Just got my AKAI MPD32 - Any tips?

mrbird · Post by **mrbird** » Mon Sep 29, 2008 4:23 pm

Well folks, anyone out there using this? Any good tips or tricks?

Before you ask, am in the process of RTFM, just thought I might get some useful tips people have already discovered with it.

Cheers,

Mr B

mrbird · Post by **mrbird** » Tue Sep 30, 2008 7:54 pm

Hi folks, don't all rush at once. Surely someone out there must be using the AKAI?

46 Views and nothing?

First few posts here after using Ableton solidly for 5 years now, I regularly check out the forum for bits of advice and tips and tricks...surely...someone...out...there...

Aequitas123 · Post by **Aequitas123** » Tue Sep 30, 2008 8:01 pm

mrbird wrote:Hi folks, don't all rush at once. Surely someone out there must be using the AKAI?

46 Views and nothing?

First few posts here after using Ableton solidly for 5 years now, I regularly check out the forum for bits of advice and tips and tricks...surely...someone...out...there...

You always need to post twice on this forum before someone will answer... always.

condra · Post by **condra** » Wed Oct 01, 2008 2:32 am

Tip 1-
Midi Thru on the MPD32 will work with every hardware synth, and every bit of midi software, apart from ... Ableton Live.

Tip 2-
Practice using the Preview button. It's actually very useful when you get used to it.

Tip 3- When you set it up as a named controller in Lives preferences, don't think that means it will work perfectly with Live. Ableton have yet to fully and properly support the MPD or MPK in Live.
Problems involve midi thru on the MPD, drum pads on the MPK (with drum racks), and assignable buttons/rotaries on both MPD/MPK.

Tip 4- Place something between your MPD and tabletop to prevent resonation. The MPDs rubber feet are awful and provide minimal cushioning.

Meef Chaloin · Post by **Meef Chaloin** » Wed Oct 01, 2008 9:39 am

i did have an MPD but ive just sold it...sorry, i cant offer any advice

bouke · Post by **bouke** » Wed Oct 01, 2008 4:46 pm

Use bomes midi translator to convert the track buttons to most used functions in live.

I have:

<< = undo
>> = copy clip to next line
STOP = delete (on whatever is active)
PLAY = switch OVR
REC = ARM current track

This speeded my production process quite a lot and gives a good use in live scenarios.

I didn't like Live support for the MPD so I only use the midi assignments.

Create 8 bus tracks and map a slider on every track. I use the button below as a track muter. Route everything to those 8 busses.

I'll try to create a movie how I control Live with my MPD32, but I'm quite busy at the moment... As everyone else

mrbird · Post by **mrbird** » Wed Oct 01, 2008 9:13 pm

Cheers folks , all very useful advice info...just about to dive in the studio for a couple of hours, see if I can start having a play and get it set up, I'll let you know how I get on...

Thanks Bouke, I hadn't heard of the bomes midi translator software, I was wondering why you need this, I was presuming you could just map all the MIDI controllers as usual in Ableton?

Thanks again,

Mr B :D

john doe by choice · Post by **john doe by choice** » Wed Oct 01, 2008 9:54 pm

I would recommend getting some white tape that you can write on, and label anything you find to be of regular use, once you figure out your settings - I know a few people who use them live (I don't), and they all have labels all over the place.

nafe · Post by **nafe** » Thu Oct 02, 2008 2:22 am

yo, I have just spent a week of heavy duty mpd 32 time. Found the hardest bit was to sync note repeat with abletom.
Here is the way to go.
-On MPD set midi to EXTERNAL (its default is internal and needs to be reset each time the unit powers up)

-tap the note repeat button and then hit edit on mpd. Change the swing to 50. It is set as 58 on default (dont know why) and gives an anoying swing if you dont change this.

-In ableton preferences go to the midi window MPD output and hit the dropdown arrow. You need to alter the delay sync otherwise it works like two records that are in time but not together (galloping horses). (useful to use the metronome) also found it handy to have a midi track of about 1 bar recording, hold down a sound coming out of drum rack, set MPD to 1/4 and adjust the delay untill you can see that the notes get laid down exactly on the right spot when recording.

-you must have ableton playing for note repeat to work like this.

You can have the MPD as the master and ableton as the slave, i found this annoying as every time you push stop the midi message is lost.

MPD is a gnarley piece of equipment. when not repeat is working well it is extreemly feasable to lay down tight precise beats on the fly and live easy as. Happy hunting.

PS any one know how to save your settings so they dont reset every time you unplug the mpd?

mrbird · Post by **mrbird** » Thu Oct 02, 2008 7:18 pm

Cheers for the advice folks, one thing I'm already having a problem with:

I have mapped the 8 volume faders to 8 audio tracks in my default Live template, at first the volume was going up to +6dB as default, so I have obviously gone into MIDI mapping in Live and set the master level for each track just below 0dB, and I have now saved this as my default template, all good so far, problem being when I restart Live, even though the MIDI settings are unchanged and still set to this nominal value of 0db, when I use the volume faders on the MPD it's immediately going back to the +6dbB range, what a pain!

Any ideas anyone? Am I doing something wrong or is this a bug?

Cheers,

Mr B

ReverendZed · Post by **ReverendZed** » Thu Oct 02, 2008 10:09 pm

mrbird wrote:...when I use the volume faders on the MPD it's immediately going back to the +6dbB range, what a pain!

In MIDI map mode open the browser. You should see the mappings for each fader as they correspond to your tracks, change +6dB to your desired value. When you map a controller it's going to map 0-127 to the lowest and topmost possible values, changing track volume in your default template only changes the value your session starts at. I suppose you could have mappings in your default template as well, I've never made any MIDI settings part of a new project. FWIW I'm not using the MPD32, I'm using the 24. Same tip applies to both, however.

chris_in_london · Post by **chris_in_london** » Thu Oct 30, 2008 12:38 pm

nafe wrote:PS any one know how to save your settings so they dont reset every time you unplug the mpd?

your preset settings should save ok - check the manual. however some (not all) of the global settings (midi int/ext and a couple of the pad settings) are not saved. it's a bug, and akai pro support claim to be aware and workign on it. but it's months since i got that message.

send them a message reporting this bug - although i hear they're lame on the support front, if more people report the bug, then they might pull their finger out and fix it. it's very annoying, imo.

Meef Chaloin · Post by **Meef Chaloin** » Thu Oct 30, 2008 1:34 pm

any tips?

get this - http://www.nativekontrol.com/nativeKONTROL_NPKLive.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0PhiJmGBDk

mrbird · Post by **mrbird** » Thu Oct 30, 2008 1:56 pm

Looks cool but I´m an OS x bod for my sins and it´s for XP or Vista...

Cheers anyway,

Mr Bird

AI_Joe · Post by **AI_Joe** » Fri Oct 31, 2008 4:14 am

Get the latest version of the firmware. There are other threads in this forum that have good directions on how to do it properly. Then you can map the transport controls to their proper functions.

Just got my AKAI MPD32 - Any tips?

Just got my AKAI MPD32 - Any tips?

Thanks guys and gals

Re: Thanks guys and gals

Thanks...

MPD Continued...

Re: MPD Continued...

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