Hi Folks,
i've just started working with the Akai MPD 24. So it is a really cool unit, the pads are smooth and sensitive in the middle, a bit insensitive at the corners but I dont care, it has 6 Faders, some run real nice, one is a bit quicker and not with so likely to handle than the other ones. I dont know wheter this is a feature or not. The display really kicks ass, because it delivers all needed information. The MMC controls look very handy but dont work with Live. I think this is something that the Abletonheads might fix somedays (hopefully please).
The eight encoders are good to turn with nice controlfeeling (before I had to battle the knobs on the Alesis Photon 25 and they really suck!). The MPD-knobs are announced as "endless controllers" and they really turn without an end but only deliver absolute MIDI data. Thats my problem. I thought like "Yeah, if they are endless I just assign them to a controller in Ableton and I will never encounter value jumps again."
Mistake!
Because the controller only deliver absolute data (from 000 to 127 and you can limit the value range e.g. 063 to 065 or switch the range so it goes from 127 down to 000) I still encounter value jumps.
I've found this explanation from Doepfer http://www.doepfer.de/controller/overview.htm whitch also features relative MIDI Data and tried it with the "relativ binary mode" but because the MPD24 doesnt send data if I turn the knob left when it is already at the end of the range (e.g. value 063 in the relative binary mode and continue turning left) this doesnt work out.
So I ask for any other suggestions. I've already wrote a mail to Akai about the problem but they havent answered yet. Come one, anyone an idea?