MPC Key 61 Midi can't seem to get setup in Pro Tools.

Hi,
I have searched this and haven't found anything yet. I am a newb with the MPC but I am trying to use the key 61 as a Midi controller in Pro Tools. I want to be able to make beats and tracks in MPC and then play the midi into Pro Tools tracks to be played through plug-ins of the MPC sounds or back to the MPC itself (kind of confused on this).

Windows 11, Pro Tools 2024.3. MPC Key 61 latest firmware, MPC2 latest software on the PC.

So far I have the MPC connecting to MPC2 on the computer. In MPC2 I get a choice of audio interfaces - MPC Key 61, Eleven Rack, and Digi 002. I have tried running through both MPC Key 61 and Eleven Rack as interface and audio works for keyboard sounds and any MPC projects through either one.

In Pro Tools I can assign playback engine to either MPC Key 61 or Eleven Rack and get Pro Tools to play back existing projects through either one.

Attempting to get midi data to play from MPC into PT tracks. Setup in Pro Tools, setup:midi devices I have two MPC devices MPC Key 61 midi port and MPC Key 61 public. I have both enabled but don't know which is which or why there are two. I have attempted to use both of these in various ways to get midi data in with no love.
I have also setup MPC in my Pro Tools setup:Midi:Midi Studio. Again there are two MPC choices MPC Key 61 midi port or MPC key 61 private. I have tried both. I defined a new device "MPC" that I set to be an akai and with the all midi channels enabled and in/out to same available MPC Key 61 midi port or public. This just brings in another midi device that is recognized but doesn't make any difference.

In Pro Tools I can setup and instrument track or a MIDI/Aux two tracks and I can pick the MPC as the input with ALL CHANNELS and I can get to a MPC pluging say "Fabric XL" and set to that. I cannot get any combination of things to allow me to see midi data coming in from the MPC Key 61.

I followed the "Complete pro tools setup guide" from Akai MPC site. It is setup using a Mac and older version of PT, but it's pretty much how I set mine up.

I have spent like 10 hours trying to get this thing to work and I am about ready to throw it out the window from frustration. I have searched the entire internet, and watched many youtube videos as well as reading the MPC 2 software manual end to end and can't figure it out.

I have thought maybe it needs to be standalone and just plugged into midi, but with it in standalone the USB audio or midi device is not recognized in Windows. So that's a fail unless it's in controller mode with MPC 2 running. I have been able to get a failure to load some MPC plugs and it says that there is already an MPC running on the system so it can't run another one in the plugin window.

I am hoping someone can help me, I am not a complete noob I have been using Pro Tools and have used some midi gear with it before. I am a guitar player mostly but I want to use MPC for drum machine/sequences and then control some keyboard sounds through a Roland GR-50 guitar synth plus whatever I can figure out to play on the piano keyboard. Then get all this into pro tools to edit and mix with other audio tracks (guitars, vox, bass, saxophone). I just can't wrap my head around what I am doing wrong here.

Thanks

Only the Key 37 can run as a conventional MIDI controller without the MPC software being run as a plugin to a DAW. The Key 61 needs to be in controller mode while the MPC Software is being run as a VST inside of ProTools or other DAWs. Another alternative is to use Ableton Link to send MIDI to ProTools. Another alternative is to use the Key 61’s DIN MIDI plugs to connect to a MIDI interface on the computer.

Ten hours wasted.

Key 61 is being run in controller mode. If I don't launch the MPC2 software all I see on the MPC key is "connecting to computer" red screen. If I use a MPC VST in pro tools it launches error that MPC is already running.

I will try the old skool Midi cables and see what happens.

10 hours and 5 minutes now wasted. Thanks

Are you trying to run an instance of the MPC Software inside of ProTools while running one it outside of too? That won’t work. Just to be clear, launch ProTools with the MPC Software not open. Then, launch the MPC Software VST and connect to the Key 61.

Hi Mr. Vibration

>>Are you trying to run an instance of the MPC Software inside of ProTools while running one it outside of too? That won’t work. Just to be clear, launch ProTools with the MPC Software not open. Then, launch the MPC Software VST and connect to the Key 61.

I was trying to just send midi data to a Pro tools track. I had initially connected the MPC to the computer and launched controller mode and MPC2 desktop software. So I was trying to send midi from MPC to Pro tools from MPC2. That was where I was stuck, then if I messed around with MPC plug in within Pro tools the plugin would error that MPC was running already.

I can run the MPC plug in within PT if I connect the MPC to the computer but don't launch MPC2 desktop software. So I got that figured out, it seems redundant to have it that way.

I still can't get any midi through a normal USB device although I do have the devices recognized. I have midi-ox setup monitoring all my devices. I can only get midi data through the DIN cables old skool. I have the MPC in standalone or with MPC2 desktop running and I get all my devices listed but I can only get data using a Roland UM-1 separate little USB interface. I can also get this midi signal into PT from this Roland interface.

I conclude that the driver for the MPC Key 61 probably needs to be reinstalled or some other such update that may require a contact with support that I dread. lol

Let me know if you have any other ideas on this, but I am at a loss why the data isn't lighting up for anything USB midi.

Thanks

Thank you LampDog.

Spent some more time today. I finally got the plug-in to work and I can get sound out of it, but no midi notes, lol. I also can only run one instance of it at a time in PT, so everything that's going on in MPC comes out in one track, sound wise. Again, no midi data records when used in plug-in mode either. This test was just hooked up through USB controlling the plug-in in PT.

For my other tests I am using a Roland UM-1 USB midi interface almost identical to your pictured dongle. I have that so it at least is sending data to PT.

Thanks for the help, this device has a very tricky midi imp. Hopefully as I get more experience with the MPC workings the getting it into PT part will become more straightforward. I appreciate everyone's assist and I will follow up with my next adventures soon!