Step aside, Korg Nano: Akai’s LPK 25 keyboard and LPD8 pad are nearly as small, but offer pro-grade construction and velocity-sensitive keys.
Powered by the USB bus and 13 inches long, they’re designed to fit in laptop bags and backpacks. The LPD8 has eight pads and 8 knobs, while the LPK25 has twenty-five keys, an argeggiator, and controls for sustain, octave switching and tap tempo.
Akai says they’ll be presented at the Summer NAMM show in Nashville later this month. Stores will get them in Q3.
Update: Bigger, better pics from Akai. Now with orange glow!
I want these!
@CALDRAX: I have the Axiom 49 and I really like it. Comfortable feel.
I recently came across your blog and have been reading along. I thought I would leave my first comment. I don’t know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading. Nice blog. I will keep visiting this blog very often.
Barbara
http://keyboardpiano.net
DO. WANT.
I had a play with the Korg Nano pieces – the keyboard and pad models completely sucked though. This Akai keyboard looks a LOT nicer, and a lot easier to take around with me than my current keyboard.
And argeggiator? Do you mean arpeggiator?
Splendid.
I have a Korg NanoKey, and would be happy with it were it not for the cheap, flimsy construction. My first NanoKey died after the USB socket snapped off the circuit board, and before that, some keys became slow to respond. It’s a great concept, but the execution is flawed.
looks sweet, could do with some kind of tiny pitch/mod wheel on it though…
still, might have to finally replace my ancieant oxygen 8….
Oh god. Want. Now.
I have an M-Audio Axiom 25 and that’s relatively small for a midi controller but it’s still too bulky for me to bring to the local cafe when I want to work on music. I was thinking about getting some of the Korg Nano controllers but was concerned about build quality and overall feel. These certainly don’t look “cheap”. Promising!
On a related note:
Can Teenage Engineering release the http://www.teenageengineering.com/products/op-1/>OP-1 already?!
This is great! Ive been doing a lot of research on all this – It really has helped me out! Thanks
I’ve been using the AKAI MPK49 as my main controller since it came out. Great product, excited about this new addition to the line to make my setup a bit more portable
Caldrax, I too have an Axiom 25 and love it, not that I have much to compare it to as its my first midi device. I definitely recommend using Reason with it since it syncs up with it perfectly. I had a lot of trouble using Live since it doesnt pair up as easy and you must manually program pretty much everything. Maybe they’ve came out with an update since I tried it though. There is a program from Ableton to help you pair it up in live, but I couldnt figure it out. I havent tried it with FL since I run Macs, but I’ve read its pretty easy to plug into as well….
The Korg Nano has velocity-sensitive keys too. They just feel like a laptop (instead of a piano) keyboard.
How do you like your Axiom, theboredom? I just ordered the 49 (wanted the sliders) and I’m amped to play around with it.
I use my Korg NanoPad for triggering VJ effects… I think I may have beat it to death as it kicks out every so often… plus the pad just looks so flimsy. I’m absolutely replacing the NanoPad with this when it goes on sale.
An argeggiator is Quagmire’s arpeggiator.
I recently came across your blog and have been reading along. I thought I would leave my first comment. I don’t know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading. Nice blog. I will keep visiting this blog very often.
Barbara
http://keyboardpiano.net
akai is totally biting korg, and not doing a very good job of it.
i just happened to see the korg nano stuff in a music store in new jersey and while the build quality is definately lacking, if my plan to go abroad for an extended period of time goes through i would definately strongly consider picking up the keyboard and the drum pads to take with me! they are really slim.
right on about the “shift-key” keys on the keyboard, but if they are velocity sensitive i guess i’d make do while i was away from a more stable laptop studio set up.
depending on the price of the akai, i just might pick up a korg nano set up just to stay in musical shape and have some late night entertainment on the go. if i picked up a little hand recorder, i could collect audio samples from around the globe and cut them up right in my hostel room or coffee shop and that sounds like a blast!
if the build quality is better than the korg these will be sure winners…and obviously they don’t have a litle pitch bender, otherwise what would they upgrade in version 2.0;)
btw the axiom rules, i’ve had one for around a year and it’s just brilliant…and even Jason Swinscoe of cinematic orchestra uses one live(you can see it on youtube at royal alber hall:)