Unlock the true potential of your MPK mini with the MPK mini MIDI Editor software. This MIDI editor is a powerful preset management software that lets MPK Mini users customize their hardware and software setup on their Mac or PC. Create and tweak presets for your favorite virtual instruments, plugins, and DAWs, then store them on your MPK mini. Akai Mpk Mini Software How To Use Them; This will enable your software downloads and is a necessary step to obtain downloadable content. Now your samples can be played together and used to record a beat, otherwise known as a Sequence. Along with MPC Essentials, the MPK Mini MKII comes with three content packs to help you get started producing.
Akai Mpk Mini Laptop Production Keyboard Software Download Mac Version MPC Beats will auto-detect the controller, and select the MPK mini 3 controller map for the software. This will fully map your keyboard, pads, and controls to MPC Beats. Akai Professional is part of an elite family of hardware and software companies known as inMusic Brands. The inMusic Profile is where you can register products, download software titles, and access exclusive content and offers - not just for Akai Professional, but for any brands within the inMusic network! From MPK Mini to M-Audio Oxygen.
MPC Beats will auto-detect the controller, and select the MPK mini 3 controller map for the software. This will fully map your keyboard, pads, and controls to MPC Beats. You can also manually select the Akai MPK mini 3 controller map by clicking on New MIDI Mapping Factory Akai Akai MPK mini 3.
(4.7 / 5)- MPK mini is an ultra-compact keyboard with an impressive array of buttons, knobs and pads that provide hands-on performance and production control over your music software. With a 25-key velocity-sensitive keyboard, 8 backlit MPC-style pads and 8 Q-Link knobs, the MPK mini is the ultimate portable controller to get your music moving.
- Akai Professional MPK Mini MKII – 25 Key USB MIDI Keyboard Controller With 8 Drum Pads, 8 Assignable Q-Link Knobs and Pro Software Suite Included 4.3 out of 5 stars 5,408 # 1 Best Seller in Computer Recording MIDI.
Article last updated: 29/09/2020DISCLOSURE: We thought you’d like to know up-front that this article contains affiliate links. Music Production Reviewer participates in the Amazon Associates Program and earns a commission from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you. Read our full disclosure policy for more information.Contents2 First Impressions
If desktop space is limited or you want something portable to quickly knock out beats while on the move, then there’s nothing finer than a compact MIDI keyboard to get those creative juices flowing. And, for a small-sized controller the Akai Professional MPK Mini MK2 packs a healthy set of features.
As well as a 25-note keyboard you also get a full-featured pad controller too making it a 2-in-1 MIDI device. The MPK Mini MK2 also comes loaded with other goodies too such as: 8 assignable control knobs, multi-function arpeggiator, and a rather clever programmable X-Y analogue thumbstick for controlling pitch, modulation and other types of MIDI CC parameters.
With all these features, can Akai’s multi-talented MIDI instrument entice you to buy?
Read this full MPK Mini MK2 review to find out in detail how it performs.
Overview
AdvantagesAkai Mpk Mini Laptop Production Keyboard Software Download Mac Version
DisadvantagesCheck prices on AmazonFirst Impressions
Unboxing
Unpacking the contents of the box reveals an Akai MPK Mini MK2 unit, USB cable (Type-AB), user guide, safety / warranty manual, and a software download card (no CDs or DVDs these days!)
The user guide is very basic and only gives you a quick overview of its features and essential modes of operation. However, Akai’s knowledge base has excellent content that goes much deeper with troubleshooting information and guides covering a wide range of topics.
Build Quality
The MPK Mini MK2 is constructed with a mixture of plastic and rubber components. This might sound a bit cheap, but actually when you look at the controller up-close it is quite well made. The plastic used for the casing is a decent thickness and the edges have been nicely bevelled too for extra reinforcement. This means the overall weight of the keyboard is reasonably light to carry around while at the same time being strong enough to deal with the usual knocks and bumps along the way.
Moving to the top of the device, the build quality looks good here too; all the components feel solid when used. The mini-keys are positive to the touch, have a decent width and are nice and springy as you would expect from synth-action keys. The rubber used for the pads and push buttons has good density which prevents that ‘squashy’ unreliable sort of sensation you can get on some music gear.
Akai have used a mini-joystick to save space which not only feels reliable, but also has a nice ergonomic design to easily control MIDI CC sends. Lastly, the 8 rotary controls have a smooth action, but there’s not much resistance present when rotating them. It would be nice if they had a little more bite to guard against accidental movement.
User Interface
It’s sometimes difficult on some keyboards to decipher what to press in order to switch modes or select a particular function. However, Akai Professional have made it easy to see what is going on. There’s plenty of labelling on the interface, including the addition of white outlining to highlight important related functions.
The arrangement of the controls is intelligently laid out which offers a good workflow to the musician. Overall, the user interface is intuitive to use and makes music production an enjoyable affair.
Styling
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Akai have gone for a striking red and black combination for their keyboard which gives it a nice modern, almost sporty look. Thankfully the red is mostly on the lower half of the keyboard’s casing to avoid colour clash with all the backlit buttons and pads.
The matte black finish on the top contrasts nicely with all the white detailing on the control knobs and labels. Incidentally, the back lighting is a great touch that not only has functionality but also adds style with flashes of green and red which really makes the MPK Mini MK2 come alive.
Main Features
The keys and pads of course take the biggest punishment on a device like this, but the MPK MINI MK2 packs quite a lot more elements than this into its small shell. In no particular order, here is a closer look at the main features on offer.
25-note velocity-sensitive keys
As previously noted, the MPK Mini MK2 has a synth-action keybed which is ideal if you prefer a quick and light response for computer-based music production. Since there are only 25 keys this represents a two octave keyboard, but the total range you can access is ten which is pretty good for a mini keyboard.
The octave up / down buttons can be pressed four times (4-up and 4-down) to extend the range you can play. A neat feature worth noting is the octave buttons flash a certain number of times (up to 4) depending on how many octaves you have shifted.
If you want to regularly play chords and baselines simultaneously then you may want to explore a larger keyboard.
Pad controller
There are 8 velocity-sensitive pads on the MPK Mini MK2, but if you use the Bank A/B function then this effectively equates to 16 pads in total. This is the same number in fact as Akai’s MPC series of products. The rubber used for the pads (just like the other buttons) has excellent density and doesn’t deform when the pads are hit; this gives them a great tactile feel.
The velocity sensitivity of the pads is good which can also be bypassed if needed using the Full Level button. Another nice option is being able to continually repeat a sound by holding down the Note Repeat button and a pad at the same time. Incidentally, each pad also has back lighting when triggered which produces a nice red glow that surrounds each pad; this is a great touch that adds that much needed feedback.
The pads aren’t just for sending MIDI notes either. You can also assign these to MIDI Control Change messages too using the CC button in the Pad Controls (located underneath the control knobs). The Prog Change button also adds a further layer of functionality by enabling you to use the pads for sending Program Change messages. You can also have four different setups using Akai’s excellent MPK Mini MK2 Editor software and the Prog Select button (using pads 5 to 8).
X-Y Thumbstick
Being bright red you can’t really miss this part of the MPK Mini MK2. This 4-directional mini-joystick is a space-saving controller for different MIDI CC parameters. If you are accustomed to the traditional pitch bend and modulation wheels found on larger keyboards then this thumbstick may look a bit weird at first. However, after a short while it feels quite natural to use and in some ways is easier. You can also assign other MIDI CC effects using the MPK Mini MK2 Editor software if you need to.
Overall, a brilliantly engineered and fun feature to use.
8 Assignable control knobs
For controlling VST instruments and mixing Akai have included 8 rotary encoders on their MPK Mini MK2. Each one can be rotated about 270 degrees to send specific MIDI CC messages. The feel of the rotary encoders is reasonable, with a nice smooth action but as mentioned previously they don’t have much resistance. That said, they are sufficiently spaced out so the chances of accidentally altering their positions should be rare under normal circumstances.
Arpeggiator
This is perhaps one of the most fun things to experiment with using the MPK Mini MK2. It is a fully programmable arpeggiator that has a wealth of useful settings such as: arp up / down, inclusive / exclusive looping, random note sequencing, latch mode, and various swing presets.
It’s easy to set any of these functions by holding down the Arpeggiator On/Off button and selecting one of the presets labelled on the keyboard. The tempo is also a cinch to control using the built-in time division presets or custom-tuned with the Tap Tempo button.
Sustain pedal input
You can use a sustain pedal via the ¼” TS jack on the back of the unit. There’s not much to comment on here, however it is a handy feature to free up your hands which not all MIDI keyboards have at this price point.
Bundled Software
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Once your MPK Mini MK2 is registered on the Akai Professional website you get a very generous amount of software to download. At the time of writing this review, the bundled software includes:
• MPK Mini Editor – This is an ultra-useful editor for programming just about every feature of the MPK Mini MK2. For example, the pads can be configured to send different notes, CC messages, or program changes. You can even select how they behave when hit. The great thing about this free tool is you aren’t limited to just 4 programs. You can store an unlimited amount of configurations on your computer to suit different software programs and setups.
• MPC Essentials – This is a slimmed down version of the full MPC software. However, there is a surprising amount of features for producing music sequences using samples and VST plugins. It comes as a stand-alone program and a VST plugin (32/64-bit) so you can use it in your favourite DAW. Even though you’ve only got one track to play with you can have several instances of it for multi-track sequencing.
• VIP 3 – Short for Virtual Instrument Player, this clever piece of software is used for managing the instruments spread across your VST 2 plugin collection. You can search for particular instruments and then fine tune this by timbre, style, etc. The control knobs on the MPK Mini 2 are mapped (Prog 1) to easily tweak parameters and VIP 3 can be run in standalone mode or as a VST plugin (32/64-bit).
• Wobble 2(SoniVox L.P) – Billed as a dubstep grime generator, this plugin helps you to create jagged electronic sounds for your beats.
• Hybrid 3 (AIR Music Technology) – A very versatile virtual synthesiser with over 1200 built-in presets that cover just about every type of sound you can emulate including complex multi-layered effects.
• 3 x MPC Essentials Music Packs – You also get three bonus addon sample packs for MPC Essentials. At the time of writing this review, they are: Elements of Dystopia, Elements of House, and elements of UK Dance.
Technical Specifications
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- Dimensions (W/D/H): 12.5″ (31.75 Cm) x 7.13″ (18.11 Cm) x 1.75″ (4.45 Cm).
- Weight: 1.65 lbs (0.75 Kg).
- Compatibility: Mac / PC.
Verdict
(4.7 / 5)If you are looking for a small MIDI controller then it’s difficult to ignore Akai Professional’s MPK Mini MK2. This keenly priced keyboard which also sports a full-featured pad controller and eight rotary encoders is packed full of features. It’s ideally suited to be ultra-portable or where desktop space is limited for music production.
However, it’s not without its downsides. The unit is well made, but the rotary encoders feel a little light on resistance which makes it feel like they could accidentally be moved. Having said that, during testing this didn’t happen. Another consideration before you buy may be the 4-axis thumbstick. If you prefer separate pitch bend and modulation wheels then the X-Y thumbstick might put you off, but actually it is a joy to use after a little practice using it.
The generous software bundle that Akai Professional provide is well balanced and covers practically everything you need to get started in music production. If this is the case then this could be the deal clincher.
If you are looking for a total solution then the MPK Mini MK2 is worth a serious look.
Mar 13, 2017 We made a beat from scratch using Garageband and it accidentally turned disney LOL! We used the akai mini mpk ii and an iMac with garageband. MPK mini Editor is an editing program for mini-keyboard Akai Pro MPK. The Akai Pro MPK mini is an ultra-compact mini-keyboard with an impressive array of buttons, knobs and pads to provide 'hands-on' performance and production control no matter your location. The MPK mini keyboard is ideal for quickly entering notes and phrases into your computer.
The MPK mini mkII is an ultra-compact controller designed for the traveling musician and desktop producer. In this guide and video, we cover setup with the MPK mini mkII with the included MPC Essentials software and the AIR Hybrid plugin. We walk through downloading, installing, and authorizing the software and how to quickly get up and running and making music.
Feb 20, 2020 Hi there, I bought a mpk mini 2 a week before and i really find it difficult to use with MPC Essential.I have watched dozens of videos and tutorial on youtube but none of them are that helpful. I request the helpful brothers out here especially Mr Dan R to make a video of composing music using MPC essential. I mean the video covering MPC software tutorial which includes from begining to end. Our website provides a free download of Vyzex MPK25 10.0.5. Vyzex MPK25 lies within Multimedia Tools, more precisely General. The actual developer of the free software is Akai Professional, LP. The most popular versions among the software users are 10.0 and 1.0. The MPK Mini MKII is a class-compliant MIDI device. A class-compliant device is one that doesn't require extra drivers to connect your Windows or Macintosh computer. Class-compliant devices use drivers which are built into the host (i.e. The computer) operating system. Begin by connecting the MPK Mini MKII to a free USB port on your computer.
Guide Contents
Video Walkthrough
Akai Pro MPK mini MKII – How to Download, Install and Setup the Included Software (Mac Overview)
Akai Pro MPK mini MKII – How to Download, Install and Setup the Included Software (Windows Overview)
Driver Installation
The MPK Mini MKII is a class-compliant MIDI device. A class-compliant device is one that doesn't require extra drivers to connect your Windows or Macintosh computer. Class-compliant devices use drivers which are built into the host (i.e. the computer) operating system.
- Begin by connecting the MPK Mini MKII to a free USB port on your computer. We recommend going into the back of your computer, as this is closest to the power supply. This will provide the most power necessary to the controller for optimum performance.
- After connecting the controller to your computer, Windows will install the driver necessary for the MPK Mini MKII to communicate with your computer.
Registration
1. Launch your web browser and go to www.akaipro.com.
2. Go to the top right-hand corner of the web site and click on Sign In, you will be prompted to a new page to either Create a New Account or Sign In.
3. If you are a new customer, click on Create an account or Sign In if you are a previous customer.
Fill out the necessary information to register as a new user and click Create Account. The minimum length of the password must be equal or greater than 8 symbols.
4. You have successfully made an account! Click on your name at the top right-hand corner of the website and you will see a drop-down menu. Select My Account.
5. On the left-hand side of your Account page you should see My Dashboard. Go to the bottom of this section and select My Registered Products.
6. This is where you register your new Akai controller. Please make sure that you are entering the complete serial number as it appears on the bottom or back of your product. The serial number will be located on a bar code and will begin with a “(21).”Please be sure to include the “(21)” when entering your serial number. Neglecting the '(21)' and failing to capitalize the 'A' will result in a rejected serial number. If you are entering the parentheses around the (21) and the product is still not registering, try clearing the cache in your web browser and try again. Select Register Product to complete registration.
7. You have successfully registered your Akai controller! All of your registered products will show up under Product Registrations. Scroll down in your Registration Page to see all of your available Software Downloads.
Downloading, Installing and Unlocking MPC Essentials
After successfully registering the controller, you will be presented with the serial numbers and download links for MPC Essentials, Hybrid 3, and Wobble. To download, install and unlock MPC Essentials:[
1. Select MPC Essentials 1.8.2 (PC) or MPC Essentials 1.8.2 (Mac) depending on your operating system. This will download as a file called Update-MPC-Essentials-1.8.2. Save this zip folder to your desktop.
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2. After the download is complete, you will need to extract the files before installation. To do this, right-click on the Update-MPC-Essentials-1.8.2-WIN on your desktop and select Extract All.
By default, the program that is used to unzip files in your computer should be Windows Explorer.
Follow this link for additional information on how to extract files on Windows operating systems:
3. After the files are extracted, go into the Update-MPC-Essentials-1.8.2-WIN folder and select the Installer Assets folder. Select the Install_mpc. application to run the setup for MPC Essentials.The software may notify you that a previous version of MPC has not been installed.
4. Follow all of the prompts to proceed with the installation. Important: While some MPC Essentials products do require drivers, this one will not. Please ignore any prompts to install drivers.
5. After the installation is completed, you will be prompted to unlock your software. Select Unlock Now to continue.
To unlock the software, make sure you're entering the serial number for MPC Essentials found within your Akai Professional account. This will be a 15-digit code containing a mixture of capital letters and numbers, preceded with a '(21)'. Do not use the serial number on the back of your product.
6. You will want to make sure you're entering this number exactly as it appears in your account. To make the process easier, we recommend copy/pasting the code from your account into the software. Fill in the rest of the information and select Unlock Now.
After this, you will see a box saying you've successfully unlocked your MPC!
Congratulations, you have successfully installed the latest version of MPC Essentials!
Installing Hybrid and Wobble
1. Return to your Akai Professional account, and select AIR Hybrid (PC) to download Hybrid. Repeat with the download link for Wobble to download Wobble. The license for each plugin will be located on the right-hand side of the download.
2. After the download is complete, we will need to extract the files before installation. To do this, right-click on the zip folder and select Extract All.. . Make sure you remember this location so we can retrieve it afterward.
After the file is extracted, select Hybrid_3.0.7_Setup to run the installer for your plugin.
Follow all of the prompts to proceed with the installation.
Hybrid Installer :
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Wobble Installer :
3. For Windows users, pay attention to the location where the 32 and 64-bit Hybrid and Wobble are being installed. You will need to know this later on in order to scan the plugins into MPC Essentials. By default, these will install to:
Hybrid
32-bit: Program Files(x86) / Steinberg / vstplugins
64-bit: Program Files / Steinberg / vstplugins
Wobble
32-bit and 64-bit: Program Files (x86)SONiVOXVST
4. It is common practice to put all of your plugins into a single folder in order to keep track of your plugin library, so you may want to consider changing the install location of one or both of the plugins to a single location. Note: It is ok to install both 32 and 64-bit versions to the same folder, but be aware that your DAW will only be able to recognize one and may fail the other.
5. Restart your computer once the plugins have been installed.
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Authorizing Hybrid and Wobble
Before scanning and opening the plugins in MPC Essentials, authorize Hybrid and Wobble with the iLok License Manager:
1. If you do not have an Ilok account, make sure to go to ilok.com and click on Create Free Account. Fill out all of the necessary fields in the Free Account Setup page and select Create Account.
2. Once you have created your account, go back to the home page of the web site, you will find the License Support Installers. /update-konica-minolta-printer-driver-mac-os/. Download the appropriate installer for your operating system.
3. After installing the application, find and open the iLok License Manager from your Programs or Applications folder.
4. Click on Sign-In in the top left corner. If you have used iLok before with other products and have an account, sign-in to your account.
Please note: We recommend using an iLok account. Signing in is not always necessary to utilize an iLok license, but having and using an account to keep track of your licenses is free and provides additional features and options for managing and moving your licenses when necessary. You can see our Managing Authorization Codes and Licenses guide for more information.
5. Once you are logged in, click on Licenses at the top of the window and choose Redeem Activation Code.
A window will appear with space for you to enter an authorization code.
6. Navigate to your Akai Pro account page, highlight and copy the Authorization Code for Hybrid. Paste this code into the first box on the left and the code will fill out the remaining fields. When you're ready, click Next. Repeat this process when authorizing the Wobble plugin.
7. You will be prompted to choose a location for your license. You are free to choose an iLok dongle if you have one, but for most users, just choose your computer (this will be the option with the computer icon on the left) and click Activate.
8. You will be asked to confirm this one more time. Click Activate.
Finally, iLok will notify you when the activation is complete!
This process (steps 3 - 8) can be repeated for any other plugins that utilize an iLok license.
Scanning Hybrid and Wobble into MPC Essentials
1.Open MPC Essentials and navigate to the Preferences menu.
MAC: Select MPC > Preferences
PC: Select EDIT > Preferences
Choose the Plugins tab.
2. Add a check to the first available box on the left, then click on the browse box at the end of that row to browse to your plugin installation location.
3. To scan for the Hybrid plugin, click on the drop-down menu to browse and then select your C:[Hard Drive], double click on Program Files (not Program Files (X86,) double click on your Steinberg folder, and finally click on VSTpluginsonce and press Open on the bottom right-hand corner of the window.
In order to scan the second folder in MPC Essentials for Wobble, go back to the Plugins tab in the Preferences window and repeat steps 1 & 2 on the next empty field.
To scan for the Wobble plugin, click on the drop-down menu to browse and then select your C:[Hard Drive], double click on Program Files (x86,) double click on your SONiVOX folder, double click on the VST folder, and finally click on SONiVOXonce and press Open on the bottom right-hand corner of the window.
Hybrid
32-bit: Program Files(x86) / Steinberg / vstplugins
64-bit: Program Files / Steinberg / vstplugins
Wobble
32 & 64 bit : Program Files (x86) / SONiVOX / vstplugins / SONiVOX / VST
4. Click on Rescan All, allow the MPC Essentials software to scan all plugins in the selected location and then press OK.
Opening Plugins in MPC Essentials
1. First, navigate to the Preferences menu, find the MIDI tab and check off the box next to your MIDI controller (i.e. your MPK Mini MKII). This will tell the software to listen to incoming midi data from that device.
2. Exit the Preferences window and go to the center of the MPC Essentials software, to the right of the pads, you'll find your Sequence section. Click on the drop-down menu next to Typeand change it to Plugin.
3. You will then see a drop-down menu labeled Plugin. Click on this menu to browse for your VST plugins.
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4. To open Hybrid or Wobble, click on the '+' next to VST to view your available VST plugins. Drop down the AIR Music Technology folder to open Hybrid, or the SONiVOX folder to open Wobble. You can load either of these plugins by double-clicking on them or clicking on them once then the Select button on the bottom right.
5. To view the plugin interface (GUI) and change sounds, click on the 'E'
button next to the Plugin drop-down menu.
Do not change plugin presets from the preset drop down in MPC Essentials.
Hybrid GUI :
Wobble GUI :
And that's it! You are ready to make some noise with Hybrid and your MPK Mini MKII.
Installing MPC Expansions
Expansion packs are samples that are organized into drum kits. They’re formatted specifically for MPC and can be quickly loaded to trigger from the MPK’s pads.
1. To install an Expansion, open your Akai account and scroll to the Software Download section. Under MPC Essentials Sound Libraries you’ll see Elements of UK Dance, Elements of House and Elements of Dystopia.
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2. Click on Elements of UK Dance to download the installer packet.
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3. Once the download completes, go to your Download folder. Mac users can double-click on the zip file to extract the installer. PC users, right-click on the zip file and select Extract All.
4. Once the file extracts, double-click the installer for your OS.
Mac users should select the DMG file.
PC users can run the Setup Application.
5. Follow the prompts to complete the installation. By default, The Expansion will install in the MPC content folder which will be automatically added to the MPC Essentials Browser. But, more on that to come!
6. For now, repeat this same process for Elements of House and Elements of Dystopia.
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Beats Akai Mpk Mini
Loading an MPC Expansion to a Drum Program
Expansions are automatically added to the Browser during installation and can be easily loaded to a Drum Program.
1. First, make sure that your Program type is set to Drum.
2. Open the Browser by clicking the X icon at the bottom left of the screen.
3. Each Expansion pack is represented by a thumbnail image. Click the thumbnail to view its contents.
4. To add a sample, program or sequence to your Drum Program click on the file and drag-and-drop it into the software. Keep in mind, samples will need to be dropped on to a specific pad.
What's Next?
- Downloading, Installing and Using the Sample Content - Also included with your MPK mini MKII are three content packs full samples and loops to help you get started producing beats and making music! Check out this guide for a full introduction and walkthrough.
- Difficulty Loading Wobble and Hybrid 3 in MPC Essentials - Having trouble getting Hybrid and Wobble to appear in Essentials? The plugins aren't coming up when you scan for them? This guide walks through this process more in-depth, pointing out common misconceptions and how to overcome them. If you're feeling lost, this guide will point you in the right direction.
- AIR Hybrid Overview and Tutorial Videos - Want to learn more about how Hybrid works? Check out these videos!
- MPK Mini MKII Knowledge Base - Find more guides and tutorials on using your MPK Mini and MPC Essentials here!
Further Technical Support
Whether you are a customer or dealer, if you already own an Akai Pro product, or if you just have pre-sales questions, the Akai Pro technical support team is available to help!
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Visit the link below to connect with any of the following support options: online community support, phone support, email support.
The MPK mini mkII is an ultra-compact keyboard controller designed for the traveling musician and the desktop producer. If you just picked up on one of these handy controllers, you may be wondering: what do I do next? Look no further! This guide compiles all of the best articles and tutorials to help you get completely up and running, and take your productions to the next level.
Contents
Getting started with the included software: MPC Essentials, Hybrid, and Wobble
If you're new to the MPK mini mkII, the first thing you may want to do after opening your new keyboard is get started with all of the included software. To do this, simply create an account at AkaiPro.com and register your MPK mini mkII. After successfully registering your product, you'll find downloads and authorization codes for all of the included software and content.
For a complete walkthrough on setting up your MPK mini mkII with MPC Essentials, Hybrid, and Wobble, check out the guide below:
Important: You do not need to use your MPK mini mkII with MPC Essentials, and for a lot of our users, you may prefer not to!
MPC Essentials is an introductory software to MPC, with a focus on beat production. If that's not your thing, there are plenty of alternative software titles from a variety of developers that are free or inexpensive and may fit your needs a little better. Most will even come with a free trial and plenty of sounds and instruments so you can try before you buy!
If you're interested in expanding to a new DAW software, check out our section below on DAW Setup.
Mapping the pads with MPC Essentials and using samples
If you're using MPC Essentials with your MPK mini mkII, you're probably interested in using the pads to trigger samples. But, you may notice that the pads do not automatically trigger the corresponding pads in MPC Essentials.
To do this, all you'll need to do is install a preset onto your MPK Mini so the pads will send the right MIDI notes to hit the right triggers. The guide below walks through installing the MPC Essentials preset as well as how to download and use all of the included sample content provided in your akaipro.com account.
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Using multiple sounds or tracks in MPC Essentials
The MPC Essential's software is a one instrument DAW. This means you can only use one sound at a time when using MPC Essentials in a stand-alone mode.
However, with the use of another DAW, you can open multiple instances of MPC essentials as a plugin, expanding how many instruments you can open using the MPC Essentials. For a more detailed description and walkthrough, see the guide below.
DAW Setup
Being that the MPK mini mkII is a midi controller, it can be used in virtually any DAW. If MPC Essentials isn't quite what you're looking for, there are plenty of free or inexpensive DAW and music creation software titles available from a variety of developers. We've put together several walkthrough guides to help you get started with some of the more popular software alternatives. Click the link for your DAW below, for a full setup walkthrough:
MPK mini mkII and MPC Essentials Training
Once you have set up your MPK mini mkII and MPC Essentials software in standalone or as a plug-in, you are ready to begin creating! For an introduction to the included MPC Essentials software, click the link below.
For an introduction and training to the included MPC Essentials software, check out some of our articles and videos below:
The MPK mini mkII Editor - What it does and how to use it
Using the MPK mini Editor, you can map your pads to whatever function you want. In some cases, this can mean mapping the pads to line up with the pads on your screen. For a complete guide, please refer to the link provided below.
Additional Guides & Videos
Further Technical Support
Whether you are a customer or dealer, if you already own an Akai Pro product, or if you just have pre-sales questions, the experienced Akai Pro technical support team is available to help! Visit the link below to connect with any of the following support options: online community support, phone support, email support.