Akai Professional MPD226 16-Pad MIDI Controller Reviews
Highest Rated Reviews
Akai is Akai!
Akai is Akai.. ok. But with this products they exceeded my expectation. Easy to use, light. Not expansive. I recommend it.
Akai Professional MPD226 16-Pad MIDI Controller
I bought this controller to use with my BOSS DR-880 drum machine, because the DR-880's finger pads are not very good. Also, the DR-880 does not have a full-level setting for the pads, which has always been an even bigger problem than the pads themselves. I have struggled with this the entire time I've owned the DR-880. So I finally decided to do what I should have done right from the start, which is to buy a good MIDI controller to use with it. I initially bought a MPD218, without first checking to make sure it had the MIDI capabilities I needed (I thought the USB MIDI connection would work for this application, but it won't). So I returned it and bought the MPD226 instead. It has every feature I was looking for, and was easy to MIDI into the drum machine. I was also able to easily customize all its settings to my own personal liking, as it is quite user-friendly. Its pads are much larger than those on the drum machine, in addition to being firm, rugged MPD pads. The entire unit is built rock-solid, and is clearly capable of handling lots of serious finger-drumming. I had years of experience playing actual drums, long before I ever got into programming drum tracks. But programming drum tracks works much better in my small project studio, where there is no room for an actual drum kit of any kind. So being able to do lots of hardcore finger-drumming is very important to me as a programmer, and as a musician. It is essential for working out and fine-tuning beats and fills, when programming drum patterns in real-time, when fine-tuning the various settings of all the individual pieces within each drum kit, or even when simply jamming along with pre-recorded music. It's a great way to keep your timing skills sharp, and contributes significantly to your overall creativity as a musician. Of course, that really pays off when playing and tracking with other instruments too. So a setup that allows for serious finger-drumming is a really important asset to me as a musician. Besides, it's loads of fun and I simply love doing it! I even built a special caddy/stand setup for the controller and drum machine, pretty much converting them into a full-blown portable finger-drumming kit. This setup works so well that I could easily use it to play serious drums in a live band situation. In fact, I like it considerably better than any electronic drum kit I've ever used, and I've worked with some really good ones. And it sounds considerably better than any drum kit I've ever played on, whether electronic OR acoustic. What can I say, this setup is AWESOME! But it wouldn't be possible without the MPD226 controller, which made all the difference!
Performance Joy
I've spent a couple of weeks creating some fun presets with this to use with external hardware synths, and I have to say I am absolutely adoring this controller. The pad action is fantastic, and I have found it quite easy to set the velocity curves in a way that has made the response just how I envision it to be. The poly aftertouch might skew slightly on the too-sensitive side, but has not been an issue at all to adjust to. I do wish that could be adjusted a bit.
Overall, though, it is very nice to play on this controller. With a little bit of setup time, one can very readily be putting some serious soul into their synth gear.
This will be as good as you make it !!
I've seen some comments about the MPD226 malfunctioning or not working right or whatever you wanna say, but honestly it is user error. If something like that DOES happen then get it replaced because it just happened to be faulty. A true MPD226 has A LOT to offer. It may be confusing to figure out at first if it's your first time with a midi controller, but stick with it and learn the system. I'm new myself to this and I already can see the amazing potential this cost efficient pad has to offer. I CANT WAIT to be a pro with my own controller.
The BEST MPD to date! 100%
I'm an MPC(2K XL/REN.) & MPD(16/18) & MPK(49) guy....so I'll talk strictly about the MPD series. I come from the 1st gen. MPD16(silver grey w/black pads) to the MPD18...back to the MPD16...now to the MPD226! I use the MPD226 for Reason's KONG drum device & I use the transport ctrl on the MPD only to make me feel like my MPC workflow within Reason. This MPD226 is THE BEST pad controller that Akai has ever made!!! It whoops the originals(MPD16/18/24/26/32) as well as all of the MPK's! I love the FAT PADS!! They are extremely responsive w/out the need to strike hard! No need to holla @MPCSTUFF(no shade) for fat pads anymore...they come stock! I love the RGB color lights underneath the pads (derived from the 2012 MPC REN./Studio)! I love that the screen is right above the pads & it's not off to the side! I love the functionality of the unit for what I do within Reason! I just need to learn how to sync the note repeat/tap tempo to Reason's clock...then I'm good! Out of the 218/226/232...the 226 caught my eye from jump! The 232 looked cool(when it was on the market)...but the transp. ctrl was located @ the top left.....it was just visually designed wrong! When all else fails like they said on Rocky IV "hit the one in the middle" so I say..get the one in the middle! I have not been impressed w/Akai for a LOOOOONG time....maybe since the MPC 4000...or maybe since the Ren. I am def. pleased w/the 226 EVERYDAY I work on it & even when I just look @ it! Peace!
*Bonus* It works w/Windows XP Pro! I also use a Mac (Mojave) :)
Awesome Pad Controller
Before buying this controller I did quite a bit of research and I was very excited once it arrived. Unfortunately, my Pad #1 was dysfunctional and would only register very very low volume hits on the corners of the pad. The center was entirely unresponsive. Additionally, I was getting the "ghost" hits that people discussed at length on reviews. It appears that Akai is aware of the issue, but does not offer a fix for the problem. From what I have gathered online, the problem stems from the under board of the unit being attached too tightly and thus the pads are under more pressure than they should be. I felt like my pads were more stiff than they should be, especially Pad #1 and since I had the "ghost" notes relatively frequently, I figured that my unit was one of the defective units.
I let Sweetwater know and they promptly sent my replacement, which I have since received. I was already satisfied with this controller and had a lot of fun with the dysfunctional unit, but I did not know what I was missing compared to a properly functioning unit. This controller is very responsive and very fun to use. All the software set up is a little bit of a hassle but there are resources online from other users that can help guide you along. All in all it is a great piece of machinery and is loads of fun to use.
I would give Sweetwater 5 stars in handling my problem and I would have given the product 5 stars had I not received a defective unit in addition to the initial software set up being a little bit of a hassle at times. If you receive a properly functioning unit though, you will definitely be satisfied with your purchase!
Nice quality
Much more visually appealing that the 218. Pads on all the mpd2's are great, but only the 226 and 232 are full RGB. Overall build is a little thicker on the 226 than the 218. The pots/knobs are great just like on the 218. I had read that the faders were a little flimsy. They aren't bad, actually have some resistance to them, but I can feel some jiggling when I move them up and down. I have noticed that the upper portion of the unit that is not plastic scratches very easily
Akai Professional MPD226 Pad Controller
I love the fact that I received a call as soon as I ordered it. As far as the product it works great for all my projects. It's thin and durable because I dropped it two days after I opened it. I recommend it to anyone who wanted to start using pad drums.
Pads
The Atom From Presonus Is Much Better! Shame On Akai
NOT Ready
I decided to start using pads rather than a keyboard for drumming within my music production software. Since I primarily use Studio One, I was trying out the Presonus ATOM controller, but decided to test it against this to see which one was the best fit.I like the size, weight, features and bundled software of the MPD226. I'm not particularly fond of the process for changing settings and saving them to the unit as presets; seems a bit too convoluted, but it's not something I'd be doing every time I use it so it's not that big a deal.
I actually leaned more toward the MPD226, BUT for one flaw that just flat killed it. It's that 'ghosting' thing you might have heard about, where when you tap, hit or press a pad, two or more MIDI events are generated. Having to go through a clip and edit out a bunch of duplicate events is, for me, a serious interruption of my creative 'flow'. I tried fiddling with the settings and varying the quickness and touch of my playing to see if I could minimize it, but nothing worked. Then as I began reading up on it, I found this is a fairly common issue, and that Akai is aware of it, but doesn't seem interested in addressing it. I just can't see tolerating that, even in a relatively inexpensive piece of gear. I returned it after about a week of diddling with it.
It is, in all other respects, a great controller and other than this issue, I'd recommend it and would still be using it. For now however, I can't recommend it. But, if Akai EVER gets around to fixing the issue, I MIGHT consider buying it again.
Time has told the tale...
I've had this Akai controller for 2+years..it has progressively gotten worse. Specifically, the screen has been fading and has now given up the ghost. It is now illegible. I haven't experienced the "note ghosting" but other errors..power fluctuations ,controller values fluctuations..Overall, the buld quality isn't on par with the Akai brand..even the editor isnt as user friendly as it should or cloud be.
Poor quality control = not worth your time.
This thing looks lovely, is relatively intuitive, and has solid feeling knobs, faders, and pads. However, the "ghost" note/double hit thing is very real, and there is no guarantee that you'll manage to evade it. Even as I speak, my MPD226 - which I'd mothballed half a year ago out of frustration, only to dig it out recently and make sure I wasn't hallucinating - is sounding random samples in Ableton w/out me even touching it. I bought it during a hectic period and missed my return window, so it's just... sitting here, making me wish I'd just bitten the bullet & sprung for a Push or even a Launchpad. In my 20+ years of buying gear, it's easily my least favorite purchase, and that's saying something. I mean, Akai KNOWS about the problem and has all these ludicrous workarounds on its site that don't help - they blame technique, suggest MIDI gates, etc. (The DIY types have also tried loosening internal screws, which also doesn't work.) Rather than do a recall, Akai just lets this garbage sit in the wild, all pretty and useless. Meanwhile, those of us who got lemons (and there seem to be MANY) are out over $... It's pretty infuriating.