Akai Professional
MPK Mini MK3
$119Cheaper
Released 2020-08
Best MIDI Keyboards · head-to-head
MPK Mini MK3 vs Oxygen Pro 49
A sourced, side-by-side comparison. MPK Mini MK3 is cheaper at $119. Every spec and price links to its source.
M-Audio
Oxygen Pro 49
$299
Released 2021
Which is better: the MPK Mini MK3 or Oxygen Pro 49?
On the specs we track, they're closely matched. The MPK Mini MK3 is the cheaper at $119.
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Full spec sheet
✓ marks the stronger figure where "more" — or "less", for price and weight — is unambiguously better.
| Spec | MPK Mini MK3 | Oxygen Pro 49 |
|---|---|---|
| US price | $119 US street price / MSRP | $299 MSRP / street price |
| Brand | Akai Professional | M-Audio |
| Released | 2020-08 | 2021 |
| Keys | 25 | 49 |
| Key type | synth | semi_weighted |
| Drum pads | 8 | 16 |
| Knobs | 8 | 8 |
| Faders | 0 | 9 |
| Aftertouch | No | Yes |
| Connection | usb | usb_midi_din |
| Bundled software | MPC Beats, AIR Hybrid 3, Mini Grand, Velvet, NI Komplete Start | Ableton Live Lite, Pro Tools First, MPC Beats, AIR Hybrid 3, Mini Grand, Velvet, TubeSynth |
| Release | 2020 | 2021 |
Sources — MPK Mini MK3: gearnews.com (verified 2026-06-19). Oxygen Pro 49: m-audio.com (verified 2026-06-19).
What's the difference between the MPK Mini MK3 and Oxygen Pro 49?
Where the two actually differ on the specs we track (7 of 8). Matching specs are omitted.
- Keys: MPK Mini MK3 25 vs Oxygen Pro 49 49
- Key type: MPK Mini MK3 synth vs Oxygen Pro 49 semi_weighted
- Drum pads: MPK Mini MK3 8 vs Oxygen Pro 49 16
- Faders: MPK Mini MK3 0 vs Oxygen Pro 49 9
- Aftertouch: MPK Mini MK3 false vs Oxygen Pro 49 true
- Connection: MPK Mini MK3 usb vs Oxygen Pro 49 usb_midi_din
- Bundled software: MPK Mini MK3 MPC Beats, AIR Hybrid 3, Mini Grand, Velvet, NI Komplete Start vs Oxygen Pro 49 Ableton Live Lite, Pro Tools First, MPC Beats, AIR Hybrid 3, Mini Grand, Velvet, TubeSynth
What reviewers say
Sourced tester consensus for each — the "what people who used it think" layer, not just specs.
MPK Mini MK3
Only one whitelisted tester, SoundGuys, reviewed this exact model hands-on over 10 days, scoring it 7.6/10. They call it an excellent, affordable all-round USB-MIDI keyboard praised for velocity-sensitive pads, endless 360-degree knobs and bundled MPC Beats software, but flag unforgivably stiff pads and missing onboard transport controls. No lab measurements were taken. (1 sourced review, 1 lab-tested.)
Praised: Excellent value as an affordable all-round MIDI keyboard; Velocity-sensitive pads and endless 360-degree knobs; Rare built-in OLED screen and bundled MPC Beats software for beginners.
Flagged: Pads are unforgivably stiff, hard to finger-drum consistently; No onboard transport controls, making live performance harder; No MIDI-out port and a thumbstick less intuitive than touch strips.
Oxygen Pro 49
Two hands-on reviews of the Oxygen Pro 49 survive verification: Sound on Sound (May 2021) and MusicRadar (27 May 2021). Both recommend it as a feature-rich, competitively priced controller, and both flag the light, springy keybed and the time needed to learn the feature set. Neither outlet published lab measurements. Note that MusicRadar's build-quality passage is a verbatim reprint of Sound on Sound's text under its 'The web says' heading, so chassis assessment rests on one independent source, not two. No claim is made here about coverage by outlets that were not fetched. (2 sourced reviews, 2 lab-tested.)
Praised: Backlit pads are a highlight — responsive to varied playing pressure and triggering reliably across their surface; Smart Chord, Smart Scale and the arpeggiator add real performance value, including for non-keyboardists; Generous bundled software suite for the asking price.
Flagged: Keybed is light and springy — Sound on Sound also calls it noisy, with plasticky clatter at the bottom of the stroke; Steep learning curve, with many features buried behind the Shift button and menu-diving; Documentation for many features and software tie-ins is sparse.