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Akai MPK Mini MK4 vs MK3 vs Launchkey 4 vs Minilab 3 // Buyer’s checklist & tutorial for MK IV

loopop

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TIMELINE:
0:00 Intro
1:05 Keybed
2:15 Wheels
3:05 Pads
4:10 Encoders
4:45 Display
5:10 Buttons
5:35 I/O
6:00 Brains
6:25 Chords
7:50 Scales
8:25 Arp
9:45 Mutate
10:15 Pattern
11:30 Freeze
11:50 Note rep
12:15 DAWs
12:35 Live
13:40 Session grid
14:05 DAW pads
15:40 SIC/Plugin
16:30 Browse mode
18:05 Play mode
18:30 Prog editor
19:35 Global menu
19:55 Pros & cons
22:20 Outro

Submit review and video ideas here (sorry I don’t offer 1x1 sessions/setup/purchasing advice):

► Ziv (at) loopopmusic.com

NOTE: Occasionally I’ll try out affiliate marketing and include affiliate links. This means that I may earn a commission when you click on or make purchases via affiliate links to stores like Amazon, Sweetwater, Thomann and others. The content of this clip is entirely my opinion, and was not paid for or dictated in any way by the company creating the gear. Without addressing the particulars of products shown here as they might be under NDA, gear shown on this channel may be either sent by the manufacturer, on loan for review or bought at a discount.

20 Comments

@stereomathematics 11 months ago

thats the best looking mpk they have ever made.

@4StringsAndSomeCode 11 months ago

OMG. They fixed every gripe I had. Proper Mod wheel, bigger keys, TRANSPORT CONTROLS!

@tlamarmusic 4 months ago

Got that OG Nintendo look... Can't beat it for the price!

@GuyVignati 11 months ago

A 37 version maybe with sounds inside like the play version would be amazing at this point

@christopherjansen5135 11 months ago

Thank you. I typically shy away from these types of musical tools (given the larger keyboards in my space), but I always love the educational value you bring to these products!

@anna20812 2 months ago

this video scratched my brain so well, it’s exactly what i was looking for thank you

@mstvir 11 months ago

I really wish they made 37 key version of this, and it had ableton grid sequencer support.
Basically launchkey Mk4 made by Akai 😂

@jngl-jim 11 months ago

i like the interface and color scheme. reminds me of the original famicom console colors

@arkofzet 11 months ago

Gotta say these new generations of Mini keyboards have come a long way in terms of quality and features. Decade ago I wouldn't have considered one but now my Minilab 3 I got earlier this year has been my primary "on desk keyboard" and I love every bit of it, Im not yet a piano player but do sound design if its of concern to anyone. This Akai keyboard looks promising as well and definitely looks fresh, they all share almost same features now.

@TheLexikitty 11 months ago

genuinely vibed with the end of that intro riff

@RJ_Eckie 11 months ago

I’m loving the 909 style colorway! Very cute

@fumarolas 11 months ago

I hope one day we'll see a manufacturer allow us to program our own chords (one per key, not just a transposable one, with strum per chord and velocity per note)

@shazurai.0 2 months ago

Just got mine, super appreciative of this video man. Fantastic approach and explanations.

@GregRband 11 months ago

You always make it look so smooth and easy to make cool tracks in the demos... this is a great review as usual and I really like this new controller and color too!

@spacehopper999 11 months ago

Beginner here. Apart from having more keys, is there anything the MPK Mini Plus can do that the MPK Mini Mk4 can't do which would make the Plus still worth considering?

@Jack.Pack5x5 11 months ago

Subtle Zelda Dungeon Music callout @11:30 . Nice.

@FréquencesFantômes 11 months ago (edited)

Très bonne review, hyper complète comme d’habitude !
C’est fou de voir à quel point les petits contrôleurs MIDI ont évolué — le MPK Mini Mark IV coche presque toutes les cases d’un vrai mini studio.
J’ai juste l’impression qu’à ce rythme-là, on aura bientôt besoin d’un contrôleur pour contrôler le contrôleur. 😄

@damianpress 11 months ago

I’ve owned 3 Akai mini keyboards over 10 years and keys stop working after 2 years… in a non dusty environment too

@berniarmstrong 10 months ago

Great review. I have saved it so that if I get one, I will revisit your excellent guide to the instrument.
If they had a version with built in sounds I'd be more interested, as then you can take it with you on holiday and play it in hotel rooms. It's the reason I bought the MK3 Play, as opposed to the MK3. The ability to control a DAW is a nice touch. I am an "Ableton Virgin" and finding the learning curve very steep. And it doesn't help that my 70 year old memory means I often have to go back and re-watch a video I found explaining some aspect of Ableton I was foxed by... Sigh... It was all so much easier back in the days of Voyetra and the early Cakewalks 🙃

@hettelap603 10 months ago

Once again u have convinced me, so this is the second piece of AKAI gear since i bought the S2000 back on it's release. Thanks for the in depth review!