Akai Professional has introduced the MPK Mini Plus II, the second generation of its compact 37-key MIDI and CV/gate keyboard. It is a sensible, affordable update, and it is a good example of a controller that looks expressive on the spec sheet while stopping short of what MPE players actually need. According to SYNTH ANATOMY's coverage, the pricing is $169 / £134.99 / €159.99, and it is available now through authorized dealers.
What changed from the first Plus
The new model keeps the three-octave mini keybed and adds a 160 x 80 full-color LCD with a 360-degree push encoder. There are eight velocity- and pressure-sensitive RGB pads with two banks, eight assignable endless encoders, pitch and mod wheels, octave and transpose buttons, and transport controls. The joystick from earlier designs is gone.
The step sequencer of the first Plus has been replaced by an expanded arpeggiator with a chord creator, note repeat modes, custom patterns, and Glitch, Mutate, Strum, Freeze and Follow tools. Connectivity includes USB-C, a sustain pedal input, a 5-pin MIDI out, and CV/gate outputs for pitch, gate and modulation. There is no MIDI input socket and no analog sync.
On the software side, the keyboard works with MPC Standalone and MPC Desktop, as well as Ableton Live, Logic Pro, Cubase and FL Studio. It is NKS-compatible with Komplete Kontrol, and the bundle includes the Studio Instrument Collection, Komplete Select (Akai Edition) and MPC Beats. Akai's own MPC OS 3.10, released on October 22, adds support for the MPK Mini Plus II on both the hardware OS and MPC 3 Desktop.
The expressive gap
The review states plainly that aftertouch is still missing on the keybed, and nothing in the coverage mentions MPE. That matters for two reasons.
First, without any aftertouch, pressing harder into a held key does nothing. Channel aftertouch, the cheapest form of pressure sensing, is not available from the keys. Polyphonic aftertouch is further away still.
Second, the pressure-sensitive pads are a separate sensor from the keys. They are useful for drum programming and for triggering clips or samples, but they do not turn the keyboard into a per-note expressive instrument. Pad pressure does not travel with the notes you play on the keys.
For anyone shopping on an MPE-first checklist, this is a "no" on every box: no per-note pitch bend, no per-note pressure, no per-note slide. That is not a criticism of the product. It is simply a different category of instrument.
Where it still makes sense in an expressive rig
A compact controller like this can still earn a place beside an MPE instrument:
- As a transport and macro surface. Eight encoders and a clear display are a handy way to control filter, envelope or effect parameters while your main hand plays an MPE controller.
- As a CV bridge. The CV/gate outputs let you drive modular or semi-modular hardware, including voices where per-note expression would come from elsewhere.
- As a travel keyboard. Three octaves in a small footprint is useful for sketching ideas on the road before you refine them with a fuller controller.
- For arpeggiator-driven textures. The expanded arp, with its chord creator and Mutate and Freeze tools, can feed expressive synths that respond to velocity and wheels.
If you want pressure expression from the keys themselves, the market has options at various price points. Some keyboards offer channel aftertouch, a few offer polyphonic aftertouch, and a dedicated MPE controller gives you the full set of per-note dimensions. Expressive E, Roger Linn Design and other manufacturers' own pages publish full specs that are a good place to compare before you decide.
Reading the spec sheet
The MPK Mini Plus II is a handy reminder to check three things whenever a new controller lands: does the keybed measure pressure after the initial strike, is that pressure per key or per channel, and does the device send each note on its own MIDI channel. A "pressure-sensitive" label on pads or buttons does not answer any of those questions about the keys.
For beatmakers who want a polished, affordable MIDI and CV keyboard that integrates tightly with the MPC ecosystem, this looks like a strong option. For expressive playing, treat it as a companion rather than a centerpiece.
Sources: SYNTH ANATOMY on the MPK Mini Plus II, SYNTH ANATOMY on MPC OS 3.10, Akai Professional.