Akai Mpk49 Performance Controller

The Akai MPK49 is a 49-key MIDI controller keyboard for use with DAW applications such as Cubase, Reason, Logic and Live. It does not produce any sounds of it's own; instead it controls software synthesizers or other hardware devices that can accept a MIDI input.

Various manuals are provided in PDF format on the installation CD. Also included are preset editor and librarian applications and a link to a special edition of Ableton Live Lite. Overall, it is a comprehensive package and I doubt anyone will be disappointed with the included extras. The keyboard features 12 MPC-style pads (useful for triggering drum sounds) 8 sliders, 8 rotary encoders, transport controls and numerous other buttons. The overall layout is intelligently designed and everything is clearly labelled. The MPK49 will happily be powered over USB, however an optional power supply is available should you prefer that way of doing things. The unit measures 730 x 300 x 100mm and, for me at least, looks the business.

In use, the MPK49 proves to be very capable. The full-size keys ar semi-weighted and have a very nice action. All of the other controls, including the chunky pitch-bend and modulation wheels, feel very solid and should withstand being tugged and twisted for many years. The display features a blue back light and is nice and easy to read. A nice aesthetic touch is that the pitch-bend and modulation wheels are illuminated yellow when the unit is powered on.

30 preset slots are available, the first 16 of which contain templates for popular DAW software packages including Ableton Live, Reason, Sonar and Cubase. All presets can be edited and saved by the user. The faders, buttons and rotary encoders have one of three available control banks assignable to them, which means that each set of 8 controls becomes 24. This results in an awful lot of controllability!

The keyboard and 12 percussion pads transmit velocity and aftertouch data as well as the usual note on information. In addition, the sensitivity of the percussion pads is adjustable, so you can fine-tune the set-up according to how aggressive you are when banging out rythms. In a similar fashion to the controls, the pads have four banks available, meaning they can trigger up to 48 sounds. Other beat-based functions include a Tap Tempo button and a Note Repeat function, for rolls and dance-style builds. For melodic lines an arpeggiator is included, with Up, Down, Inclusive, Exclusive, Random and Chord modes. The arperggiator has proved to be a great source of inspiration for me and I advise anyone purchasing an MPK49 to experiment with it.

All of these positives make the MPK49 a sensible decision for anyone in the market for a MIDI controller. Anything that cuts down on mouse usage is very welcome, and this keyboard is positively bristling with controllers that do just that.

The original article, complete with images, can be found here.

By: Reeco

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Courtney Reece is a music and gaming enthusiast with a passion for all things tech! www.tekcr.com aims to provide fair and unbiased reviews on music technology hardware and software and gaming PC components.