’t think I’ll ever have to.
This is a beginners candyland. Knobs, buttons, pads, wheels, and keys. Works with pretty much anything. You may regret it, but that’s waaaaaay later.
It’s also an advanced user’s dream. Everything is customizable. I believe the 5-pin midi can function independent of the usb midi, and will do sends when programmed specifically to do so for whatever of 30 pre-sets it’s saved in. I don’t have a use for that yet, but I’m tempted to go find one just to do it. 4×4 pads on 4 banks, that’s 64 hits, and each can be specifically dual color coded for on/off changes. Firm but sensitive. 8 knob/slider/toggles in 3 banks, that’s 24 wide. Transport control dead center. DAW control is arrow keys and the enter button in the middle. It’s a little thing, but it comes in handy.
I’d say I sit low to middle between these two. I’m not a novice, but I’ve really jumped deep in the fire here to get stuff done. What I’ve discovered along the way is that you need to be ready to learn and be wrong about buying this from time to time. That’s okay. Given the price, it’s actually on point for what it does.
I’m using Ableton, Fl Studio 20, and I’ve started fooling around with MPC Beats. Know your DAW. Know what does what and how. Why is not important, we don’t have time for that. Set things, change things, play with things. Midi learn works with everything. Factory reset it and do it again. Youtube University is a thing. Ave Mcree is a big Akai lover, so check his stuff out. Professoar is a fun kid to watch and really knows how to set things up. Two great places to start a rabbit hole. I’ve come at working with this thing with the mindset that if you can do it once, do it five times, and if you can do that, you can do it a hundred times.
MPC Beats is the freebie they “sell” you on when you register. It’s… um… it’s okay. It’s not the greatest, but it’s not bad at all, and you can do some respectable things with it. Additionally, there is a setup for the MPK2 series that lines up your knobs, pads and transport. You might have to dig into Youtube a bit for it, but it will line up when you find it.
Support is slim for what is not obvious. There’s little gripes you will come across. My little gripe I can’t seem to get around is finding a DAW or DAW setting that sends color changes to the pads. It’s there, but I can’t find it. Seems like it’s a common gripe. You can change the colors in the preset settings, save them and they stay, but if you flip between several drum pad kits on your DAW, the colors won’t follow.
You can power this with the USB cable, but I’ve noticed that if I don’t plug directly into a PC USB port, I don’t get full power or data (one or the other). Tried it with a few powered USB hubs, same result. I would suggest a solid, longer cord, or an extender cable. Again, mind the power draw.
There are people who know they want this controller, and there are people that know they want nothing to do with Akai at all. This review is not for either of those. This is for the people caught in the middle. It’s not the greatest, but it’s good, functional, and does most of the job. I would say the free VST software that comes with it makes the price and the little things balance out (they throw Hybrid 3 in with everything, great synth VST). Don’t delay in getting your software codes and downloads, and save them all in zip/rar/7z files, just in case. iLok does the licensing, works fine. Read, research, experiment, reset, repeat. Once you know how you flow… go go go.
Fr Anfnger nur bedingt zu empfehlen.
Gute Verarbeitung, Tolles Software Paket
Edel Wirkende Tasten gut bedienbar kein wackeln der Tasten
Ich bin sehr zufrieden mit dem Kauf
I’ve had my MPK249 since 2014. It feels solid and well built, and is reasonably easy to use without too much reference to the manual. The keybed feels well made, however I have had some issues with the contacts, which have required me to open the keyboard and clean them. The keyboard never leaves my home so has a pretty easy life, so this is a little disappointing.
There is one other more serious issue that I have encountered, with my MacBook Pro (both late-2013 and M1 Pro – same problem despite being 8 years apart). Basically, the keyboard ONLY shows up when I use it through one specific ANKER hub which I just happened to have. I have three other hubs and it does not work through any of them. Why this is, I do not know. I guess there are a handful of different hub chipsets out there and maybe only one of them works with this keyboard.
In my case, after a lot of messing around with hubs and cables, I was able to come to a solution that involved the “good” hub, even though it wasn’t the one I had wanted to use. It is limiting to know that I can’t just plug it into anything. The odd thing is, my MPK Mini II has no issues like this at all.
Sind meine ersten Medi Keys und produziere mit Logic. Funktioniert alles einwandfrei, auch wenn fr Anfnger der Einstieg etwas schwerer fallen knnte (da recht komplexes Keyboard). Mir als 3-wchiger Neuling wurde ziemlich schnell klar, dass dieses Keyboard mir noch viele Jahre Freude bereiten wird. Die Pads und Tasten haben eine gute Empfindlichkeit im Anschlag. Das ganze Keyboard macht einen soliden und hochwertigen Eindruck.
Kann es bis hierher nur empfehlen.
Akai es de lo mejor que hay en controladores midi lo recomiendo 100% calidad
I didn’t like it but that is because I am not a real keyboard player. If the Midi controls are more important than the actual keyboard itself, I would opt for something else.
Aunque tiene sus aos y algunas limitaciones poco importantes, est muy bien construido. Paso de gastarme el doble en un Arturia Keylab Pro.
1. 49 Keyboard keys
2. 16 MPC drum pads
3. 8 line levels with 8 pan knobs
4. Track recording sequencer
Glad I got this MiDi KEYBOARD at the OPEN BOX PRICE! SAVED OVER $100!
Pros: for its layout and features it is hard to find another board like it. Works for any DAW.
Cons: its a MiDi controller so you get what you use and most features pros use will require more money… Lots of money like FL STUDIO PRODUCER EDITION.
Dont be lured into getting anything for its looks only.. Even advertisements are misleading… Study all you can and budget what it will really cost to get the maximum use out of anything you buy.
#djCHOZiN1
Great product.. Nothing more to say.. Buy it with confidence..
Just what I needed, and all set up ready to go with reasons
Facile d’utilisation, il faut savoir le brancher en premier pour que la MAO puisse le reconnatre et l’activer toute suite en installant un instrument d’abord.
I love this…it was easier to use than old Yamaha keyboards…
First let me say that this does not work at all with Mac Big Sur when using the direct USB connection. However by running the Midi ports into an external USB controller, like a Focusrite or iRig Stomp, it will work fine with Big Sur and Logic Pro. Power in this configuration must be provided by an external 6v brick.
This is a nice robust solid piece of gear. I particularly like the weighted piano keys, 16 pads and it also having eight sliders as well as eight control knobs which really expands the control capability. It works great for me at the moment but would be completely awesome if a firmware update appears allowing USB connection to a Mac using Big Sur.
Been making beats since 2013; this is easily the best 25 key midi keyboard on the market, but what do you expect from Akai. I had to buy a replacement because my midi cord input jack got ripped out (please beware of this with all MIDI controllers, the jack is very fragile!!) and I noticed that the updated version was a lot sleeker and about 5 pounds lighter ( I had my previous mpk225 for 5 years as a gift from a friend) and it makes for toting it around a lot easier. Akai I would recommend marketing a carrying case for these because it would come in handy. Regardless amazing controller, great arpeggio function and note delay function, 8 mini pads on the top aren’t too stiff, the keys play as perfect as a midi controller could, don’t stick or lag and respond well in real time playing. For the price, durability (I dropped my last mpk 50-60 times), design, easy compatibility with most DAWs (I’ve plugged it up easily to FL studio 12, FL studio 20, and a friend’s Logic in his home studio setup), and easy assurance you’re getting with a name like Akai, you can rest assured you’re getting every dollar tenfold. I argue that Akai is better than Native Instruments in every debate I have with other producers/engineers because of this controller. I would say that Akai should be sponsoring me because of how sweet I make them sound, but really I should be sponsoring them for this MPK225. If you don’t have one of these to make music on your computer, you are lacking!!!
There have been many reviews on this, I agree with the good reviews. No complaints. It just works great.
Love this midi controller. I use it most days. Lots of fun and creative
They only provided basic music apps, you have to pay extra for completed one.
I was able to use the keyboard on my PC
Pros:
+Looks great
+Feels great
+Sturdy
+Tons of banks for tons of configurations
+Comes with some nice software
+Lots of included presets and space to make your own
+Easy to use out of the box on compatible systems
+Class Compliant so doesn’t need any special software or drivers to work (except on Big Sur)
+Has MIDI in/out if you need that
+Has external power option (power adapter not included) so it can be used with compatible iPads
Cons:
-No Big Sur support and no ETA on support
-Tech Support may as well not exist
-Included USB cable is only 3 feet long so cable management and reach are pretty limited
Neutrals:
=If you’re using a folding X/double X stand, you won’t be able to put it very low without some sort of additional board/support as there are no controls beside the keys, making the keyboard shorter than some other keyboards.
All around seems to be a great keyboard with only a few drawbacks which should only apply to a small group of people.
Appena unboxato ho notato dei sottili graffi in tutta la tastiera…boh
Il resto perfetto