As mentioned, the software displays which section of a project is currently being controlled and you can move this area around using the arrow keys on the keyboard for better navigation. Most prominent is the 5×8 multicoloured grid that lets you launch clips. The rest of the front panel is taken up by the Live controls. The only omission is a sustain pedal input, though you do get a sustain button which kind of takes its place. There’s enough travel in the keybed that note presses register convincingly, and having a keyboard in such a compact unit in addition to all the other controls is a real bonus. Despite being small they’re well-designed and will certainly do the job of letting you input clips accurately, though, as you might expect, they’re better suited to synth or beat-style playing than anything too complex. You get 25 synth action mini keys, and while you won’t be playing any sonatas on these they are perfectly decent for basslines, melodies and simple chords. It can be used as a generic MIDI controller too, though you’ll want to check with Akai exactly how well supported your particular choice of third-party software is. It’s pre-mapped for Live and you’ll find that the controls map across beautifully, with red outlines appearing in the software to denote what you’re currently controlling. Power and MIDI are also handled by this connection so there’s no need for a power supply.

There’s a single USB port on the side that you use to connect to your Mac or PC, and it’s class compliant so no drivers are required. It’s insanely portable and very light indeed, though its all-plastic construction, while solid, means you’ll probably not want to throw it around too much. Small is Beautiful The first thing to say about the Key 25 is that it is very compact.

Akai apc key 25 software