Akai ProfessionalLPD8 - USB MIDI Controller with 8 Velocity-Sensitive Drum Pads for Laptops (Mac & PC), Editing Software included

The only reason for 3 stars is that the actual software is outdated but works ok with ableton live

I bought this because I wanted extra controls and inputs for Ableton Live - it couldn't have been easier: plug it in, choose a drum kit in Ableton and you're drumming like on a dedicated drum machine. Added to my LPK25 keyboard I have all the music creation capabilities I need both at home and out tapping rhythms in coffee shops or lunchtime at work.Pros:Just plug in and go.Seems built to last forever.Out of the box compatibility with Ableton Live.Cons:Makes me look like a Professional in public when I'm an overweight middle-aged man with no talent.

Only just received the LPD8 and plugged it in and straight away was able to program some drums in Logic Pro x. So that was great. as a drummer I was happy with the feel of. the pads. Then I decided to download the editor so I can use the LPD8 fully as I heard there's lots it can do! But the software editor you download is NOT COMPATABLE with the latest Mac OS. I have Catalina!! I believe the previous one is incompatible as well. So be WARNED!!!! I hope this will change soon????

I purchased the LPD8 when I was first experimenting with making music and needed an external controller for adjusting sounds. This controller fit my needs ideally; it served the purpose well, it was small, and, most importantly for me at the time, it was affordable. At such a reasonable price, you really can't go wrong. I've now had countless hours of use with the LPD 8, and it still works like new.The controller arrived on time and it came with useful instructions for getting it connected up to my computer and audio software properly. I had it up and running in about 20 minutes.As far as functionality goes, the LPD8 allows you to link up any of the knobs audio parameters, use the buttons as launch pads, and set up a whole load of other ways to control your music productions.At some point, it will be time for me to invest in a more expensive controller. But for the purposes of getting started with audio production and learning some basics, this is a perfect product.I have recommended this to numerous friends before me, and I will continue to in the future.I hope you found this review helpful. If you have any comments, feel free to get in touch.

Lovely product, really well made and compact. The 5 stars are for the product itself.Unfortunately only 1 star applies for my purchase as I've had to send it back, as it doesn't work with MacOS Mojave. Apparently the most recent Mac OS it can use is High Sierra. I did speak to the AKAI support guy and he wasn't very confident of an OS upgrade in the near future.Such a shame as I really liked it.

I was looking for a midi controller to use with Amplitube. The trouble is that most foot controllers are silly money for not a lot of functionality. Then I came across the LPD8.Obviously this is not a foot controller, but that doesn't mean it can't be used as one. It's pretty sturdy and the drum pads are big enough that I can reliably tap them with a toe in order to perform the actions I want in Amplitube... eg, enable/disable pedals, start/stop the looper, etc. As long as you don't get carried away and stamp on it, it should be fine!The added "bonus" is that it can be used for a myriad of other things too, such as controlling a DAW and, of course, for bashing out drum beats to accompany my guitar recordings. The downloadable customisation tool, which allows you to tweak the functionality of every pad and knob and save multiple different presets for recall at the touch of a button extends the possibilities even further.All in all you get a lot of functionality for not a lot of money. I would definitely recommend this as a first midi controller, especially to those on a budget.