Akai LPD8 MK2

Sources split almost evenly, and this is the decision that matters. amazona.de found the pads very playable and dynamic despite their size, and an affiliate video, a Japanese DJ owner, a Push 2 owner on Amazon and a Reddit regular call them some of the best at the price. A two-year owner on video, a 2026 owner's mod guide, a second Japanese owner and most of Thomann's pad comments find them stiff: they need a firm strike, miss light taps and tire the fingers in long sessions. Amazon's own topic counts split 12 positive to 13 negative. Several owners add electrical tape under the pads to make them more sensitive, with mixed results.

Basic, and mildly criticised. The eight knobs are fixed-range pots, not endless encoders. amazona.de and the two-year owner on video find them wobbly, loose and cheap-feeling, though the affiliate video and several owners find them precise enough for effects and parameters. The four buttons switch programs and pad modes. With no bank button, reaching more than eight sounds means switching programs, which Akai's own MPC Beats guide uses to reach 16 pads. All eight pads share one mode, and the MK2 editor dropped the MK1's per-pad toggle/momentary setting.

“Sie wackeln leicht und vermitteln keinen besonders hochwertigen Eindruck.”

Felix Thoma, amazona.de, on the knobs — “they wobble slightly and don't give a particularly high-quality impression”

“But unlike the MPK, it doesn't have two banks.”

Amazon owner review (3★)

“The updated MK2 programme editor only has a single mode selector that applies to ALL of the pads.”

andijliddell, r/midi

Sources split, and the split runs between plain MIDI and anything more. As a class-compliant device it needs no driver, and owners run it in Ableton, Studio One, VCV Rack on Linux, OBS, djay Pro, Serato, Darktable and on Android. The friction comes when it has to do more than send notes. Its knobs don't follow Ableton's selected device without a user remote script, MPC Beats can map it as the old LPD8 Wireless, and the pad lights don't respond to software: two Thomann owners and a Reddit user wanting streaming or DJ feedback all hit this wall.

Sources split. The bundle (MPC Beats, AIR's Hybrid, Mini Grand and Velvet, and several sound packs) is real value to amazona.de and to beginners, and most Thomann owners found the editor simple. The other side is about finding and using the editor: it isn't in the inMusic Software Center where registration points, and owners on Reddit and in Japan couldn't find it where registration pointed them; Amazon owners call it dated and confusing, one couldn't use it on macOS Sonoma in early 2024, and MK1 owners miss its per-pad toggle setting. Registering the bundle through inMusic is also a hurdle for beginners.

Simple, and owners like the port. The only connection is a full-size USB-B socket, which owners prefer to the original LPD8's fragile mini-USB. There's no MIDI DIN, pedal input or Bluetooth. It runs from an iPad over a camera adapter, though the affiliate video notes it draws enough power that a charging adapter helps, and Akai suggests a low-power start-up mode if an iPad won't see it.

“Ein großes Plus ist der altmodische USB-B-Anschluss, der mechanisch nicht so empfindlich ist wie Micro-USB oder USB-C.”

Toc666, Thomann owner review (5★) — “a big plus is the old-fashioned USB-B socket, which is mechanically less fragile than micro-USB or USB-C”

“try holding the Program button as you plug in the LPD8. This will turn the unit on in Low Power mode and may fix some connectivity issues you may experience.”

Akai Pro LPD8 MK2 Troubleshooting Guide

A clear strength. At 306 × 81 mm and 390 g, bus-powered, it sits in front of a laptop or keyboard and goes in a bag. The two-year owner on video took it away for weekends in a caravan, and Amazon and Thomann owners take it on planes and to gigs. The only dissent is a Japanese owner who found it bigger than expected, and a Thomann owner noting it's heavier than the original LPD8.

“Schön klein und kompakt präsentiert sich der LPD8 in der zweiten Generation.”

Felix Thoma, amazona.de — “the second-generation LPD8 is nice and small and compact”

“If you travel bring it with you on the plane and plug it up to your laptop and you’re back at it.”

Amazon owner review (5★)

Strong agreement that the chassis is solid for the price. amazona.de calls it solid, with rubber feet that keep it planted, and Thomann and Amazon owners describe it as robust, heavier than it looks and well made (Amazon's build-quality topic runs ten positive to two negative). Even owners who dislike the pads praise the case. The weak points are the knobs (see controls) and, for owners who open it for the tape mod, pads that can stick.

“Die Verarbeitung ist solide.”

Felix Thoma, amazona.de — “the build is solid”

“La construcción es realmente sólida.”

Miguel Ángel C., Thomann owner review — “the construction is really solid”

Broadly positive. At $40–$59 it's one of the cheapest pad controllers from a major brand, and amazona.de, the two-year owner, Thomann owners and a Japanese DJ owner who uses it in place of a much pricier sub-controller all call it money well spent. The dissent comes from finger drummers for whom the stiff pads undo the bargain (Amazon's value topic runs seven positive to six negative), and owners who suggest spending more on a 16-pad MPD218 if the LPD8 will be a main drum pad.

“Für einen Preis von 59,- Euro erhält man hiermit einen soliden und kompakten Controller, der macht und tut, was er soll.”

Felix Thoma, amazona.de — “for 59 euros you get a solid, compact controller that does what it should”

“I'd probably have kept it around if it was $20”

Amazon owner review (2★)