Akai MPK25 manual

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TABLE OF CONTENTS FRONT PANEL OVERVIEW .......................................................................................................... 1 REAR PANEL OVERVIEW ............................................................................................................ 3 HOOKUP DIAG RAM .......................................................[...]

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1 FRONT PANEL OVERVIEW 1. LCD – The display is used for navigating menus, displaying data, and affecting change on MPK25’s options and p arameters. 2. [VALUE] (Push to Enter) – This dial is used to increment and dec rement Presets, parameter values and sett ings. This dial also functions as an [ENTER ] button when it is pressed down. 3. [<[...]

2 13. 12 MPC PRESSURE AND VELOCITY SENSITIVE PADS – The pads can be used to trigger drum hits or samples on your software or hardware module or can be configured to send Program Change messages. The pads are pressure and velocity sensitive, which makes them very responsive and intu itive to play. 14. PAD BANK buttons – These 4 buttons switch am[...]

3 REAR PANEL OVERVIEW 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 1. DC POWER ADAPTER INPUT – Plug in a MP6–1 power adapter if you do not wish to power the MPK25 through the USB connection. 2. POWER ADAPTER RESTRAINT – You can secure a power adapter cord to this restraint to prevent accidental unplugging. 3. USB CONNECTION – Plug a standard USB cable into this outlet [...]

4 HOOKUP DIAGRAM Please refer to the following scenar io for connecting the MPK25. COMPUTER EXTERNAL SOUND MODULE POWER ADAPTER EXTERNAL MIDI DEVICE S U S T A I N PEDAL EXPRESSI ON PEDAL 1. Connect a USB cable from your co m puter to the MPK25. The unit will be powered throug h the USB connection. Alternatively, if you do not wish to use a computer[...]

5 A NOTE ABOUT USING THE MPK25 WITH SOFTWARE 1. Make sure that the MPK25 and all ex ter nal devices are connecte d and that the USB cable is connected to your computer before opening any software applica tions on your computer with which you might want to use the MPK25. If the unit is not plugged in before, your software application might n o t rec[...]

6 MIDI PORT AND CHANNEL NOTE INDICATOR NOTE VELOCITY VELOCITY IS ALSO DI SPLAYED WITH BAR METER. MIDI NOTE NUMBER PAD BANK AFTERTOUCH VALUE AFTERTOUCH VALUE IS ALSO DISPLAYED WITH BAR METER MIDI PORT AND CHANNEL CONTROL CHANGE INDICATOR CONTROL CHANGE VALUE VALUE IS ALSO DISPLAYED WITH BAR METER. CONTROL CHANGE NUMBER PAD BANK OCTAVE SHIFT TRANSPOS[...]

7 AFTERTOUCH VALUE VALUE IS ALSO DISPLAYED WITH BAR METER. PAD BANK CONTROL CHANGE NUMBER NEW VALUE NEW VALUE CONTROL AFTERTOUCH The knobs on the MPK25 can also be set to transmit AFTERTOUCH information.  Please see ‘Editing Knobs’ (page 16) for more information on setting knobs to transmit Aftertouch. MIDI MACHINE CONTROL COMMAND ( MMC) MID[...]

8 ABOUT MODES The MPK25 has four different modes of oper atio n. Each mode can be accessed by pressing the corresponding button on the MPK25. Following is a short description of each mode: Preset Mode This mode allows you to load, save and copy Presets. A Preset is a collection of information about how di ffer ent knobs and pads will behave. Using [...]

9 PRESET NAME PRESET NUM BER PRESET MODE The MPK25 features different Preset banks that you can load and write to. When you turn on the MPK25, it will automatically go into Prese t Mode and Preset 1 will be displayed on th e screen. You can also press the [PRESET] button at any time to call up this mode. In Preset Mode you can load, save/copy and r[...]

10 NAVIGATING EDIT MODE 1. Press the [EDIT] butto n. 2. To select the controller you wish to edit, simply engage it – this will prompt the screen to display the properties of the particular controller (Page 1). 3. If there are multipl e properties for the selected controller, tur n the [VALUE] dial to select the property you wish to edit. Press [[...]

11 EDIT MODE PARAMETERS CONTROLLER SELECTED PAGE 1 PAGE 2 OCTAVE KEYBOARD MIDI CHANNEL (field 1) UP/DOWN (field 4) AFTERTOUCH KEYBOARD MIDI CHANNEL (field 1) ON/OFF BEHAVIOR (field 4) KEYBOARD VELOCITY KEYBOARD MIDI CHANNEL (field 1) ON/OFF BEHAVIOR (field 4) NOTE MIDI CHANNEL (field 1) NOTE NUMBER (field 2) ON/OFF BEHAVIOR (field 3) PRESSURE BE HA[...]

12 SELECT PROP ERTY PRESS ENTER TO EDIT MIDI CHANNEL FIELD MIDI CHANNEL FIELD AFTERTOUCH FIELD MIDI CHANNEL FIELD OCTAVE SHIFT FIELD VELOCITY FIELD EDITING THE KEYBOARD When editing the keyboard, please note that t he changes will affect all t he keys on the MP K25. The keyboard properties you can edit include MIDI Channel, Octave, Afterto uch, and[...]

13 What is a Note Message ? A Note Message is a MIDI message which is traditionally used to start and stop s ounds. When you press one of the pads, a ‘Note On’ message is sent to your DAW or external device. This toggle s a note or sample. When you release t he pad, a ‘Note Off’ message is sent. This messag e will stop the note or sample. W[...]

14 MIDI PORT/CHANNEL FIELD NOTE FIELD NOTE FIELD PLAY MODE FIELD PRESSURE FIEL D NOTE PARAM ETERS The following list of parame t ers can be accessed if the pa d event type is set to Note . MIDI CHANNEL FIELD This field sets the MIDI Port and Channel which the pad will use to transmi t messages. You can assign pads to one o f two MIDI Ports, A or B,[...]

15 MIDI PORT/CHANNEL FIELD PORGRAM CHANGE FIELD BANK M FIE LD BANK L FIE LD Note: You can also configure pads t o send Program Cha nge messages only, without specifying Bank M an d Bank L. While editin g Bank M and Bank L fields of a pad, u se [VALUE] dial to set Ban k M and Bank L to ‘OFF’ (beyond 000). This will ca use the pad to transmit o n[...]

16 What is Control Change ? Control Change refers to the use of MIDI Continuous Controller data. Continuous Controller (CC) data are MIDI messages capable o f transmitting a range of values (0-127) and are often used for controlling volume, pan and othe r parameters on your DAW or sound module. What is Aftertouch ? Aftertouch refers to MIDI informa[...]

17 MIDI PORT/CHANNEL FIELD CONTROL CHANGE FIELD MINIMUM RANGE FIELD MAXIMUM RANGE F IELD CONTROL CHANGE PARAMETER S The following list of parameters can be acce ssed if the pad event ty pe is set to “Note ”. MIDI CHANNEL FIELD This field sets the MIDI Port and Channel which the kn ob will use to transmit messages. You can assign knobs to one of[...]

18 MINIMUM RANGE FIELD MAXIMUM RANGE F IELD MIDI PORT/CHANNEL FIELD AFTERTOUCH PARAMETERS For some applications, you might wish to use the knobs as Afte rtouch controllers. In this scenario, the knob will be transmitting Afte rtouch informati on which could be used to control, say, a vibrato of a device that the MPK25 is controlling. The following [...]

19 MIDI PORT/CHANNEL FIELD INCREMENT/DECREME NT PARAMETERS The endless knobs on the MPK25 may also be used as an increment/decrement NRPN f unction. This allows you to use the knob to increment and decrement th rough parameters as opposed to sending an absolute value. Please note that the implemen tation of NRPN func tions depends strictly on the s[...]

20 MIDI PORT/CHANNEL FIELD CONTROL CHANGE FIELD PLAY MODE FIELD SELECT BUTTON EVENT TYPE IN THIS FIELD. EDITING BUTTONS The buttons on the MPK25 can be used to transmit Control Change or Program Change information. 1. Press [EDIT] button to enter EDIT MODE . 2. Press the button you w ould like to edit. 3. On Page 1, turn the [VAL UE] d ial to selec[...]

21 MIDI PORT/CHANNEL FIELD PORGRAM CHANGE FIELD BANK M FIE LD BANK L FIE LD Note: You can also configure butto ns to send Program C hange messages only, without specifying Bank M an d Bank L. While editin g Bank M and Bank L fields of a button , use [VALUE] dial to set B ank M and Bank L to ‘OFF’ (beyond 000). Thi s will cause the button to t r[...]

22 PRESS ENTE R TO EDIT SELECT PROP ERTY EDITING THE ARPEGGIATOR The built-in Arpeggiator is one of the featu res whic h set the MPK25 apart from other controllers. The Arpeggiator allows you to arpeggiate a sequence of not es by holding down a comb ination of keys. The Arpeggiator will be synced to the temp o parameter of the MPK25. Please note th[...]

23 ARP TYPE ARP TYPE RANGE BUTTON MODE ARPEGGIO PARAMETERS – TYPE, RANG E, BUTTON MODE The following parameters can be e dited by selecting “TY P RNG TGL” on Page 1. ARP TYPE Select one of the fol lowing arpeggio type s in this field – Up, Down, Incl, Excl, Rand, Chrd. 1. While in Arp Type field, use [ VALUE] dial to select Arp Type. 2. Use[...]

24 GATE DURATION SWING ARPEGGIO PA RAMETERS – GATE, SWIN G The following parameters can be e dited by selecting “GA TE SWING” on Page 1. GATE Select the arpeggiator Gate in this field. 1. While in Gate field, use [VALUE] dial to select Gate duration. 2. Use the [>] button to select the next field. SWING Select the arpeggiator Swing in this[...]

25 PRESS ENTE R TO EDIT SELECT PROP ERTY Please note: For the Gate effect to be perceived, the sounds you are triggering need to have a long decay. EDITING NOTE REPEAT The MPK25 features the Note Repea t function, which can be found on o ur legendary Music Production Center (MPC) models. With Note Repeat enabled, you can rep ea tedly trigger a soun[...]

26 BUTTON MODE GATE FIELD SWING FIE LD NOTE REPEAT BU TTON MODE The following screen will appear if you se lect “TOGGL-MOTRY” on Page 1. In thi s field, you can sel ect whether the [NOTE REPEAT] button will behave in a momentary (MTY) fashion, whe re pressing the button turns on the Note Repeat function and releasing it turns it off, or in a to[...]

27 BUTTON MODE FIELD EDITING TIME DIVISION The Time Division feature works in conjunction with Note Repeat and the Ar peggiator. When Note Repeat or the Arpeggiator is enabled , the MPK25 will output notes at a rate equivalent to the Time Division setting. To change to a new Time Division setting , press [TI ME DIVISI ON] and select a new rate. Ple[...]

28 MIDI CHANNEL FIELD EDITING THE PITCH BEND WHEEL The Pitch Bend wheel can be assigne d to transmit pitc h bend informa tion on a spec ific MIDI Channel. 1. Press the [EDIT] button to enter Ed it Mode. 2. Now select the Pitch Bend wheel f or editing by moving th e wheel. 3. You will see Page 1 display ed on the screen (shown on the left). 4. Press[...]

29 PRESS ENTER TO EDIT MIDI CHANNEL FIELD MIDI CC FIELD EDITING THE MODULATION WHEEL The Modulation wheel can be edite d to transmit a range of values on a s pecific MIDI Channel and MIDI CC. 1. To edit the Modulation wheel settings, press the [ED IT] button to enter Edit Mode. 2. Now select the Modulation wheel f or editing by moving the wheel. 3.[...]

30 MAXIMUM VALUE PRESS ENTER TO EDIT TRANSPORT CONTROL MESSAGE FOR MAT PRESS ENTER TO EDIT BPM FIELD PRESS ENTE R TO EDIT EDITING TRANSPORT CONTROL The transport control section on th e MPK25 can be conf igured to send transport control information in a variety of ways: MMC (MIDI Machi ne Control), MMC/MIDI, MIDI , or CTRL. Some applications and de[...]

31 MIDI PORT/CHANNEL FIELD PLAY MODE FIELD EDITING SUSTAIN PEDAL INPUT The footswitch input on the r ear of the MPK25 c an be used in a vari ety of different ways. For example, a footswitch can be used as a conventional MIDI CC switch. In addition, a footswitch may also be used to trigger sp ecific pads on the top panel (for example, to play o ut a[...]

32 DRUM PAD NUMBER DRUM PAD PARAMETERS If you choose “Drum Pad” as the event type for the foots witch, page 2 allows you to select which pad w ill be triggered with the footswitch. 1. Turn [ VALUE] dial to sele ct the desired pad (i.e. C4 would b e pad 4 in bank C). 2. Press [ENTER] to accept the settin g or [<] to cancel. OTHER FUNCTIONS As[...]

33 MIDI COMMON CHANNEL FIELD GLOBAL MODE In Global Mode, you can send global messages and make general changes to the way that your MPK25 functions. Global Mode options are organized under different pages and include the list of options shown on the right: To enter Global Mode, press the [GLOBAL] button. To scroll among the different pages, use the[...]

34 LCD CONTRAST PAD SENSITIVIT Y FIELD PAD VELOCIT Y CURVE FI ELD MIDI VELOCITY WEAK STRENGTH OF HITTING PAD STRONG LCD CONTRAST – Page 3 The contrast of the LCD can be adjusted for optimal viewing. 1. While in Global Mode, use [>] bu tton to scroll to LCD CONT (page 3). 2. Turn [VALUE] dial to select a contrast level. 3. Press [ENTER] to set [...]

35 KEYBOARD TR ANSPOSIT ION FIELD MIDI CLOCK FI ELD TAP AVERAGE FI ELD PAD THRESHO LD FIELD PAD THRESHOLD – Page 6 PAD THRESHOLD is the minimum force required to activate the pads. If you experience “ghost” triggering due to sta ge vibrations, you may wish to set this threshold higher. On the other hand, if you find it difficult to cause the [...]

36 PRESS ENT ER TO SAVE PRESS ENTER TO TRANFER SAVE GLOBAL – Page 10 SAVE GLOBAL allows you to save all of the global param eters on the MPK25, including MIDI Commo n Channel, LCD Contrast, Pad Sensitivity, Pad Velocity Curve, Keyboard Transpositio n, MIDI Clock, Tap Tempo Average, Preset and SysEx information. 1. While in Global Mode, use [>][...]

37 PROGRAM CHANGE MODE A Program Change , often referred to as a Patch Cha nge , is a MIDI message used for sending data to devices to cause them to change to a new program. This allows y ou to tell a hardware or software device which sound to play. For example, i f your MPK25 is controlling a piano patch on your DAW or an external device, using a [...]

38 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS Question: Does the MPK25 have intern al sounds? Answer: No. The MPK25 is a MIDI-contr oller, which means that it does not contain a ny sounds inside but is instead used to control external s ound devices, such as hardwar e and software synthesizers, seque ncers and drum machines. Question: Can the MPK25 be sy nced to e[...]

39 TROUBLESHOOTING PROBLEM CAUSE SOLUTION Please make sure that the MPK25 i s connected to your computer and that the compu ter is powered on. The display does not light up. No power. If using a power adapter, please m ake sure that the adapter is plugged into a live power outlet. Check your computer’s USB connec tion to confirm that the MPK25 is[...]

40 TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS GENERAL Display custom LCD w/ backli ght Dimensions (WxDxH) 477 mm x 359 mm x 88 mm Weight 3.4 kg Power ~100mA, 5V DC via USB ~1A, 6V DC via external adaptor Number of Presets 30 MIDI output channels over USB 48 (16 channels x 3 po rts) MIDI output channels from 5-pin MIDI 16 Keyboard 25 Semi-Weighted keyboard (velocity [...]

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