I bought an Akai LPK25 controller keyboard a few years back for uni, and have rediscovered it. I know there won’t be much I can do with it as is, unless I wanted to go down computer audio and that kind of thing (which I was traumatized with from Uni, hence no longer using it) and I was thinking in my (not so) infinite wisdom that I could take the guts out it, and make…something?
Any ideas or experience with repurposing effectively “toy” keyboards I’d be much obliged!
Could be easiest to keep it as a midi controller, then build it in to a custom case where it controls an Arduino or Pi powered synth. There’s a few minidexed builds like that.
Or you could add some functionality, maybe midi to cv outs, custom case, and then use it to control a modular?
The main issue is it’s mini usb out, I don’t know if it can be modified to MIDI out, or how much jiggery pokery it’d take
USB MIDI to DIN MIDI converters exist and are not horribly expensive, e.g.
Cheaper yet is the DIY option:
https://codeandlife.com/2017/09/17/5-usb-midi-adapter-with-atmega32u4/
[No, that converts the other way…]
More discussion:
Is it also powered by that same mini usb out?
If so, I think you might need a midi host - they can power a class compliant usb midi device and ‘host’ it in place of the computer, then they convert signals to midi out.
There are diy Arduino builds about, or you can buy them. I purchased a cheap doremidi box second hand that works well as a conduit between my CDP S100 and my synths.
Yeah, it’s powered by that same wee Mini USB, I’ll look into a MIDI host, could definitely be an alternative to a full-on butchering of it
I was in a similar situation with the Akai MPK Mini and really couldn’t decide what to do with it, until fortune blessed me with an MPC One and a firmware update added USB midi support to it. It’s complete overkill to use it as a £600, 2 kg adaptor for USB midi to CV/Gate… but it’s curiously satisfying and, let’s face it, a ridiculous flex 
That is a preposterous flex and I respect the hell out of you for it!
The Teensy 4.0 and 4.1 have a USB host port with some MIDI support, so you could connect your Akai to that and implement a synth in the Teensy.
I’m also wondering if a 555 punk organ would work, like I’ve seen them with 5 or 6 keys, but would 25 work?
I know @Dud has made a keyboard in the past, dunno if he’d be able to shed light on it? Or if I should just go for a 555 organ
The little keyboard i’ve done, was a simple 555 toy organ schem
experimentation toy bending time , fun but not really precise 
I bought one of these two, not knowing there was the (ARRRGH!) USB-MIDI ports. Even though I must try to put all pieces together and donate the thing to my son, I wondered if the keyboard could be used to produce a 1V/oct signal and gate.
But I will glew and screw it togehter and send it off.
(I also have a SubZero Control Key 49S with REAL MIDI and unreal USB MIDI)
