Instruction/ maintenance manual of the product MPD Akai
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1 Akai MPD and MP K Series – S etup With Ableton Live Contents Configuring as a Control Surface ...................................................................... 2 Input Output Options ...........................................................
2 Note: These screenshots were taken on Ableton Live 7.0.15, while there are new features in 8 the selections that pertain to this setup should remain the same. Also note they were taken using the MPK on a Mac. All of the options are the same for the MPD short of the Arp option.
3 3. After choosing the appropriate Control Surface , turn your attention to the Input and Output drop- d own menus . On the I nput drop-down choose the 1 st midi input. ( Note: on PC’s you may see USB Audio Device not MPD or MPK ) 4. After choosing the first input drop down the Output menu.
4 Input Output Options The MPD or MPK should now be selected as the control surface. Now turn your attention to the MI DI Ports section below. Y ou will see 3 inputs and 2 outputs.
5 2. The Sync option is specifically for routing Midi Clock between devices. This will come into play with Note Repeat and the Arp option. W hen usi n g the MPK you may want to use the Note Repeat function on the pads or the Arp with the keys. The MPD will also allow Note Repeat with the pads.
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7 3. The Remote option is used to send/receive Control Surface commands. i.e, the transport controls, the knobs , and the faders . ( see Custom Assigning Controls for more on this ) To use the knobs, faders, and transport to control Ableton turn Remote On for the 1st input.
8 Custom A s signing C ontrols 1. It is also very easy to customize Ableton to respond in any way you’d like. On a Mac hit CMD + M to bring up the midi assignment options. On a PC press CTRL+M . You’ll see it puts a blue sheen over all assignable options.
9 3. After selecting the assignable option ( Send A in this ex am ple), simply move the knob or fader you would like to assign to it on the MPD or MPK . As you can see in the screen shot below it w i ll show a number for the assignment it learned. This is the CC ( Control Change ) number assigned to the particular knob or fader you moved.
10 Value Scaling vs. Pick Up Mode There is one more thing to be aware of on the MIDI S y nc tab in your Preferences menu. You will see a Takeover Mode drop-down menu.
11 Using Note Rep eat / A r p w ith the MPD or MPK ’ s Internal MIDI Clock 1. First turn Sync On for the first input. You will see Sync Type . Drop down this menu and choose MIDI Clock . This is telling Ableton to listen to the tempo from your MPD or MPK .
12 Using Note Rep eat / A r p w ith Ableton as Master 1. To set the MPD or MPK to listen to External clock press the Global button and then page right until you see MIDI/CLK . Set this option to Externa l. Make sure you are on the latest firmw a re to be able to save this change.
13 Using a Virtual I nstrument in Ableton 1. To set up a Virtual Instrument in Ableton the first thing we need to do is choose one from the Ableton Device List. ( You can also use 3 rd party VST’s, consult Ableton’ s d ocumentation ) 2. Choose the option highlighted in the screen shot below to bring up a list of your Live Devices .
14 3. You will see the track appear on the right. Notice at the bottom there is a red button. This is Record Enable , this must be activated to he ar what you are playing.
15 4. Below you will see the drop down menu for the m idi input . It will be labeled MIDI From . Generally you can leave this set to All Ins, however if need be choose the specific input for the MPK49/MPD32 from the drop down menu.
16 Now if you play the MPD or MPK you should hear the audio from this Virtual Instrument track. There is plenty to learn with Ableton as it is an advanced DAW(Digital Audio Workstation), so we still suggest reading the manual and going through the tutorial videos.
An important point after buying a device Akai MPD (or even before the purchase) is to read its user manual. We should do this for several simple reasons:
If you have not bought Akai MPD yet, this is a good time to familiarize yourself with the basic data on the product. First of all view first pages of the manual, you can find above. You should find there the most important technical data Akai MPD - thus you can check whether the hardware meets your expectations. When delving into next pages of the user manual, Akai MPD you will learn all the available features of the product, as well as information on its operation. The information that you get Akai MPD will certainly help you make a decision on the purchase.
If you already are a holder of Akai MPD, but have not read the manual yet, you should do it for the reasons described above. You will learn then if you properly used the available features, and whether you have not made any mistakes, which can shorten the lifetime Akai MPD.
However, one of the most important roles played by the user manual is to help in solving problems with Akai MPD. Almost always you will find there Troubleshooting, which are the most frequently occurring failures and malfunctions of the device Akai MPD along with tips on how to solve them. Even if you fail to solve the problem, the manual will show you a further procedure – contact to the customer service center or the nearest service center
