BJ
Excactly what I need
Well, firstly as this price point, I cannot complaint. Yes the light isn't RGB, and the velocity is not the best ever. But this pads just perfect for my needs. Especially I like that all the buttons and rotary knob is on the left side (not on the right as most pads I knew did).
So as my personal favorite, it helps a lot since I more enjoy to tweek anything on the left and focusing my pads playing on the right side. Simple straight forward, nice feel of touch and not as cheap as it may look and priced (trust me on this), minimalist features which is not bad at all for me cause I use this tools only for drumming and synth addition, not as my main controller.
One thing that a bit confusing is the installement of bitwig and that stuff. But not really bothered me, so I will still give 5 star recommendation for other user that needs excact tools like me.
So as my personal favorite, it helps a lot since I more enjoy to tweek anything on the left and focusing my pads playing on the right side. Simple straight forward, nice feel of touch and not as cheap as it may look and priced (trust me on this), minimalist features which is not bad at all for me cause I use this tools only for drumming and synth addition, not as my main controller.
One thing that a bit confusing is the installement of bitwig and that stuff. But not really bothered me, so I will still give 5 star recommendation for other user that needs excact tools like me.
2
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Ja
MPD 218
I bought this unit to upgrade from my Akai LPD8. Which has served me well for the most part, but is limited and has now started to mis-trigger on one pad. I also wanted more pads for variety in my 'finger drum' playing.
The unit is solid looking and feeling, doesn't move around on a table top when you play due to good quality rubberized feet.
The pads themselves feel good and are much more responsive than the LPD8. You can get a nice amount of dynamics in the sensitivity. Overall it feels good. The 6 endless rotaries feel good, but I don't really plan to use them, so I can't elaborate much there.
The configuration software that comes with the unit is OK and does the job. I was quickly able to set up some custom banks that worked almost instantly with EZDrummer and in cubase.
One problem I had was that after-touch was on and set to trigger on the the MIDI channel. This meant that I was often choking hits in an undesired fashion (mostly noticeable on cymbals). So this is something to look into first. Either turn it off on each pad or rig it so that the cymbals that you want to choke are on a different MIDI channel to the rest of the kit. I find it a bit fiddly during playing to use after-touch to choke cymbals anyway, so I just turned it off and put any chokes I wanted in editing.
Generally the feel is nice to play and doesn't tire your hands so much as say the LPD8 which really needs more of a whack on the pads sometimes to get them to trigger.
So, I don't have much else to say really. This is a simple, solid unit that will do the job for fairly advanced 'finger drumming' or sample triggering
The unit is solid looking and feeling, doesn't move around on a table top when you play due to good quality rubberized feet.
The pads themselves feel good and are much more responsive than the LPD8. You can get a nice amount of dynamics in the sensitivity. Overall it feels good. The 6 endless rotaries feel good, but I don't really plan to use them, so I can't elaborate much there.
The configuration software that comes with the unit is OK and does the job. I was quickly able to set up some custom banks that worked almost instantly with EZDrummer and in cubase.
One problem I had was that after-touch was on and set to trigger on the the MIDI channel. This meant that I was often choking hits in an undesired fashion (mostly noticeable on cymbals). So this is something to look into first. Either turn it off on each pad or rig it so that the cymbals that you want to choke are on a different MIDI channel to the rest of the kit. I find it a bit fiddly during playing to use after-touch to choke cymbals anyway, so I just turned it off and put any chokes I wanted in editing.
Generally the feel is nice to play and doesn't tire your hands so much as say the LPD8 which really needs more of a whack on the pads sometimes to get them to trigger.
So, I don't have much else to say really. This is a simple, solid unit that will do the job for fairly advanced 'finger drumming' or sample triggering
5
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WL
Hard to beat, easy to make beat
The Akai MPD 218 is simply a must-have for anyone wanting to get started with music production. The drum pads are very nice and responsive and the knobs/buttons feel really satisfying. This MIDI-Controller is a hard one to beat for its price. The software that comes with it really sucks but I didn't really care for the software going into buying this anyway. This is by far the best piece of equipment to jumpstart your music production career for under $100 (excl. DAW). Thomann's service and delivery was good and quick as always!
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M
Acceptably Passable Gear
The device is good value for money, but it's let down by its build quality and lacklustre responsiveness. Tested with EZDrummer, Cubase, Logic and Garage Band and playability remained the same and reduced the fun of using it.
2
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A
Too much velocity needed to trigger pads, even in "Full Level" mode
Unfortunately pad sensitivity was set up in a way that made the entire thing useless. After reading some reviews it seems to me that the pads on the MPD218 are either to stiff (the one they sent me had almost no sensitivity at all, I could not trigger anything but quarter notes without missing beats) or too sensitive. AKAI seriously need to work on their quality control. I will not order another one of these in hopes of randomly getting a good one, but settle for a different controller instead.
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U
Smoothness
Really Good when it comes to sampling!
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SS
Great value but not quite perfect
Great build quality, heavy and all controls feel good. Major problem is the pad's sensitivity where it doesn't pick up light inputs sometimes. However this is the case with every pad setup I've used (haven't used expensive ones) and won't be a problem once you get used to the controller.
In conclusion I'd recommend this highly, the light up pads make it very satisfying. Definitely great value for money.
In conclusion I'd recommend this highly, the light up pads make it very satisfying. Definitely great value for money.
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A
Good for the price. Pads are a bit too sensitive, but its ok after I got used to it.
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MR
You get what you pay for
Like I said, you get what you pay for.
PROS:
*Works
* Gets the job done
Cons:
*Cheap casing
*Pads are not very responsive to touch: they are a little bit to hard so you have to use more force than you want to, thus sacrificing velocity/dynamics
PROS:
*Works
* Gets the job done
Cons:
*Cheap casing
*Pads are not very responsive to touch: they are a little bit to hard so you have to use more force than you want to, thus sacrificing velocity/dynamics
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AL
Nice
The AKAI Professional MPD 218 is a fantastic MIDI pad controller that delivers exceptional performance and versatility. Its responsive pads provide a dynamic playing experience, perfect for beatmaking, finger drumming, and triggering samples. The build quality is excellent, ensuring durability for both studio and live performances. With its intuitive layout and seamless integration with popular music production software, such as Ableton Live, it's an essential tool for any music producer or performer. Whether you're a beginner or a seasoned musician, the MPD 218 offers a seamless and enjoyable creative workflow. Highly recommended!
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