The LPD8 laptop pad controller from Akai is a USB-MIDI controller for musicians, producers, DJs and other music creators. It measures less than 13 inches across and weighs less than a pound to easily fit into a laptop case, backpack or messenger bag for extreme portability.
The LPD8 is based on Akai Professional's MPC line of iconic music production stations. The controller features 8 orange light-up pads that are velocity sensitive for programming rhythmic or melodic parts. The pads can also send program-change information to software.
Additionally, the LPD8 has 8 assignable Q-Link knobs you can assign to virtually any parameters in their software for hands-on control. It has 4 memory banks for programming and recalling settings appropriate to different software programs you use. The unit works plug and play with Mac and PC.
| Connection | USB |
| Faders | No |
| Trigger Pads | 8 |
| Transport Controls | No |
| Jog/Shuttle | No |
| Rotary Controls | 8 Q-Link knobs |
| Numeric Keypad | No |
| Display | No |
| Multiple Units | Not specified by manufacturer |
| Included Software | Editing software |
| System Requirements |
Apple Mac with USB port, satisfying the operating requirements of Mac OS X Computer with USB port, satisfying the operating requirements of Windows XP/Vista |
| Power Requirements | USB |
| Dimensions (WxDxH) | 12.2 x 3.1 x 1.1" (310 x 80 x 28mm) |
| Weight | 12 oz (340g) |
| Specialties | Included software editor can edit, save, or load presets for the LPD8 on a computer |
REVIEW SNAPSHOT®
by PowerReviewsPros
Cons
Best Uses
Most Liked Positive Review
One of the best to start off with
I bought this Controller a week or so and love it. i bought this to explore making music on the computer. what attracted me to this product was the fact that you can use ...Read complete review
I bought this Controller a week or so and love it. i bought this to explore making music on the computer. what attracted me to this product was the fact that you can use it with all kinds of programs, from makeing beats to triggering samples, it can do it all. It did take me a while to setup and get running with my software, but after 20 min or so i had it working. I love how simple the sontrols are and how the buttons and knobs can be mapped to almost anything. The one problem i have with it however is the sofware that it comes with. The drivers and everything loaded fine but when i opened up the LPD8 editor, which is the software that comes with it, i got a mess of buttons that looked something like the LPD8 but each button and knob was filled with al kinds of numbers and letters. I'm sure they all make sence but it was very hard to understand right out of the box, and it seemed out of place for something marketed as such a begginer product. Overall it is a great product and very fun to learn on and start making music.
VS
Most Liked Negative Review
Good for its price
I use this product mostly for triggering midi drums and vocal slices and, for only [$], it works about as well as I could have hoped. It is virtually identical to the Korg...Read complete review
I use this product mostly for triggering midi drums and vocal slices and, for only [$], it works about as well as I could have hoped. It is virtually identical to the Korg nanoPad but I've heard bad things about that. My only issues with the product is that the pads claim to be velocity sensitive, and they are, but I find that about half the time, hitting the pad lightly does not trigger it. It's frustrating when I'm trying to lay down a pattern of sixteenth notes with light taps in between downbeats and have to do 15-20 takes because I'm not hitting the pads hard enough. All in all, it works well for now but I do see myself replacing it with a higher end pad controller in the long run.
REVIEWS
Reviewed by 30 customers
Sort by
Displaying reviews 1-20
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Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Akai LPD8 - USB-MIDI Pad Controller:
I got this as a way to track in midi drums more quickly, and it does the job well. It feels well built; the pads and knobs feel plenty robust. The LPD8 Editor software seems easy enough to use as well. The pads do take some force to engage, and they would occasionally double-trigger sounds when I first started using it. However, it is very easy to get a sense for how hard to hit them to keep this from happening.
Overall this is a great value for a nice controller that does what it's meant to do well, and is portable with a small footprint.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Akai LPD8 - USB-MIDI Pad Controller:
Great little device I use with Serato ScratchLIVE when I DJ. Fully assignable device control. I use mine for pitch control and effects.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Akai LPD8 - USB-MIDI Pad Controller:
This is a bad little puppy right here. It is super portable, good solid build, and an excellent feature set. For the price it's a no brainer.
One thing that I would like to mention is the lpd8 editor. Make sure you make all of your settings in the editor before you open up your daw, then close it, then open up daw of choice. If you need to make additional edits close daw, open up the lpd8 editor make changes, then close the lpd8 editor, and re-open your daw. If you don't do this it can behave quirky. Also when mapping samples to pads you might want to use the numerical values in the editor rather than the notes. It gives you the option and in my opinion numbers are just a little easier to dial in.
Solid pads, and knobs.
Awesome!
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Akai LPD8 - USB-MIDI Pad Controller:
I bought this in order to augment MIDI drums with fills that I would do myself. I use Sonar Cakewalk with a Tascam FW-1082 and had concerns how it would integrate via USB, but I had no troubles at all. For the hardware I give it 5 stars - it is solid and I believe it will last. The only reason I gave it 4 stars is because IMO it is not easy to program - you have to use the accompanying tool (that I am aware of) and that requires shutting down anything other software that might use the controller until you have programmed it. Otherwise it has been very useful to me.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Akai LPD8 - USB-MIDI Pad Controller:
The Akai LPD8 seems pretty responsive and useful for what I needed, a simple easy way to add a few drum samples in a more playable way than midi keyboard, computer keyboard, or manual entry. This is doing that for me, and at a price that's completely reasonable. Also, the size of these pads is a little larger than the ones on the Korg, however, the new version of the Korg has 16 pads, vs this one's 8. A tradeoff, for sure.
I have a feeling this will be sturdy enough for careful use, and that any breakage will happen while the controller is stuffed in my bag. The pads should be fine, the knobs seem like they might need protection. Maybe a rectangular tube of cardboard to slide onto it while in my bag?
Additionally, it sounds like there are iPad music apps that support this and the Korg controllers, but most of the ones I already have do not. If you are expecting to use this with an iPad app, look up the app and this controller together to see if people are talking about using it successfully or not. I'll probably look around to find some kind of drum machine app that this works with as well as submit comments for the apps I do have to suggest they incorporate support for this device.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Akai LPD8 - USB-MIDI Pad Controller:
very clean effective layout w/ the program change and CC, high quality feel to the knobs and pads, and a solid little piece of hardware. Some people complain that they're hard to hit at 100% but velocity sens is adjustable if you search youtube "LPD8 sensitivity" so there's that taken care of, if it bothers you... which it may not.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Akai LPD8 - USB-MIDI Pad Controller:
I was looking for something to trigger cue points and other things in Torq and this is exactly what I needed. I can trigger AND use the knobs for effects. This will definitely take my mixes to some next level ish!
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Akai LPD8 - USB-MIDI Pad Controller:
I bought this as a controller for Ableton Live, and it's quite a useful tool. Pads are solid, and everything's easy to use. Highly recommended!
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Akai LPD8 - USB-MIDI Pad Controller:
Pads is not sensitive, you need to press very hard! Pads make Doubles Notes when you press one time. The only good thing on this product is the orange when you press a pad!Product is poor! Tested in FL Studio, Reason & Ableton !Akai MPD series is better:http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?Ntt=akai+mpd&N=0&InitialSearch=yes
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Akai LPD8 - USB-MIDI Pad Controller:
I use the controller in college, so I decided to buy the actual controller. This machine is great, the pads are touch sensitive , so you control the velocity easily. Plus its so small I can carry it in my laptop bag.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Akai LPD8 - USB-MIDI Pad Controller:
This is a great laptop solution for any Daw. Solid construction and good feel. Nice to have mappable knobs on something this small. Perfect for Ableton on the go.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Akai LPD8 - USB-MIDI Pad Controller:
Akai makes great products and the lpd8 does a great job at staying in line with the high quality that Akai puts on the shelves. This unit was purchased to use along with Serato. It fits the bill quite well. Only drawback was the instructions that came along with the unit. They were not completely usefull from start to finish. I did have to visit YouTube for a little specialized help. This may be the case though depending on what the end use of this product may be.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Akai LPD8 - USB-MIDI Pad Controller:
I needed something small and versatile to use with my dj set-up in the clubs. This was exactly what I got with the LPD8. I midi mapped all the controlls to my sampler in 5 min. The pads feel great, and light up when you trigger them. Couldn't be happier with this product.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Akai LPD8 - USB-MIDI Pad Controller:
easy to plug&play. Great size for sampling control, light & thin. Only thing is the sensibility on the pads lack efficiency.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Akai LPD8 - USB-MIDI Pad Controller:
Interact easily with Traktor, and has an easy to use mapping. Among other things.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Akai LPD8 - USB-MIDI Pad Controller:
This controller is just like everyone has stated...nice, solid MIDI controller. Nothing feels cheap about this device...pads feel sturdy and the control knobs are nice and smooth. The pads are not as sensitive as I thought they would be so you will have to use a little pressure or your note might not register. I don't like the editing software so I just program the pads via FL Studio's FPC. Over all, this little controller is great, and once I get to learn how to use all of its features, this controller is going to be irreplacable.[...]
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Akai LPD8 - USB-MIDI Pad Controller:
i really like it ! and i like how this website send fast and safe the products, im pretty sure that i will buy some more stuff soon.
thanks bhphotovideo, i love this website !
thanks
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Akai LPD8 - USB-MIDI Pad Controller:
I bought the LPD8 as an instrument that I would use for music production. I love how the LPD8 sticks out in my studio, with it's sleek look and feel. However, what I most dislike about this device is the pressure sensitive pads. The pads are quite hard to press and under light pressure the pads do not work at all.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Akai LPD8 - USB-MIDI Pad Controller:
I bought this to use mainly with Stylus RMX. After a email to tech support and some provided files Windows 7 recognized but not before as advertised. Pads are durable and feel great. I bought this unit specifically for the ability to program latch or momentary triggering of the pads. Editor is a little clunky but works. Only real complaint is that you have to hit the pads pretty hard to get a decent velocity MIDI signal. Great device for the money overall.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Akai LPD8 - USB-MIDI Pad Controller:
I use this product mostly for triggering midi drums and vocal slices and, for only [$], it works about as well as I could have hoped. It is virtually identical to the Korg nanoPad but I've heard bad things about that. My only issues with the product is that the pads claim to be velocity sensitive, and they are, but I find that about half the time, hitting the pad lightly does not trigger it. It's frustrating when I'm trying to lay down a pattern of sixteenth notes with light taps in between downbeats and have to do 15-20 takes because I'm not hitting the pads hard enough. All in all, it works well for now but I do see myself replacing it with a higher end pad controller in the long run.
REVIEW SNAPSHOT®
by PowerReviewsPros
Cons
Best Uses
Most Liked Positive Review
One of the best to start off with
I bought this Controller a week or so and love it. i bought this to explore making music on the computer. what attracted me to this product was the fact that you can use ...Read complete review
I bought this Controller a week or so and love it. i bought this to explore making music on the computer. what attracted me to this product was the fact that you can use it with all kinds of programs, from makeing beats to triggering samples, it can do it all. It did take me a while to setup and get running with my software, but after 20 min or so i had it working. I love how simple the sontrols are and how the buttons and knobs can be mapped to almost anything. The one problem i have with it however is the sofware that it comes with. The drivers and everything loaded fine but when i opened up the LPD8 editor, which is the software that comes with it, i got a mess of buttons that looked something like the LPD8 but each button and knob was filled with al kinds of numbers and letters. I'm sure they all make sence but it was very hard to understand right out of the box, and it seemed out of place for something marketed as such a begginer product. Overall it is a great product and very fun to learn on and start making music.
VS
Most Liked Negative Review
Good for its price
I use this product mostly for triggering midi drums and vocal slices and, for only [$], it works about as well as I could have hoped. It is virtually identical to the Korg...Read complete review
I use this product mostly for triggering midi drums and vocal slices and, for only [$], it works about as well as I could have hoped. It is virtually identical to the Korg nanoPad but I've heard bad things about that. My only issues with the product is that the pads claim to be velocity sensitive, and they are, but I find that about half the time, hitting the pad lightly does not trigger it. It's frustrating when I'm trying to lay down a pattern of sixteenth notes with light taps in between downbeats and have to do 15-20 takes because I'm not hitting the pads hard enough. All in all, it works well for now but I do see myself replacing it with a higher end pad controller in the long run.
REVIEWS
Reviewed by 30 customers
Sort by
Displaying reviews 1-20
Previous | Next »
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Akai LPD8 - USB-MIDI Pad Controller:
I got this as a way to track in midi drums more quickly, and it does the job well. It feels well built; the pads and knobs feel plenty robust. The LPD8 Editor software seems easy enough to use as well. The pads do take some force to engage, and they would occasionally double-trigger sounds when I first started using it. However, it is very easy to get a sense for how hard to hit them to keep this from happening.
Overall this is a great value for a nice controller that does what it's meant to do well, and is portable with a small footprint.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Akai LPD8 - USB-MIDI Pad Controller:
Great little device I use with Serato ScratchLIVE when I DJ. Fully assignable device control. I use mine for pitch control and effects.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Akai LPD8 - USB-MIDI Pad Controller:
This is a bad little puppy right here. It is super portable, good solid build, and an excellent feature set. For the price it's a no brainer.
One thing that I would like to mention is the lpd8 editor. Make sure you make all of your settings in the editor before you open up your daw, then close it, then open up daw of choice. If you need to make additional edits close daw, open up the lpd8 editor make changes, then close the lpd8 editor, and re-open your daw. If you don't do this it can behave quirky. Also when mapping samples to pads you might want to use the numerical values in the editor rather than the notes. It gives you the option and in my opinion numbers are just a little easier to dial in.
Solid pads, and knobs.
Awesome!
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Akai LPD8 - USB-MIDI Pad Controller:
I bought this in order to augment MIDI drums with fills that I would do myself. I use Sonar Cakewalk with a Tascam FW-1082 and had concerns how it would integrate via USB, but I had no troubles at all. For the hardware I give it 5 stars - it is solid and I believe it will last. The only reason I gave it 4 stars is because IMO it is not easy to program - you have to use the accompanying tool (that I am aware of) and that requires shutting down anything other software that might use the controller until you have programmed it. Otherwise it has been very useful to me.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Akai LPD8 - USB-MIDI Pad Controller:
The Akai LPD8 seems pretty responsive and useful for what I needed, a simple easy way to add a few drum samples in a more playable way than midi keyboard, computer keyboard, or manual entry. This is doing that for me, and at a price that's completely reasonable. Also, the size of these pads is a little larger than the ones on the Korg, however, the new version of the Korg has 16 pads, vs this one's 8. A tradeoff, for sure.
I have a feeling this will be sturdy enough for careful use, and that any breakage will happen while the controller is stuffed in my bag. The pads should be fine, the knobs seem like they might need protection. Maybe a rectangular tube of cardboard to slide onto it while in my bag?
Additionally, it sounds like there are iPad music apps that support this and the Korg controllers, but most of the ones I already have do not. If you are expecting to use this with an iPad app, look up the app and this controller together to see if people are talking about using it successfully or not. I'll probably look around to find some kind of drum machine app that this works with as well as submit comments for the apps I do have to suggest they incorporate support for this device.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Akai LPD8 - USB-MIDI Pad Controller:
very clean effective layout w/ the program change and CC, high quality feel to the knobs and pads, and a solid little piece of hardware. Some people complain that they're hard to hit at 100% but velocity sens is adjustable if you search youtube "LPD8 sensitivity" so there's that taken care of, if it bothers you... which it may not.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Akai LPD8 - USB-MIDI Pad Controller:
I was looking for something to trigger cue points and other things in Torq and this is exactly what I needed. I can trigger AND use the knobs for effects. This will definitely take my mixes to some next level ish!
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Akai LPD8 - USB-MIDI Pad Controller:
I bought this as a controller for Ableton Live, and it's quite a useful tool. Pads are solid, and everything's easy to use. Highly recommended!
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Akai LPD8 - USB-MIDI Pad Controller:
Pads is not sensitive, you need to press very hard! Pads make Doubles Notes when you press one time. The only good thing on this product is the orange when you press a pad!Product is poor! Tested in FL Studio, Reason & Ableton !Akai MPD series is better:http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?Ntt=akai+mpd&N=0&InitialSearch=yes
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Akai LPD8 - USB-MIDI Pad Controller:
I use the controller in college, so I decided to buy the actual controller. This machine is great, the pads are touch sensitive , so you control the velocity easily. Plus its so small I can carry it in my laptop bag.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Akai LPD8 - USB-MIDI Pad Controller:
This is a great laptop solution for any Daw. Solid construction and good feel. Nice to have mappable knobs on something this small. Perfect for Ableton on the go.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Akai LPD8 - USB-MIDI Pad Controller:
Akai makes great products and the lpd8 does a great job at staying in line with the high quality that Akai puts on the shelves. This unit was purchased to use along with Serato. It fits the bill quite well. Only drawback was the instructions that came along with the unit. They were not completely usefull from start to finish. I did have to visit YouTube for a little specialized help. This may be the case though depending on what the end use of this product may be.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Akai LPD8 - USB-MIDI Pad Controller:
I needed something small and versatile to use with my dj set-up in the clubs. This was exactly what I got with the LPD8. I midi mapped all the controlls to my sampler in 5 min. The pads feel great, and light up when you trigger them. Couldn't be happier with this product.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Akai LPD8 - USB-MIDI Pad Controller:
easy to plug&play. Great size for sampling control, light & thin. Only thing is the sensibility on the pads lack efficiency.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Akai LPD8 - USB-MIDI Pad Controller:
Interact easily with Traktor, and has an easy to use mapping. Among other things.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Akai LPD8 - USB-MIDI Pad Controller:
This controller is just like everyone has stated...nice, solid MIDI controller. Nothing feels cheap about this device...pads feel sturdy and the control knobs are nice and smooth. The pads are not as sensitive as I thought they would be so you will have to use a little pressure or your note might not register. I don't like the editing software so I just program the pads via FL Studio's FPC. Over all, this little controller is great, and once I get to learn how to use all of its features, this controller is going to be irreplacable.[...]
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Akai LPD8 - USB-MIDI Pad Controller:
i really like it ! and i like how this website send fast and safe the products, im pretty sure that i will buy some more stuff soon.
thanks bhphotovideo, i love this website !
thanks
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Akai LPD8 - USB-MIDI Pad Controller:
I bought the LPD8 as an instrument that I would use for music production. I love how the LPD8 sticks out in my studio, with it's sleek look and feel. However, what I most dislike about this device is the pressure sensitive pads. The pads are quite hard to press and under light pressure the pads do not work at all.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Akai LPD8 - USB-MIDI Pad Controller:
I bought this to use mainly with Stylus RMX. After a email to tech support and some provided files Windows 7 recognized but not before as advertised. Pads are durable and feel great. I bought this unit specifically for the ability to program latch or momentary triggering of the pads. Editor is a little clunky but works. Only real complaint is that you have to hit the pads pretty hard to get a decent velocity MIDI signal. Great device for the money overall.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Akai LPD8 - USB-MIDI Pad Controller:
I use this product mostly for triggering midi drums and vocal slices and, for only [$], it works about as well as I could have hoped. It is virtually identical to the Korg nanoPad but I've heard bad things about that. My only issues with the product is that the pads claim to be velocity sensitive, and they are, but I find that about half the time, hitting the pad lightly does not trigger it. It's frustrating when I'm trying to lay down a pattern of sixteenth notes with light taps in between downbeats and have to do 15-20 takes because I'm not hitting the pads hard enough. All in all, it works well for now but I do see myself replacing it with a higher end pad controller in the long run.