Akai Professional MPK249 Performance Keyboard Controller

49 key USB keyboard with 16 onboard drum pads and much more!

For today's recording musicians, a good controller is practically an essential piece of equipment, but what a musician wants in a "controller" often goes far beyond just a keyboard. Drum pads, as well as assignable multifunction knobs and faders are important too. Akai Professional has a long history with not only keyboard controllers, but also drum pads. The latest update of their popular MPK series (MPK2 series) keyboard controllers have quite a few interesting features, so let's dig right in and see what the mid-sized model in the series - the MPK249 - has to offer.

What You Need To Know

• The Akai Professional MPK2 series is available in three different models - the MPK225, MPK261, and the MPK249, which is the model that I tested for this review. They differ primarily in the number of keys - with 25, 61, and 49 semi-weighted keys respectively, although the smaller MPK225 also lacks the faders and some other features of its larger siblings. 

• Akai thoughtfully bundles some software with the MPK2 series to help you get up and running right away, including a copy of Ableton Live Lite, SONiVOX Twist Spectral Morphing Synthesizer, AIR Music Tech's excellent Hybrid 3 synth, and Akai's MPC Essentials.

• Driver and software installation was easy. In fact, no "drivers" are needed since the MPK is a class-compliant, plug and play device. However, Mac users need to heed Akai's warning about exiting out of the Keyboard Setup Assistant pop-up that they'll see the first time they connect the MPK249 to their computer. 

• The MPK249 has 49 full-sized piano-style keys that are semi-weighted. The keyboard also includes aftertouch. Unfortunately it's not polyphonic aftertouch, but since that's a pretty rare feature, it's not really fair to fault Akai too much for its absence.

• While the 25 key model is no doubt better for portability and the 61 key version has an extra octave of playing range, the 49 key model is a nice compromise, offering enough range for easy two-handed playing while still remaining fairly compact and light. The dimensions of the MPK249 are 29" L x 12.25" D x 3.38" H, and it weighs 12.6 pounds.

• The pitch bend and modulation wheels are easily accessible and have a slightly rubberized feel to them which helps keep them from slipping in your hands while in use.

• Top panel Octave Up / Down keys allow you to quickly move to lower or higher note ranges as needed, allowing the MPK249 to cover a total range of ten octaves. Pressing both buttons simultaneously resets the octave switch. 

• There are four main modes of operation. Preset Mode allows you to save, load, rename and copy Presets. There are 30 Presets and they comprise information about how all the various knobs will function and what they're assigned to control. Presets for the bundled software, as well as several popular synths and DAW applications (including Logic, Pro Tools, Studio 1, Reason, Sonar and Cubase) are included. Edit Mode allows you to edit the MPK249's configuration. Global Mode allows you to configure the global settings that are independent of the Presets, such as pad threshold and the keyboard velocity curve. Program Change Mode allows you to send Program Change messages out over MIDI.

• The backlit LED display is navigated with the assistance of four cursor buttons and a 360 degree continuously rotating Value Dial with a built in pushbutton enter button. Display contrast can be user-adjusted.

• There's an onboard arpeggiator with latch function. Tempo is based on the internal Tempo, and Time Division settings. The arpeggiator can also be synched to an external MIDI clock. Tap tempo is also supported. 

• In addition to the keyboard, you also get 16 pressure and velocity sensitive MPC-style drum pads. Akai's MPC line of drum machines is well known for their pads, and that knowledge and experience is on display here - these are excellent feeling and expressive pads! In fact, the MPK249 has MPC functionality, with MPC Note Repeat, MPC Swing, MPC Full Level, 16 Levels, Tap Tempo and Time Division all supported. The perimeters of the 16 pads light up in multiple colors, and four pad banks are provided (giving you a total of 64 pads), each of which has a different color assigned to it, making it easy to tell what bank you have up with just a glance. Hit the pads and they light up in a contrasting red, which is another nice touch.

• DAW control functions are also a big part of the MPK249 package. Akai calls them Q-Link controllers, and there are 24 of them in total, with eight assignable fully-rotating 360 degree knobs, eight assignable faders, and eight assignable backlit switches that can function as latched controls or momentary switches. Fader throw is about 45mm, and feels fairly smooth although they're a little on the firm side. There are three Control Banks - A, B and C, which allow you to control even more channels. You also get a full range of DAW transport controls - rewind, fast forward, play, stop and record, as well as a five HID protocol (Human Interface Device) assignable DAW Control buttons for sending computer keyboard commands straight to your DAW. Again, presets for many of the most popular DAW applications are included to get you up and running with a minimum of user configuration required.

• Around back you'll find all the Akai MPK249's interfacing ports and jacks, including the 6VDC power receptacle and a cable restraint, standard 5-pin DIN style MIDI input and output jacks, a USB port, a Kensington lock slot, power on/off pushbutton switch, and 1/4" jacks for connecting an optional sustain footswitch and expression pedal.

• There's even a low-power mode that allows you to use the MPK with your iPad, although you'll need Apple's Camera Connection Kit for your iPad in order to give it the necessary USB port. Just connect the iOS device and then power on the MPK while holding down the Preview button. The pads won't light up in this mode, and the display will be dimmer, but by reducing the power needs, it allows the MPK to be bus powered by the iPad.

Limitations

• While the MPK249 can be bus powered over USB, if you plan on using it strictly with external MIDI modules, drum machines, or as a controller for other keyboards, you'll need to purchase an optional 6V DC 1A center-positive power supply for it - unfortunately, no power supply is included. However, there is another powering option. You can use a wall wart type USB power adapter (like the one used to charge your iPhone) to power the MPK249 over USB, while using the 5-pin MIDI jacks to interface with your other equipment.

• The 45mm faders feel fine for what they are and function smoothly, but those who are more at home on a DAW controller or mixing console with full-sized motorized faders will need to adapt a bit to the shorter fader throw. 100mm motorized faders would make this a larger, heavier and more expensive unit, and it's unreasonable to expect them - but if Akai adds 60mm motorized faders to a later revision of the MPK line, they'd make an excellent all-in-one controller an even better DAW partner. Of course, that would probably come at the expense of bus powering, so there's always a design trade-off. 

• There is no 88 key MPK2 model currently available.

Conclusions

With its compact form and wealth of features, the MPK 249 would be a great choice for space-strapped home recording setups, as well as for mobile users, songwriters, producers and arrangers. While the 61 key model will probably be more popular for live performance use due to the expanded range, the MPK 49 could also serve ably in that capacity too.

The keys have enough firmness and "weight" to feel solid and substantial. It's not the same thing as a weighted piano action, but for a semi-weighted synth action keybed, I found the feel to be quite nice. The drum pads are what you'd expect from Akai Professional; well-known for making some of the world's finest drum machines, they know a thing or three about making great drum pads. My personal preference for a mixing console's 100mm motorized faders aside, the various controls - the buttons, faders, assignable knob controllers, Value Dial, transport controls and the mod and pitch wheels all operate smoothly and feel reassuringly sturdy. 

While it's a solid feeling and expressive keyboard and MPC drum controller, the MPK249 has got the transport controls and knobs and faders that are necessary for a good DAW controller too - if only the faders were a bit longer and motorized, I could see myself happily using this as a primary DAW control surface, and I'm sure many people (especially mobile users) will use it in just that way in addition to using it as a drum pad interface and keyboard controller. The fact that Akai has crammed so much functionality into such a small, compact and relatively lightweight and easy to use unit is a testament to their design prowess and engineering skill. They know what features their customers want, and the MPK really delivers. If you're in the market for a compact, semi-weighted keyboard controller with a ton of features - so many features that it may be better described as an all-in-one multi-controller, you should definitely check out the Akai Professional MPK249.

Resources

B&H Akai Professional MPK249 49-Key Controller online catalog page ($499.00 MSRP, $399.99 "street")

Akai Professional's product web page

System Requirements

Macintosh:

1.25 GHz G4/G5 or faster (Intel Mac recommended)

1 GB RAM (2 GB recommended)

Mac OS X 10.4.11 (10.5 or later recommended)

Available USB Port

iOS use requires an Apple Camera Connection Kit

Windows:

1.5 GHz Pentium 4 or Celeron compatible CPU or faster (multicore CPU recommended)

1 GB RAM (2 GB recommended)

Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista or Windows XP

Windows compatible sound card (ASIO driver support recommended)

QuickTime recommended

Available USB Port

Akai Professional MPK249 introduction video

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Phil O'Keefe is a multi-instrumentalist, recording engineer / producer and the Senior Editor of Harmony Central. He has engineered, produced and performed on countless recording sessions in a diverse range of styles, with artists such as Alien Ant Farm, Jules Day, Voodoo Glow Skulls, John McGill, Michael Knott and Alexa's Wish. He is a former featured monthly columnist for EQ magazine, and his articles and product reviews have also appeared in Keyboard, Electronic Musician and Guitar Player magazines.