Akai MPK Mini MK3 USB MIDI Keyboard Controller, 25-Key

With 25 mini keys in a dynamic keybed, easy DAW integration, and the perfect set of pads and knobs, Akai's MPK Mini MK3 lets you take control of your music.

$99.00

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Akai MAX25 Compact USB MIDI and CV Keyboard Controller

No longer available at zZounds
Dig into your software synths with 25 semi-weighted aftertouch-sensitive keys and 8 real MPC pads -- and rock old-school synths with the control voltage out.

The Akai MAX25 keyboard controller places revolutionary control at your fingertips with the ability to command anything, from vintage analog synths via its CV/Gate outputs to modern MIDI and USB MIDI devices. With an intuitive layout and included Ableton Live Lite, AkaiConnect, and Ignite music creation software, MAX25 offers instant, powerful creative capabilities. From its 25 semi-weighted keys and 8 real MPC pads, to its groundbreaking LED touch faders and built-in 16-note step sequencer, MAX25 combines cutting-edge Akai Pro technology with classic capability to give you an unprecedented music-making experience.

Cutting-Edge LED Backlit Touch Faders

MAX25 is one of the most unique controllers ever engineered. Right away you'll notice one of its most distinguishing features: four banks of four backlit LED touch faders, allowing you to assign up to 16 control parameters. You can use MAX25's LED touch faders just like analog faders by simply dragging your finger along their touch strips, or you can perform instant leaps in any MIDI value from zero to maxed out and everything in between -- an unprecedented, unmatched controller capability.

Built-in Step Sequencer

Akai Professional's MAX25 and MAX49 are the only keyboard controllers available that include a built-in step sequencer. MAX25's touch faders combine with the built-in step sequencer to offer even more innovative performance capabilities. Control four banks of four steps each, creating patterns up to 16 steps. read more The step sequencer can be assigned to MIDI parameters or the CV/Gate outputs, and the touch faders give you real-time editing control over modulation, filters, key changes, and effects. Create instant arpeggios by swiping your finger horizontally across the faders, and easily activate and deactivate steps using the button beneath each fader.

Classic Capability

When you're ready to get down to business, MAX25 delivers essential controller features with excellence. 25 semi-weighted keys with aftertouch are laid out before you, providing professional feel, perfect response and full musical expression. Large, centrally positioned transport controls give you straightforward track navigation, and rubberized pitch and modulation wheels provide for instant creative flourishes. MAX25's expanded arpeggiator includes a Latch button as well as eight different time divisions to create sweeping and endlessly varied melodic cascades.

CV and Gate Outputs

MAX25 comes ready to command any controller hardware or software from any era: USB MIDI, traditional 5-pin DIN MIDI, and Control Voltage and Gate outputs are onboard, allowing you to control everything from today's most advanced music software, to analog modular synths from as far back as the 1960s. Mackie Control and HUI protocols are also built in to give you instant compatibility with many industry standard DAWs.

Iconic MPC Pads

MAX25 is also equipped with four banks of 8 backlit MPC pads, giving you a total of 32 assignable pads, allowing you to integrate legendary Akai Pro production capability into live performances and recording sessions alike. These backlit velocity-sensitive pads come with classic MPC Swing, Note Repeat, Full Level and navigation controls to give you all the tools you need to create music at your highest level.

Ignite Included

Ignite music creation software from AIR works seamlessly with MAX25, giving you the fastest way to capture ideas and make music. It's a refreshingly different approach, a simple and seamless creative partner that empowers your ideas and brings them to life. Say goodbye to the rigid and complicated methods of the past. Say hello to a fresh way to create.

Ignite includes over 275 instruments, many of which are taken from our renowned instrument collections - including Strike, Structure, and Velvet. All sounds have been optimized to load quickly, and the editing controls are automatically mapped to your MAX25. These extraordinary sounds include keyboards, drums, percussion, basses, guitars, synths, strings, brass, and woodwinds.

Ableton Inside

MAX25 also comes with Ableton Live Lite Akai Pro Edition software, one of the most popular and powerful performance and production programs worldwide. Ableton Live Lite enables musicians to spontaneously compose, record, remix, improvise and edit musical ideas in a seamless audio/MIDI environment.

Control to the Max

MAX25 also comes with AkaiConnect automatic-mapping software, so you'll be up and running in your favorite DAW and VSTs in seconds. AkaiConnect has been designed to eliminate the guesswork and give you more time creating and less time setting up controls. Instantly assign MAX25's MPC pads, touch faders and buttons to your favorite music software plug-ins by simply clicking on the software element you want to control, then touching the knob, pad, fader or button on MAX25.

Cutting-edge, classic, compact control: MAX25.

Get ready to experience one of the most dynamic and unique performance controllers ever created.

Features:

- 25 semi-weighted keys with aftertouch for complete musical expression
- 4 backlit LED touch faders for gradual or instant parameter value changes
- 8 backlit real MPC pads with MPC Note Repeat and MPC swing
- CV and Gate outputs for use with vintage analog synths (1V/Oct)
- Built-in step sequencer for detailed track construction
- Expanded arpeggiator with latch and time division controls
- 4 pad banks, 4 fader banks, total of 64 assignable pads, faders, and buttons
- Included AkaiConnect software automatically maps to VST(TM) plugins
- Mackie Control and HUI( modes provide instant compatibility with many DAWs
- Includes Ignite music creation software with over 275 instrument sounds from AIR Music Technology
- Ableton Live Lite Akai Pro Edition software included

Includes:
- MAX25 Controller
- Ignite Software (Download)
- Ableton Live Lite Akai Pro Edition Software
- AkaiConnect & Vyzex Software
- Power Supply
- USB Cable
- Quickstart Guide
- Safety Instructions & Warranty Manual

VST is a trademark of Steinberg Media Technologies GmbH. Ableton is a trademark of Ableton AG. Mackie Control and HUI are registered trademarks of LOUD Technologies Inc.
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- Number of Keys: 25 keys + 4 banks of 8 drum pads
- Type of action: Semi-weighted Aftertouch (Channel)
- Computer Interface:
- USB/MIDI
- Displays: 4-row x 20-character LCD
- Interfaces:
- USB
- MIDI Out
- MIDI In
- CV (1V/octave)
- Gate (configurable)
- Programmable Continuous Footpedals: 1
- Programmable Footswitches: 2
- Programmable Controllers:
- 4 x 8 Pads
- 4 x 4 Faders
- Keybed
- Pitch and Modulation Wheels
- 2 x Footswitches
- Expression Pedal
- System Real-Time Controls:
- MMC, MIDI START/STOP, MIDI CC
- Dimensions:
- Product Dimensions: 17.1 x 13 x 3.2 inches [434.05mm x 329.82mm x 81.2mm]
- Product Weight: 7.3 lbs [3.3kg]

System Requirements:

- Macintosh: 1.25 GHz G4/G5 or faster (Intel Mac recommended), 1 GB RAM (2 GB recommended), Mac OS X 10.4.11 (10.5 or later recommended)
- Windows: 1.5 GHz Pentium 4 or Celeron compatible CPU or faster (multicore CPU recommended), 1 GB RAM (2 GB recommended), Windows 7, Windows Vista or Windows XP, Windows compatible sound card (ASIO driver support recommended), QuickTime recommended
- USB Port

For support or warranty questions, please contact the manufacturer:
Phone: 401-658-4032
Web: http://www.akaipro.com/support

Reviewers gave this product an overall rating of 4 out of 5 stars. (1 ratings)
Submitted January 9, 2015 by William Anderson

"Excellent Keyboard Controller, poor Mackie Control Implementation"

Overall: 4 out of 5 stars
(see rating details)
Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
I bought this for a desktop/deskside complement to Cubase and my DAW. As a keyboard, it is excellent. It has semi-weighted keys, aftertouch, pressure sensitivity curves and more.As a controller, it's a mixed bag. The Mackie Control implementation at this stage of the game (January 2015) is useless to me. While you get rudimentary control over Cubase, you also get some things you don't want, such as the keyboard triggering software functions, instead of just sending MIDI note on/off/aftertouch information. This makes it useless in Cubase as a controller. However, I did use it for a short time in Cubase as a Mackie Control device (I also tried Mackie HUI, which was no better). Here's what I found: the transport controls work fine. The fader banks 1 & 4 control the faders of channels 1-4. Fader bank 2 allows the faders to control the pan of channels 1-4. Fader bank 3 controls the main fader, regardless of which fader you use. The drum pads were not tested much, but they act as triggers, for the most part.I suggest not using the Mackie Control function, as it doesn't really work very well.Back to the keyboard. It has a nice feel, and it seems to be built very solidly. There is a set of octave up/down switches on the front panel. There is also a very nice set of pitch and modulation wheels, on the left hand side and above the keyboard. There are MIDI In and Out ports on the rear panel, along with USB port, power input for the supplied wall-wart style power adapter. There is an expression read more pedal input (tip-ring-sleeve, not suitable for a breath controller), along with a sustain pedal input, and another pedal input, which is an on/off style input (tip-sleeve). There are also CV out and Gate out connectors, for control of old analog synthesizers. These CV outputs only work if you've plugged into the wall wart power adapter. In addition, the fader LEDs only light one LED unless you're plugged into the wall wart.The included software package consists of ZYVEX, a system editor for the MAX25, Akai Connect, which is a plugin control wrapper for your VST collection. I have no yet used either of these. You can download the latest firmware from the Akai Professional website. I upgraded the firmware as soon as I took it out of the box to the latest version, which is 1.1.24 as of this review.You also get to register for and download the AIR Ignite! standalone ROMPler software, which I found to be quite nice sounding, despite the fact that there's no VST plugin. This pretty much means is only useful for fiddling about, and not really good for composition.When I performed the firmware update, the Numark logo and name appeared, so I presume that Numark are involved in it's production, either through the firmware development, or the hardware (I'm guessing that it's the firmware only). As such, I'm not sure how likely it is to receive the needed updates for the Mackie Control implementation that would actually make it useful as a controller for Cubase. I haven't quite decided whether to return the unit or not based upon this deficiency. I really wanted something to control Cubase, as well as a keyboard, and at this price (I paid just under $300), as a keyboard controller, it's quite expensive. It will depend upon how I perceive Akai's support to be. If they are not Johnny on the spot with a firmware update to fix this issue, I think I might return it.It is a very well made unit, however, but at this price, I want it to be more than just a pretty face that I can input phrases with.

Musical Background:
Professional Musician/Composer and Producer

Musical Style:
Rock/Jazz/Classical
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