Akai Professional MPD 218 - Professional MIDI Pad Controller

Powerful Controller for Producers and Musicians

The Akai Professional MPD 218 is a high-performance MIDI pad controller designed based on over six years of research and customer feedback. Created for producers, programmers, musicians, and DJs, the MPD 218 combines intuitive control with MPC technology and seamless USB connectivity, bringing the classic beat-making feel into the world of computer-based music production. At the heart of the MPD 218 are 16 ultra-sensitive, easy-to-use Thick Fat MPC pads, perfect for triggering drums, one-shots, melodic samples, bass lines, and more. With three available banks and velocity and pressure sensitivity, the performance potential expands to 48 fully configurable, highly responsive triggers that capture every detail of your play.

Create Music Anywhere

No matter what your needs are or where you are headed, the MPD 218 guarantees to be the center of your musical creativity. At less than 5 cm thick and weighing under 1 kg, the MPD 218 provides essential sample triggering and DAW control functions in an ultra-portable, lightweight, and slim enclosure. Combined with Akai Professional's legendary build quality, the MPD 218 gives beat producers and finger drummers a solid, reliable controller designed to withstand anything you throw at it.

Take Full Control

Whether you're producing in the studio or performing live, the array of controls on the MPD 218 provides sought-after, fully customizable functions that easily adapt to your needs. The MPD 218 is equipped with 6 easy-access 360° knobs, expandable to 18 independent control sources thanks to three banks, and integrates smoothly with your creative projects, offering tactile control for sending MIDI CC messages to virtual instruments, effect parameters, or external MIDI devices.

MPC Legacy

The iconic MPC series from Akai Professional sets the standards for contemporary music culture, offering unique sound-shaping capabilities heard on countless records across various genres. The MPD 218 includes essential MPC-style buttons and knobs, including the legendary Note Repeat and Full Level functions, opening up a wide range of sound-shaping possibilities from rapid-fire drum rolls to powerful sample playback.

Key Features

• 16 backlit, dynamic Thick Fat MPC pads with velocity and pressure sensitivity
• 48 programmable pads available through 3 banks
• 18 programmable 360° knobs available through 3 banks
• MPC Note Repeat and Full Level functions
• iOS compatibility via the Camera Connection Kit (sold separately)
• 16 user presets
• Includes Ableton Live Lite
• USB-powered, no power adapter required

Included Software

• Ableton Live Lite: Offers many of the features of Ableton Live, allowing for spontaneous composition, recording, remixing, improvising, and editing of musical ideas in a single intuitive environment.
• MPC Essentials: 64-bit music production software with 8 pad banks (128 tracks), a 1 GB sound library, and easy import of WAV and AIFF samples.
• SONiVOX Drum Suite: Big Bang Drums and Big Bang Cinematic Percussion, providing high-quality drum sounds for various music genres.

Specifications

• Pads: 16 dynamic Thick Fat MPC pads with red backlighting, 3 pad banks
• Knobs: 6 programmable 360° knobs, 3 control banks
• Buttons: 6 buttons
• Connections: 1 USB port, 1 Kensington lock port
• Power: Via USB
• Dimensions: 9.4” x 7.9” x 1.6” / 23.9 cm x 20.1 cm x 4.1 cm
• Weight: 1.65 lbs / 0.75 kg