AKAI MPD26 Operating Manual

 OPERATOR'S MANUAL

ENGLISH ( 1 - 28 )

WWW.AKAIPRO.COM

KEY FEATURES

• 16 pressure and velocity-sensitive MPC pads with four banks each

• MPC technologies include Note Repeat, Swing, 16 Level, Full Level, and Tap Tempo

• 12 assignable Q-Link knobs and faders

• Dedicated transport controls transmit MMC, MIDI Clock or MIDI CC messages to DAW and

sequencing applications

• MIDI output over USB and traditional MIDI I/O for controlling software and hardware

• Backlit, easy-to-read screen

• USB bus powered, class compliant: plug and play with one USB cable

• Comes with Editor Librarian software

CONNECTION DIAGRAM

POWER (optional,

not included)

1. Connect a USB cable from your computer to the MPD26.

EXTERNAL SOUND

MODULE

EXTERNAL MIDI

COMPUTER

DEVICE

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 MPD26 externally, please plug in an optional Akai MP6-1 (6V-1A DC) power adapter.

2. If you would like to use an external sound module, connect a 5-pin MIDI cable from the MIDI OUT of the MPD26 to the MIDI IN of the external device.

3. If you would like to use another MIDI controller in your setup, connect a 5-pin MIDI cable from the MIDI OUT of the external MIDI device to the MIDI IN of the MPD26.

A NOTE ABOUT USING THE MPD26 WITH SOFTWARE:

1. Make sure that all external devices are connected to the MPD26 and that the MPD26 is connected to your computer, using the included USB cable, before opening any software applications on your computer with which you might want to use the MPD26. If the unit is not plugged in before, your software application might not recognize the MPD26 as an available device.

2. In your software application, you will need to set the MPD26 as a default MIDI input device. This is usually done in the MIDI section of the Preferences menu.

A NOTE ABOUT USING THE MPD26 WITH SOFTWARE:

The operation of the MIDI OUT port changes depending on whether or not a USB cable is connected to the MPD26.

• USB cable connected:

MIDI data from your computer is passed to the MIDI OUT port. When a USB cable is connected, you should activate "MIDI echo" in your sequencer if you want the MPD26 to control another external device.

• USB cable not connected:

Whatever you play on the MPD26 is sent to the MIDI OUT port.

Note: If you have another device connected to the MPD26's MIDI IN port, that device's MIDI information will be ignored.

TOP PANEL OVERVIEW

456

16 1718

1. LCD – The display is used for navigating menus, displaying data, and affecting change on MPD26’s options and parameters.

2. [VALUE] (Push to Enter) – This dial is used to increment and decrement Presets, parameter values and settings. This dial also functions as an [ENTER] button when it is pressed down.

3. [<] AND [>] – These buttons are used for navigate through fields of menus and options. The [<] button also functions as a [CANCEL] button.

4. [PRESET] – This button calls up Preset Mode. You can select and recall different Preset programs in this mode.

5. [EDIT] – This button calls up Edit Mode, which allows you to edit the behavior of pads, knobs, faders and default settings for each preset.

6. [GLOBAL] – This button calls up Global Mode, where MIDI reset commands and global system preferences are set.

7. [PROGRAM CHANGE] – Pressing this button will enter Program Change mode. In this mode, you can send a Program Change or Program with Bank Change message to a hardware or software module.

8. [PREVIEW] – This button allows you to see what value will be sent by a controller, without actually sending the value. This gives you precise control over your parameters and helps avoid erroneous controller data being sent to your devices due to the physical position of the controller. Holding down [PREVIEW] allows you to view the original value and adjust the physical position of a fader, for example, as necessary before transmitting any values.

9. TRANSPORT CONTROL BUTTONS – These five buttons are dedicated buttons for sending transport control commands. The transport control buttons can be set to transmit either MMC (MIDI Machine Control), MMC/MIDI Clock, MIDI START/STOP or pre-assigned MIDI CC values.

10. 6 ASSIGNABLE KNOBS – Each 360-degree knob can be used to send continuous control data to a desktop audio workstation or external MIDI device.

11. 6 ASSIGNABLE FADERS – Each fader can be used to send continuous control data to a desktop audio workstation or external MIDI device.

12. 16 REAL MPC PRESSURE AND VELOCITY SENSITIVE PADS – The pads can be used to trigger drum hits or samples on your software or hardware module. The pads are pressure and velocity sensitive, which makes them very responsive and intuitive to play.

13. PAD BANK BUTTONS – These 4 buttons switch among pad banks A, B, C, D. Each bank can address a unique set of 16 sounds, giving you access of up to 64 different sounds you can trigger with the pads. The currently selected pad bank will be indicated on the LCD display.

14. [FULL LEVEL] – When [FULL LEVEL] is activated, the pads always play back at a maximum velocity (127), no matter how hard or soft you hit them.

15. [16 LEVEL] – When [16 LEVEL] is activated, you can use the 16 pads to change a selected sound’s velocity in 16 steps. When you press the [16 LEVEL] button, the last pad that was hit gets mapped to all 16 pads. The pads will now output the same note number and pressure controller as the initial pad, but the velocity is fixed at the values shown in the diagram on the right, regardless of how hard you hit them. This allows you to have more control over the velocity of a sound.

16. [NOTE REPEAT] – Holding this button while pressing and holding down a pad causes the pad to retrigger at a rate based on the current Tempo and Time Division settings. The Note Repeat feature can be synced to an internal or external MIDI Clock source. [NOTE REPEAT] can function as a latching or momentary button.

17. [TIME DIVISION] – This button is used to specify the rate of the Note Repeat feature or Swing, which will be shown in the LCD. When [TIME DIVISION] is pressed and held, you can press one of Pads 1-8 to specify a time division or one of Pads 9-16 to specify the amount of Swing. [TIME DIVISION] is a momentary button.

18. [TAP TEMPO] – This button allows you to tap in a new tempo. If the preset is reloaded, the tempo will revert to the saved tempo value. (Please note that a preset’s default tempo can be set in Edit Mode). Tap Tempo does not work when the MPD26 is set to External sync.

103

111

119

87 95

127

REAR PANEL OVERVIEW

3 4

1 2

1. DC POWER ADAPTER INPUT – Plug in an optional Akai MP6-1 (6V-1A DC) power adapter if you do not wish to power the MPD26 through the USB connection.

2. USB CONNECTION – Plug a standard USB cable into this outlet and into the USB port of your computer. The computer’s USB port will provide power to the MPD26. This connection is used to send and receive MIDI data to and from your computer and may also be used to send MIDI data from your computer to a device attached to the MIDI OUT port of the MPD26.

3. MIDI OUT – Use a five-pin MIDI cable to connect the MIDI OUT of the MPD26 to the MIDI IN of an external device.

4. MIDI IN – Use a five-pin MIDI cable to connect the MIDI OUT of an external MIDI device to the MIDI IN of the MPD26.

5. KENSINGTON LOCK – The unit may be secured to a table or surface using this Kensington Lock slot.

DISPLAYING INFORMATION

As you are working with the MPD26, the LCD will help you keep track of what values are being sent to external devices. There are several kinds of information that the MPD26 will display while in use: NOTE,

AFTERTOUCH (Channel Pressure), CONTROL CHANGE, MIDI MACHINE CONTROL (MMC), and PREVIEW MODE information.

NOTE

When a PAD is hit, the MPD26 will output MIDI

MIDI PORT AND CHANNEL

NOTE INDICATOR

Note On messages to trigger sounds on your DAW or external device. Each pad can have a MIDI Note Number associated with it. When you hit a pad, the screen will display the MIDI Note Number, the MIDI Port and Channel which the pad is using, as well as the pad bank and velocity (how hard you hit the pad).



Please see ‘Editing Pads’ for more information

on MIDI Notes and Pads.

NOTE AFTERTOUCH (CHANNEL PRESSURE)

When enabled, AFTERTOUCH is MIDI data sent when pressure is applied to one of the pads after it

PAD BANK

MIDI NOTE NUMBER

NOTE VELOCITY

VELOCITY IS ALSO DISPLAYED

WITH BAR METER.

AFTERTOUCH VALUE

has been struck and while it is being held down. Aftertouch will be displayed on the far right of the display as you apply pressure to the pad.

AFTERTOUCH VALUE IS ALSO DISPLAYED WITH

BAR METER

CONTROL CHANGE

When a KNOB or FADER is used, the MPD26 will output MIDI Control Change data. This data is used to control parameters on your DAW or external sound module. When you move a knob or fader, the screen will indicate the Control Change (CC) Number, value, and MIDI Channel.



Please see ‘Editing Knobs & Faders’ (for more

information on Control Change.

CONTROL AFTERTOUCH

The knobs and faders on the MPD26 can also be set to transmit AFTERTOUCH information.



Please see ‘Editing Knobs & Faders’ for more information on setting knobs and faders to transmit Aftertouch.

MIDI PORT AND CHANNEL

PAD BANK

MIDI PORT AND CHANNEL

PAD BANK

CONTROL CHANGE INDICATOR

CONTROL CHANGE NUMBER

AFTERTOUCH INDICATOR

CONTROL CHANGE VALUE

VALUE IS ALSO DISPLAYED WITH

BAR METER.

AFTERTOUCH VALUE

VALUE IS ALSO DISPLAYED WITH

BAR METER.

MIDI MACHINE CONTROL (MMC)

MIDI MACHINE CONTROL (MMC) is commonly

used to send transport control messages to hardware record or playback machines. For example, pressing [PLAY] on the MPD26 sends an MMCPLAY message to a connected multi-track recorder, which begins playing. When you press [STOP] on the MPD26, the deck also stops.

MMC COMMAND

PREVIEWING

When the [PREVIEW] button is held down, and a fader or knob is moved, the LCD displays the screen on the right. The display shows the assigned event and the last sent value of moved knob or fader. While the [PREVIEW] button is held, the fader of knob will not be transmitting any information until [PREVIEW] is released and the fader or knob is used again. At that point, the fader or knob will begin transmitting from the value selected in the New Value field while in Preview mode.

THE ADVANTAGES OF PREVIEWING

The [PREVIEW] button allows you to see what value will be sent by a controller, without actually sending the value. This gives you precise control over your parameters and helps avoid erroneous controller data being sent to your devices due to the physical position of the controller. For example, imagine that Fader 1 is being used to send three different MIDI CC numbers, depending on the preset which you are currently in. Let’s assume that Fader 1 is assigned to MIDI CC#10 in Preset 1 and MIDI CC#11 in Preset 2. While in Preset 1, you adjust Fader 1 (MIDI CC#10) to a value of 40. Now you switch over to Preset 2 and adjust Fader 1 (MIDI CC#11) to a value of 80. If you now switch back to Preset 1 and try to adjust Fader 1 (MIDI CC#10), you will notice that the transmitted values will begin at 80 (instead of 40), due to the physical location of the fader. To prevent these jumps in control values, you can hold down [PREVIEW] and move Fader 1 back to a value of 40 (which will be shown in the “Last” value readout on the display). The fader will not be transmitting information while the [PREVIEW] button is held down. Once you reset the fader back to its “Last” value, you can release the [PREVIEW] button. Adjusting Fader 1 (MIDI CC#10) will now give you a nice starting point at a value of 40.

CONTROL CHANGE NUMBER

LAST VALUE

SENT

LAST VALUE SENT

NEW VALUE

ABOUT MODES

The MPD26 has four different modes of operation. Each mode can be accessed by pressing the corresponding button on the MPD26. Following is a short description of each mode:

Preset Mode

This mode allows you to load, save and copy Presets. A Preset is a collection of information about how different faders, knobs, and pads will behave. Using Presets allows you to save different configurations so you can quickly load them when you need them, without having to reprogram the MPD26 every time.

Edit Mode

This mode allows you to edit the configuration of the MPD26. Edit Mode is a powerful tool for customizing your set-up. In this mode, you can make changes to how the pads, knobs and faders are behaving. For example, you may wish to have a fader or 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. You can change these and various other parameters in Edit Mode. See the Edit Mode Parameters table for a full listing of editable parameters.

Global Mode

This mode allows you to set global parameters and make general

changes to how your MPD26 is functioning. The parameters that you can modify in Global Mode include Controller Resets, Pad Velocity Curves, Pad Threshold, MIDI Clock options, Display Brightness, and more.

Program Change Mode

This mode allows you to transmit various Program Change messages. In this mode, you can remotely switch between different programs on your DAW or external device directly from the MPD26.

PRESET MODE

What is a Preset?

A Preset is a collection of information about how the MPD26’s faders, knobs and pads will behave. Using Presets allows you to save different configurations so you can quickly load them when you need them, without having to reprogram the MPD26 every time.

The MPD26 features different Preset banks which you can load and write to. When you turn on the MPD26,

PRESET NAME PRESET NUMBER

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. In Preset Mode you can load, save/copy and rename Presets – each of these functions can be accessed through the 3 different pages. You can navigate between these pages with the [<] and [>] buttons.

LOAD PRESET – Page 1

1. While you are in Preset Mode, you can change Presets with the

[VALUE] dial below the screen. Turning the dial increments or decrements the current Preset number and displays the screen on the right:

When you do this, you will notice that ‘PRESS ENTER’ will begin to blink.

2. Pressing [ENTER] loads the selected Preset. Pressing [<] or

[PRESET] cancels and returns you to the Preset that was last selected.

SAVE / COPY PRESET – Page 2

In Preset Mode, you can also save and copy a Preset to a new location. This allows you to save any changes that you would have made to the Preset in EDIT MODE.

Note that if you are saving the Preset to the same location (same preset number) the screen will display ‘SAVE TO’ and if you are saving to a different location (different preset number), the screen will display ‘COPY TO’.

DESTINATION

1. While you are in Preset Mode, press [>] until you see the ‘SAVE TO’

screen similar to the one shown above.

2. You can select the location where you want to save the Preset by

turning the [VALUE] knob.

When you do this, you will notice that ‘PRESS ENTER’ will begin to

blink.

3. Press [ENTER] to save current Preset to the destination. Pressing

[<] or [PRESET] cancels the operation.

NAME PRESET – Page 3

While you are in Preset Mode, you can also change the Preset name. This way you can assign specific names to different Presets so you can better keep track and quickly access different controller configurations.

1. To name or rename the Preset, press the [>] button until you see

‘Preset Name’ displayed on the screen.

You will notice that the first letter of the name will begin blinking.

2. Turn the [VALUE] dial to change the blinking character.

3. To move between the characters, use [<] and [>].

ENTER PRESET NAME IN THIS FIELD

4. When done, press [PRESET] again. The name will be saved.

EDIT MODE

Pressing [EDIT] calls up Edit Mode. In this mode, you can edit the settings of the currently selected Preset. The settings vary depending on the controller you are editing and are described on the following page.

Please note that the changes you make will only apply to the currently selected Preset.

Also note that if you wish to save the changes made in Edit Mode,

1. Press [EDIT] to enter Edit Mode.

2. To select the controller you wish to edit, simply engage it – this will prompt the screen to display the available event types for the particular controller (Page 1).

3. If there are multiple event types for the selected controller, turn the [VALUE] dial to select the desired event type. Press [ENTER] to view the parameters of the selected event type, if available (Page 2).

4. To move between the parameter fields on Page 2, use [<] and [>]. To change the values of the fields, turn the [VALUE] dial.

5. When finished editing the controller, press [ENTER] to accept the change or press [<] to cancel.

you will need to save the current preset.

You can use the example screenshot on the right to help you determine where the Page 2 parameters described on the following page will appear on the screen.

EDIT MODE PARAMETERS

CONTROLLER PAGE 1 (EVENT TYPE) PAGE 2 (PARAMETERS)

NOTE

PADS

PROGRAM CHANGE

CONTROL CHANGE

KNOBS AND FADERS

AFTERTOUCH

CONTROL CHANGE

BUTTONS

PROGRAM CHANGE

TOGGLE/MOMENTARY

GATE/SWING

DIVISION

TRANSPORT FUNCTION

TEMPO

NOTE REPEAT

TIME DIVISION

TRANSPORT

TAP TEMPO

NAVIGATING EDIT MODE

MIDI CHANNEL (field 1) NOTE NUMBER (field 2) PLAY MODE (field 3) PRESSURE BEHAVIOR (field 4) MIDI CHANNEL (field 1) PROGRAM CHANGE NUMBER (field 2) BANK M (MSB) (field 3) BANK L (LSB) (field 4)

MIDI CHANNEL (field 1) CC NUMBER (field 2) RANGE – MINIMUM VALUE (field 3) RANGE – MAXIMUM VALUE (field 4)

MIDI CHANNEL (field 1) CC NUMBER (field 2) RANGE – MINIMUM VALUE (field 3) RANGE – MAXIMUM VALUE (field 4) MIDI CHANNEL (field 1) CC NUMBER (field 2) BUTTON MODE (field 4)

MIDI CHANNEL (field 1) PROGRAM CHANGE NUMBER (field 2) BANK M (MSB) (field 3) BANK L (LSB) (field 4) BUTTON MODE (field 2)

NOTE REPEAT GATE VALUE (field 2) NOTE REPEAT SWING VALUE (field 4) DEFAULT TIME DIVISION (field 2) MMC, MIDI, MMC/MIDI, or CTRL (field 2) BPM (field 2)

FIELD 1

FIELD 2

FIELD 3

FIELD 4

+ 22 hidden pages