Arturia MiniLab MKII

I was a bit divided between this Arturia MiniLab MKII and the Akai MPK mini MK2. I chose this one because it looked nicer, because I didn't like the mod and pitch wheel being merged in a joystick in the Akai and because the keys looked sturdier. I was not mistaken about that, I have some friends that had the Akai and the keys actually felt really flimsy and some even broke.
I wanted something that I could take with me everywhere and that could also be on the side of the computer in my home studio to try synth sounds and deal with them easily before going to my main keyboard that is not a MIDI controller but has more keys and better quality overall. This keyboard does the trick but there are a few details I would like to mention.
First, the knobs have really little sensibility if you turn them slowly but can go crazy if you crank them up a little faster. That can be useful in some cases, but in other is really distracting and can slow your workflow. Not something terrible, just something to keep in mind.
Second, I prefer the pitch and mod wheels being separate things, but the "touch" feature is a little unnatural and, in my opinion, unnecessary. But since I only use this keyboard it for drafts or dialing sounds, it's ok for me.

Off with the bad points, on with the good ones.

The pads are really good and sensible. They feel great and have a really nice response.
The size is perfect to put in your backpack and take it anywhere, and since it doesn't require any batteries or a power outlet, you can make music anywhere (keep in mind that it is white, it can get dirty really easily if you're not careful).
The keys are not amazing but they meet the goals that is to play with more or less sensibility.
It looks awesome!!!

Overall was a great buy, considering the price and the functionalities it has, plus the plug-ins it gives you. If your looking for something portable and powerful, I would recommend the Arturia MiniLab MKII ;)

I ordered this a couple days ago and got it two days ago, at first everything seemed fine, the keys were playing, i could map things, but when i started playing with the rotary encoders i noticed that when I turned them slowly, the values would jump up and down for a few values, like really unstable! its basicaly unusable for things like fine automation.. This was unnaceptable for me and i don't know how i didnt notice that in the reviews! just search the google: Arturia minilab mk2 jumpy knobs, its a common problem due to their cheap encoders, and no amount of software firmware updates can fix it, what makes me even more sad is that this is an old problem, i've found posts about this from 2013 and Arturia hasn't done anything to fix this, i returned this product, the features are great, exactly what i needed and that makes it even more frustrating for me. Maybe i got a defect product but i don't even want to bother because of their slow customer support, i'm glad i bought this on Thomann as they have excellent customer suport and return policy!

A very good MIDI keyboard.
You have knobs which are endless encoders which are really helpful when your trying certain stuff.
The sfx modulation strips are really genious and are helpful sometimes.
The drum pads are of high quality.
The keybed is probably the nicest ive felt in a MIDI so far. The keys also have very good velocity control.

Overall, really good build quality, and really good product.

I am new to midi and I think that this is a very user friendly product and it is a perfect choice for beginners (of course also for more advance users who wish to have a portable midi keyboard). The build quality is good and the user guides are also beginner friendly as well. The free software seems awesome though I have not yet started to use them. The order and delivery process is smooth. Arturia and Thomann do did a good job.