Assigning Q-Links to MIDI CC's - is it possible

Support and discussion for all of Akai’s modern standalone MPCs including the MPC X / X SE, MPC Live 1, 2 & 3, MPC One / One+, MPC Key 37/61.
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Assigning Q-Links to MIDI CC's - is it possible

By MrDobalina Thu Jun 11, 2026 11:06 am
Howdy
Using MPC 3.8 on a Live II... confused here and could use some clarification...

Can you assign the Q-links to send arbitrary MIDI CCs?
For example, I would like to send CC 07, 08, 13, and 14 from the first page of Q-links.

I can't figure it out on the device, and can't find anything in the current manual, but when I search the web, I keep finding references to doing exactly this.

Can this be done on 3.x?
Was this possible on 2.x and now is no longer possible?

If it is possible, how do yall do it?

Thanks yall
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Re: Assigning Q-Links to MIDI CC's - is it possible

By Lampdog Thu Jun 11, 2026 11:56 am
Use q-link page for PROJECT 1 or 2. That’s the page for your own custom q-links. Create macros, or q-link learn, q-link edit, those options might get you where you wanna go.

SCREEN is reserved for q-links on whatever is currently on the screen. No, not every q-link page is customizable.
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Re: Assigning Q-Links to MIDI CC's - is it possible

By MrDobalina Fri Jun 12, 2026 3:18 pm
Thanks Lamp and B

From Lamp's original suggestion, I was able to figure it out. I think the confusion for me was they aren't called 'MIDI' or 'CC' or 'Controller' when I was assigning them...

For anybody else wondering, on firmware 3.x, the actual flow to assign a MIDI CC Controller to a Q-Link knob is this:

0• Set up your midi track as normal, with channel and port set to what you need
1• Go to Q-Link edit (hold Q-link button, then hit 'Q-Link Edit' in bottom left, or get there from Menu)
2• Change 'Mode' to 'Project 1' or 'Project 2' (you have two customizable pages of 16 Q-links)
3• Choose the knob you want to edit by tapping or getting there with Q-link button + knobs
4• Click the plus '+' icon to add an assignment
5• Parameter options pop up, choose 'Track'
6• Track options pop up, choose your MIDI track
7• Type options pop up, choose 'Edit'
8• All 128 MIDI CC's pop up, choose the one you want

Alternatively, you can do 'Learn', go to track edit, and move the parameter there.

I can see what you mean B, about customizing the track edit page, but that's more than I need for this case, I just needed to choose the CC from the list. I think I see what you mean about assigning them from here, assuming you've already done the 'learn' process from the Q-link edit page - thanks for the suggestion.

So thanks for the help yall, I'm set now
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Re: Assigning Q-Links to MIDI CC's - is it possible

By Lampdog Sat Jun 13, 2026 1:53 am
MrDobalina wrote:So thanks for the help yall, I'm set now

I knew you’d see it and figure it out from there.
LOTS of options in there to get you where you wanna go aint it?
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Re: Assigning Q-Links to MIDI CC's - is it possible

By MrDobalina Sat Jun 13, 2026 5:01 pm
Lampdog wrote:LOTS of options in there to get you where you wanna go aint it?

Enough... :mrgreen:
On the one hand, it was pretty convenient to convert a bunch of old midi files from 2kxl on the laptop and then just drop them in modern MPC. Also super convenient that the modern ones let me run my hardware synth into the input and so boom, I don't need a mixer anymore. Having the speaker and battery power are also super nice-to-haves.
BUUUUUUT..... man it did make me miss my XL in that you can tell MIDI is kind of an afterthought on these new ones (that's all I was using it for, no samples or internal sound). It choked first when I tried to import a bunch of midi, and then at one point, during the show, I could hear it hiccup.

I am getting down with firmware 3 even though it's a huge departure from what I'm used to. I had to pre-prep all my midi files on the laptop and put them in one huge sequence in order to get them all on to the mpc sharing the same tracks and everything. It certainly didn't like importing a 45-minute set of midi at once, but after some unresponsiveness, it took it like a champ.
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Re: Assigning Q-Links to MIDI CC's - is it possible

By MrDobalina Sat Jun 13, 2026 5:03 pm
Dear Akai, if you're out there, please consider another option when importing to let me 're-use existing tracks'.
I don't need 16 new tracks for every sequence I import!

Workaround right now is to create the one, huge, mega-midi file... or I could import them all, then manually copy them to the original tracks... but it would be nice to just do it on import.

Re: Assigning Q-Links to MIDI CC's - is it possible

By B-Wise Sat Jun 13, 2026 6:51 pm
MrDobalina wrote:Dear Akai, if you're out there, please consider another option when importing to let me 're-use existing tracks'.
I don't need 16 new tracks for every sequence I import!

Workaround right now is to create the one, huge, mega-midi file... or I could import them all, then manually copy them to the original tracks... but it would be nice to just do it on import.

Give your request to Akai:
https://www.reddit.com/r/BlackJuggyHunt ... r_feedback

Re: Assigning Q-Links to MIDI CC's - is it possible

By researchintospeed Sun Jun 14, 2026 11:35 pm
MrDobalina wrote:Thanks Lamp and B

From Lamp's original suggestion, I was able to figure it out. I think the confusion for me was they aren't called 'MIDI' or 'CC' or 'Controller' when I was assigning them...

For anybody else wondering, on firmware 3.x, the actual flow to assign a MIDI CC Controller to a Q-Link knob is this:

0• Set up your midi track as normal, with channel and port set to what you need
1• Go to Q-Link edit (hold Q-link button, then hit 'Q-Link Edit' in bottom left, or get there from Menu)


So thanks for the help yall, I'm set now


And thank you! Sometimes i need step by step instructions! Have wanted to control the FX sends on my bluebox mixer from the Q-links but couldn't fathom it. Didn't help that the response time to hitting the + in the assignment screen was so long i was cancelling it with double presses and just thought it was too buggy to work...

Anyhoo, thanks team, much appreciated.
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Re: Assigning Q-Links to MIDI CC's - is it possible

By MrDobalina Mon Jun 15, 2026 2:10 pm
SuperKonquer wrote:I think you'd be better off creating a midi program. Then you can recall your q-link assignments by just loading that program. You can expand this by using the project pages if you want to macro them.

Thanks - I'm curious for more info on what you think this makes better or easier?

Currently, I have set the mapping up once and I never had to to do it again. Using the one big midi file, my tracks line up in the right place. If I import new midi files, and I can copy those new track data to the pre-existing / mapped tracks.

Truthfully, I left 5 'unused' midi tracks and thats where my mappings live so I never have to mess with them.

But I havent had to change or re-set up anything re: midi control since the first time I did it.

So, as a fairly mpc live noob, what benefit to I get from a MIDI Program?

Re: Assigning Q-Links to MIDI CC's - is it possible

By B-Wise Mon Jun 15, 2026 6:58 pm
MrDobalina wrote:
B-Wise wrote:Give your request to Akai:
https://www.reddit.com/r/BlackJuggyHunt ... r_feedback

Not sure if bad joke or you didnt know what you did here... :mrgreen:

I was joking on your profile picture. On my phone it looked like cartoon face when they see a sexy woman. But now that I really look at & zoom in, its just a Goofy be himself.

Here the link to Akai:
https://support.akaipro.com/en/support/ ... r_feedback
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