Akai finally release a new firmware for the MPK49!
At long last, Akai have released a new firmware for their MPK49 controller. This absolute gem of a controller was only spoilt by some truly niggly little bigs, the main one being that it didn’t retain the Global settings after power down. Thankfully, v1.05 now fixes this and a couple of other minor issues:
Version: 1.05
Date: 3/12/2009
New Features / Changes:
1. Added the ability to save PAD THRESHOLD, MIDI CLOCK, TAP AVG with SAVE GLOBALS
2. Fixed issue where ports would not show correctly on Mac OS 10.5.6
3. Fixed issue where assignable switches could not send program changes above 32.
Thank you Akai, even if it did take a feckin’ age!! ;o)
Replicas [cover]
Blimey, I’ve got video diarrhoea !!
Ok, I programmed this a while back but thought I’d perform it “live”, so everything you hear is programmed by my own fair hand and the lead line is played absolutely live by me. Trust me, with my obvious talent shortage, that takes some doing !! ;o)
The tune, albeit a brief version, is Replicas by Tubeway Army / Gary Numan. It’s based more on the live version than the album version.
Everything is done on Reason. It’s not the most exciting video in the world. Just me triggering various parts on Reason and then trying ever so hard not to fuck up the lead line !
Enjoy…
At last ! A video of me playing !!
Well, it has often been requested, yet never delivered. Until now !
Recorded to launch Failed Muso’s very own YouTube channel.
I simply don’t have the keyboard skills of someone like Shepitology and so have shyed away from ever displaying my [lack of] keyboard skills. Sequencers were invented specifically for people like me ;o) Anyway, beered up as I am (Mmmmm…gotta love Heineken. Any beer manufacturer that has a museum with authentic smells of piss is top in my book !), I have just recorded this as I was dicking around with Arturia’s CS-80V. I’m sure the melody is familiar.
So, may I present myself, using Arturia’s CS-80V, hosted by Chainer, with my Akai MPK49, performing the melody line from Blade Runner’s Main Titles, by Vangelis.
Really, don’t get too excited….
:UPDATE:
I have now transferred a tutorial on the MPC500 that I had on my own personal channel…
The MPK49 has landed !!
Well, after a very long wait (and an even longer story to explain why), the Akai MPK49 arrived !!
First impressions were that this thing is built like a feckin’ tank ! It’s by no means light being a shade under 10Kgs !! And it feels equally robust when it’s unpacked. Connectivity at the rear is simple and uncluttered, with a standard MIDI IN & OUT as well as the obligatory USB connection. 2x 1/4″ jacks are supplied for connecting a sustain & expression pedal. There is a power supply socket, although a power supply isn’t provided and finally there is a Kensington Lock socket for added security, although given the weight of the MPK49, the thief won’t be able to run too fast with it ;o)
“Up top”, there is a wealth of controllers. first of all, in common with many other USB controllers, there are 8 endless rotary knobs, 8 sliders and 8 switches, each of which can store 3 commands (3 BANKS OF 
giving you 72 controllers. To the left of these are the transport controls, a TAP TEMPO button, octave shift buttons and some edit/global functions. The LCD screen is a good size and there is a separate rotary with “push” function to simply navigate through the settings.
What sets the MPK apart from most is the 12 MPC pads it contains. Velocity and pressure sensitive and featuring NOTE REPEAT, 12 LEVEL & FULL Level functionality, these give you some of the neatest inspirational tools from the MPC range. The pads themselves are the exact same as used in the MPC500 (I have one of those too) and each pad can have four settings, giving you 48 individual settings. The MPK also features an arpeggiator which although not as powerful as those found in proper synths, is simple, effective and a welcome addition.
The Pitch Bend and Mod wheels are chunky, rubberised and illuminated from behind and the keybed itself is a very nice semi-weighted affair with velocity and aftertouch.
I was expecting something a lot less substantial, but this keyboard certainly leaves you in no doubt where your £300 went. It feels like it is worth every penny.
However, it’s the performance that justifies the cost, so how does it fare ?
Well, installation is a breeze. It’s a class compliant device, so no drivers are needed. Just pop it in a USB port and after about 20 seconds, it’s installed and ready to use, with the USB MIDI ports available straight away. It draws it’s power from the USB host like most other controllers and boots up instantly. As far as software is concerned, it comes with an editor (WIN/MAC) based on MIDIQUEST and is very comprehensive. It also comes with templates built in for most major DAW’s and some soft synths to boot, although I was surprised at the choice of soft synths chosen for default settings. As good as Rob Papen, Arkaos and Virsyn stuff is, I’m sure more people have got NI, Korg Legacy or other VST’s installed, but that’s just my personal preference. Given that Kontakt forms the basis of most sample based VSTi’s, I’d expect it to be in there. GMedia are represented, as well as Arturia, so that makes up for it in a way. At the end of the day, it’s a case of creating and storing your own settings in the vacant slots if your synth of choice is not listed.
I did have some issues when installing, but these were not the fault of the MPK, but of Windows and it’s dodgy handling of multiple USB Audio devices. It installed perfectly on both my XP and Vista laptops, but my desktop, which is laden with gear and software, did not want to show the MPK as a MIDI device across USB. Sadly, the tinkering I did to try and rectify my bloated USB config resulted in a major system failure, leaving me with an unbootable HD. Luckily, I had a back up and a spare HD and I am now up and running again, and able to rescue all my data from the other HD.
The MPK then went on to install first time, no questions 
)
So, to test it out, I installed it on Reason (using the enclosed Reason LUA Codecs and Maps) and it was seen by Reason and immediately installed without question. Now, for someone like me who hasn’t had a controller like this before, using it with Reason was a revalation. A simple and intuitive workflow coupled with a great feeling keyboard, just made it a very pleasurable experience. The MPK also comes supplied with an Akai branded version of Ableton Live Lite which is a neat little app, especially when it’s free.
All in all, this is a great controller. Sturdy, simple, uncluttered, functional and intuitive, it gives the user immense confidence in it’s abilities. With this baby sat in front of you, you feel that you have everything right there, immediate and solid. It’s even taken the place of my Fusion as the “keyboard on the desk” !! My only criticism is that it may be too big and heavy to be considered truly portable and convenient. I still think I may go for a nice little 25 note board for my travels as I can’t see the MPK fitting in my suitcase ;o)
Akai MPK49 USB/MIDI Controller
Well, it’s been a while since I last posted ! Trips away on business and an operation on my nose have taken up most of this year so far. So my apologies to my reader for not being around so much ! LOL
Anyway, this little beauty from Akai appeared at Frankfurt MusikMesse last month.
A 49 note, semi-weighted keyboard with MPC500 pads, a few MPC features like Note Repeat, Swing and Full/12 Levels plus an onboard arpeggiator, 8 sliders, 8 endless rotaries and 8 toggle switches (all of which can have 3 functions each, giving you 72 controllers in total), a big LCD, 30 built in templates for DAW’s and softsynths, full MMC & MIDI transport controls and plenty of expression functions and connections gives you one mighty controller !
I’m hoping to get a pre-release model very soon, so expect a review once I do.
I have a feeling fellow blogger Shep will like this ;o)
More details Here
