Panda Mini: All-rounder midi keyboard for music production for $51.99

2 Kommentare September 1, 2018by Thorben

Hey, guys! Just a heads up: The linked offer is already a bit older and the price of the gadget might have changed or it might not be available anymore.

If you dare to make your first steps in music production and/or DJing, sooner or later you won’t get past a MIDI keyboard. The Panda Mini is a MIDI keyboard equipped with 25 keyboard keys and additional function keys.

Panda Mini Midi Keyboard
- at TomTop for $51.99 | AliExpress for $53.52

The “Panda Mini” Midi-Controller has 25 velocity capable keyboard keys. To play in higher or lower octaves it has 2 buttons which can change this. In addition it has 8 drum pads with which you can play a basic beat or make live music. This depends on which DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) you use. This keyboard (actually every midi keyboard) needs a DAW that interprets the signals of the keys. All you need is a program like FlStudio or Ableton live. Free demo versions of both programs are also available.

Panda Mini Midi Keyboard Keys — Velocity keys for complex melodies

Suitable for production

With the 4 sliders it is also possible to play live music with this midi controller. With these controls, transitions are a lot easier than just using the mouse and keyboard. But then you need a DjSoftware, which supports “Midi-Learn” (e.g. “Mixxx” Freeware), because probably no mapping file to this keyboard is available in any program.

Panda Mini Midi Keyboard Sliders — Four sliders and four knobs

Unfortunately there are only 4 knobs on board, so you can’t control highs, mids and lows for two decks. If you really need it, you could use two of the sliders for the basses and the 4 knobs for the mids and highs of the two decks. Such a MIDI keyboard can only be used as an addition to DJ controllers. In my experience, such a MIDI keyboard is more intended for production than for live performance.

Evaluation

Personally I only have experience with the “Original”, the AKAI MPK Mini, which basically has the same functions. This one doesn’t use sliders, but eight knobs, but that shouldn’t make too much difference. In combination with Ableton, this has done its work well via plug-and-play. In my opinion the Panda Mini seems to fulfil the same functions. Would you be interested in a review of the midi keyboard?

To the gadget