Akai Mpc Keys Review
Adele Strecker
This is a review of the Akai MPK261 Midi Keyboard. You can find the detailed specifications on the Akai website. I only explain the particularities that are not obvious on the web site. Most of the information here applies to MPK249 and MPK261. Some of it applies to the MPK225.
The Akai MPK261 is heavy! The base is metal sheet and the unit is built like a tank. It is relatively compact because the Pitch Bend and Expression wheels are above the key bead. The multitude of buttons, knobs and sliders need quite a bit of space so the keyboard is quite deep (but less than the M-Audio Axiom Air 61). The professional black finish is good and the red base, visible on the back, adds a nice accent.
The MPK261 has 16 pads and some of the functionalities of the MPC series of midi controllers. Pads on keyboards are common now and Akai has vast experience with them. The pads on the MPK2 series are great.
The most noticeable difference is when playing the black keys. I find that pressing the black keys when, for example, playing a chord so that my longest fingers (index, mid and ring) hit the black keys, I touch the keys near their root. Because of the difference in the action (mainly the pivot point), the black keys need more pressure to achieve the same sound force the closer you press to the root. Luckily, the MPK261 has a parameter for this particular adjustment (see below).
The Gain parameter will let you set a relative effort needed to apply the chosen velocity curve. It seems to be a shift applied to the velocity curve. If the value is low, the curve shifts upward (relative to 0), meaning that more force will be needed to generate a note. Inversely, a higher value will shift the velocity curve downward. Generating a note will require less force. It flattens or expands the velocity curve.
Finally, the black/white offset parameter will let you adjust the relative velocity of black and white keys. In my case, for example, I found that a black value of -5 will let me play the black keys with very similar values to the white keys.
I set my parameters to : Curve -6 to -10, Gain -6, Black -5. This is a trial and error process. I played different styles of music and looked at the values coming out of the keyboard (using Midi Monitor on a Mac). I also listened to many sound generating programs to figure out the best velocity arrangement.
I love this particular way of adjusting the velocity curve although you should note that this is a Global Parameter, meaning that the keyboard will react the same way in any software. This is annoying as different synthesizers will react differently to incoming velocity changes. For example, in Ableton 9, the Grand Piano will tend to smooth ou the incoming velocity curve based on a series of parameters in its setup. It is generally adjusted with the Hardness macro command but can be fine tuned as well. The Sonivox Eighty Eight Ensemble software included with the MPK261 sounds marvellous but is reacting very differently to key velocity, to the point of being very hard to use.
The Pitch Wheel and Expression Wheel are placed above the keyboard, on the left. This is my preferred arrangement as I rarely use Pith Bend and having it on the left side of the Keyboard adds six inches to the with.
To conclude, I love the key action despite the small key size. I would prefer a tighter spring to allow me to better modulate the velocity, especially when playing smoothly. Since I often switch keyboards, that also demands constant adjustment. The Velocity parameter adjustment is great if you spend the time to do it carefully. The keys have channel aftertouch and sadly, no release velocity. I must admit that I seldom use release velocity but I like it with some guitar effects.
The next section is the DAW. This is a small section of five buttons that will send actual regular computer keyboard messages to your computer, like ENTER, RIGHT-ARROW, etc. This is all modifiable. This is a great way to control some parameters on your computer without having to touch it.
The Tempo button flashes according to the tap tempo that you adjust. If the tempo is controlled by an external source, it will be turned off. I would love to see it flash to the tempo set in my software. I like to have a visual cue for tempo and the MPK261 has very bright lights. Next to the tempo button is the Repeat button. This is linked to the Pad Repeat only.
The arpegiator is also linked to the tempo button. If the tempo is external, the arpegiator funciton is off (or controlled by the computer). Note: The arpegiator only works with the keys, not the pads.
The display section has associated buttons on the right. The display has good contrast and presents the information logically. I would like to see it put in at an angle. This would make it easier to read. Also, a bigger display would prevent having to navigate right and left to go through a series of parameters. I know that 20 characters-4 lines displays are dirt cheap (I pay $7) and make a difference for volume production dollars, but in this day and age, a graphical display, even color TFT or OLED, is available for just a few dollars. Also, this is a $500 keyboard.
The Presets are stored in the Keyboard memory. Luckily, you can export them to you PC or Mac as SysEx and use a SysEx librarian (or you DAW) to store and transfer an infinite number. In a future post, I will show you how to modify the Presets on your computer and upload them on your MPK.
If you press the Edit button after you have touched any control the screen will present information about that control and its current configuration. There are many parameters associated with each control. Pages in some cases. Take the time to learn them. This is where the power of the MPK becomes apparent.
The Global button gets you into Global Parameter Edit Mode. You get to change values for Keyboard Velocity Curve which, as I mentioned above, should be stored with the Presets. Same thing for the Pads velocity curve and Tempo behaviour.
This mode lets you send a Midi Program Change down the Midi line. Nothing fancy. You can send a standard Program Change, with a value of 0 to 127, or a Banked Program Change, which will send a Bank address (MSB and LSB) along with a Program Number (0-127).
Next is the Preview button. If you press it and keep it pressed, the touch any other controller and it will let you see the value associated with this control. This is useful when working with certain DAW software like Ableton Live.
The bottom row has the Octave shift Buttons. I would like to see them bigger and separate from other controls. I often use Octave Shift when I play and I sometimes hit the wrong button. I also use pedals to switch octave.
Next you have 3 Bank Selector buttons for the Slider section. The last button will put you in Repeat Time Division chooser mode, where you simply choose the divider associated with the Tempo and used by the Repeat and Arpegiator.
The buttons are sending Midi CC commands by default but can send a variety of other Midi commands. Their action can be momentary or latched. The LEDs are bright (and sadly only yellow. Why not RGB, Akai?)
Hi, i having problem to save my pad colours. when chose the colour i want for Bank A to Bank D, then i global save it. After i switch off and on again, the setting all back to default. Do you know what is the solutions for this?
Nice review. Did you do a review of the mpk61? I would like to see it in contrast to this to see if its worth upgrading.. I felt this briefly in guitar center and felt like it had a much nicer key bed than the original.
I have not played on the MPK61. I read some reviews that mentioned that they key feel was similar. I still go back to my old Casio keyboard for piano practice because I much prefer real key action, but the MPK261 is perfect for experimentation and mobile playing.
The pads of the MPK261 can only send Note or Program Change messages. But, by default, they send on Channel 2 (for the Ableton Live preset). So you just have to program your DAW to react to drum pads on channel 2 for you drum kit, and on channel 1 for your keyboard. You could also use a series of notes outside of your keyboard range (I sometimes use the lowest notes) to trigger your drums.
The Akai Fire is the first hardware device custom-built for FL Studio. It features a lot of user-friendly integrations that make the DAW experience better. But, it may not be the best tool for a film composer to invest in. Read my full review below.
Akai has a long history of producing beloved hardware music controllers (most notably the MPC). They basically revolutionized hip hop with the release of the MPC60 in 1988. With that pedigree, I figured this new midi controller would be an awesome addition to my project studio.
Tracing the foodchain involved here is kind of meta: (1) Someone samples a breakbeat, (2) that sample is loaded onto an Akai MPC, (3) ImageLine writes the FPC software to emulate an MPC, (4) Akai creates a piece of hardware to mimic the FPC, (5) you press a small key to play that same breakbeat. Why not just play the drums?
This mode turns the keypad into triggers for samples and loops. You play a song live, using the stamp keys to enable different instruments, melodies, and loops. If you combine this with User modes to custom route filters and effects, you can have complete control over your sound as it happens.
Finally, the transport controls make it uber-simple to control your playback or record your music. There were always keyboard shortcuts for things like enabling the metronome, loop record, or switching between song and pattern mode, but they are finally all collected in one intuitive area. I found myself preferring thse Fire buttons to the keyboard shortcuts I used to use.
My last big gripe with the Akai Fire is the mixer functionality. This feels like more of an afterthought than the keyboard implementation. When mixing, I typically need access to many channels at once, but the Fire only lets you control one channel strip at a time. The dedicated volume and pan faders are nice, but I have almost zero use for the pre-assigned high- and low-eq faders. I can assign effect automation to buttons and faders in a User mode, but any midi controller would let you do that.
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