Recently collaborating on a track with a mate, I had the chance to check out his home studio. Unbeknownst to me, he had finally ditched his cheap Casio LK-230 for a proper MIDI keyboard, the AKAI MPK61. This is my account of using the MPK to control Reason 4 re-wired into Ableton Live 7, as well as a variety of plug-ins and 3^rd party virtual instruments.

Akai may be known for their heralded MPC line, but they have quietly established quite a reputation as manufacturers of MIDI controllers and keyboards. From professionals to aspiring home studio producers, the MPK 61 is an incredible piece of gear which you could build your digital music studio around.

Here are some of specs for the MPK61:

• 61 semi-weighted keys with aftertouch
• 16 pressure-sensitive MPC style pads (great for sampling)
• MPC quantizing and swing
• 72 assignable Q-Link controllers
• 8 assignable sliders

As someone who probably makes about 50% of my music sample-based, I was extremely delighted to see the MPC style pads. They responded well, and do quite a good job of recreating the feel of an actual MPC. Banging out drum patterns and laying down samples was an absolute breeze.

The knobs, sliders, and modifiers worked like a charm. This definitely was a bonus, as tweaking effects with a mouse is far less enjoyable than the response you get with knobs and sliders.

The keys performed alright, but velocity was sometimes an issue. Semi-weighted keys are never going to reproduce the exact feel of a grand piano, but overall, the MPK did an admirable job.

At the end of the session, very little time was wasted manually tweaking synths and effects. My mate had already mapped the controller to be integrated with Live, so it was pleasant being able to control most functions from the MPK61. With the vast number of features built into one module, we used it to lay down samples, control virtual instrumentation, control third party and built-in effects modules, and control the mixing console.

Just a note for those who are novices in the world of digital music: If you want to use your MIDI keyboard as a standalone module, you’ll be disappointed, as most do not offer on-board sound cards or sound banks. For that you’d be better served to look into a digital piano like the Korg SP 170.

Did you know?
Akai released it’s original MPC module in 1988. The iconic piece of equipment can still be seen in studios around the world over 20 years later.

-Thomas

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