Akai Professional MPK Mini MK3-25 Key USB MIDI Keyboard Controller With 8 Backlit Drum Pads, 8 Knobs, Music Production Software and Native Instruments Sound Package (NKS Integration), Black

The Akai Professional MPK Mini Keyboard has to be one of the best in the market, having a beat pad, keyboard, and customizable knobs. As someone who produces music, I could not ask for anything more. It has a very reasonable price, and they even include some plug-ins with the keyboard and a DAW if you don’t already have one. Not only is the price great; the quality is even better. There is rubber on the drum pads to make sure your fingers don’t slip while playing, keys that make it feel like you are playing a real piano, and knobs that move smoothly yet have amazing precision. With the keyboard having 25 keys, which span a full 2 octaves (with buttons to change the octaves), it is compact and easy to bring wherever you like without compromising usability. Without a doubt, this keyboard is the best MIDI keyboard out there.

This Akai MPK Mini MK3 completely exceeded my expectations. The keys have a very comfortable sensitivity, and the pads respond quickly with no delay—great for creating beats on the spot. Setup was extremely easy; it was literally plug-and-play with my computer and music software. The size is perfect if you don’t have much space, yet it still feels professional and sturdy. The knobs work smoothly for controlling effects and automations. Whether you’re just starting in music production or need a high-quality portable keyboard, this is definitely a great investment. Highly recommended.

I've been using the Akai MPK Mini MK3 for a few weeks now and I have to say—I'm seriously impressed. As someone who travels a lot but still wants to create music on the go, this controller is perfect. It's super compact and lightweight, but still feels solid and well-built. The keys are mini-sized, so it takes a bit of getting used to, especially if you're coming from a full-size keyboard. But they’re surprisingly responsive and great for sketching out ideas. The pads are a real highlight—very responsive and satisfyingly clicky. I've been using them for finger drumming and triggering samples, and they perform great. The rotary knobs are smooth and endless, which is amazing for tweaking synth parameters or mixing on the fly. The little OLED screen is a nice touch—it’s small but gives you just enough feedback to make it useful. The 4-way joystick for pitch/mod control is cool too, though I prefer the classic wheels for more precision. One of the biggest wins is the bundled software. You get MPC Beats (which is a solid DAW, especially for beat-making) and some really good virtual instruments. It’s practically a full studio-in-a-box. If you're a beginner or a producer looking for a portable solution, this thing delivers big time. Would absolutely recommend!

I recently purchased the AKAI MPK Mini mk 2 as an additional MIDI keyboard to use with my laptop, mainly as a means of adding a degree of portability to composing. That being said, I have since been using it with my iMac and Dorico so that I do not have to keep unplugging and plugging in my main MIDI keyboard. I have tried the AKAI MPK Mini on Cubase and everything seems to work well. I have also been using it with Dorico on Mac and it works equally well. It seems a solid piece of kit and very playable, despite the small keys and their limited number. I think it is perfect for the purpose that I had in mind as it is very compact and rugged. It is easy to switch the octave up and down, which given the limited number of keys is important. If you want something compact, rugged, and nicely versatile you should perhaps check this out .

If you’re looking to become a producer this is all you need practically. The keyboard itself is nice, the drum pad is satisfying to use, and it just so happens it comes with beat making software. It has so many cool little features, like arpeggiation and looping, that make it a production powerhouse. It is also sleek and portable. Functions well

I waited a couple of months before writing this review. There's a lot to dive in and I wanted to write a review short enough to read that contains everything you need to know. For your money you get two things, the hardware (the MK3) and some free software, MPC Beats. The MK3 is a 25-key USB MIDI keyboard. In addition to the 25 keys, there are selection buttons on the left and right, a joystick/knob, 8 drum pads, 8 knobs, and a teeny-tiny LCD for younger users with better eyeballs than mine. They keyboard has a tiny bit of weight to it, but you won't mistake it for a paperweight. Keep in mind that on its own, the keyboard does nothing, It only works when plugged into a computer, running software. The free DAW software Akai provides is MPC Beats. MPC Beats has approximately 9 million buttons and options, so don't expect to figure it out in an hour or even a day. There are so, so many features. You can of course make tracks, loops, patterns, and so on. There are tons and tons of free instruments available. It can get confusing as to which can be assigned to the keys and which are assigned to the drum pads. Fortunately there are tons of video MPC Beats tutorials online, which can teach you the ropes. The free version of MPC Beats has one major limitation in that songs are limited to 8 MIDI tracks and 2 "audio" tracks (which could be used for vocals or samples). If you're just wanting to create loop based music, 8 tracks are actually quite a bit. If you do eventually outgrow MPC Beats, you can upgrade to the pay version, MPC 2.0, which allows 128 tracks, all of which can be MIDI or digital audio. So, what's to say? There's a bit of a learning curve with the software and figuring out what all the buttons on the keyboard do. It has been a while since I played around with a DAW and so it took me a couple of days to wrap my head around everything. Again, there are lots of YT tutorials out there that will point you in the right direction, and the more you play around with things, the better you'll get. Physically the keyboard's looks may not impress your studio friends, but there's no reason why you couldn't create a hit song with this thing.

I still have it to this day, never had any issues with it. They sell unopened for like $50 on eBay tho, so I wouldn't want to pay much more than that for it now a days.

I bought the Akai MPK Mini MK3 for my music production setup as an indie artist, and it’s been a very useful addition to my workflow. The size is perfect for a home studio—compact enough to fit on my desk but still functional for writing melodies, bass lines, and chord progressions. The keys feel responsive, and the backlit drum pads are great for programming beats and percussion. I also like having the knobs for quick adjustments while producing, especially when shaping sounds or tweaking effects without reaching for the mouse. Everything integrates smoothly with my software, and setup was straightforward. It is ideal if you’re working in a smaller space but still want creative flexibility. It’s intuitive, portable, and reliable, making it a solid choice for indie artists who want to produce music efficiently without a bulky setup.