Akai MPK Mini mkII & Reason

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altron
Posts: 261
Joined: 16 Mar 2015

11 Jun 2019

Just bought one of these nifty, little controllers to put directly on the desk for quick access and patch browsing. Akai build quality never disappoints!

But I'm having two issues when using it with Reason...

1) I want to use two drum pad buttons for Patch prev/next control... I've set up the MPK via controller integration using the provided Akai MPK Mini MkII preset that Reason offers (so that Reason also modifies the program on the controller). And I assigned the pad buttons in Reason's override control settings. But when I use the pads to prev/next over Reason instrument presets it always jumps by two presets, not by one. Obviously this looks like the pads are set to 'toggle' instead of 'momentary' but I changed them in the MPK editor to 'momentary' and the issue still happens in Reason.

2) How do you sync tempo to the MPK? It seems not to work. I changed the MPK with the editor to use external sync but the arpeggiator and repeat trigger doesn't sync to Reason's tempo. Of course I also set Reason to sync tempo out to the MPK.

Anyone around who could provide some hints?
Trap is where music goes to die.

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boingy
Posts: 791
Joined: 01 Feb 2019

11 Jun 2019

On #2, I sync my mk2 to Reason and it works just fine so it is possible. I have had some issue where the MPK editor does not update the MPK sometimes (I have to keep selecting the output in the editor as it does not seem to remember it).

In Reason sync page I have the output set to the MPK and a green tick beside it. I also ticked all of the option underneath ("Send while stopped" etc).

So try again I reckon, and change something else in the MPK editor at the same time so you are sure it is writing the changes!

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altron
Posts: 261
Joined: 16 Mar 2015

12 Jun 2019

boingy wrote:
11 Jun 2019
On #2, I sync my mk2 to Reason and it works just fine so it is possible. I have had some issue where the MPK editor does not update the MPK sometimes (I have to keep selecting the output in the editor as it does not seem to remember it).

In Reason sync page I have the output set to the MPK and a green tick beside it. I also ticked all of the option underneath ("Send while stopped" etc).

So try again I reckon, and change something else in the MPK editor at the same time so you are sure it is writing the changes!
Thanks for the suggestions! I made sure that the 'external sync' set in the editor sticks but then the arpeggiator doesn't work at all. Sync settings in Reason are same as yours.

As for the CC buttons... they don't seem to work unless I add the MPK with the "official" provided MPK mkII controller preset provided by Reason. If I add the MPK as an unknown device Reason doesn't seem to detect any CCs from the controller. On the other hand, if I add the MPK by using the MPK mkII preset the CCs to switch current device presets prev/next will always jump by two, no matter the pads are set to toggle or momentaneous. :roll:

Kinda clueless right now but I guess I have to live with that.
Trap is where music goes to die.

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boingy
Posts: 791
Joined: 01 Feb 2019

12 Jun 2019

Then I'm a bit puzzled by the sync thing. I'm not exactly a MIDI guru and it just worked for me. The MPK arp syncs to the Reason tempo.

I haven't done anything with the CC pads - I just use them as drum pads. Maybe install something like MidiOX and take a look at what the MPK is actually sending.

Incidentally I am on Reason 9.5 but I'm using the MPK Mini MK2 codec that was (happily) left behind by a Reason 10 trial! Strange but true.

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boingy
Posts: 791
Joined: 01 Feb 2019

12 Jun 2019

Ah! I may have the sync answer. Bottom toolbar, just to the left of the time. Click the tiny "Send Clock" thing.

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altron
Posts: 261
Joined: 16 Mar 2015

15 Jun 2019

boingy wrote:
12 Jun 2019
Ah! I may have the sync answer. Bottom toolbar, just to the left of the time. Click the tiny "Send Clock" thing.
Thanks for the hint! That was it! The tiny send clock button that is always forgotten. ;)
Trap is where music goes to die.

jaco8421
Posts: 1
Joined: 17 Apr 2020

17 Apr 2020

altron wrote:
12 Jun 2019
As for the CC buttons... they don't seem to work unless I add the MPK with the "official" provided MPK mkII controller preset provided by Reason. If I add the MPK as an unknown device Reason doesn't seem to detect any CCs from the controller. On the other hand, if I add the MPK by using the MPK mkII preset the CCs to switch current device presets prev/next will always jump by two, no matter the pads are set to toggle or momentaneous.
I figured out a solution. Go to Options -> Additional Remote Overrides. Use Select Prev Patch for Target Device and Select Next Patch for Target Device. I set Prev to Prog Change 7 and Next to Prog Change 3. Then on the keyboard when Subtractor was selected I pushed Prog Change and then the corresponding pad, either 3 or 7 obviously. This seems to change patch by 1 unit and not 2 like the default using CC. Not sure if you still have your MPK Mini but maybe this helps someone out there. This is a popular little keyboard...

dwiggle
Posts: 5
Joined: 03 Jan 2020

26 Apr 2020

Hey,

I'm using an Akai MPK225 with reason 11 on windows 10 64 bit system. I've been diving way deeper into reason over the last month and still figuring out how to optimize my setup.

When I map a controller knob to remote override a fader or knob on a rack instrument, is there a way to then control another instrument using the same knobs without overwriting and having to re-assign for each instrument?

At present, it seems that the knobs send the to wherever assigned, not dynamic to what instrument is record armed as is required for keyboard playback - is there a way to make to so the knob controls are only sent to the channel you have armed and will change if you record arm another track?

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jam-s
Posts: 3035
Joined: 17 Apr 2015
Location: Aachen, Germany
Contact:

27 Apr 2020

With remote override it will stay locked to the knob where you put the override (that's what it is intended for). To have it switch dynamically you will have to write a remote map (and codec).
Documentation on this (Remote) can be found here: https://developer.reasonstudios.com/dow ... r-products

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