NEW AKAI Controller MPK49

Discuss music production with Ableton Live.
eclipxe
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Post by eclipxe » Mon Jan 14, 2008 11:09 pm

Machinesworking wrote:
eclipxe wrote:
Machinesworking wrote: After having my X-Station killed in transit to get repaired I'm thinking about this Puppy for the same reasons

What is it about every piece of hardware or software out there having one fatal flaw that makes it annoying to work with?
Honestly this thing is $200 cheaper than a Remote SL, but still won't replace the PadKontrol.... blah! 16 is standard for soft synth drum kits these days Why???

Honestly I liked the Novation keys, I would have bought the SL off you and just used it as a straight MIDI controller.
Yeah - the novation had larger keys, but the Akai is springier and pushes back with more force (which I like).

About the pads - after using it for a week, I'm in love with it. I don't miss the extra column (it is a pain having to move the column over in drum racks) but I don't use more than 4 or 5 at once. I plan on mapping pad-bank D to Mackie Control emu (up/down/left/right/clip launch) and having everything in one controller. I've been very pleased with the Akai - I use the arp and note repeat A LOT more than I thought I would (I love setting the arp up with my hats on the keyboard then banging out a beat with the pads - very creative and easy, no need to set things up first).

Now when I had my PadKontrol I sat with it side by side to the mpk49 to compare the "feel" of the pads. I was in love with the pK's feel and would pick it up to play just to feel the pads. I convinced myself that the Akai pads were "close enough" (and they are) but I'm still aching for the pK back. I'm trying to hold out until NAMM to see what's new before I pick one up.
Cool this is all good feedback. I have Kore as well, and really only need basic MIDI controls. The main advantages to the SL61 are that I actually want 61 keys, and I really like the joystick mod/pitch wheel on the Novation line.
Yet an arpeggiator that syncs to tempo is tempting. Fatal flaw with the PadKontrol is that it has no built in sync options for the rolls. You can simulate this with Lives' arpeggiator though.
Anyway it will be days before I get any money back from USPS, and I need to find one of these in stock locally.
Do you use Reason at all? The thing that killed the Novation for me was the fact that even though it has 3 Midi output ports, Reason, Automap server and Live each use one. This means I couldn't run Mackie Emu while using Live and Reason together. Not a huge problem for many, but one of the main reasons I justified spending a bit more was for having everything in one controller.

Machinesworking
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Post by Machinesworking » Tue Jan 15, 2008 2:29 am

eclipxe wrote:Do you use Reason at all? The thing that killed the Novation for me was the fact that even though it has 3 Midi output ports, Reason, Automap server and Live each use one. This means I couldn't run Mackie Emu while using Live and Reason together. Not a huge problem for many, but one of the main reasons I justified spending a bit more was for having everything in one controller.
Not much at all, but I'm curious? so if you have Reason open it uses a MIDI out port on the Novation??? odd? I don't think i get what you're saying?
What with the PadKontrol and the Kore controller I have two other choices for MIDI outputs, it's inputs that I crave.

Machinesworking
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Post by Machinesworking » Tue Jan 15, 2008 4:33 am

Another question,,, I know.... what factory templates does it come with? I'm reading the manual and no list to be found?

You know, PPG, Absynth etc..... not terribly important, but..

Machinesworking
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Post by Machinesworking » Fri Jan 18, 2008 6:18 am

Ok so I played with it at GC, after shooing the sales sluts away. It's nice, the pads suck! and I cannot believe you sold your PadKontrol for them?? but the faders are smooth, and the argeggiator is REALLY nice! that it seems to have MPC swing to it is sick.
Talked to a guy tonight who owns a Remote 37 SL and he sez Automap doesn't allow you to set up and save custom control settings for various Synths etc. so definitely Kore is a better choice for Live, as you can do that simply by saving a setting as a favorite and viola, every time you open that instance of PPG, Absynth etc, in Kore, it's mapped the way you saved it, of course it doesn't work with Live's built in synths etc. but that's what the AKAI will be for. Only let downs are that the Novation mod/pitch wheel is sweeeet! and the AKAI only come in 49 keys.
Not selling the PadKontrol though, those pads on the AKAI are LAME! Blah!

eclipxe
Posts: 96
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Post by eclipxe » Fri Jan 18, 2008 6:43 am

Machinesworking wrote:Ok so I played with it at GC, after shooing the sales sluts away. It's nice, the pads suck! and I cannot believe you sold your PadKontrol for them?? but the faders are smooth, and the argeggiator is REALLY nice! that it seems to have MPC swing to it is sick.
Talked to a guy tonight who owns a Remote 37 SL and he sez Automap doesn't allow you to set up and save custom control settings for various Synths etc. so definitely Kore is a better choice for Live, as you can do that simply by saving a setting as a favorite and viola, every time you open that instance of PPG, Absynth etc, in Kore, it's mapped the way you saved it, of course it doesn't work with Live's built in synths etc. but that's what the AKAI will be for. Only let downs are that the Novation mod/pitch wheel is sweeeet! and the AKAI only come in 49 keys.
Not selling the PadKontrol though, those pads on the AKAI are LAME! Blah!
The pads are "OK" - I'm just happy they trigger anywhere on the pad, unlike certain other products (:cough: TriggerFinger). If only the pK would sync the roll tempo with the host, it would be PERFECT.

The SL DEFINITELY lets you set up custom settings for synths - the 1.0 release didn't, but AutoMap universal stores all of your mappings internally. It wasn't too shabby at all. I wasn't a fan of the Joystick on the Novation - I like having the mod/pitch separate, but thats a personal pref :)

I don't remember the factory templates - check out the Novation support site. There is an automap universal download that has the doc outlining all of the supported presets. (or do you mean the MPK?)

What I meant with Reason - it communicates with the Automap server on port 3 I believe, so here's the setup:

Automap Rewire Host (for Reason): Port 3
AutoMap server (vsts): Port 2
Live (keybd): Port 1

I originally mapped Port 3 to MackieEmu but the automap server uses that for it's rewire host to communicate with Reason. Even though I was sending Midi to Reason from Live on Port 1, it ended up using both 3 and 1 no matter what. (Reason sends back the current device name and patch on Port 3 to the automap server). The automap server also used Port 2 for all the communication with the VSTs (the parameter names, etc). So I could only run Mackie on Port3 when reason was not in use. It worked but I wasn't happy with the solution.

Machinesworking
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Post by Machinesworking » Fri Jan 18, 2008 7:41 am

eclipxe wrote: The pads are "OK" - I'm just happy they trigger anywhere on the pad, unlike certain other products (:cough: TriggerFinger). If only the pK would sync the roll tempo with the host, it would be PERFECT.
I agree completely, but you can use an arpeggiator in live to get a simulation, I suppose you could use the MIDI cord tool in Live to make it work on only a certain pad, but that would be some serious work.
The SL DEFINITELY lets you set up custom settings for synths - the 1.0 release didn't, but AutoMap universal stores all of your mappings internally.
OK what I mean is not in a song but as in, you call up say a PPG wave soft synth, and Automap has the parameters mapped that you chose last time, not the first 128 etc. From what this guy was saying it would do it in a song, but not as a setting. His work around for this was to make a Macro with the 8 parameters etc. he wanted to show up mapped to the macro in Live so that all you had to do was call up the macro and Automap would grab those 8, BUT! that runs square into Live's 128 parameter limit. Also, does Automap only map the 128 parameters in a soft synth that Live allows or can it map beyond that?
Kore maps all of it. Anyway besides the klunkiness of Kore, it's really sweet at 2.0, and they hired the guy who was developing Phrazer, it's just going to get better.

Timur
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Post by Timur » Fri Jan 18, 2008 8:08 am

Kore includes an arppegiator even. Nice to have both the Remote SL and Kore. :D

Unfortuantely the controls on the bigger SLs are centered, would they have been put to one side you could use the free room on the other side as a standing ground for the Kore controller.

orgul
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new akai controller mpd 32

Post by orgul » Fri Jan 18, 2008 8:36 am

Image

not official yet. it has the sample hold too. arpeggiatror????

dave999z
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Post by dave999z » Sat Jan 19, 2008 2:52 am

Just picked up an MPK49. About to open it. :D

Machinesworking
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Post by Machinesworking » Sat Jan 19, 2008 5:09 am

dave999z wrote:Just picked up an MPK49. About to open it. :D
I think I'm right behind you tomorrow. 8)

dave999z
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Post by dave999z » Sat Jan 19, 2008 5:14 am

I tell you I really like the thing. Except... when I hit any of the keys in the lowest octave, something inside the unit buzzes and it's driving me crazy. Sounds like it's coming from the spring inside the pitch wheel or something.

Anyone else have this issue?


-dave

dave999z
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Post by dave999z » Sat Jan 19, 2008 5:17 am

Actually, it's the "Arpeggiator" button. If I hold a finger on it slightly and then hit those lowest octave of keys, there is no buzzing. Take my finger off and the buzzing returns.

Guess it's going back to Guitar Center in the morning for another unit. Screw this one - it drives me nuts.
Last edited by dave999z on Sat Jan 19, 2008 7:47 am, edited 1 time in total.

Machinesworking
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Post by Machinesworking » Sat Jan 19, 2008 5:34 am

Thanks, something to check for tomorrow. Hate how Guitar Center is the only game in town now..... fucking rampant capitalism with corporate tax breaks! :evil:

dave999z
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Post by dave999z » Sat Jan 19, 2008 5:24 pm

Took it back. Of course it was their last one. So it'll be a few days before another arrives.

It's comical. I must be jinxed or something - every piece of gear I buy has some problem with the first one I take home.

(Or maybe it's that these stores slam the gear around. And when somebody returns something they just sell it to the next guy. This one was brand new though - was even still inside the shipping box.)

arkoenig
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Post by arkoenig » Sun Jan 20, 2008 4:57 pm

Machinesworking wrote:Thanks, something to check for tomorrow. Hate how Guitar Center is the only game in town now..... fucking rampant capitalism with corporate tax breaks! :evil:
Aw c'mon. Companies such as Guitar Center are successful because people buy from them. Without customers, they'd fold.
The difference between theory and practice is that in theory, there is no difference between theory and practice, but in practice, there is.

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