AKAI MPC Element User Guide

User Guide

English ( 3 – 6 )

Guía del usuario

Español ( 7 – 10 )

Guide d'utilisation

Français ( 11 – 14 )

Guida per l'uso

Italiano ( 15 – 18 )

Benutzerhandbuch

Deutsch ( 19 – 22 )

Appendix

English (23)

User Guide (English)

Introduction

MPC Element brings powerful music-making capability to your computer in a slimline design that's made to produce. You get cutting-edge features, including MPC Note Repeat and Swing, along with the all-new MPC Essentials software—decades of music production expertise calibrated so you can make music that rises to the top.

Box Contents

MPC Element MPC Essentials Software and Driver (download) USB cable User Guide 1/8"-MIDI adapters (2) Safety & Warranty Manual

Support

For complete system requirements, compatibility information, product registration, and the latest information about this product, visit akaiprompc.com.

For additional product support, visit akaipro.com/support.

Quick Setup / Connection Diagram

1. Install the Software and Drivers

Before connecting MPC Element to your computer, follow these steps:

IMPORTANT: We highly recommend temporarily disabling your computer's anti-virus software. Some anti-virus programs can slow down or interfere with the installation of the drivers. Remember to enable it again after the installation is done.

Windows:

1. Download the latest version of MPC Essentials for Windows from akaipro.com/essentials.

2. Unzip the file you downloaded.

3. Double-click the .exe installer file.

4. Follow the on-screen instructions to install the software and drivers. (You will be asked to connect MPC Element to your computer during the installation.)

Mac OS X:

1. Download the latest version of MPC Essentials for Mac OS X from akaipro.com/essentials.

2. Unzip the file you downloaded.

3. Double-click the Install MPC Essentials file.

4. Follow the on-screen instructions to install the software and drivers.

2. Connect

Follow this sequence of steps whenever you use MPC Element with your computer:

1. Connect MPC Element's USB port to a free USB port on your computer, using a full-speed or high-speed USB cable.

Windows users: The first time your computer detects MPC Element as a connected device, you'll see some Found New Hardware dialog boxes. This just means MPC Element is being recognized by your computer for the first time and is installing the appropriate drivers. Wait until these dialog boxes have disappeared before continuing.

2. Optional: Connect any additional audio devices (e.g., mixers, monitors, microphones, etc.) or MIDI devices (e.g., synths, drum machines, etc.) to your MPC Element or your computer.

3. Open the MPC software. (The first time you open the software, you will be asked for information required for authorization. Follow the on-screen instructions to authorize your software.)

External MIDI Device

(drum machine, sequencer, etc.)

Important: Do NOT connect audio devices (e.g., headphones, monitors, etc.) to the 1/8" MIDI In or MIDI Out jacks. Use the included 1/8"-MIDI adapters to connect MIDI devices only.

Computer

Power

Monitors

Any items shown here but not mentioned in the Box Contents are sold separately.

(for main mix)

USB Audio Interface

Microphone

Features

13 14

1. USB Port: Use the included USB cable to connect this USB port to an available USB port on your computer. This connection allows MPC Element to send/receive MIDI data to/from the software.

2. MIDI In: Use the included 1/8"-MIDI adapter and a five-pin MIDI cable to connect the MIDI Out of an optional external MIDI device to the MIDI In of MPC Element.

3. MIDI Out: Use the included 1/8"-MIDI adapter and a five-pin MIDI cable to connect the MIDI Out of MPC Element to the MIDI In of an optional external device.

4. Main: Press this button to view the Main screen in the display and software.

5. Play: Press this button to play the Sequence from the audio pointer's current position.

6. Play Start: Press this button to play the Sequence from its start point.

7. Stop: Press this button to stop playback.

8. Rec: Press this button to record-arm the Sequence. Press Play or Play Start to start recording. Recording in this way (rather than using Overdub) erases the events of the current Sequence. After the Sequence plays through once while recording, Overdub will be enabled.

IMPORTANT: Do NOT connect audio devices (e.g., headphones, monitors, etc.) to the 1/8" MIDI In or MIDI Out jacks. Use the included 1/8"-MIDI adapters to connect MIDI devices only.

18 18

9. Overdub: Press this button and simultaneously press Play or Play Start to enable Overdub. This allows you to record note events in a Sequence without overwriting any previously recorded note events. You can enable Overdub either before or during recording.

10. Undo: Press this button to undo your last action.

11. Erase: As a Sequence is playing, hold this button down and press a pad to delete the note event for that pad at the current playback position. This is a quick way to delete note events from your Sequence without having to stop playback.

12. Pads: Use these pads to trigger drum hits or other samples in your software. The pads are velocity-sensitive and pressure-sensitive, which makes them very responsive and intuitive to play. The pads will light up different colors, depending on how hard you play them (ranging from yellow at a low velocity to red at the highest velocity).

13. Full Level: Press this button to activate/deactivate Full Level. When activated, the pads always play back at a maximum velocity (127), no matter how hard or soft you hit them.

14. 16 Level: Press this button to activate/deactivate 16 Level. When activated, the last pad that was hit will be temporarily copied to all 16 pads. The pads will now output the same note number as the initial pad, but a selectable parameter will be fixed at values that increase as the pad numbers increase (e.g., Pad 1 is the minimum, Pad 16 is the maximum), regardless of how hard you hit them. The available parameters are filter, velocity, length, and tuning.

15. Note Repeat: Hold this button down and press a pad to retrigger that pad's sample at a rate based on the current Tempo and Time Correct settings. Vary the pressure on the pad to increase or decrease the velocity of the notes being played.

16. Tap Tempo: Press this button in time with the desired tempo to enter a new tempo (in BPM) in the software.

17. Pad Bank: Press and hold down this button and then press a pad with a letter (A – H) above it to select that Pad Bank. The pad representing the current bank will be lit red while the others will be lit amber.

18. Track Up / Down: Use these buttons to move to the next or previous instance of the MPC plugin in your host software.

19. Mute Track: Press this button to mute the currently selected instance of the MPC plugin in your host software.

20. Solo Track: Press this button to solo the currently selected instance of the MPC plugin in your host software.

Guía del usuario (Español)

Introducción

MPC Element brinda una poderosa capacidad de producción musical a su computadora en un diseño esbelto hecho para producir. Obtendrá funciones de última generación, incluidas MPC Note Repeat (Repetición de nota) y Swing, junto con el totalmente nuevo software MPC Essentials —décadas de pericia en producción musical calibrada para que usted pueda hacer música que llegue a la cima.

Contenido de la caja

MPC Element Software/drivers de MPC Essentials (descarga) Cable USB Guía del usuario Adaptadores MIDI de 1/8 pulg. (3,5mm) (2) Manual sobre la seguridad y garantía

Soporte

Para conocer los requisitos completos del sistema, la información de compatibilidad, realizar el registro del producto y la información más reciente acerca de este product, visite akaiprompc.com.

Para soporte adicional del producto, visite akaipro.com/support.

Diagrama de instalación y conexión rápida

1. Instalación del software y los drivers

Antes de conectar el MPC Element a su computadora, siga estos pasos:

IMPORTANTE: Recomendamos especialmente desactivar temporalmente el software antivirus de su computadora. Algunos programas antivirus pueden enlentecer o interferir con la instalación de los drivers. Recuerde activarlo nuevamente después de realizar la instalación.

Windows:

1. Descargue la versión más reciente de MPC Essentials para Windows de akaipro.com/essentials.

2. Descomprima el archivo que descargó.

3. Haga doble clic en el instalador .exe.

4. Siga las instrucciones de la pantalla para instalar el software y los drivers. (El sistema le solicitará que conecte MPC Element a la computadora durante el proceso de instalación.)

Mac OS X:

1. Descargue la versión más reciente de MPC Essentials para Mac OS X de akaipro.com/essentials.

2. Descomprima el archivo que descargó.

3. Haga doble clic en el archivo Install MPC Essentials.

4. Siga las instrucciones de la pantalla para instalar el software y los drivers.

2. Conexión

Siga esta secuencia de pasos toda vez que use MPC Element con su computadora:

1. Conecte el puerto USB del MPC Element a un puerto USB de la computadora, con un cable USB "full-speed" (de máxima velocidad) o de alta velocidad.

Usuarios de Windows: La primera vez que su computadora detecta el MPC Element como dispositivo conectado, verá varios cuadros de diálogo Found New Hardware (Nuevo hardware encontrado). Esto significa simplemente que el MPC Element está siendo reconocido por su computadora por primera vez y está instalando los drivers apropiados. Espere que estos cuadros de diálogo hayan desaparecido antes de continuar.

2. Opcional: Conecte cualquier dispositivo de audio adicional (como mezcladores, monitores, micrófonos, etc.) o dispositivos MIDI (como sintetizadores, caja de ritmo, etc.) a su MPC Element o su computadora.

3. Abra el software MPC. (La primera vez que abra el software, se le pedirá la información requerida para la autorización. Siga las instrucciones de la pantalla para autorizar su software).

Dispositivo MIDI externo

IMPORTANTE: N

auriculares, monitores, etc.) a los conectores hembra de 1/8 pulg. MIDI In (entrada MIDI) o MIDI Out (salida MIDI). Use los adaptadores MIDI de 1/8 pulg. incluidos para conectar sólo dispositivos MIDI.

conecte dispositivos de audio (como

Computadora

Alimentación

Interfaz Audio USB

Todos los elementos que se muestran en la ilustración pero no se mencionan en Contenido de la caja se venden por separado.

Monitores

(para la mezcla principal)

Micrófono

+ 16 hidden pages