MPK mini plus Volume

Hey,
I plan to buy an mpk mini plus to pair with mpc live 2.
Before buying it, I need to know how to control the volume of the pads or keys when playing (live).
Do you have to use the mpc, or it is easyly feasible with the mpk ?
I read the manual 3 times and searched on the internet, without success
If not I'll have to look for another controller.

I don't use the mini plus pads much, but I haven't seen a way to adjust the volume live, except for velocity sensitivity.

I assume you know about the live 2 pad mixer? Just press mix button twice to adjust individual pads when editing a program track.

I've just ordered a beatstep pro which may be able to use it's know to control the live 2 pad mixer? I'll test it when I get it on Saturday and report bk as I have a live 2 as well.

Tbh I wouldn't recommend the mini plus. I posted about it going to sleep and on waking isn't recognised in pc software. You have to physically disconnect and reconnect it's usb to regain recognition. Happens to me all the time. It's a fantastic little keyboard, I love it, but this is so bloody annoying I'm seriously thinking of getting another keyboard. I was originally going to buy the keystep pro, but the lack of wheels put me off, I dislike ribbons.

Ok thanks. The beatstep is a beast. You wont regret it.
I reality, I only need a good keybed (25 ,or 32), wheels, a volume fader or pot, and hold buton. Every time something is missing, or the keybed is bad.
M-Audio Oxygen25 MKV or Nektar Impact LX25+ seems not to be bad. But I guess it will end with a Microlab, and playing volume on the mpc... I don't like ribbons either, but i think a have to make a sacrifice...

Nice! Looking forward to the weekend then! Lol

The keybed on the mini plus, to me, is really good. But the only experience I have is with novation mininova, which had a pretty crap set of keys and a Roland XP-60. That was the dogs bollocks, wish I'd kept that!

Hardware isn't what it used to be, in a lot of ways it seems to be going backwards! Trying to get a decent small key controller is quite limiting too. But all in all the mini plus isn't too bad apart from that issue I have. I'm honestly not sure how it would fair in a live setting with that sleep problem. May be OK or may be a little embarrassing!

I'm not sure I want take the risk. I cannot send item back if I am not happy with it.
I'm on reliable gear only for playing live. In the country I live, power outages are frequent. Fortunately mpc live2 is battery powered, and the keyboard will be usb powered by it. The sleep is occurring after how long without use ?

Yeah I can understand your issue. I'm not too sure how long before it goes to sleep, if that's what it does, I'd say between 10 and 20 mins.

At first, I thought it was just to save the oled, as I believe they have a shorter life span than standard lcd displays. But all the pads stay illuminated, makes no sense! I've submitted a ticket to akai a few days ago and not heard anything, not expecting to either judging by the response on this forum.

Good luck with whatever you settle on. Mpc may be battery powered but amps aren't lol unless you have a genny as a backup?

Every place with people and music have a power plant. I also have mine for my amp
I finaly decided for the Microlab.
Hope you'll enjoy your Beatstep.

I was thinking of the power outages.
you mean the arturia microlab? That's not a bad lil keyboard. I prefer 3 octaves though.
I hope so too, cos I'm fed up wasting money on hardware!

Yes arturia
25 keys is enough for me. I'm not a pianist. I usualy play with my left hand and turn knobs with my right hand (it's more natural for a guitarist ).
I realise I don’t want to much stuff. Less is more for creativity. At first I was impressed by the mpc, a bit of panic, all those menus, sub fonctions, etc...
I wanted to have as much as possible 1 button 1 fonction, like I'm used to since 45 years.
But finaly, being more confortable and fast with the workflow, a small simple keyboard is what I need

I was like that too when I got the live 2! It is amazing what it can do, but I've decided its a quick idea pad for me now. I bought an mc-707 earlier this year and found it so cumbersome to ue and uninspiring that I've only had it out the box 5-10 times! I'm sticking with software, where a lot is free and if somethings good enough you buy it!

Maybe I'll get replace my mini plus with the keystep? Lol

I own the TR8s since 5 years. I was using it at 40% of its ability...
I found it uninspiring and cumberstone too, but great to use live. During those years I was using a lot of gear (modular synth, analog synth, looper, midi mapper, expander, guitar effects pedals, mixer, etc...), and a ton of cables. It was such a pain in the ass to taking everything out of the studio to play live and putting everything back together every time.
This little thing replaces all that as best it can. It doesn't replace my modular, that's for sure. Neither the sound of my Vermona 14, nor my granular sampler, and we are far from a button a function.
As I master this little box, I find that the sacrifices I had to make and the time spent learning how it works were worth it.
I was missing a keyboard, it will arrive. Everything will fit in a small suitcase... And as soon as I have time, I will start sampling my modular, my Vermona, etc...
It's a Swiss army knife. It's not made for cutting down a tree, but if you have to cut down a tree with it, you'll get there eventually...

Wow! Sounds like a major pita! I found the live replaced several of my hardware synths too, that auto sampling is the dogs! Bit slow still, but far quicker than doing it all manually.

Yes it was such a huge pita that I stopped playing live...
Thanks to that little magic box I'll be back on the scene in some months...
Now I must wait until I master it enough
Keeping my setup simple, live+microlab, should help make things easier. Before I improvised 100%. I don't think I'll be able to do it 100% with the live, but with good preparation I should be able to perform well and be fluid enough to change the mood in the flow.
I still have to fill the hard drive with my samples, and learn to be creative with this new material.
I'm just starting out, but I'm confident. Having never worked with a daw, I didn't develop any other habits to cancel

Some places are already equipped with their sound system. I can already imagine myself arriving on my motorcycle, with just this little suitcase...

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B010OPDC ... prod_image

Lol love the colour!
Btw, in case you didn't know, it's important you DON'T save anything to the internal drive! Apparently it can corrupt the hardware, or something like that.

Always use external storage, that includes the user drive bay.

Looks like you're set to go! All the best with that