Akai MPK88 - any views?

[GTBannah]

I didn't realize that this existed until yesterday!!

I still have not had my hands on one, but I'm thinking that if the positive reviews continue, then this will replace my CME UF80. At least, I hope so.

As for the appregiator issue, is it really an issue? It makes perfect sense to me that your DAW has to be playing in order for it to work.

What are your concerns with the UF80? I am looking at one of the CMEs because of the nine faders as opposed to the eight on the MPK.

[Matthew Lien]

CME products suffer from build quality.

[GTBannah]

CME products suffer from build quality.

Hmmm! Thanx for the reply!

[Matthew Lien]

No problem.

If you search on the internet for user opinions, you'll find lots of unhappy campers regarding CME general build quality, as well as various malfunctions and problems right from the moment they open the box.

I have been looking for an 88-key controller, and also checked out the Akai. But I felt the quality was just not up to what I expect from Akai. I want to feeeeeeel the quality when I first see it and play it. But I thought it was a little on the cheap side, and the keys have their plastic "flashing" still clinging to the seams of where the plastic molds were, which you can feel when playing fast. Even a Casio sitting nearby had better-feeling keys, which I thought was unacceptable... a Casio should feel better than an Akai???

If Akai wants to do this thing, then do it right. Otherwise don't waste my time!

I've since checked out the StudioLogic and Fatar options, but they also didn't seem to be up to par.

In the end, the Kurzweil SP2x was my choice. It is very solid, and has the same great action as the StudioLogic and Fatar, and has the separate Mod and Pitch Wheels on the left (a must for me!). It also comes with a few sounds for a reasonable price (actually, I don't need or want to pay for sounds, but in the end I don't mind them... they're good for sketching ideas without turning on the entire system).

The price is much less than the newer SP3x, and I don't need to fancy screen and larger sound banks of the 3x. And in my opinion, the colour scheme of the 2x is much nicer... I just can't get into those white side panels of the 3x.

Anyway, good luck, and let us know what you choose and how it works for you!

[zvon]

"For the expression pedal input, any standard pedal should work out well (with the MPK88), as long as it is not proprietary, and connected to the keyboard before the board is powered on in order to properly calibrate it."

I am not sure if this resolves the problem, but thought I'd pass it on. I am also using a Yamaha pedal and like it a lot... but it just occured to me that it's being used with a Yamaha keyboard...

Any chance Yamaha expression pedals are proprietary for their keyboards only?

Thanks for the tip! I had a problem of inversed polarity with my Yamaha sustain pedal and the MPK61 and this solved it.

[Matthew Lien]

Glad you solved it. One thing I learned is that, if there is no global setting for polarity, some keyboards "learn" the polarity at start-up, and so it's useful to turn it on when the pedal is connected.

[zvon]

I only got my MPK61 two weeks ago and I was about to contact Akai about this but you saved me the trouble. I had read about the problem of reversed polarity a while ago in Sound on Sound and they said that the polarity can be set in some applications (don't remember which ones) or that one can open his/her pedal and reverse the wiring.

This solution is a lot simpler especially as I also still use the pedal with my Yamaha piano!

[idolo1co]

This is all very disappointing and with a price tag at roughly $700 I just see no reason or viable excuses as to why a "Pro" rated controller would have all these "issues". I mean, they're not exactly "giving" them away. Cheap feeling, noisy keys at this price range is just inexcusable.

I really wanted this to be the controller to top all controllers. Why is it that instead of gaining ground in the midi controller department it seems ground is being lost? Are the midi controller manufacturers not reading the chock full of complaints reviews they're customers are writing about their products? And why isn't one of these midi controller manufacturers stepping in and taking advantage of this gap in quality 88 key midi controllers?

[PointOfDeparture]

This is all very disappointing and with a price tag at roughly $700 I just see no reason or viable excuses as to why a "Pro" rated controller would have all these "issues". I mean, they're not exactly "giving" them away. Cheap feeling, noisy keys at this price range is just inexcusable.

I really wanted this to be the controller to top all controllers. Why is it that instead of gaining ground in the midi controller department it seems ground is being lost? Are the midi controller manufacturers not reading the chock full of complaints reviews they're customers are writing about their products? And why isn't one of these midi controller manufacturers stepping in and taking advantage of this gap in quality 88 key midi controllers?

As I've said before, I agree wholeheartedly. Oh well...just spent my money on the new 24" IPS monitors from HP.

[ramonsmits]

I tested the MPK 88 last friday. I must say I was impressed but here are my pro's and con's:

pro's:
* Drumpads feel nice and are big enough
* Enough sliders and (digital) knobs to make them useful in a DAW
* Unit feels solid

con's
* Weighted keys were ok but not good.
* Drumpads require fairly hard hits to get to the maximum output
* The quality looks a bit cheap on the faders and knobs although that is only cosmetical


I compare this unit to my own Yamaha KX8 88keys GHA master keyboard and several other masterkeyboard. The KX8 has a very good piano feel for its price and beats the Akai MPK88 easily but is not manufactured any more. If you really want to have cheap master keyboard with piano feel then go for a StudioLogic/Fatar without all those controls which save you some bucks or spend some more money for example a Yamaha digital piano with midi out.

If you are just a music enthousiast and want all the controls then I would go for the Akai MPK 61 version as the hammer action disappointed me a bit but the unit as a complete DAW controller did not. But then there are several other controllers which you could consider.

[GTBannah]

I compare this unit to my own Yamaha KX8 88keys GHA master keyboard and several other masterkeyboard. The KX8 has a very good piano feel for its price and beats the Akai MPK88 easily but is not manufactured any more. If you really want to have cheap master keyboard with piano feel then go for a StudioLogic/Fatar without all those controls which save you some bucks or spend some more money for example a Yamaha digital piano with midi out.

If you are just a music enthousiast and want all the controls then I would go for the Akai MPK 61 version as the hammer action disappointed me a bit but the unit as a complete DAW controller did not. But then there are several other controllers which you could consider.

The 25-key version is springy. I was hoping that Yamaha would have updated the KX8, but no news (YET .... I hope).

What are the other controllers you would suggest?

[ramonsmits]

What are the other controllers you would suggest?

Hammer action midi master controllers? There aren't really lots of those. I mentioned the studiologic and KX8. There are also the CME stuff which some people seem to like but are *very* noisy but I don't like the feel. There is also the M-Audio Oxygen 88 but I haven't played that unit yet. I sure hope that is doesn't play like its predecessor the M-Audio Keystation Pro 88 as that was horrible IMHO.

[GTBannah]

Hammer action midi master controllers? There aren't really lots of those.

So weird, with the proliferation of DAWS and soft-synths.

I mentioned the studiologic and KX8.

I had the DPM C8 by Peavey. The keyboard was made by Fatar. no hammer action, but nice feel and weight. They don't make it anymore. The brains at Yamaha are a mystery to me. There is no more KX88, nor KX8. What's up with that?!?!

There are also the CME stuff which some people seem to like but are *very* noisy but I don't like the feel. There is also the M-Audio Oxygen 88 but I haven't played that unit yet. I sure hope that is doesn't play like its predecessor the M-Audio Keystation Pro 88 as that was horrible IMHO.

CME's reviews go from excellent to ridiculous. M-Audio still needs work.

It looks like the idea of the Yamaha electric piano with MIDI would be the way to go, except, that there is no after touch. The future is bleak.

[CinningBao]

con's

* Drumpads require fairly hard hits to get to the maximum output

I just wanted to add, that this problem can be resolved, and get the pads responding like the larger MPC unit pads, by looking at this
http://offwhitenoise.blogspot.com/2010/ ... ation.html

[CinningBao]

con's

* Drumpads require fairly hard hits to get to the maximum output

I just wanted to add, that this problem can be resolved, and get the pads responding like the larger MPC unit pads, by looking at this
http://offwhitenoise.blogspot.com/2010/ ... ation.html