AKAI Pro has announced MPC 2.2, a desktop software and firmware update that extends compatibility to any MIDI controller and introduces a variety of other new features.
In addition, the update addresses several stability and reliability issues.
Here’s what’s new:
MIDI Learn Global – The MPC desktop software can now be controlled by external MIDI control surfaces such as keyboards and pad controllers. Once you have configured a Global MIDI Learn template, its assignments and the Enable On/Off will persist so that each time you open the MPC application your controller assignments will instantly be ready to be used.
- Learn your MIDI controller’s physical controls to the MPC software’s Pads, Q-Links, Transport or other assignable parameters.
- Show the MIDI Learn panel by going to View>Browser>MIDI Learn Browser or by clicking the MIDI Learn icon in the Status Bar at the bottom of the MPC app.
- To learn your controller to MPC parameters, go to the MIDI Learn panel and click the Learn button On, then in the MPC app click on any parameter that has a yellow overlay to select it, then move or press a physical control. You can toggle a MIDI map on or off using the Enable button.
- In the MIDI Learn panel the drop down menu in the top right-hand corner contains the following options for managing your MIDI maps : New, Duplicate, Clear, Delete, Export and Import.
- MPC ships with a range of factory MIDI maps for popular MIDI controllers.
- When Learn is On hold Shift and move a physical control to select the slot in the list it has been mapped to.
- To make it easier to navigate the list of MIDI assignments use the View menu to filter by type. From the MIDI Learn drop down menu tick the List Follows Control option, now the View filter automatically follows the MPC control section that you last clicked on.
New: Pre-mapped controllers
AKAI Professional:
Advance 25, Advance 49, Advance 61, APC Key 25, LPD8 Wireless, MPD218, MPD226, MPD232, MPK Mini (mkII), MPK225, MPK249, MPK261
Alesis:
V25, V49, V61, Vmini, VI25, VI49, VI61, VX49
M-Audio:
Axiom AIR Mini 32, Code 25, Code 49, Code 61, CTRL49, Keystation 49 II, Oxygen 25, Oxygen 49, Oxygen 61
Native Instruments:
Kontrol S49, Maschine Jam, Maschine Mikro MKI, Maschine MK1, Maschine MK3, Maschine Studio, Traktor Kontrol F1
Novation:
Impulse 25, Impulse 49, Impulse 61, Launchkey 25, Launchkey 49, Launchkey 61, Launchkey Mini, Launchpad MK2
MIDI Learn Project – The MPC standalone and desktop software’s automatable parameters can now be controlled by external MIDI control surfaces such as keyboards, pad controllers and MIDI mixers.
- Learn your MIDI controllers physical controls to MPC’s automatable parameters.
- Configure a control surface as a mixer surface to control the volume, pan and sends of programs and audio tracks in your project.
- Control program parameters such as drum program filters and synthesizer parameters.
- Control insert FX and other automatable parameters.
- When Learn is On hold Alt and move the controls on your MIDI controller to quickly add multiple assignment slots.
- You can quickly copy the Target of one slot to a new slot by holding Shift and pressing the plus button.
- Take your project with all of the Project MIDI controller assignments from the desktop software to your standalone.
Humanize – You can now randomize the timing or velocity of MIDI events. From the GUI go to Edit > Humanize. From the TUI go to the Track section and press the Pencil icon to bring up the Track Overlay, and choose Humanize.
Generate Random Events – MPC can now generate random melodic patterns and drum beats. From the GUI go to Tools > Generate Random Events. On the TUI go to the Track section and press the Pencil icon to bring up the Track Overlay, from the overlay choose Generate Random Events. Use the Event Type field to choose between generating Drum or Melodic events, this field will be automatically set to Drum when opening the popup on a track with a drum program and Melodic for other program types. Use the other controls to configure the density of the added events. To try out different ideas without closing the popup use the Apply button.
The standalone can now load a user template project from the Launch page. To assign a user template go to Preferences, Project Load/Save tab, Template field and tap the magnifying glass icon to choose your project or from the Save As popup tick the Save As Template field. To load your template project when starting a new project press the User Template f-key on the Launch Screen.
Here are some unofficial demos of some of the new features, via Sounds & Gear:
Details on the update are available at the AKAI Pro site.
Smart move!
Learn from Avid/Digidesig: opening up proprietary software to work with any third-party hardware brings more sales/customers/users.
Akai looked like they dropped a product that they would abandon in a few months. They have had consistent updates and most of them user requested. Once they put in sidechain compression, all will be right in the universe but kudos to them for keeping the support alive.
This is really good! I ahd a MPD226, but it was so hobbled with the mpc software that it was almost useless.
Is it compatible with Arturia SparkLE ?
With the midi learn, can probably find some compatibility but I didn’t see your device in the list above so I’d assume not.
How much? Where can it be demoed?
No pre-mapped APC 40? really? 🙁
Why is Maschine MK2 missing from that list, even though MKI and MK3 are there?
That is weird. They got maschine studio so maybe it’s assumed or a copy error and lacks specificity.
you ain’t lying…. bring on the side chain compression already!!!!
Being able to map midi controllers on the hardware in standalone mode is big. That will be especially useful for users of the Live, which lacks the sheer number of physical controls of the X.
Akai seem intent on really bringing it with these devices. They’ve had two great updates already in the few months I’ve owned mine, this being the third. I’ve not had a lot of time to devote to it, but in the time I’ve had it I’ve gotten some very cool results.