Akai Professional MPD218 - USB MIDI Pad Controller and Drum Machine with MPC Pads, Assignable Knobs, Note Repeat and Full Level Buttons, Production Software

Good sensitivity with velocity so it can 'sense' how hard you are hitting the pads, amazing actually for this price range. Very light weight so good for portability, easy to set up, literally plug and play if you have your DAW open (at least it was for me with Ableton) just the right size for beginners and great to learn on. It's pretty good quality for what it is and you could easily incorporate this into a professional set up, there's nothing wrong with it really.

It's a shame so many have had bad experiences with this, judging from the reviews. Right out of the box, it synced up to my preferred DAW (Mixcraft 8) with no manual mapping required. I inserted an instrument track, picked a drum kit and I was recording a beat in seconds, (and that was before I'd even installed any of the Akai software). From there I can manually map clips to the pads, and different parameters to the dials etc. The pads are reasonably responsive. Light touches don't register so well, so they do need a fairly firm contact, but once you make the right contact, they are very responsive to fills and rolls. It just takes a bit of getting used to. I have an Akai keyboard controller, and it feels very flimsy, like a toy. I was sort of expecting very light build quality from this too considering the price, but it's solid. The dials feel very good, and all of the pads are very robust. The software bundle that comes with this is crazy too. I already have Ableton but for those who don't, the Ableton Live Lite is a great package. The MPC Essentials and Big Bang Drums are great pieces of kit, and Reason Lite is also a great DAW. So all in you get two high quality DAWs, and a whole host of sounds to use (both within Ableton Lite, Reason Lite and the Big Bang Drums system), plus the unit itself, all for £70. You won't get better value than that. If you're looking for a starter kit to get working with pads, this is literally everything you need (besides a computer, obviously) at a great price. And if you get one, buy brand new, so you can register the device and be eligible for the software bundle. It's a decent device on its own, but to get all that software included in the price, it's a steal! If it's 2nd hand, someone else will have registered the serial number and you won't be able to get all the kit that comes with it.

Was surprised at the build quality for the price, shocked to see others saying it's flimsy and cheap, it feels very good for the price in my opinion. The knobs feel very smooth and premium and respond nicely in the DAW. The pads at first felt a bit stiff, but after a couple of days I got used to them. They feel fairly nice, and are decently responsive, but you can't tap it like a touch screen, you need to hit a bit harder for it to register. No double-triggers or anything like that on my unit. The only problems I've notcied are that the buttons (full level, note repeat etc.) aren't the best feeling. They for some reason are uneven, you can press them lightly from the top half, but have to push really hard for the bottom half, which is a bit weird feeling and can make it difficult for timed-based stuff like trying to use the note-repeat function, since the button isn't as responsive depending on where your finger is on it. I wouldn't preferred rubber buttons like on the mpk mini controller. Luckily I don't plan on using these buttons too much, so it's not a big issue for me. Another issue is that the pads are a dust magnet, any dust or dead skin off your fingers will stick to them a lot. Not a huge problem, though, mainly a cosmetic one. Despite the problems, I still think it's worth 4 stars. It exceeded my expectations. I was a little worried after seeing some bad reviews about it, and some people getting bad units, but mine seems good.

Full-size velocity and pressure-sensitive MPC pads - they are very, very good. Controls are intuitive with 3 pad banks and 3 sets of control knobs (selectable). It feels solid, it does the job. Some people might prefer the feel of other pads, a personal taste I guess. But if you get used to these pads you will not be disappointed. A solid piece of kit, at this price everybody should get one. Combined with my MPK Mini Mk3 keyboard and controller, I have all the control I need for entering and controlling midi to make my music.

This is an example of a good case for saving money, helping the environment by buying used. Ok, so it wasn't in the original box, so what! And no manual, again so what! The item functions perfectly and is in as new condition. Download the 5 page manual. Saved paper and viewd PDF doc. Good product. Compatible with Cubase14.

I’ll be honest I’ve own a fair few bits of musical kit in the past 30 years but this is probably the most hardest to learn. From a beginners standpoint I’d say this will need quite a few YouTube lesson to get you head around it’s workings. As a DAW - as that’s what it technically is with a console, it has some absolutely baffling things that can’t be done. One for example is the basic removing a track. You can only clear it of music but never fully remove it! That’s crazy! Whilst I’m not saying it’s a great piece of kit, it is, once you get to understand it’s multiple layers of buttons pressing it’s just Akai make things twice as hard.

A good bit of kit for a fair price. I have used it with logic pro and it connects straight away. This is my first sequencer so cannot compare to others but i trusted the brand and they have not let me down At times there is a lag, however i restart the mac and it has gone so more than likely a computer issue. I havent used it with any other DAWS but i imagine it would be the same case of plug it in and its good to go. ( did not need to install any software) The keys are sensitive enough and the unit feels sturdy. I did not read the instructions and got to grips with it within seconds, however i recommend reading as theres a fair bit this hardware can do if you take the time to actually learn it

I spent some considerable time researching MPC and MPD alternatives for use with Studio One primarily. Eventually I settled for the cheaper option having recognised that I don't need transport functions or a display, essentially all I needed was a set of 16 pads. Upon opening it I was massively surprised at how well made it feels, it has a bit of weight to it, the pads are really nice and the nobs, although I've not assigned them to anything yet, feel nice too. The software that it comes with seems OK but for me it is such a distraction to a workflow that I already have, I may just dismiss it but it does look quite interesting, just feels a bit slow although that could be familiarity. I've got it installed as a standalone and as a VST, I shall check it out maybe when I'm more curious and less keen to just get stuck into using the controller. Overall, great quality especially at the price, it does exactly as I need it to I'm happy with it. Now....how about that MPC studio...???....hmmmm.