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

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.

This is a nice little drum pad for beginners or those who only need a cheap pad for some basic studio drum work.As others have stated, its main drawback is the tendency for "double hits" and some slight sensitivity issues. This really isn't much of an issue if you're only using it for casual work.If you're really into drum work, it might be worth getting a slightly more accurate pad as the "double hit" issue might frustrate you.I mainly got this pad for the light work I do with drums, so it really does the job well for my needs.The build quality seems sturdy enough, it's a good size and weight, and has enough features for the price.

Nice bit of kit but wish they gave you a case for it (or sold one). I have had this a week and no problems. The software is top notch no need for any other daw . This is a great starting point for someone needing a midi pad and great software . Few improvements could be made ( like how to link and map quickly in ableton live lite) with a quick reference book/ sheet .brilliant and would love to use or test other kits just to see how they compare 10 out of 10 from meSo... this is a update on my purchase. Now I have had time to play around with this a bit more I can now fully say with out any doubts this is a brilliant piece of equipment. I have been using this to mix , run samples and use it as a drum kit too in addition to this I bought the akai 25 key midi keyboard too and found that the software can be used on the akai 26 and mpd218 . I would love to try out more of there line as I was amazed at the quality and software you get with each item you buy. Anyone wishing to get a jumpstart to there music then look no further than here.Again I would love to test and own other midi devices that akai produce

The mpd218 i received works fine, apparently some of these are unusable with bad pad responses and mixed sensitivities.This one feels as though you have to hit pad harder than you should need to when trying to hit softly but you have to get used to it as it is because it not adjustable, but it is quite usable when you strike it a certain way , and great overall package for the price. The sonnivox software will not install on my d drive on custom install after instructing it to, it starts installing into c drive which has no space, so i shall try it on my next laptop. sonnivox also forces you to install ilok software which sucks.I already have it installed but ilok sucks, unnecessary garbage, but overall the mpd218 with all the software is excellent value for low price

Id give it a 5/5 if the vst for fl studio worked but it doesnt.If you're using it as standalone for the MPC2 software then it is 5/5

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.