MIDI ControllerOverreview

Akai LPK25 MK2

The smallest, cheapest way into Akai's keybed — everyone agrees it travels well; nobody agrees on how the keys feel.

21 sourcesUpdated
$59Typical US price

Score aggregates reviewer opinions across topics.

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Akai LPK25 MK2

The short version

What to know.

A tiny, light, bus-powered 25-key controller that sources broadly agree is easy to carry, simple to set up for note entry and good value. They also agree it's bare: the arpeggiator is the only extra, and USB is the only connection, so there's no pedal jack, MIDI out or Bluetooth. Opinion splits on three things: the keys (a real step up from the old LPK25 and fine to play for some; spongy, with no velocity adjustment, for others), Akai's software layer (class-compliant note input just works, but the editor, installer and Linux support trip owners up), and build quality (solid for the price to most, toy-like to a minority, with a few owner fault reports).

About this product

The 2022 second generation of Akai's Laptop Performance Keyboard: 25 velocity-sensitive mini keys on the sprung Gen 2 keybed from the MPK Mini MK3, an arpeggiator, tap tempo, sustain and octave buttons, and a full-size USB port. The 2009 LPK25 (Gen1 keybed, mini-USB) and the discontinued LPK25 Wireless are different products.

Akai's LPK25 MK2 is about as simple as a MIDI keyboard gets: 25 mini keys, an arpeggiator, a tap-tempo button, a sustain button and two octave buttons, in a 450 g case barely wider than the keys. There are no knobs, pads, wheels or pedal jacks. One USB cable carries power and MIDI to a computer, tablet or phone.

The 2022 update swapped the original LPK25's flex-hinge keys for the sprung Gen 2 keybed from the MPK Mini MK3, moved to a full-size USB port and added eight program slots and an MPC Beats software bundle. At around $59 it is one of the cheapest controllers from a major brand. It's usually bought as a laptop-bag keyboard, a beginner's first controller, or a quick way to enter notes into a DAW or notation program.

A good fit for

  • A keyboard that lives in a laptop bag for travel and coffee-shop sessions
  • Note and chord entry into a DAW or notation program on a crowded desk
  • First-time buyers who want a cheap, plug-in controller and the MPC Beats bundle
  • iPad and phone setups, where its low power draw matters

Think twice if

  • You want knobs, pads or pitch and mod controls (an MPK Mini or similar adds them for a little more)
  • You need a sustain pedal, MIDI out to hardware, or Bluetooth
  • You play two-handed parts or have large hands: 25 mini keys are tight
  • You want to adjust or switch off the velocity response

The reviewer consensus

Agreement &
disagreement.

3 / 8topics divide opinion
connectivityportabilitycontrolssoftwarevaluekeybedintegrationbuild
2 Strong agreement3 Mostly agree3 Divided opinions

Common ground5

  • Very small, light and bus-powered; it fits a laptop bag and even runs from an iPad
  • Class-compliant: plugging it in is enough for note input in most DAWs
  • Bare controls: an arpeggiator, tap tempo, sustain and octave buttons, and nothing else

Points of contention3

  • Keybed: a playable, sprung mini keybed to some; spongy, with no velocity adjustment, to others
  • Integration: note input just works, but Akai's editor, installer and Linux support trip owners up
  • Build: solid for the price to most; toy-like to a minority, with a few owner fault reports

A closer look.

8 topics · 3 divided
Left: criticalRight: positiveTighter lines: more agreement

Keybed

Leans positiveDivided opinions
Reviewer sentiment11 supporting sources
CriticalNeutralPositive

Band: opinion spread · Dot: weighted average

Sources split, almost evenly. Paul Drongowski's teardown confirms the Gen 2 keys are individually sprung and found the velocity response smooth, and John Mike, a professional keyboardist on Sweetwater and a Thomann owner find them perfectly playable for lines and chords. amazona.de and pluginerds find the action spongy and the velocity range compressed, Amazon's key-responsiveness mentions run three positive to three negative, and owners in three places want a velocity curve or a velocity-off switch that the unit doesn't have. Everyone agrees they are mini keys: tight for big hands and two-handed playing.

Measured

25 velocity-sensitive mini keys with synth action and no aftertouch. Akai says the Gen 2 keybed is the one from the MPK Mini MK3, with "real spring and joint action" and support foam where the original LPK25 had a plastic friction hinge. Drongowski's teardown confirms each key has its own coil spring. There is no on-board velocity curve or fixed-velocity setting.

vs. listeners — The springs are a real upgrade, and the reviewers who compared it with the original LPK25 prefer the new keys. The split is about feel and control. Players who want a light, quick mini key are happy. Those who want a firmer bottom, or who want to soften or switch off the velocity response, are not, because the unit has no setting for it.

Where it splits
A good mini keybed — sprung, even velocity, musically usable51%

“Ansonsten fühlen sich die Stufen aber sehr natürlich an und man kann gut grooven damit.”

antantant, Thomann owner review — “otherwise the velocity steps feel very natural and you can groove well with it”
Spongy and toy-like, with a fixed velocity response49%

“Der Anschlag ist für meinen Geschmack etwas schwammig, das habe ich bei anderen Mini-Tastaturen schon etwas besser erlebt.”

Felix Thoma, amazona.de — “for my taste the action is a little spongy; I've known better on other mini keyboards”
Link to this topic

The hardware

Specifications.

Checked

Playing surface

Keys
25 mini-size, synth action

Workflow

Arpeggiator
Yes

Connection

USB
USB-B
Power
USB bus power

Physical

Weight
450 g
Dimensions
348 × 102 × 38 mm
Released
2022-10

USB is the only port: no pedal jack, MIDI out or Bluetooth. Sustain is a button. Manufacturer-published figures, not measurements · from akaipro.com, support.akaipro.com, akai-pro.jp, thomannmusic.com.

Follow the evidence

Sources 21

1–6 of 21 sources

Read with context

Limitations & method.

As of

What to keep in mind 4

  1. This is a read of where reviews and owners land as of October 2026. The LPK25 MK2 is a budget controller that few magazines reviewed, so owner reports carry more of the weight here than usual.

  2. Owner star ratings skew positive, since they mostly come from people who chose to buy it. Fault reports skew the other way: owners with a problem are the most likely to post about it.

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