INTRODUCTION HOOKUP DIAGRAM
Contents
1. MPK25 features the same exact pads which are used on the Akai MPC500 Question Are the knobs on the MPK25 endless Answer The knobs on the MPK25 are endless pots This allows you to limit the range of the knobs as well as use them as increment decrement controls Please note that your software application must be able to receive and recognize NRPNs for Increment decrement functions to work Question see 12 knobs 4 buttons and 12 pads Is that all get Answer No The MPK25 features multiple banks of controllers and pads which can be accessed with the PAD BANk and CONTROL BANK buttons This allows you to access significantly more parameters than the amount of physical controllers There are 2 control banks which effectively give you 32 2x16 controllers There are also 4 different pad banks which give you a total of 48 4x12 pads Question Are the Pitch Bend and Mod wheels freely assignable Answer The Pitch Bend wheel transmits dedicated pitch bend information and cannot be freely assigned to another controller value The Mod wheel on the other hand can be assigned to transmit CC information on any MIDI CC Question Does the Note Repeat feature on the MPK25 work similarly to Note Repeat on the Akai MPC series Answer Yes the MPK25 features the same Note Repeat algorithm as can be found on the legendary Akai MPC series This feature allows you to perform and program rhythm patterns that would otherwise be nearly impossible2. gt x D BE INTRODUCTION This Quickstart Manual is intended to give you a brief overview of the functionality and features of the MPK25 In this manual you will find instructions on how to connect the MPK25 and how to use its basic features For detailed information we recommend reading the Operator s Manual included on the software CD Enjoy HOOKUP DIAGRAM B El w 5 a Please refer to the following scenario for connecting the MPK25 COMPUTER EXTERNAL SOUND MODULE _ POWER ADAPTER EXTERNAL MIDI DEVICE SUSTAIN PEDAL EXPRESSION PEDAL 1 Connect a USB cable from your computer to the MPK25 The unit will be powered through the USB connection Alternatively if you do not wish to use a computer in your setup or if you wish to power the MPK25 externally please plug in a MP6 1 power adapter 2 If you would like to use an external sound module connect a 5 pin MIDI cable from the MIDI OUT of the MPK25 to the MIDI IN of the external device 3 If you would like to use another MIDI controller in your setup connect a 5 pin MIDI cable from the MIDI OUT of the controller to the MIDI IN of the MPK25 REAR PANEL OVERVIEW DC POWER ADAPTER INPUT Plug in a MP6 1 power adapter if you do not wish to power the MPK25 through the USB connection POWER ADAPTER RESTRAINT You can secure a power adapter cord to this restraint to prevent accidental unplugging USB CONNECTION Plug a standar
3. pads Deactivate 12 Level to return to normal operation The pads always play at maximum velocity 127 Full Level feature is engaged When engaged the Full Level function will cause all the pads to output maximum velocity no matter how hard they are hit Turn off Full Level to return to normal operation 14 AK Al TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS GENERAL Display custom LCD w backlight 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 ports MIDI output channels from 5 pin MIDI 16 25 Semi Weighted keyboard velocity KEBO and channel pressure sensitive Drum pads 12 velocity and pressure sensitive Drum pad banks 4 360 degree knobs 12 Switches 4 User s manual Accessories USB cable 1m CD ROM disc INPUTS OUTPUTS MIDI inputs 5 pin DIN x 1 MIDI outputs 5 pin DIN x 1 USB Slave connector x 1 MIDI over USB DC IN 6V DC 1A CONTACT INFORMATION Please visit the Akai Professional website www akaipro com regularly for additional information news and firmware upgrades for the MPK25 For additional technical support EMAIL support akaipro com TEL 401 658 4032 U S
4. to do by hand 13 The display does not light up No power Please make sure that the MPK25 is connected to your computer and that the computer is powered on If using a power adapter please make sure that the adapter is plugged into a live power outlet No sound from target device MPK25 not properly connected Check your computer s USB connection to confirm that the MPK25 is recognized If necessary replug the connection and restart your computer If controlling an external hardware module make sure that the MIDI cable is connected from the MPK25 to the device s MIDI IN port MPK25 connected after software application has started Restart the software application with the controller plugged in Problem is caused by use of a USB hub Unplug the MPK25 from the USB hub and connect directly to the computer Software application not set to receive MIDI data from the MPK25 Ensure that the MPK25 or USB MIDI device is listed as an active MIDI source in your application Usually the MIDI settings can be accessed through the application s Preferences menu MPK25 s MIDI channel not the same as application s incoming MIDI chanel Make sure that the MPK25 is sending MIDI information on the channel that the target device expects Notes sustain continuously Sustain pedal was plugged in after the MPK25 was powered on Turn the unit s power off wait a
5. E you can edit the settings of the Press ta EDIT arton ee one eee cs To select the controller you wish to edit simply engage it this will prompt the screen currently selected Preset The to display the properties of the particular controller Page 1 settings vary depending on the If there are multiple menus for the selected controller turn the VALUE dial to select controller you are editing and the menu you wish to edit Press ENTER to view the parameters of the selected are described on the following Property Page 2 age To move between the parameter fields on Page 2 use the lt and gt buttons To page change the values of the fields turn the VALUE dial Please note that the changes When finished editing the controller press ENTER to accept the change or press lt you make will only apply to the wees currently selected Preset You can use the example screenshot on the right to FIELD 1 help you determine where the Page 2 parameters EE described on the following page will appear on the screen FIELD 3 FIELD 4 10 CONTROLLER SELECTED PAGE 1 PAGE 2 KEYBOARD MIDI CHANNEL field 1 OCTANE UP DOWN field 4 KEYBOARD MIDI CHANNEL field 1 KEYBOARD Atiu ON OFF BEHAVIOR field 4 KEYBOARD MIDI CHANNEL field 1 MELOEN ON OFF BEHAVIOR field 4 MIDI CHANNEL field 1 ete
6. IDI input device Question Can l use the MPK25 as a MIDI interface for other MIDI devices Answer Yes The MPK25 functions as a MIDI interface and can be used to send or receive MIDI to and from other MIDI devices connected to it Question Can control multiple devices with the MPK25 Answer Yes The MPK25 can transmit information on 16 MIDI channels on 2 ports for a total of 32 different MIDI Channels Question How many different Presets can the MPK25 hold Answer The MPK25 can hold 30 Preset settings which allow you to store different configurations for use with various software and hardware modules Presets can easily be copied edited and stored for quick recall of desired configurations Question Can send Program Change messages to my software or hardware devices Answer Yes You can send Program Change messages in Program Change mode In addition pads and buttons may also be assigned to transmit program change messages Question Are the pads on the MPK25 velocity and pressure sensitive Answer Yes The MPK25 sports MPC style velocity and pressure sensitive pads This allows you to be extremely expressive with your programming and performance Question What is the octave range of the keyboard Answer The MPK25 has a 2 octave physical range 25 keys However you can access 10 octaves simply by transposing the keyboard up or down with the OCTAVE buttons Question What type of pads is used on the MPK25 Answer The
7. NOTE NUMBER field 2 N OFF BEHAVIOR field 3 ee PRESSURE BEHAVIOR field 4 MIDI CHANNEL field 1 PROGRAM CHANGE NUMBER field 2 ARLE eines BANK M MSB field 3 BANK L LSB field 4 MIDI CHANNEL field 1 CC NUMBER field 2 CONWRIOL ORANGE RANGE MINIMUM VALUE field 3 RANGE MAXIMUM VALUE field 4 KNOBS MIDI CHANNEL field 1 CC NUMBER field 2 Arle RANGE MINIMUM VALUE field 3 RANGE MAXIMUM VALUE field 4 MIDI CHANNEL field 1 CONTROL CHANGE CC NUMBER field 2 BUTTON MODE field 4 BUTTONS MIDI CHANNEL field 1 PROGRAM CHANGE NUMBER field 2 ROER ORANGE BANK M MSB field 3 BANK L LSB field 4 ARPEGGIO TYPE field 2 TYPE RANGE TOGGLE ARPEGGIO RANGE field 3 ARP ON OFF ARPEGGIO TOGGLE BEHAVIOR field 4 ARPEGGIO GATE VALUE field 2 CATS ARPEGGIO SWING VALUE field 4 TOGGLE MOMENTARY BUTTON MODE field 2 NOTE REPEAT NOTE REPEAT GATE VALUE field 2 CAUNES NOTE REPEAT SWING VALUE field 4 DEFAULT TIME DIVISION field 2 THIS INTELL BINISION BUTTON MODE field 4 PITCH BEND WHEEL PITCH BEND MIDI CHANNEL field 1 MIDI CHANNEL field 1 CC NUMBER field 2 MODULATION WHEEL MODULATION WHEEL EEMS EU RANGE MAXIMUM VALUE field 4 TRANSPORT TRANSPORT FUNCTION MMC MIDI MMC MIDI or CTRL field 2 TAP TEMPO TEMPO BPM field 2 MIDI CHANNEL field 1 3 CC NUMBER field 2 CATEEHANIGE RANGE MINIMUM VALUE field 3 EXPRESSION PEDAL RANGE MAXIMUM VALUE field 4 MIDI CHANNEL field 1 AFTE
8. RTOUCH RANGE MINIMUM VALUE field 3 RANGE MAXIMUM VALUE field 4 MIDI CHANNEL field 1 MIDI CC CC NUMBER field 2 BUTTON MODE field 4 DRUM PAD PAD NUMBER field 4 NOTE REPEAT TIME DIV SADE ma TEMPO FOR DETAILED INFORMATION ON EDIT aa PARAMETERS PLEASE REFER TO THE BIC OPERATOR S MANUAL INCLUDED ON THE ARP ON OFF i ARP LATCH SUSTAIN 11 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 below NAVIGATING GLOBAL MODE Press the GLOBAL button Use the lt and gt buttons to navigate through the available pages of options shown below Use the VALUE dial to change settings values or select a message on the selected page Press ENTER to accept the change or send a message or press lt to cancel KILL MIDI Send an All Notes Off or Reset Controllers message Page 1 Select which MIDI channel will be used as the MIDI COMMON CHANNEL Oane ene Page 2 LCD CONTRAST Adjust the contrast of the display Page 3 PAD SENSITIVITY Adjust how sensitive the pads are to the touch Page 4 Adjust how the pads will output MIDI velocity based WEEN B ESTES Ns on the force applied to them agea Adjust the threshold of minimum force required to PAD THRESHOLD activate a pad Page 6 KEYBOARD TRANSPOSITION Transpose the keyboard up or down in semitone
9. a Bank M Most Significant Bit Change message 0 126 which allows access of up to 16384 different program banks You can use PROG BANK if your DAW or external device supports LSB and MSB 12 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS Question Does the MPK25 have internal sounds Answer No The MPK25 is a MIDI controller which means that it does not contain any sounds inside but is instead used to control external sound devices such as hardware and software synthesizers sequencers and drum machines Question Can the MPK25 be synced to external devices Answer Yes the MPK25 can receive MIDI Clock through both the USB and the MIDI IN connection This means that you can synchronize tempo based features such as Note Repeat and the Arpeggiator to an external source To synchronize the MPK25 to an external MIDI Clock source please enter Global Mode scroll to MIDI Clock and select External Question Do need to use a power adapter if am using the MPK25 with a computer Answer No The MPK25 will draw power directly from the USB port However if your USB port does not supply enough power or if you are using a USB hub it may be necessary to use an adapter Question What software applications is the MPK25 compatible with Answer The MPK25 is compatible with any software or hardware device which supports the MIDI protocol Please consult your specific hardware or software device s documentation for instructions on enabling the MPK25 as a M
10. are DAW or a MIDI device LATCH This button works in conjunction with the Arpeggiator When the Arpeggiator is turned on and LATCH has been enabled you can hold down a combination of keys the Arpeggiator will memorize and continue to arpeggiate these notes even if you depress the keys There are a couple of ways to use the LATCH function a While holding down the keys you can add more notes to the sequence by pressing down additional keys b If you depress the keys release them and then press down a new combination of notes the Arpeggiator will memorize and arpeggiate the new notes OCTAVE These buttons can be used to shift the keyboard s range up and down The display will indicate which octave you have shifted to If both buttons are pressed at the same time the octave shift will reset to 0 TAP TEMPO This button allows you to tap in a new tempo If the preset is reloaded the tempo will revert to the saved tempo value Please note that a preset s default tempo can be set in Edit Mode Tap Tempo does not work when the MPK25 is set to External sync PITCH BEND WHEEL Transmits MIDI Pitch Bend information on a selected MIDI channel and port MODULATION WHEEL This wheel can be used to transmit continuous controller data By default the modulation wheel will transmit MIDI CC 01 AKAI ABOUT MODES The MPK25 has four different modes of operation Each mode can be accessed by p
11. d USB cable into this outlet and into the USB port of your computer The computer s USB port will provide power to the MPK25 This connection is used to send and receive MIDI data to and from your computer and may also be used to send MIDI data from your computer to a device attached to the MIDI OUT port of the MPK25 MIDI OUT Use a five pin MIDI cable to connect the MIDI OUT of the MPK25 to the MIDI IN of an external device COM MIDI OUT MIDIIN SUSTAIN EXPRESSION Q O o 9 YV SL OY MIDI IN Use a five pin MIDI cable to connect the MIDI OUT of an external MIDI device to the MIDI IN of the MPK25 SUSTAIN PEDAL Connect a 1 4 TS sustain pedal to this input EXPRESSION PEDAL INPUT Connect a 1 4 TRS expression pedal to this input KENSINGTON LOCK SLOT You may use this Kensington lock slot to secure the MPK25 to a table or other surface LCD The display is used for navigating menus displaying data and affecting change on MPK25 s options and parameters VALUE Push to Enter This dial is used to increment and decrement Presets parameter values and settings This dial also functions as an ENTER button when it is pressed down lt AND gt BUTTONS These buttons are used to navigate through the fields of menus and options The lt button also functions as a CANCEL button PRESET This button calls up Pres
12. et Mode You can select and recall different Preset programs in this mode EDIT This button calls up Edit Mode which allows you to edit the behavior of the keyboard pads knobs buttons and default settings for each preset GLOBAL This button calls up Global Mode where MIDI reset commands and global system preferences are set 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 PREVIEW This button allows you to see the last value that was sent by a controller without actually sending a value Hold down this button and adjust a controller to display the value in the LCD Then you can either change it to a new value or return it to last value that was sent PROGRAM CHANGE Pressing this button will enter Program Change mode In this mode you can send a Program Change or Program with Bank Change message to a hardware or software module TRANSPORT CONTROL BUTTONS These five buttons are dedicated buttons for sending transport control commands The transport control buttons can be set to transmit either MMC MIDI Machine Control MMC MIDI SysEx MIDI START STOP or pre assigned MIDI CC values 12 ASSIGNABLE KNOBS Each 360 degree knob can be used to send continuous control data to a desktop audio workstation or external MIDI device 4 ASSIGNABLE BUTTONS These buttons can be used as MIDI CC switches or Program Change switches They can function in Momentary or Toggle Modes When TIME DIVISION ha
13. moment and then turn it on again Stuck notes due to incomplete MIDI data Turn the unit s power off wait a moment and then turn it on again Sustain pedal works in reverse Sustain pedal was plugged in after power was turned on With the pedal plugged in turn the unit s power off wait a moment and turn it on again Arpeggiator and Note Repeat features are not synchronized to my clock source Clock source on MPK25 set to Internal In Global Mode change the MIDI Clock setting to External Also make sure that the software you are using is set to send MIDI Clock to the MPK25 Arpeggiator and Note Repeat features are not working and my Seg DAW is sending clock Software DAW is not in play mode If your software DAW is not playing it will not be sending clock My knob or mod wheel works in reverse Controller minimum value is set higher than its maximum Edit the controller and set the minimum value to be lower than the maximum Transport control does not work Software does not support MMC messages MIDI START STOP or the MIDI CC mode Edit the transport control to send MIDI messages instead Make sure that the Transport mode you are using on the MPK matches the receive modes of your software lam only hearing one sound when hit different pads 12 Level function is engaged When engaged the 12 Level function will map the last hit pad to all 12
14. ou to transmit various Program Change messages In PROGRAM this mode you can tell your DAW or an external device to switch to a CHANGE different program bank of sounds This way you can avoid having to gt manually switch between different programs on your DAW or external device PRESET MODE A Preset is a collection of information about how the MPK25 s keyboard knobs buttons and pads will behave Using Presets allows you to save different configurations so you can quickly recall them at any time without having to reprogram the MPK25 every time You can press the PRESET button at any time to call up this mode In Preset Mode you can load save copy and rename Presets each of these functions can be accessed through the 3 different pages PAGE 1 LOAD PRESET 1 While you are in Preset Mode you can change Presets with the VALUE dial below the screen Turning the dial increments or decrements the current Preset number and displays the screen on the right When you do this you will notice that PRESS ENTER will begin to blink 2 Pressing ENTER loads the selected Preset Pressing lt or the PRESET button cancels and returns you to the Preset that was last selected PAGE 2 SAVE COPY PRESET In Preset Mode you can also save and copy a Preset to a new location EE A This allows you to save any changes that you would have made to the i p venen gt i Preset in Edit Mode SAE 70 Note that if
15. ressing 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 PRESET collection of information about how different knobs and pads will behave Using Presets allows you to save different configurations so you can quickly load them when you need them without having to reprogram the MPK25 every time Edit Mode This mode allows you to edit the configuration of the MPK25 Edit Mode is a EDIT powerful tool for customizing your set up In this mode you can make changes to how the keyboard pads knobs and other features are behaving For example you may wish to have a knob transmit only a limited range of MIDI data or you may wish to have a pad that transmits on a different MIDI Channel You can change these and other various parameters in Edit Mode See the PRESET parameter table for a full listing of parameters Global Mode This mode allows you to set global parameters and make general changes to GLOBAL how your MPK25 is functioning For example in Global Mode you can change how the pads respond to the touch or change the brightness of the LCD screen The parameters that you can modify in Global Mode also include controller resets MIDI Common Channel Pad Velocity Curve Pad Threshold Keyboard Transposition and more See Global Mode on Page 12 for a full list of the menus Program Change Mode This mode allows y
16. s Page 7 MIDI CLOCK Select Internal or External MIDI Clock source Page 8 Select the number of taps to be averaged in TAP TEMPO AVERAGE determining tempo Page 9 SAVE SETUP Save the current global settings Page 10 SYSEXTX Transfer a Preset via SysEx Page 11 VERSION Check the current firmware version Page 12 PROGRAM CHANGE MODE A Program Change often referred to as a Patch Change is a MIDI message used for sending data to devices to cause them to change to a new program This allows you to tell a hardware or software device which sound to play For example if your MPK25 is controlling a piano patch on your DAW or using a Program Change command allows you to easily an external device switch to a synth patch Press the PROGRAM CHANGE button Prog Bank message on and press ENTER NAVIGATING PROGRAM CHANGE MODE On Page 1 use the VALUE dial to select a Prog Change or On Page 2 use the lt and gt buttons to move through the different options and use the VALUE dial to change them Press ENTER to send the message There are two different types of Program Change messages on the MPK25 PROG CHANGE This event will transmit a regular Program Change message 0 127 to your DAW or an external device allowing you to switch between 128 different program banks PROG BANK This event transmits a Program Change message 0 127 along with a Bank L Least Significant Bit Change message 0 127 and
17. s been activated these 4 buttons are used to set the time division of the Arpeggiator and Note Repeat features CONTROL BANK The MPK25 features 2 independent banks of continuous controllers Effectively this allows you to control up to 32 independent parameters with the knobs and buttons on the MPK25 The CONTROL BANK button is used to switch among the 2 banks The LEDs above the button will reflect the currently selected control bank 12 MPC PRESSURE AND VELOCITY SENSITIVE PADS The pads can be used to trigger drum hits or samples on your software or hardware module The pads are pressure and velocity sensitive which makes them very responsive and intuitive to play PAD BANK BUTTONS These 4 buttons A switch among pad banks A B C D Each bank can address a unique set of 12 sounds giving you access of up to 48 different sounds you can trigger with the pads The currently selected pad bank will be indicated on the LCD display FULL LEVEL When FULL LEVEL is activated the pads always play back at a maximum velocity 127 no matter how hard or softly you hit them 12 LEVEL When 12 LEVEL is activated you can use the 12 pads to change a selected sound s velocity in 12 steps Ce When you press the 12 LEVEL button the last pad that was hit gets mapped to all 12 pads The 2 EJ pads will now output the same note number and pressure controller as the initial pad bu
18. t the velocity is fixed at the values shown in the diagram on the right regardless of how hard you hit them This allows you to have more control over the velocity of a sound NOTE REPEAT Holding this button while striking a pad causes the pad to retrigger at a rate based on the current Tempo and Time Division settings The Note Repeat feature can be synced to an internal or external MIDI Clock source NOTE REPEAT can function as a latching or momentary button 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 TIME DIVISION This button is used to specify the rate of the Note Repeat and Arpeggiator features When TIME DIVISION is activated you can press one of the 4 switches to specify a time division Each switch toggles between a straight and triplet feel for that time division TIME DIVISION can function as a momentary or toggle button Please note that while TIME DIVISION is active the 4 assignable buttons will not function as MIDI CC or Program Change switches until TIME DIVISION has been de activated ARP ON OFF This button enables and disables the internal Arpeggiator The Arpeggiator will only function on notes being played on the keyboard The Arpeggiator feature on the MPK25 works in conjunction with the Tempo and Time Division settings which specify the rate of arpeggiation Please note that the Arpeggiator can be synced either to an internal or external MIDI Clock source such as a softw
19. you are saving the Preset to the same location same preset number the screen will say SAVE TO and if you are saving to a different location different Preset number the screen will display COPY TO DESTINATION 1 While you are in Preset Mode press gt button until you see the SAVE TO screen similar to the one shown above You can select the location where you want to save the Preset by turning the VALUE knob When you do this you will notice that PRESS ENTER will begin to blink Press ENTER to save current Preset to the destination Pressing the lt button or PRESET button cancels the operation and returns you to the Preset play mode PAGE 3 NAME PRESET While you are in Preset Mode you can also change the Preset name This way you can assign specific names to different Presets so you can better keep track and quickly access different controller configurations Np wo 1 To name or rename the Preset press the gt button until you see Preset Name displayed on the screen You will notice that the first letter of the name will begin blinking Turn the VALUE dial to change the blinking character ENTER PRESET NAME IN THIS FIELD wo N To move between the characters use lt and gt buttons When done press PRESET again The name will be saved EN EDIT MODE Pressing the EDIT button calls up Edit Mode In this mode NAVIGATING EDIT MOD
Download Pdf Manuals
Related Search