A 25-key, eight-pad USB-C MIDI controller, around $99, built for portable computer- and hardware-based production. Reviewers broadly agree on what's better this generation: the divisive joystick is gone, replaced by real pitch and modulation wheels that behave like a synth's; a 5-pin MIDI out and USB-C finally let it drive outboard gear, not just a computer; and the MPC-style pads remain among the best finger-drumming pads at this size (though they're slightly smaller than the MK3's, and one owner reported a unit that couldn't hit full velocity). It's genuinely portable and ships with a real software bundle — the Studio Instrument Collection (1,000+ sounds) plus Ableton Live Lite 12 — for about $99. Two things split opinion. The redesigned keybed reads as a real improvement to some reviewers and still cramped two-octave mini keys to others, depending on whether they're judging it against the MK3 or against full-size keys. And getting it fully working divides people: the DAW scripts are comprehensive and smooth once configured, but a meaningful cohort hit setup friction — transport controls dead on the first plug-in, a Windows driver that gets flagged and crashes DAWs, no Studio Instrument Collection automation at launch, and no AAX/Pro Tools support. Build is solid for plastic, and the value case is strong at the price.
About this product
The fourth-generation 25-key MPK Mini (Akai's own name is 'MPK Mini IV'; some retailers list it as the 'MK4'), released October 2025. The MK3's four-way joystick is gone — replaced by real pitch and modulation wheels — and it gains a 5-pin DIN MIDI out, USB-C, a full-colour display with its own encoder and dedicated transport controls. Distinct from the still-sold 25-key MK3, the 37-key MPK Mini Plus (extra keys, MIDI/CV) and the speaker-equipped MPK Mini Play.
Akai's MPK Mini IV is the fourth generation of the best-selling mini controller of the last fifteen years — 25 velocity-sensitive mini keys, eight backlit MPC-style pads, eight endless knobs and a full-colour screen, all in a bus-powered slab the size of a paperback that slips into a backpack.
This revision is less a reinvention than a round of long-requested fixes. The joystick that split MK3 owners is finally replaced by proper pitch and modulation wheels; a 5-pin MIDI output and USB-C arrive at last; and the software moves to Akai's new Studio Instrument Collection. What hasn't changed is the format — two octaves of mini keys — so the arguments about who it's for haven't changed either.
