AKAI PROFESSIONAL MPK Mini Play3 25-key Portable Keyboard and MIDI Controller User Guide
- June 13, 2024
- AKAI PROFESSIONAL
Table of Contents
MPK mini play
Editor User Guide
Manual Version 1.0
User Guide
Introduction
The MPK Mini Play Editor software gives you intuitive ways to edit the many functions that your MPK Mini Play can perform.
Support
For the latest information about this product (system requirements,
compatibility information, etc.) and product registration, visit
akaipro.com.
For additional product support, visit
akaipro.com/support.
Installation
Windows
- Double-click the .exe installer file you downloaded.
- Follow the on-screen instructions.
macOS
- Double-click the .dmg installer file you downloaded.
- Follow the on-screen instructions.
Setup
To use the MPK Mini Play Editor:
- Optional: Connect MPK Mini Play to your computer using a standard USB cable. (If you are connecting MPK Mini Play to a USB hub, make sure it is a powered hub). You can still use the Editor and create favorites without connecting an MPK Mini Play, but you will not be able to send/load favorites to/from it.
- Open the MPK Mini Play Editor on your computer. The window will show a visual representation of all your MPK Mini Play’s editable controls. See Features > Graphical Interface for an overview of each section.
Features
Graphical Interface
The MPK Mini Play Editor has a straightforward user interface that can be
broken down into seven sections for editing:
- Joystick: These settings control the parameters affected when moving the X-Y Controller along its X axis (left/right) or Y axis (up/down). See Operation > Editing the X-Y Controller (Joystick) to learn more.
- Sound: These two fields determine the overall sound of the keyboard as well as the pads. See Operation > Editing the Sound to learn more.
- Pads: This section enables you to edit note assignments for the pads. 16 pads are pictured in the Editor: 8 of them correspond to the pads on the MPK Mini Play when Bank A is active, and the other 8 correspond to the pads on the MPK Mini Play when Bank B is active. See Operation > Editing a Pad’s MIDI Note to learn more.
- Knobs: This section enables you to edit the function of the knobs. 8 knobs are pictured in the Editor: 4 of them correspond to the knobs on the MPK Mini Play when Bank A is active, and the other 4 correspond to the knobs on the MPK Mini Play when Bank B is active. See Operation > Editing a Knob to learn more.
- Favorites: These controls let you import a favorite from your computer or from your connected MPK Mini Play. They also allow you to save the current settings as a favorite and export them to your computer or to your connected MPK Mini Play. See Operation > Managing Your Favorites to learn more.
- Channels: These two fields determine the channels through which the pads, knobs, X-Y Controller, and keyboard send MIDI data. Specific instructions are provided in the chapters for each control: Operation > Editing a Pad’s MIDI Note, Editing a Knob, Editing the X-Y Controller (Joystick), Editing the Keyboard and Apeggiator > Keyboard.
- Keyboard and Arpeggiator: This is a visual representation of the 25-key keyboard as well as the settings that control the timing, range, and general behavior of the arpeggiator. See Operation > Editing the Keyboard and Arpeggiator to learn more.
Operation
Managing Your Favorites
With the Favorites feature, you can save all your current settings in the
Editor to a single .mpkplay file that can be loaded onto your MPK Mini Play.
MPK Mini Play holds a maximum of eight favorites, but you can store more
favorites on your computer to load onto MPK Mini Play later with the Editor.
This way, you can have countless different control configurations for
different situations. For instance, you may use different favorites with
different software. Or you may use some favorites for production and others
for performance.
Saving Favorites
After saving a favorite on your computer, you can send it to MPK Mini Play or
edit it again later. All settings that you see in the Editor software will be
saved in the favorite.
To save a favorite: Go to File > Save Favorite. Alternatively, you can type
Ctrl + S (Windows) or + S (Mac). Then select the destination folder on your
computer, enter a file name, and click Save. The favorite will be saved as an
.mpkplay file.
Loading Favorites
To load a favorite from a connected MPK Mini Play: Click the R (receive) icon
corresponding to the number of the desired favorite on your MPK Mini Play
(1-8).
Note: Using the software to edit a favorite loaded from your MPK Mini
Play will not automatically affect this favorite on your keyboard; you will
have to send the edited favorite to the keyboard after modifying it. See
Sending Favorites below to learn more.
To load a favorite from your computer, go to File > Open Favorite.
Alternatively, you can type Ctrl + O (Windows) or + O (Mac). Then locate the
desired .mpkplay file and click Open.
Sending Favorites
When you send from the Editor to a connected MPK Mini Play, all settings that
you see in the Editor will be stored as a favorite on the MPK Mini Play’s
internal memory. When playing your keyboard, the favorite will be available
for you to activate whenever you like.
To send a Program to a connected MPK Mini Play: Click the S (send) icon
corresponding to the number of the favorite you want to replace on your MPK
Mini Play (1-8). Doing so will overwrite the favorite currently stored in this
number slot on the MPK Mini Play.
You can also send a favorite to MPK Mini Play’s RAM, where it will be kept
temporarily and will not overrite any favorite stored on the device. This
applies the settings to the MPK Mini Play and lets you try them out without
fully committing to them. If you then decide that you like the settings, you
can save the favorite to your computer (see Saving Favorites above) or
overwrite one of the currently stored favorites on your MPK Mini Play.
To send a Program to the RAM of a connected MPK Mini Play, click the SEND TO
RAM icon or go to File > Send Favorite > Ram.
Note: To avoid losing the settings kept in the RAM, you will need to save them before modifying them with the Editor or exiting the Editor.
Editing a Pad’s MIDI Note
You can set the MIDI note for any of the pads in Bank A or Bank B. You can
also set the channel through which all the pads send their MIDI notes.
To select a pad’s MIDI note: Click the Note field within the pad and then type
the desired MIDI note number (0 – 127). The MIDI note value will change
accordingly. The current MIDI note value (C-1 – G9) will be displayed on the
pad.
To select the MIDI channel for all the pads: Click the Pad MIDI Channel field
at the bottom of the window. In the pop-up menu that appears, select the
desired MIDI channel number (1 – 16).
Editing a Knob
You can edit settings for each of the eight knobs, including CC message,
minimum value, maximum value, and FX level. You can also set the channel
through which all the knobs send MIDI data.
To select the CC message a knob sends: Click the CC field under a knob and
then type the desired CC number (0 – 127).
To select a knob’s minimum and maximum values: Click the Lo field (minimum) or
Hi field (maximum) under a knob and then type the desired value (0 – 127).
To assign the FX level: Click the effect name field and then type the desired
value (0 – 127). Each knob in each bank has its own designated effect.
To select the MIDI channel for all the knobs, open the Keybed / Controls MIDI Channel pop-up menu at the bottom of the window. Then select the desired MIDI channel number (1 – 16). This will affect the X-Y Controller and keyboard as well as the knobs.
Editing the X-Y Controller (Joystick)
To designate the function of the axis, click the X Axis or Y Axis field under the X-Y Controller and then select the desired function from the pop-up menu:
- Pitchbend: Moving the X-Y controller along the axis will bend the keyboard pitch.
- Single CC: Moving the X-Y controller along this axis will send a CC message.
- Dual CC: Moving the X-Y controller along this axis will send one CC message in the positive direction (up or right) and another CC message in the negative direction (down or left).
To select the CC message the X-Y Controller sends (when set to Single CC or Dual CC), click the CC field(s) and then type the desired value (0 – 127).
To select the MIDI channel for the X-Y Controller, open the Keybed / Controls MIDI Channel pop-up menu at the bottom of the window. Then select the desired MIDI channel number (1 – 16). This will affect the knobs and keyboard as well as the X-Y Controller.
Editing the Keyboard and Arpeggiator
Keyboard
The Editor allows you to set the keyboard’s octave and transposition.
To transpose the keyboard, click the Transpose field under the keyboard. When
the pop-up menu appears, select the desired value (-12 to 12 semitones). A
transposition of 0 means the keyboard is not transposed. For reference, the
leftmost key will display its note value to indicate the current
transposition.
To change the keyboard’s octave, click the Octave field under the keyboard.
When the pop-up menu appears, select the desired value (-4 to 4 octaves). An
octave of 0 means the keyboard is at its center/default octave.
To select the MIDI channel for the Keyboard: open the Keybed / Controls MIDI
Channel pop-up menu at the bottom of the window. Then select the desired MIDI
channel number (1 – 16). This will affect the knobs and X-Y Controller as well
as the keyboard.
Arpeggiator
You can edit various parameters for the arpeggiator.
To activate or deactivate the arpeggiator: Click the On/Off icon. The icon’s
outline will be red if the arpeggiator is on and gray if the arpeggiator is
off.
To set the arpeggiator’s time division: Click the Time Div field. When the
pop-up menu appears, select the desired setting (1/4 – 1/32T).
To set the arpeggiator’s mode: Click the Mode field. When the pop-up menu
appears, select the desired setting from the pop-up menu. The mode determines
how the arpeggiated notes are played back:
- Up: Notes will sound from lowest to highest.
- Down: Notes will sound from highest to lowest.
- Exclusive: Notes will sound from lowest to highest and then back down. The lowest and highest notes will sound only once at the directional change.
- Inclusive: Notes will sound from lowest to highest and then back down. The lowest and highest notes will sound twice at the directional change.
- Order: Notes will sound in the order they were pressed.
- Random: Notes will sound in random order.
To activate or deactivate the Latch: Click the Latch field and then select Off or On from the popup menu.
- Off: When the Latch is Off and you press keys, the Arpeggiator will cease after you release your fingers from the keyboard.
- On: When the Latch is On and you press keys, the Arpeggiator will continue even after you release your fingers from the keyboard. While holding down the keys, you can add more notes to the arpeggio by pressing down additional keys. If you press the keys, release them, and then press a new combination of keys, the Arpeggiator will arpeggiate the new notes.
To set the arpeggiator’s octave range: Click the Octave field and select the
desired value from the pop-up menu: 0, 1, 2, or 3 octaves.
To set the arpeggiator’s swing, click the Swing field and select the desired
setting from the popup menu: 50% (no swing), 55%, 57%, 59%, 61%, or 64%. To
set the minimum number of taps required for MPK Mini Play’s Tap Tempo button
to detect a new arpeggiator tempo: Click the Tempo Taps field and select the
desired number from the pop-up menu: 2, 3, or 4 taps.
Note: MPK Mini Play’s Tap Tempo button is disabled if the Arpeggiator is
synced to an external clock.
Editing the Sound
The Editor allows you to select the default keyboard sound and pad sound for a
favorite.
To select the keyboard sound: Click the Keyboard Sound field at the top of the
window. When the pop-up menu appears, select one of the 130 available sounds.
To select the pad sound: Click the Pad Sound field at the top of the window.
When the pop-up menu appears, select one of the 10 available sounds.
Appendix
Trademarks and Licenses
Akai Professional is a trademark of inMusic Brands, Inc., registered in the
U.S. and other countries. macOS is a trademark of Apple Inc., registered in
the U.S. and other countries.
Windows is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United
States and other countries.
All other product or company names are trademarks or registered trademarks of
their respective owners.
References
- Music Production Hardware & Software | Akai Pro
- MPC Plugin Instruments
- Music Production Hardware & Software | Akai Pro
- akaipro.com/support
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