Akai ProfessionalMPC Key 61 - Standalone Music Production Synthesizer Keyboard with Touch Screen, 16 Drum Pads, 20+ Sound Engines, Semi Weighted Keys, and Native Instruments Integration

I have tried and owned most name-brand keyboard workstation on the market today. All have their own positive and negative aspects. Whether it be subpar sounds, menus, sequencing or a combination of them… or something as simple as being overpriced for what is on offer. Regardless, it’s very rare for any company to go through and take the advice of their consumers. especially to the extreme of giving them 95% of everything they want in a keyboard.That is exactly what Akai has done with the MPC Pro Key 61. Every gripe I had about the MPC X was seemingly covered by their invention of this keyboard. some of the problems I had with the MPC X we’re simply based around their shortsidedness on who may actually use it and limited scope as far as genres were concerned… seemingly based around house/dance/rap music. When, had they just included a much more rounded sound pack, they could’ve sold so many more units. Because it was essentially a portable DAW, that could’ve been used by any musician for any type of music. but, for whatever reason, they seemingly hobbled it by what seemed like, focusing on limited genres of music. on top of that, the menus were contrived and not well thought out and I wish they would’ve included eight small faders instead of the rotary knobs they did.So, when I saw that they were working on a new keyboard/workstation that essentially included what they had done in the MPC X with some keys… And were asking for advice from the fanbase, I sent them my thoughts on the products they had and what I thought they should do with a keyboard. They followed up with an email and eventually I talked to one of the techs on the phone and we had an hour or more conversation on my wants and needs and even the downfalls of their current products.I explained exactly what I was looking for. Essentially an all in one device that replicates the DAW experience on the road. Something that includes a ton of world-class sounds that cover all genres, that will essentially make every other keyboard manufacturer jealous. because let’s face it, almost every keyboard out there has sounds that are great… which are generally minimal compared to what they give you… And then they have sounds that you would never use for anything, especially if you’re using that keyboard to sequence and write songs…On top of that, something that may be able to use third-party plug-ins from other manufacturers in order to add even more sounds from all types of genres. Mentioning East/West as one of my favorite sound manufacturers, as everything they do is from real instruments recorded at Abbey Road Studios and I don’t think anything else in the market even comes close to touching what they produce. it also needed easy to access menus, if not buttons that lead you straight to where you need to go. Obviously, good mic preamp‘s and a variety of input an output. with my focus being on an easy to use, yet insanely proficient portable DAW.Something I’ve always wanted, but every other manufacture always fell short on. Why? Because I wanted something to be able to take to the beach or anywhere I go and be able to sit and write with. Something that I can plug into one of my portable power station and run for at least 8 to 12 hours or more. Something that would allow me to use the inspiration around me to write music.The MPC Pro Key 61 is everything I could’ve wanted and more. Essentially, it seems like they took every one of the ideas I had and put it in this keyboard. Not only are the menu systems the best on the market, the 6000+ sounds are all pretty incredible. The guitars and basses are the best I’ve ever heard in a keyboard. I doubt, with many of the sounds, that somebody who’s been playing guitar for 30 years could pick out of a mix. they are that good... then, add in the best pianos, strings and drums I’ve ever heard come out of a keyboard and you’ve got something that any musician from any genre of music can use to quickly create their masterpieces.The buttons on the keyboard allow you to quickly jump anywhere you would want to be, whether that be sounds, favorites, effects, sequencing, mixing, etc… you could easily forgo using the touchscreen thanks to the awesome placement of these buttons… leading to pretty much all of the features of the unit.You can also customize some buttons and features. I also love the fact that you can use midi controllers via USB. I have a 32 track digital studio mixer that I love using for mixing my music before mastering, which you can also do in this unit. Did I mention the plug-ins for vocals and other instruments like guitar? There is a whole suite of vocal plug-ins that range from pitch control to harmonizers and pretty much everything else you can think of. Guitar-wise, they have a plug-in that is pretty much an emulation unit that emulates cabinets, speakers and microphones. Not to mention effects, etc…I love the fact that there’s a SATA port, put any size SSD you want in it, which you will need something… as there’s only a little bit of internal storage left for recording anything. especially if you plan on recording audio.Truly, Akai has thought of everything. I think they nailed every wish I had, which I truly appreciate. as this is the keyboard I’ve been dreaming of and have wanted for many years and for whatever reason no other manufacturer ever thought of making anything like it… as it is a portable DAW. Then adding such incredible sounds and plug-ins that allows you to write, record and master songs without ever leaving the unit. it is that intuitive and easy to use. Once you learn how to master it, I can’t imagine there isn’t anything you couldn’t accomplish within it… and it’s only going to get better over time. These guys are notorious for continuously updating their products and adding more free features and sounds. seemingly no matter how old the products are.Great product support and again, a company who listens to its patrons. Trying to create the products they want, for good prices. At $1899, this thing is a steal. any other manufacturer would be charging $3000 or more for the features and sounds that this keyboard has. As far as I’m concerned, after using a lot of the keyboards on the market, this is the best out there. If there’s anything I would change, I’m not a fan of the keybed. though I generally am not on any manufacturers. Other than that, there isn’t much of anything I would. it’s that good and that quick to get your ideas down. with some of the best sounds I’ve ever heard. There isn’t anything close to this price range that even comes close, not even for thousands of dollars more.Do not hesitate in buying and trying the Akai Pro Key 61. Definitely a great addition to the Akai library of instruments and your own studio. A portable, full fledged recording studio with the keys and sounds you need to track your next masterpiece.

As someone new to music production, I was initially intimidated by using a professional synthesizer, but the AKAI Professional MPC Key 61 has completely changed that. This standalone music production keyboard is incredibly user-friendly, and I could start creating it immediately without feeling overwhelmed.The MPC Key 61 is a fantastic choice for anyone new to music production. It offers a powerful yet accessible experience, making learning and experimenting enjoyable. Whether creating beats, exploring synth sounds, or composing full tracks, this keyboard gives you everything you need in a sleek, well-designed package. I highly recommend it!

I have been using workstation for almost 20 years, if not longer…I originally, had the Roland Fantom and I returned it when this came out just in a nick of time. I haven’t looked back yet. It is more than I thought it would be and everything that I thought I would be as well. You can create a full album with vocals w/ mastering with this keyboard. There may be a slight learning curve for those who don’t have any experience with keyboard workstations. Every time I turn it on, I am still in awe, of what this keyboard can do…

First one came broken (no damage on the box or packag), the replacement came with no power supply or adaptor.

I’m not an experienced MPC user and still need to learn a lot. But something about the sounds are really pleasing to the ear, and the touch screen is really nice for adjust settings. While many things are not intuitive to me, and the delay in changing sounds and slow startup can be annoying, I was aware of these negatives before purchase. I also really like the controls for analog synths, organ drawbars, and other sound settings. I was a bit concerned when I made the purchase that I wouldn’t notice enough improvement from my old keyboards, but I’m totally satisfied with this purchase.

This is well worth the money. Add a Midi cable to use your favorite DAW. SUPER DURABLE beat station battleship. Akai is doing it big.Real feel weighted keys.

deleted all my projects off sd card!key bed on mpk mini is better.key 61 needs a update.The layout of the buttons on key 37 is way more thought out.Even with the promotion of plugins in my opinion key 37 is way more functional although the two i had stopped working and had to return them.9 sequence and 11 tracks cpu at 102% stopped playing back. honestly just pathetic for the money.only hope is trying the x i guess

The Akai Key 61 DAW-in-a-keyboard is a new genus of music production tools: the distinguishing feature vs. previous keyboard workstations and keyboard arrangers is the inclusion of mic preamps AND multi-track audio recording (in addition to MIDI sequencers). Although some previous generation keyboard workstations had one or two mic preamps, they all needed outboard DAW software to record and mix multi-track (as audio). The Key 61 combines a Linux PC with an above average key-bed, above average mic preamps, Ableton-like DAW software, some excellent instrument modelling (except for strings... so so IMO), and solid construction. I could live with the Key 61's limitation of 8 audio tracks (as distinct from MIDI tracks), but my Key 61 sometimes hung on boot or CPU-throttled under load, so returned it. Message to Akai, before Kurzweil, Roland, Korg, Yamaha, et al., respond with competitive products, upgrade the Key 61 from a 4 core to at least an 8 core ARM CPU, e.g., TSMC Unisoc T618, bump the RAM from 4 GB to at least 16 GB, and go to M.2 NVME rather than mSATA for storage. mSATA is dead. Summary: an in-field triple instead of a home run, but if your use of plug-ins and processing is modest, the Key 61 out-performs the current crop of keyboard workstations, like the Roland Fantom line, at half the price.