We put the AKAI Professional MPK 261 through its paces and also tested many other MIDI keyboards with semi-weighted and fully weighted keys. In this article we share our honest impressions and help you figure out which controller fits your workflow best.
Akai MPK 261 Features and Comparison
Build quality
A solid chassis combined with high-quality controls and pleasantly resistant buttons and knobs — AKAI impresses us once again with the build quality of the MPK 261. From experience pretty much every AKAI product we’ve had our hands on has been built to a high standard. The faders and rotary knobs feel smooth and precise and the overall tactile response is genuinely satisfying.
From our perspective the pad sensitivity is hard to beat. The soft pad material feels great to play and it’s also very quiet. Plenty of customer reviews on Thomann and Amazon back this up — the build quality lives up to the AKAI name and delivers an all-around confident experience. Next let’s look at the connections which are all located on the rear panel.
Connections and rear panel
On the back of the AKAI MPK 261 you’ll find an optional power supply input (the keyboard can also be powered via USB) a power switch the USB-B port and a Kensington lock slot for a security cable.
Right next to that are MIDI In and MIDI Out ports for communicating with external gear such as hardware synths plus three 6.3 mm jack inputs for connecting a sustain pedal and or two additional footswitches (the pedal assignments and functions can be freely configured).
AKAI MPK Mini vs. MPK 249 vs. AKAI MPK 261 – what’s the difference?
As an alternative to the AKAI MPK 261 the MPK 249 is the more comparable option — the key differences are simply the number of keys and the fact that the MPK 261 includes one additional pedal input. The AKAI MPK Mini only has velocity-sensitive keys and a smaller keyboard with narrower keys.
| MODEL | KEYS | PADS | KNOBS | FADERS | PEDALS |
| AKAI MPK Mini MK3 | 12, velocity-sensitive | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| AKAI MPK 249 | 49, semi-weighted | 16 | 8 | 8 | 2 |
| AKAI MPK 261 | 61, semi-weighted | 16 | 8 | 8 | 3 |
Features and workflow
At first glance the MPK 261 offers a lot of buttons knobs and functions.
The pitch and modulation wheels are placed above the keybed on the left rather than next to it like on many other controllers in this price range. We don’t see a real downside compared to the traditional placement.
Right next to them you’ll find the DAW Control section which lets you control your sequencer without constantly reaching for the mouse. That’s especially practical when you want to browse presets and samples or navigate your project without switching between keyboard and mouse all the time.
You can also assign DAW shortcuts to these buttons. The only limitation is that you can use a maximum combination of two keys:
- Example 1: You could assign CTRL+S (Windows) or CMD+S (Mac) to a DAW Control button and save your project directly from the keyboard. Common functions like copy paste cut or duplicate can usually be mapped without issues.
- Example 2: For shortcuts that require more keys like CTRL+SHIFT+S or CMD+SHIFT+S you’ll need the computer keyboard again or use a workaround: in your DAW (for example Studio One) you can simply replace the shortcut in the settings with a shorter key command.
A dedicated TAP TEMPO button lets you set your BPM by tapping which saves another trip to the mouse. Right below are buttons for enabling the built-in arpeggiator. In our eyes this is a real win because doing the same inside a DAW often takes several clicks and more time. The included latch function rounds off the feature nicely.
About the drum pads: positioned to the right with sensitivity and bank controls — there’s not much to criticize. Anyone who has tried AKAI pads before will know that the feel functionality and sensitivity are exactly what you’d hope for.
What impresses us even more are the customization options. You can change pad sensitivity via the buttons or disable it entirely. The pad section also gives clear visual feedback: pads light up when hit and when switching between the four banks. You can even customize the illumination per pad which helps a lot with overview and muscle memory.
With four pad banks you can assign up to 64 pads. That means you can place a 16-piece drum kit on Bank A then switch to Bank B for bass and 808 samples or other one-shots at the push of a button. A real workflow boost.
Display and DAW integration
Now to the heart of the device. The centrally placed backlit display is bright and easy to read. To the right there’s an endless encoder plus four arrow buttons. These control the MPK 261’s internal digital layer and allow you to navigate DAW presets quickly. Those presets save you from tedious MIDI mapping and get you into the MPK workflow immediately. You can also create your own presets or edit existing templates.
Classic transport functions like play stop forward rewind and record are handled by five dedicated buttons below the display. Octave controls sit nearby. With Control Bank buttons A B and C you can also switch the assignments of faders and knobs much like the pad banks. So with eight faders you can effectively address up to 24 different parameters.
With that flexibility you can easily map a near-complete mixer channel strip: volume faders pan and mute or solo for example. At the same time you can control plugins such as software synths and effects or write creative automation. The AKAI Professional MPK 261 is genuinely versatile.
Box contents and included software
In addition to the hardware you get the software instruments SONiVOX Eighty-Eight Ensemble (grand piano) SONiVOX Twist (spectral morphing synthesizer) and AIR Music Tech Hybrid 3. On top of that Ableton Live Lite and Akai Pro MPC Essentials are included which gives even minimally equipped producers a solid starter toolkit.
Our conclusion on the AKAI MPK 261
If we were looking for a new 61-key keyboard with pads the AKAI Professional MPK 261 would be a top contender for us. You get a solid master keyboard without too much gimmicky stuff and the build quality is excellent. Especially with the outstanding drum pads and the overall feature set the MPK 261 feels like a winner in this price range.
Technical specs and dimensions of the AKAI MPK 261
- 61 semi-weighted keys
- 16 MPC pads with RGB lighting
- 8 assignable knobs faders and buttons each
- Inputs for expression and sustain pedals
- Arpeggiator
- MPC Note Repeat
- MPC Full Level
- Tap Tempo and Time Division
- Backlit LCD display
- DAW integration via comprehensive transport and parameter control
- Buttons for assignable keyboard shortcuts
- 2 x 6.3 mm jack input for expression pedals
- 1 x 6.3 mm jack input for sustain pedal
- USB MIDI and 5-pin MIDI In and Out
- iOS compatible with Apple Camera Connection Kit (not included)
- Dimensions (W x D x H): 905 x 311 x 86 mm
- Weight: 6.85 kg
- Included software (downloads): Ableton Live Lite Hybrid 3 by AIR Music Tech SONiVOX Twist 2.0 and Akai Pro MPC Essentials
Go to the official AKAI MPK 261 user manual
About the manufacturer AKAI
The Japanese company Akai (Akai Denki K.K.) has been around for a long time—since 1929 the company has produced electronics such as turntables. In 1999 the Akai Professional division was founded and quickly achieved legendary status. Their sequencers with samplers and pads became favorites thanks to their quality and were used by producers and artists like Pete Rock J Dilla AraabMuzik DJ Premier and Zaytoven and they’re still very popular today.
Want to learn more about AKAI and their products? Click here to see the full manufacturer profile: AKAI Professional – Hardware and Software
