2009 Summer NAMM Show: Hotness! Akai Professional has introduced the LPD8 laptop pad controller and LPK25 laptop performance keyboard controller.
The LPD8 and LPK25 will make their official debut at Akai Professional’s booth, number 400, at the Summer NAMM Show held at the Nashville Convention Center, July 17 – 19.
With the LPD8 and LPK25, Akai is taking on Korg’s nanoKontrol line directly. Korg’s nanoKontrol MIDI controllers feel a bit flimsy, so if Akai improves on this and stays competitive with their price, they’ll have a couple of winners.
Details below. Leave a comment with your thoughts on these bad boys!
Description:
The LPD8 and LPK25 are USB-MIDI controllers for musicians, producers, DJs and other music creators. Each model is less than 13 inches across and weighs less than a pound to easily fit into a laptop case, backpack or messenger bag for extreme portability.
The LPD8 is based on Akai Professional’s MPC line of iconic music product stations. While the smallest model, the MPC500 is quite portable, many producers prefer to work with software on their computer and the LPD8 gives their laptop the controls they prefer over a mouse and keyboard. The LPD8 has eight blue light-up pads that are velocity sensitive for programming rhythmic or melodic parts. The pads can also send program-change information to software. The LPD8 also has eight assignable Q-Link knobs to which users can assign virtually any parameters in their software for hands-on control.
The LPK25 is a scaled-down relative to the MPK series of keyboard performance controllers. The diminutive keyboard is made up of 25 miniature, velocity-sensitive keyboard keys with synth action. The LPK25 contains an arpeggiator, which steps through chords automatically, assisting musicians with creating quick melodic ideas. Sustain, octave up and down and tap tempo controls round out the LPK25’s easy-to-learn layout.
Each controller works plug and play with Mac and PC and requires no software driver installation or wall power for operation. Both the LPD8 and LPK25 have four memory banks for programming and recalling settings appropriate to different software programs they use.
“Today’s music is in constant evolution, and that requires the tools for music creation to evolve similarly,” said Adam Cohen, Director of Business Development, Akai Professional. “The computer has entrenched itself as the new core of the music studio, and we are now seeing more live performance with computers than ever before. The LPD8 and LPK25 are the perfect extensions of the computer for making music in any setting.”
The LPD8 and LPK25 will be available from musical instrument and professional audio retailers Q3 2009. Pricing is TBA.
Show me the LPK25 with a ribbon controller for pitch / mod and it's on!
I'd like to see a minimal DJ controller at this size, too
Not that hard to beat the Korg nano stuff for quality. I would fork over some extra money to get these if they had better build.
It's nice that companies are seeing the market for these products finally. Maybe soon people will catch on that analog is back and offer some cheap analog synths?
Mopho????
i have the korg nanokey and am quite happy with it. the only thing that irks me about it is the slight click with the strike of each key. korg wins in the looks for me as i am not much for the orange+black. both are a little weird when playing with pianoteq. eh… from a straight top down view these look somewhat more sturdy. i lose.
I think the LPK25 will kill off the nanokey. Almost wish i had known akai were going to release the LPD8 before buying a nanopad and novation nocturn just for the knobs 🙁
my LPK25 — that is. I dont own a car, so gear I can travel with on my bike is great.