Akai MPD218 Review & Tutorial 

Thanks for the clear overview. And thanks especially for the MIDI channel tip!

1:19 Thanks, that's exactly what I was looking for! Someone playing drums on the pads and showing off their velocity sensitivity! Finally someone who gets it right.

Such a clear tutorial! Thank you

You don't need to set the midi channel on the individual pads, Use the auto-populate tool for global adjustments.

Thanks for the info. Well presented.

Excellent presentation and very helpful, thank you !

really excellent tutorial .thanks alot roman. Just borrowed from local library ( nice)

I JUST GOT IT . I LOVE IT

I just bought a used MPD218 for $50. It’s perfect for iOS / iPad in its simplicity and size. I’m so impressed, I’m toying around with it in Logic and Ableton. You missed the mass change feature in the Editor software to change the midi channel for all pads and/or encoders in one click. I’m using different midi channel assignments in different programs (pads and encoders) for specific plugins, effects and virtual instruments. Owners are dumping these for more recent devices, but I think it’s very underrated for what it is. 16 pads X 3 banks = 48 pad assignments AND 6 encoders X 3 banks = 18 encoder assignments. The combined 48 pads and 18 encoder can have 16 different programs = 768 pad assignments and 288 encoder assignments. That’s crazy flexible!

Nice video. For the price, it's a great controller, I've had mine for a few years now, no issues. One tip I would like to pass along. If the top of the pads look a bit on the "dirty" side, get some cotton swaps (QTips) and just dip them in a "little bit" of Isopropyl alcohol (70% is fine) to clean the "top" of each pad. Really.. It will make the pads looks like "new".

Thank you so much for the set to channel 1 Gem.

Also what Akai fails to tell you is if you want the rotary knobs to control the Q-links inside the software you need to make sure that [Control] and [Track] buttons are lit under Preferences> MIDI/Sync for your respective midi controller (i.e MPK Mini or MPD218). If [Control] button is not lit (or selected) then the rotary knobs on your controller will not map to the Q-links. I now can control up to 12 Q-links depending on which Q-Link Mode I'm on in MPC Beats software. I plan to do my own video on this process cause there's more to it. Oh and this has nothing to do with that Midi Learn function which ain't worth a crap!

If the tempo issue is anything like the MPK Mini 3, try turning on clock sync in your DAW and set your MIDI out to the the pad/keyboard. After that, your pad/keyboard should use the tempo set in the DAW

Its great

Thank You for sharing

thank you

In the past, MIDI Channel 10 was always reserved for the Drum track. I'm sure that's no longer the case, but I'm sure that's where that decision originated from.

que buen video saludos desde mexico amigos

Great video. Can you please tell me if the knob is endless or have a start and end limit? And are this knobs can be mapping in any vst or control in DAW?

big up!

Thanks for the video. I was wondering if I can use this as a MIDI input for my iPad? (as opposed to a Mac)

Hi there, very helpful video. Thinking about getting this one. One doubt though, Can we control drum machine designer and battery 4 on logic without the MPC software?

Nice overview. I noticed you have a MIDI key map for BFD3. I plan on using this exclusively for BFD3 drums. Does it work well with BFD? Thanks for sharing!

Any luck with external clock for note repeat? Also, thank you for taking the time to make this!

Have a question for you. I have 3 hardware drum machines I use & what I normally do is record & trim individual one shots from them into my DAW & then arrange patterns within the DAW's sequencer. I'm hoping for a new, more hands on workflow where I could connect all drum machines to one device with drum pads & set let's say map a kick from 1 machine onto 1 pad, map a snare from another machine onto another pad, etc. & then play live patterns on the device's pads into my DAW. Would that be possible with this? Or would I still have to record/trim each hit seperately from the drum machines into my DAW, then map the recorded hits onto the pads on this to play live patterns? The latter would be alot more time consuming

Feel that set to number 1 feeling. Could you possibly tell me if I could program sound effects to the pads? Is there a time limit? Trying to make a hotkey soundboard for fun and I can't get a straight answer. thanks in advance

Thank you for the video. I am a newbie. For someone like me, would it just be easier to stick to the MPC software, or would it make any difference if I were to use it running FL Studio as my DAW? Thank you again.

Is it true that when you make a chord progression in a certain key , the software sets any additional notes you may play to match the key of the chord progression you've just made? I used software called 'PERFORMER ' 30 years ago , the manual was 3 inches thick! , I'm impressed with how far tech has come along but it seems like some things have remained the same .> - 30ty years ago, to do anything with a microphone ,like singing , you had to strike one of the tracks on your reel to reel 8 track recorder with smpte code to sync it with your midi song? It was a mess , looking at it that way I guess this thing is pretty good . then again 30 years ? , these units should be even better , unless ( like most things ) companies are dealing out technology in small profitable helpings.

Hi, thks for the vid. I just got a mpd226. It's connected to pro tools. I'll I get is bells and whistles!! I'm using a rock kit in xpand2. Do you know if this works with xpand2? Do I need to make a preset or template? thanks

how do you assign a sound to a pad vs just using whatever is assigned when you pull up a midi drumset in garageband?

Hey, I hope you'll read this because I am having a problem with resposivity. I have connected mine to my pc where I have the fl studio 20 and I have speakers plugged into the pc with 3.5mm jack. Basically whenever I touch the pad the sound comes out a little short time after I have touched it, so it confuses me and makes me always go out of the tempo because the sound isnt happening in the same time as the touch. If you or anyone could help me I'd really appreciate it thx

I’m looking to buy one for my dad , does it need to be plugged into a computer and used with a daw? Or can you just plug in and play it without any software?

NICE

Does it have an independent sound? Or can I only use it if I have samples on my software?

Have you tried the Presounus Atom? If yes, how did you like it compared to this? I'm torn between the 2.

Hi! Can you change the colors in the editor for the MPD218?

Is this device specifically for drums only? Meaning no base or gitar function?

2:16 sounds like the intro to Fireworks by Animal Collective

I'm completely ignorant to this but very interested. Would you need to download these beats and sounds or do they come already on it ? I'd like to get a machine with sounds already on it.

There is possibility to add own samples under every pads? Or only from the akai data of this equipment?

Can it be mapped to othe daw software other thank Akai? For example Magix Music Maker Premium?

Ohhh! that controller who double trigs your finger drumming!

this is an very interesting review! Can you connect this on mobile?? like on Android??? Thanks in advance.

Can we make a beat without sampled an original song but only with instruments on the mdp ?

So can this do the same MPC machine that Araabmuzik uses?

Are they Pads programmable or are they just preset nosies?

What are those headphones you have on?

how do i make it so it’s just a midi controller. when i use serato sampler sometimes it plays different pads when i don’t touch it. it’s super annoying

I just ordered one a few days ago, I'm hoping to make so cool stuff. Can I use it with FL studio? What music software makes great beats for low cost of software?

Hi! Does the akai MPD 218 have the 16 levels feature?

Where can i find the Editor for mac? I cant find it anywhere.

Hi, can you tell me if this drum machine works with batteries please?

Is it good? What difference with MPD226? Need info..

I am starting from the bare minium pc thickcenntre, window 10, and computer speak can I start with this machine

I just want something that I can plug into my loop pedal via 1/4" audio jack to loop behind my guitar, can I do this? I don't even care about all the fancy PC stuff I just want easy drum beats to loop when playing through my amp

Are the pads soft? Do they respond well to touch?

Does this work with serato studio

Has anyone figured out how to resolve PAD 8 not responding!? PLEASE HELP!?!?! Thank you!

Which software do i need voor PC, Windows 10?

how do you access the editor?

Can I use this on Logic Prox?

I’m still trying to figure out what the knobs do. Anyone know?

Someone here using this thing with Maschine Software? It works, but I can't manage to assign pad 1 to pad 1 in the software... Any ideas?

I wanted to know where I can find Akai drivers for MPD16 and so on. For win7\10. Thank you very much.

does it work with logic or garageband

Are those pads bigger than the pads on the mpk ?

Which is better akai professional LPK25 or this?

I’m struggling to get my pad to synch. What am I doing wrong?

Does anyone know how to factory reset the MPD218?

Did those sounds come with it?

Except I can't get the Akai editor to load (and not crash) on my M1 Mac. Thanks for the intro

This work at a Android phone?? And its work whit a USB card??

what is key mapping ?

does it has 16 level mode？

Mine isn’t working I can’t hear the sound

I have one of these, I’m selling it on eBay tho. It’s unused, open box.

actually you could set the synth midi channel to 10....

bad sensitivity. im verry disappointed... it dosent notice soft pressure :( it kills the flow

Destroy them