Issue with Akai MPK Mini (1st gen) R12 Suite Mac OSX 12.4 Monterey

[GlacierRays]

Hello, just posting here an issue I found with my Akai MPK Mini (1st gen) with R12 Suite and OSX 12.4 Monterey on a new Macbook Air M2. I discovered this after a conversation in the 'Reason File Locations' thread but figure I should put it here too to help anyone else and maybe get more visibility on the problem.

The problem is that the 1st gen Mini isn't detected properly in the MIDI section of the Reason preferences when "Auto-detect Surfaces" is clicked. I screen recorded the progress bar and saw that the first gen Mini isn't even being searched for despite there being a default codec and map for it in the file structure. It only searches for the Mk2, which has its own codec and map and isn't shared with the 1st gen. I can add it manually as it is listed in the dropdown menus, but even then it still doesn't work properly with the remote system and the knobs aren't detected. The 1st knob defaults to 'Mod Wheel' and knobs 2-8 have no functionality, even when I right click a parameter and select "Edit Remote Override Mapping" - it doesn't detect knobs 2-8 as inputs at all, and customising the Remote map doesn't do anything as it doesn't appear to follow the default remote functionality in the first place.

I know the 1st gen Mini is quite old now (there's been a Mk2 and Mk3 since), but MIDI is still MIDI and as the default codec and map are there in the file structure I would have thought it should still be supported. Any idea why it isn't searched for in the auto-detect progress bar? Maybe an oversight that can be fixed by RS?

Additionally, the file locations for Remote maps is not where I expected them to be as per the 'Reason File Locations' thread (supposedly in the Library / Application Support / etc etc). To access them I actually have to right click on the Reason application, select 'Show Package Contents' then click Contents / Resources / Remote - they're all in there. I also tested my Korg Triton Taktile 49 and that controller behaves as expected with auto-detection, remote and custom remote functionality - so my issue listed above is isolated to the Akai MPK Mini.

Thanks and hopefully this can be fixed by RS, but I'll probably look for a new portable controller in the meantime.

[jam-s]

The problem is that the 1st gen Mini isn't detected properly in the MIDI section of the Reason preferences when "Auto-detect Surfaces" is clicked. I screen recorded the progress bar and saw that the first gen Mini isn't even being searched for despite there being a default codec and map for it in the file structure. It only searches for the Mk2, which has its own codec and map and isn't shared with the 1st gen. I can add it manually as it is listed in the dropdown menus, but even then it still doesn't work properly with the remote system and the knobs aren't detected. The 1st knob defaults to 'Mod Wheel' and knobs 2-8 have no functionality, even when I right click a parameter and select "Edit Remote Override Mapping" - it doesn't detect knobs 2-8 as inputs at all, and customising the Remote map doesn't do anything as it doesn't appear to follow the default remote functionality in the first place.

From that description it sounds like there is possibly a kind of incompatible mapping loaded into the MPK Mini. If I remember correctly there might be multiple default mappings stored in the device which can be selected with a procedure that is detailed in the manual. Most likely the Reason remote codec only works correctly with one of those.

[GlacierRays]

The problem is that the 1st gen Mini isn't detected properly in the MIDI section of the Reason preferences when "Auto-detect Surfaces" is clicked. I screen recorded the progress bar and saw that the first gen Mini isn't even being searched for despite there being a default codec and map for it in the file structure. It only searches for the Mk2, which has its own codec and map and isn't shared with the 1st gen. I can add it manually as it is listed in the dropdown menus, but even then it still doesn't work properly with the remote system and the knobs aren't detected. The 1st knob defaults to 'Mod Wheel' and knobs 2-8 have no functionality, even when I right click a parameter and select "Edit Remote Override Mapping" - it doesn't detect knobs 2-8 as inputs at all, and customising the Remote map doesn't do anything as it doesn't appear to follow the default remote functionality in the first place.

From that description it sounds like there is possibly a kind of incompatible mapping loaded into the MPK Mini. If I remember correctly there might be multiple default mappings stored in the device which can be selected with a procedure that is detailed in the manual. Most likely the Reason remote codec only works correctly with one of those.

I'm pretty sure I never messed with the defaults (it's been sat in a box for years) and my old laptop I used to use it with didn't even have the mpk mini editor software installed. I did try switching between all 4 presets while I was troubleshooting and it didn't help unfortunately. Maybe I could try manually changing the loaded settings to something else but I can't find any resources for what the 'default' should be. I ended up buying a different controller in the end (m-audio oxygen pro mini) so hopefully when that arrives it'll work as expected.

[GlacierRays]

I found a workaround! Wish i'd tested this before buying a new controller last night but oh well.

I can add the Mini manually using <Other>, then "MIDI Multichannel Control Keyboard" (I use the Multichannel option because it defaults to no automatic mapping, which means I don't have to edit a remote file to remove all the automatic mapping. I just do that as personal preference as I don't like accidentally moving a control and it changing something on an instrument without me realising - I do everything manually with Edit Remote Override. But I guess if you wanted automatic mapping you could use the non-multichannel option).

Then in the MIDI Input / Output settings select "MPK Mini".

After doing that i'm able to assign all the knobs 1-8 manually via Edit Remote Override. So at least this thing is usable again, but I do wish it had worked up front, especially seeing as it's listed as a supported device and there are default codecs and maps for it in the Remote files...