AKAI Professional MPK mini Plus

This keyboard is a great value for the price in my opinion. Sure there are cheaper keyboards with the same amount of keys. There are even cheaper keyboards with more additional options such as more faders, rotary controls or more transport controls for example. However I was quite suprised about the build quality and overal quality of this keyboard. The key bed might be mini keys, nevertheless they do feel very nice for a relative small and compact keyboard.

To put this review in perspective, I own a few midi controllers which I bought when having mobility in mind. I own the MPK Mini MK1, I own an IK Multimedia iRig Keys 49 (version) 2, I own the Korg MicroKEY 37 MK2 and an MPC Studio MK2.

Although I wasn't in a great need to get an extra keyboard, I am very happy to be able to add the MPK Mini Plus to my collection and it will probably be used more often than the other keyboards on the long term.
This is simply because this keyboard has the perfect amount of 37 keys for me, just like the MicroKEY and the iRig Keys 2 but it is an extra bit smaller,
This makes it much more portable than the other two keyboards. Those keyboards do not fit in a regular backpack unless you leave the zipper open. The MPC Studio MK2 has a great portable size but works mainly best with the MPC software. Therefor I don't use it with other DAW's. The MPK Mini Plus fits perfect in my backpack. Also the keys are better than the other keyboards I just mentioned and the pads are almost as good as the MPC Studio MK2. I think it's the same quality pads but they are slightly smaller and sturdier to press than the MPC Studio MK2. The transport controls are a great additional feature to the MPK Mini Plus as well as the Chord and Scale modes and the Step sequencer. In conclusion, if you are looking for a great price value 37 keys midi controller which is portable and has a nice build quality, a great key bed and some very handy additional features then this keyboard might be the one for you.

This is a solid midi controller. I don't think there is any competition for this keyboard currently (that also fits my desk).

37 keys. Quality pitch+mod wheels for the best expressive playing (beats touch strips easily). Plus a joystick. Good pads that are very fun to play. Encoders feel just right.

The keys are small or medium sized. I like it because it allows for more keys in a smaller space. In case you are wondering:

White keys are ~8 cm tall, a little under 2 cm wide
Black keys are ~5 cm tall (playing area is 4.5cm, 5mm of slope), about 8mm wide

If you plan to play some Chopin this is not the keybed for you. You will want something that closer resembles a piano. But you need more than 37 keys for that anyway.

For everyone else this should be more than fine. The key action feels good and consistent from left to right. I enjoy playing the keys and I'm not bothered by anything

Overall a great and practical device that I can only recommend.

Had the basic mini version before this, and upgraded to the plus as the only thing that really bothered me in the mini that the is only 2 octaves.

Build quality:- had the first one returned as the drum pads were really not responsive (I had the same problem with the regular mini, also had to return one of that one) As I read on the internet it is a common problem with AKAI minis, that the build consistency of the drum pads are not so great, so are better, some are worse. The replacement that I got is also not the best in terms of responsiveness, but I can live with it.

It has ton of features, and easy to handle. Got a sustain pedal as well, and it works great with it. The keys have a good feel for them. The chord and scale functions are really handy if you lack enough music theory, or not yet familiar which note is where. It gives you the ability to enjoy playing music earlier, so you remain more enthusiast, and on the long run it help you with learning the scales. So in this regard these are really good features.

Has a joystick, and two wheels, that can be programmed for different features.
All in all it is a really enjoyable midi keyboard.

The keyboard is good for controlling software. I've had no problems using it with Ableton. However, I have bad experience trying to use it as midi controller of Novation Circuit Tracks synth parameters. I've set all 8 banks (programs) of encoders to control various parameters of the synth, but when trying to use them, neither absolute nor relative mode doesn't work correctly.
In absolute mode, changing programs resets to zero all values in the remaining programs. Relative mode is completely broken, it just jumps from min to max in one step.
Basically, nothing you have set with encoders stays that way as soon as you switch to another program, hence leaving you with only 8/64 usable controls.