Akai Professional and Native Instruments: Lo-Fi Beatmaking with MPK Mini and NKS Integration

The video opens with a clear message: Akai Professional’s MPK controllers now ship with the Akai Pro Edition of Komplete 15 Select, bringing a curated bundle of Native Instruments sounds directly to users. This isn’t just a marketing bullet point—Taetro demonstrates that every sound in his lo-fi beat comes from this bundle, emphasizing the practical value for producers looking to get started quickly.

What stands out architecturally is the NKS integration. The MPK Mini isn’t just a generic MIDI controller here; it’s tightly mapped to Native Instruments’ ecosystem, allowing for hands-on control and a more seamless creative flow. The video promises—and delivers—a workflow where hardware and software truly speak the same language, which is especially appealing for those who want to avoid menu-diving and focus on making music.

Diving into the Play Series, Taetro starts with Bazazian Tapes, showcasing its unique chord sounds. The Play Series instruments are built around a dual-layer architecture, letting users blend two distinct sound sources—like strings and plucks—using macro knobs. This balance isn’t just theoretical; it’s demonstrated in real time, with the MPK Mini’s macro controls mapped to morph between layers for nuanced chord progressions.

The workflow here is all about immediacy. With eight macros per instrument, users can tweak, automate, or perform sound changes without ever touching a mouse. This hands-on approach is reinforced as Taetro moves to Glaze, another Play Series instrument, where the same macro-driven interface allows for quick filter automation and expressive layering. The result is a set of chords and textures that feel both rich and easily customizable.

To achieve the signature lo-fi sound, Taetro brings in Bite, Native Instruments’ bit crusher effect. The demonstration is straightforward: by dialing up the crunch, percussion layers gain extra grit and character, moving from clean to authentically degraded textures. The effect is applied in real time, with adjustments made directly from the controller.

This section underscores the value of having effects like Bite integrated into the NKS workflow. Navigating between instruments and effects is seamless, allowing users to experiment with sound design on the fly. The result is a production environment where sonic manipulation is immediate and musical, not just technical.

The finishing touch comes courtesy of Ozone 11 Elements, included in the Komplete Select bundle. Taetro demonstrates how to drop Ozone onto the master bus, let it analyze the track, and apply genre-specific processing—here, aiming for an R&B and soul-inspired tone. The process is quick, and the results are audibly louder and more polished.

Importantly, the video shows that mixing and mastering can be part of the same hardware–software workflow, without leaving the MPK Mini environment. EQ tweaks, loudness adjustments, and final enhancements are all accessible, making it possible to take a beat from sketch to release-ready within a single, integrated system.