Using a MPK25

Hello:

I just bought a MPK25 to use with Ableton and I searched and found this Akai Forum. Should I be posting questions about this particular unit here or can anyone recommend a better place?

If I should post here, I am just getting started and wondering how you program the 12 Pads (similar to most MPC units) to be assigned up & down the octaves of a keyboard. I am try to use these with a Ableton Drum rack and the first pad triggers C3 but most Live drum racks have the samples loaded around C1-C2. Plus I am thinking in my drum rack I will need to be able to range across all C-2 to C8.

Another Question I have that is probably applicable to all MPC Pads is the sensitivity. I dont know if its because its brand new but I really have to hit the pad pretty hard to trigger midi and this makes it difficult to play with any rhythm. I have already figured how to get into the global mode (although I cant seem to exit) and increased the pad sensitivity and threshold to maximum (assuming the max value of 16 for each respectively means max sensitivity, minimum force).

Any help on these would be appreciated or if there is a better place to post please let me know.

PS I read the manual from front to back and it is VERY vague.

Cheers!

did you load the ableton template into the mpk


I have the mpk49 it came with an ableton template yet ableton also kinda auto recognizes it too

the pads should automap to the first visible "pads in drumrack

hello, yes I did load the template and they recognize each other fine. The pads mapping started at C3 and went up from there.

So how do you alter the range the Pads trigger? I see your MPK49 has the same exact pads. Can you alter the range they trigger in a drumrack? I want to be able to trigger everywhere, starting @ C1 or C2 or C5, etc.

Also, do use them to trigger a drumrack in a on the fly way? I dont see how this works cuz u gotta really hit with force (with Sensitivty and minimum force properly set) and you cant stay on time...how the heck are you supposed to get in a groove with them???? I'd love to see how someone does make good use of them (for drums)

Im figuring I would trigger a drumrack using the keys anyways. The Pads I'll probly will just use them to trigger scenes (assuming I keep this unit)

Please let me know, thx!
Cheers!

djdp wrote:I just bought a MPK25 to use with Ableton and I searched and found this Akai Forum. Should I be posting questions about this particular unit here or can anyone recommend a better place?

Common misconception.

This is not an AKAI forum, as the name suggests it is a forum for MPC users.

There are a few threads around relating to Akai pad controllers and keyboards, mostly found in the Studio Environments or Production Techniques subforums.

You may get some help from our members, but dont expect in depth information.

I use the MPK 25 for when I'm on the road. The deal with pad sensitivity has to be set in the global setting. You need to look at your manual to go into global setting settings and then set the pad sensitivity. As for assigning each pad a sound ... you can do that by selecting the sound from Ableton and selecting the pad you want to play the sound on. Do the following:
1. Select "edit"... In the screen you should see "Note" displayed
2. Press Enter.. you will see number values in the screen now.....
3. Press the pad you want a sound assigned...... tap the pad then turn the Enter wheel. Once you hear the sound you want assigned with a sound press the enter button down.
4. Once you press enter you will see "note" displayed again.
After that you should be good. Press preset and you will be done. This how I set up all my sounds in Battery 3 inside FL Studio. Once again this is how I do this in FL Studio. The concept is still the same though. You are basically assigning a sound to a pad, once you are done you can save that setting in the MPK and recall that later.