Control HQ for Your Music Rig

Part pad controller, part control surface, and completely ready to rock, Akai’s MPD226 lets you set up your music-creation to fit the way you like to work. It starts off with the same 16 MPC pads that have inspired music producers to recommend Akai gear for decades, and it only goes uphill from there. RGB backlighting behind those pads makes it easy to color code your layout, which is especially handy when you’re switching between four banks of pad assignments. On the other side of the MPD226, there are four sliders, each with an assignable button and encoder. You can use these to set up track controls, ADSR envelopes, EQs, and much more. Top it off with classic MPC Note Repeat, dedicated transport controls, and a killer software package, and the MPD226 is a creative goldmine.

From your studio DAW to your live rig

One of the things that sets the MPD226 apart from similar pad controllers is the fact that it offers you hardware MIDI outputs, rather than just MIDI over USB. Now, the MIDI-over-USB is nothing to complain about – in fact, because it’s completely class compliant, you’ll never have to worry about installing special software or drivers to connect the MPD226 to your favorite software or iOS apps. However, many of us here have frequently been on the lookout for a simple pad controller that works with other MIDI hardware, which is why we’re such fans of the MPD226. Whether you perform with a tabletop full of modules or simply want to add a set of pads and some extra hands-on controls to your keyboard, you’ll find the MPD226 to be an excellent addition to your live rig.