Akai Professional MPK Mini Plus II – 37-Key Controller with MPC Integration

The MPK Mini Plus II is a 37-key MIDI controller for producers who have outgrown a 25-key starter and want one compact keyboard to run their DAW, their MPC and their hardware synths. It adds an upgraded keybed, pressure-sensitive RGB MPC pads, a full-color display and CV/Gate outputs, and at Soundium it sits as the most connected keyboard in the MPK Mini family.

Key Features

• Upgraded 37-key keybed: Three octaves of mini keys give room for basslines, chords and melodies on a small desk.
• Velocity and pressure-sensitive MPC pads: Eight RGB pads with aftertouch and dual-bank control for finger drumming, clips and chords.
• MPC Standalone and Desktop integration: Transport, pads, Q-Links, mixer, clip launching, plugin presets and track navigation from the keyboard.
• Generative performance tools: Glitch, Mutate, Strum, Freeze and Follow turn a simple phrase into new rhythmic and melodic variations.
• Expanded Arpeggiator, Chord Creator and Note Repeat: Custom arp patterns and User Progressions let you play full progressions from single keys or pads.
• Hardware-ready connectivity: USB-C, 5-pin MIDI out, three CV/Gate outputs and a sustain input bridge software, synths and modular gear.

Customer Benefits

Most compact controllers stop at the computer. The MPK Mini Plus II keeps going: the same unit that maps itself to Ableton Live, Logic Pro, FL Studio, Cubase or MPC 3 can also sequence a Eurorack voice over CV/Gate or drive a desktop synth over 5-pin MIDI. The full-color display shows parameters as you turn the eight 360° encoders, so you spend less time looking at the laptop, and the chord and generative modes are there when an idea needs a push rather than another hour of programming.

Quick Specs

• Keys: 37 mini keys
• Pads: 8 velocity and pressure-sensitive RGB backlit MPC pads
• Controls: 8 assignable 360° knobs, 1 push encoder, pitch bend and modulation wheels
• Display: 160 × 80 full-color LCD
• Connections: USB-C (power, MIDI in/out), 5-pin MIDI DIN out, 3 × 3.5 mm TS CV/Gate out (pitch, gate, mod), 6.35 mm TS sustain pedal input
• Power: USB-C bus power, wall adapter or power bank (sold separately)
• Dimensions (W × D × H): 49.3 × 19.2 × 5.4 cm
• Weight: 1.46 kg

In the Box

• Akai Professional MPK Mini Plus II controller
• Software: MPC Beats, Ableton Live Lite 12, Native Instruments Komplete Select (Akai Edition), Studio Instrument Collection (1,000+ sounds from AIR Music Technology, Moog Music and Akai Professional)
• Trial offers: 2 months of Splice, 30 days of Melodics

Ideal For

• MPC Standalone and MPC Desktop users who want a keyboard that speaks MPC natively
• Producers moving up from a 25-key MPK Mini
• Hybrid setups mixing a DAW, desktop synths and modular gear

Compatibility

Pre-mapped for MPC 3, Ableton Live, Logic Pro, FL Studio and Cubase, with full NKS support for Native Instruments Komplete Kontrol.

Pros & Cons

✅ Pros:

• Deep MPC integration on a compact, travel-friendly keyboard
• CV/Gate and 5-pin MIDI out for synths and modular gear
• Pressure-sensitive pads and full-color display at this size
• Runs from USB-C bus power or a power bank

⚠️ Cons:

• Mini keys are a compromise for players used to full-size keyboards
• MIDI DIN is output only, so external gear cannot send MIDI back over 5-pin

The MPK Mini Plus II takes the 37-key Mini format from DAW companion to the centre of a small hybrid studio, with MPC control, CV/Gate and creative tools in one desk-sized unit. Find the Akai Professional MPK Mini Plus II at Soundium.