MPC ELEMENT midi configuration

Hi,

i've just enter the mpc world bying an MPC Element.

As i possess GEIST and as i find MPC essential quite limited, i'm trying to get MPC Element working as a MIDI controller for GEIST.

I noticed that although we can't configure transport button, they send an CC message on midi channel 1.


Question : is it possible by anyway to modify ALL button CC message and midi channel ?

From the FAQ. (Because I just knew the Akai forum post would be...you. Happens all the time on here when you cross reference with Google....Oh it's the same guy...keep searching... )

"Can the MPC Element be used as a MIDI controller in other DAW’s, without MPC Essentials, or MPC Software?

Yes. The MPC Element includes a low power mode, which allows users to trigger samples, or use transport controls in virtually any digital audio software that includes a MIDI mapping mode. Additionally, when in low power mode, the Element's pad arrangement will work perfectly with the iMPC application for iOS."

I don't use any of the new product line, but Geist needs a CC sent to do the transport. 99.9% sure you can't use Midi Machine Control Messages, MMC for that. Definitely going to another channel besides MIDI 1 is the move if even posible.

I would peep the manual to try to help you but Akai in their usual "wisdom" only has a zip of three promo JPEGS and no PDF manual for download...

But yeah, Geist>Elements by a landslide.

i'm caugth !

I'm new in AKAI's world so i wasn't sure to find effective help on akai website. This board seems to be a greater source of information.

There is no MPC Element manual, but an MPC essential manual wich include MPC Element features.

The midi part is about 4 pages... You can read it There

To configure the MPC Element, i have to start mpc essential, go in the midi mode. (see the picture below)


As youy can see, the Full Level, 16 Level, Note repeat, Transport, etc button cannot be edited. But when you use them in reaper for example, you can see that they the transport button send a midi message... It's confusing.

When i use Reaper as a VST Host, i create a track with MPC essential, but i cut every audio routing. It allows me to switch on Midi Mode. I make GEIST listen on midi channel 10 and i get the pad to work, each bank of MPC Element corresponding to a Engine.

If want to use GEIST in standalone Mode, my mpc element is useless... If i start MPC essential in standalone mode and switch on midi mode, then i start geist in standalone mode, geist receive the midi message but MPC essential sequencer either ! So when i record in geist, it record in MPC essential... Drives me crazy !

There's a good chance you can use virtual MIDI port routing to get the standalones to play nicer.

On Windows this routing is not part of the OS where on OS X it is built into the MIDI IAC functionality.

No worries though a simple piece of freeware on Windows will get you that capability.

http://www.tobias-erichsen.de/software/loopmidi.html

Also you can get a freeware MIDI Monitor app/VST and it will tell you on it's GUI screen what MIDI CC # the unchangeable transport control is transmitting. Then perhaps Geist can made to look for that number incoming for it's transport controls.

I don't have Elements but I do have Geist, I'll take a look at it. And it's been awhile but yes I think different MIDI channels is the way Geist has the banks handled. Guru was the same and Ableton Live always had trouble with it because it can't re-channelize MIDI and couldn't make sense of the pad data on the various channels for one single plugin when loaded as a VST.

I guess you could just leave Elements empty, make sire the BPM's are set the same and just work in Geist maybe.

Let me see if I can bring this thread back to life.....

TL;DR version:
I've been wondering something similar as well. I love my MPC Element, but can't stand the MPC Essentials software that comes with it. Is it possible to permanently rewire the MIDI CC messages wired to each pad by default **without having to use MPC Essentials?**

Longer version:
The MPC Element's pads' MIDI messages aren't ordered in a linear manner, such that pads 1, 2, and 3 generate the notes C5, C#5, and D5, and so on respectively; instead, they're all over the keyboard in a seemingly random order. This is really, really inconvenient, and I can't possible imagine why the manufacturers would have made it this way. So I want to reconfigure the MIDI CC messages so that hitting the pads in order generates MIDI notes in order going up the keyboard in sequence. You know, like any pad controller should be in the first f*cking place.

I understand from the above posts and other similar ones that this reconfiguration is possible on the MPC Element, but that it has to be done again every time I start a new project, and can only be done if using MPC Essentials (I use Ableton Live and FL Studio, so I only ever use MPC Essentials as a plugin). Sadly, I can't stand MPC Essentials, especially as a plugin. So is there any way to like permanently reconfigure these MIDI CC's outside of MPC Essentials, so that my Element can generate sequential MIDI CC's by itself with any DAW?


Thanks for the input. As usual, Akai's documentation doesn't seem to provide a clear answer, nor does tech support.