Akai MPK25 Operator's Manual
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Akai MPK25 Operator's Manual

Usb/midi performance keyboard
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  • Page 1 OPERATOR'S MANUAL WWW.AKAIPRO.COM...

  • Page 3: Table Of Contents

    TABLE OF CONTENTS FRONT PANEL OVERVIEW ......................1 REAR PANEL OVERVIEW ......................3 HOOKUP DIAGRAM ........................4 DISPLAYING INFORMATION ......................6 OCTAVE AND TRANSPOSITION ................... 6 NOTE ............................6 NOTE AFTERTOUCH (Channel Pressure)................6 CONTROL CHANGE ....................... 6 CONTROL AFTERTOUCH ...................... 7 MIDI MACHINE CONTROL COMMAND (MMC)..............

  • Page 5: Front Panel Overview

    Arpeggiator and Note Repeat features. [PREVIEW] – This button allows you to see [CONTROL BANK] – The MPK25 features 2 the last value that was sent by a controller independent banks of continuous controllers.
  • Page 6 [NOTE REPEAT] – Holding this button while can be set in Edit Mode). Tap Tempo does striking a pad causes the pad to retrigger at a not work when the MPK25 is set to External rate based on the current Tempo and Time sync.

  • Page 7: Rear Panel Overview

    REAR PANEL OVERVIEW DC POWER ADAPTER INPUT – Plug in a MIDI OUT – Use a five-pin MIDI cable to MP6–1 power adapter if you do not wish to connect the MIDI OUT of the MPK25 to the power MPK25 through MIDI IN of an external device.

  • Page 8: Hookup Diagram

    EXPRESSION PEDAL Connect a USB cable from your computer to the MPK25. The unit will be powered through the USB connection. Alternatively, if you do not wish to use a computer in your setup or if you wish to power the MPK25 externally, please plug in a MP6–1 power adapter (optional).
  • Page 9 MPK25 to a MIDI Clock generated by your software DAW. Make sure that your software is set up to send MIDI clock to the MPK25 and that the unit’s MIDI Clock setting is set to “External” (see Global Mode). This will ensure that the Arpeggiator and Beat Repeat are synchronized to the tempo selected in your software DAW.

  • Page 10: Displaying Information

    DISPLAYING INFORMATION As you are working with the MPK25, the LCD will help you keep track of what values and parameters are entered and sent to external devices. There are several kinds of information that the MPK25 will display while in use: OCTAVE, TRANSPOSITION, NOTE, AFTERTOUCH (Channel Pressure), CONTROL CHANGE, MIDI MACHINE CONTROL (MMC), and PREVIEW MODE information.

  • Page 11: Control Aftertouch

    CONTROL AFTERTOUCH AFTERTOUCH MIDI PORT The knobs on the MPK25 can also be set to INDICATOR AND CHANNEL AFTERTOUCH transmit AFTERTOUCH information. VALUE Please see ‘Editing Knobs’ (page 16) for more information on setting knobs to transmit Aftertouch. VALUE IS ALSO DISPLAYED WITH BAR METER.

  • Page 12: About Modes

    (page 9) Edit Mode This mode allows you to edit the configuration of the MPK25. Edit Mode is a powerful tool for customizing your set-up. In this mode, you can make changes to how the keyboard, pads and knobs are behaving. For example, you may wish to have a knob transmit only a limited range of MIDI data, or you may wish to have a pad that transmits on a different MIDI Channel.

  • Page 13: Preset Mode

    MPK25 every time. The MPK25 features different Preset banks that you can load and write to. When you turn on the MPK25, it will automatically go into Preset Mode and Preset 1 will be displayed on the screen. You can also press the [PRESET] button at any time to call up this mode.

  • Page 14: Edit Mode

    EDIT MODE Pressing the [EDIT] button calls up NAVIGATING EDIT MODE Edit Mode. In this mode, you can 1. Press the [EDIT] button. edit the settings of the currently 2. To select the controller you wish to edit, simply engage it – this will selected Preset.

  • Page 15: Edit Mode Parameters

    EDIT MODE PARAMETERS CONTROLLER SELECTED PAGE 1 PAGE 2 KEYBOARD MIDI CHANNEL (field 1) OCTAVE UP/DOWN (field 4) KEYBOARD MIDI CHANNEL (field 1) KEYBOARD AFTERTOUCH ON/OFF BEHAVIOR (field 4) KEYBOARD MIDI CHANNEL (field 1) VELOCITY ON/OFF BEHAVIOR (field 4) MIDI CHANNEL (field 1) NOTE NUMBER (field 2) NOTE ON/OFF BEHAVIOR (field 3)

  • Page 16: Editing The Keyboard

    AFTERTOUCH – Aftertouch describes pressure applied to the keys after they have been pressed. Aftertouch can often be used to control the vibrato, sustain or decay of a sound. The Aftertouch setting on the MPK25 can be set to either “On” or “Off”. When set to “Off”, the MPK25 will ignore Aftertouch.

  • Page 17: Editing The Pads

    EDITING THE PADS The pads on the MPK25 can be set to transmit Note or Program Change information when they are hit. The default operation of the pads is set to Note, which means that when a pad is hit it will generate Note On/Off messages to trigger sounds.

  • Page 18: Note Parameters

    Note: Software modules or drum machines are often programmed to trigger sounds based on specific Note Numbers associated with each sample. You NOTE FIELD may have to experiment setting different Note Numbers on the MPK25 to find the range that is suited for your application. PLAY MODE FIELD...

  • Page 19: Program Change Parameters

    PROGRAM CHANGE PARAMETERS The following list of parameters can be accessed if the pad event type is set to Program Change. MIDI CHANNEL FIELD Program Change messages can be sent on one of two MIDI Ports, A or B, and one of 16 MIDI Channels on each port (i.e.

  • Page 20: Editing Knobs

    EDITING KNOBS The knobs on the MPK25 are controllers which can be set to transmit Control Change or Aftertouch information. In addition, the knobs may also be assigned as an Increment/Decrement function. Their default operation is to transmit Control Change information when used.

  • Page 21: Control Change Parameters

    MIDI PORT/CHANNEL FIELD Note: When not used via USB, only knobs assigned to port A will be transmitted via the 5-pin MIDI port on the back of the MPK25. CONTROL CHANGE FIELD In this field you can set which Control Change Number the pad will transmit when it is pressed.

  • Page 22: Aftertouch Parameters

    Aftertouch information which could be used to control, say, a vibrato of a device that the MPK25 is controlling. The following list of parameters can be accessed if “Aftertouch” is selected as the event type for the selected knob.

  • Page 23: Increment/Decrement Parameters

    INCREMENT/DECREMENT PARAMETERS The endless knobs on the MPK25 may also be used as an increment/decrement NRPN function. This allows you to use the knob to increment and decrement through parameters as opposed to sending an absolute value. Please note that the implementation of NRPN functions depends strictly on the software with which you will be using the MP49.

  • Page 24: Editing Buttons

    EDITING BUTTONS The buttons on the MPK25 can be used to transmit Control Change or Program Change information. 1. Press [EDIT] button to enter EDIT MODE. 2. Press the button you would like to edit. 3. On Page 1, turn the [VALUE] dial to select ‘CTRL CHANGE’...

  • Page 25: Program Change Parameters

    PROGRAM CHANGE PARAMETERS The following list of parameters can be accessed if the button event type is set to “Program Change”. MIDI CHANNEL FIELD Program Change messages can be sent on one of two MIDI Ports, A or B, and one of 16 MIDI Channels on each port (i.e.

  • Page 26: Editing The Arpeggiator

    Arpeggiator allows you to arpeggiate a sequence of notes by holding down a combination of keys. The Arpeggiator will be synced to the tempo parameter of the MPK25. Please note that tempo can be generated internally or can be synced to an external source, such as a DAW.

  • Page 27: Arpeggio Parameters - Type, Range, Button Mode

    ARPEGGIO PARAMETERS – TYPE, RANGE, BUTTON MODE The following parameters can be edited by selecting “TYP RNG TGL” on Page 1. ARP TYPE Select one of the following arpeggio types in this field – Up, Down, Incl, Excl, Rand, Chrd. 1.

  • Page 28: Arpeggio Parameters - Gate, Swing

    ARPEGGIO PARAMETERS – GATE, SWING The following parameters can be edited by selecting “GATE SWING” on Page 1. GATE Select the arpeggiator Gate in this field. 1. While in Gate field, use [VALUE] dial to select Gate duration. 2. Use the [>] button to select the next field. GATE DURATION SWING Select the arpeggiator Swing in this field.

  • Page 29: Editing Note Repeat

    (MPC) models. With Note Repeat enabled, you can repeatedly trigger a sound by simply holding down a pad. The sound will be retriggered at a rate equivalent to the Time Division currently selected on the MPK25. With the Note Repeat feature, you can record a phrase that would be difficult to record in real time, such as 16 beat hi hat, snare roll, etc…...

  • Page 30: Note Repeat Button Mode

    NOTE REPEAT BUTTON MODE The following screen will appear if you select “TOGGL-MOTRY” on Page 1. In this field, you can select whether the [NOTE REPEAT] button will behave in a momentary (MTY) fashion, where pressing the button turns on the Note Repeat function and releasing it turns it off, or in a toggle (TGL) manner, where pressing the button turns on the Note Repeat function and pressing again turns it off.

  • Page 31: Editing Time Division

    The Time Division feature works in conjunction with Note Repeat and the Arpeggiator. When Note Repeat or the Arpeggiator is enabled, the MPK25 will output notes at a rate equivalent to the Time Division setting. To change to a new Time Division setting, press [TIME DIVISION] and select a new rate.

  • Page 32: Editing The Pitch Bend Wheel

    EDITING THE PITCH BEND WHEEL The Pitch Bend wheel can be assigned to transmit pitch bend information on a specific MIDI Channel. Press the [EDIT] button to enter Edit Mode. Now select the Pitch Bend wheel for editing by moving the wheel. You will see Page 1 displayed on the screen (shown on the left).

  • Page 33: Editing The Modulation Wheel

    EDITING THE MODULATION WHEEL The Modulation wheel can be edited to transmit a range of values on a specific MIDI Channel and MIDI CC. 1. To edit the Modulation wheel settings, press the [EDIT] button to enter Edit Mode. 2. Now select the Modulation wheel for editing by moving the wheel. 3.

  • Page 34: Editing Transport Control

    MESSAGE FORMAT EDITING TAP TEMPO Each Preset on the MPK25 can have a default tempo associated with it. Every time that the Preset is loaded, the BPM setting will be loaded automatically. To edit the default tempo, press the [EDIT] button to enter Edit Mode.

  • Page 35: Editing Sustain Pedal Input

    EDITING SUSTAIN PEDAL INPUT The footswitch input on the rear of the MPK25 can be used in a variety of different ways. For example, a footswitch can be used as a conventional MIDI CC switch. In addition, a footswitch may also be used to trigger specific pads on the top panel (for example, to play out a kick drum sequence).

  • Page 36: Editing Expression Pedal Input

    SUSTAIN – footswitch will be used as a Sustain pedal. EDITING EXPRESSION PEDAL INPUT You can think of the expression pedal input on the MPK25 as another knob, for the purposes of this manual. Refer to ‘Editing Knobs’ section for information on editing the expression pedal input.

  • Page 37: Global Mode

    In Global Mode, you can send global KILL MIDI Page 1 messages and make general changes to the MIDI COMMON CHANNEL Page 2 way that your MPK25 functions. Global LCD CONTRAST Page 3 Mode options are organized under different PAD SENSITIVITY...

  • Page 38: Lcd Contrast

    MIDI velocities, based on a certain ratio of the input / output velocity that characterizes the particular curve. The Pad Velocity Curve feature is intended to help you optimize the pads on the MPK25 to your particular playing style and can add expressivity and control to your performance.

  • Page 39: Pad Threshold

    MIDI CLOCK – Page 8 MIDI CLOCK is used to synchronize devices together. In addition, MIDI Clock on the MPK25 is used in conjunction with the Note Repeat and Arpeggiator features to determine the location of the MIDI notes output when using either of these features. The MPK25 can be a master or slave for MIDI Clock transmission and reception.

  • Page 40: Save Global

    MPK25, the data will override the data of the original Preset which was sent to your SysEx editor. For example, if you transfer Preset 5 to your SysEx editor and then send it back to the MPK25, the data will overwrite Preset 5.

  • Page 41: Program Change Mode

    This allows you to tell a hardware or software device which sound to play. For example, if your MPK25 is controlling a piano patch on your DAW or an external device, using a Program Change command allows you to easily switch to a synth patch.

  • Page 42: Frequently Asked Questions

    Are the knobs on the MPK25 endless? Answer: The knobs on the MPK25 are endless pots. This allows you to limit the range of the knobs, as well as use them as increment/decrement controls. Please note that your software application must be able to receive and recognize NRPNs for Increment/decrement functions to work.

  • Page 43: Troubleshooting

    Clock source on MPK25 “External”. Also, make sure that the software you synchronized to my clock set to “Internal”. are using is set to send MIDI Clock to the MPK25. source. Arpeggiator and Note Repeat features are not Software DAW is not in...

  • Page 44: Technical Specifications

    Slave connector x 1 (MIDI over USB) DC IN 6V DC, 1A CONTACT INFORMATION Please visit the Akai Professional website (www.akaipro.com) regularly for additional information, news and firmware upgrades for the MPK25. For additional technical support: EMAIL: support@akaipro.com TEL: 401.658.4032 (U.S)
  • Page 45 7-51-0277-A...
  • Page 46 WWW.AKAIPRO.COM...

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