Using the Akai MPK MINI keyboard with Reaper

[@LulzWalker]

This is actually one of the best setup guides for the MPK in Reaper I've seen! Thank you!

[@DThompson55]

Thanks, that means a lot.

[@rorysorrel7180]

Add me to the list of others that found this super helpful! Had some weirdness with the MPK editor program (it kept showing totally random fonts that were not my system default -- anybody else have this problem?) but everything on your side made perfect sense and worked as planned. This was super helpful and these custom shortcuts are going to save me a lot of time. Thanks a bunch!

[@DThompson55]

I'm so happy! You made my day!

[@drslaytan7410]

Amazing video my dude! So simple to understand, straight to the point, and actually well explained how everything works! Amazing stuff, keep it up!

[@DThompson55]

So glad it works for you!

[@Dylan99781]

I've had my midi controller for over a year now but never knew it could do these things. Thanks for uploading this, man!

[@DThompson55]

So glad you found it useful. It's not at all transparent how you're supposed to hook it up.

[@jpzzzz]

That was so concise!

[@Daaaanbanana]

Thanks so much for this video :D Really helped

[@arbyscurlyfries9490]

Thank you so much for this, had this thing for so long and have barely used it because I didn't want to learn how to set it up. So quick and easy when its explained properly

[@jonseaton1630]

Super helpful! Been struggling to map all my different VST parameters to the nobs on the MPK and this works beautifully.

[@vivianaaaren8602]

This is such an excellent video - not only did it answer my initial question ("should I enable output and clock to my Akai?"), it also included a bunch of other super useful stuff. And to top it off, most of the info you gave applies, with some adjustments, to m-audio products as well. Thanks so much!

[@DThompson55]

So happy it helped!

[@NathanaelPittman]

Thank you so much! You’re a freaking guru! I picked a “used” one still in the box on Marketplace for $80 today. I can hear the AKAI through my external monitors which are outputs from a Digitech guitar processor I’m using as my audio device in Reaper. I can see the AKAI recording on a track in Reaper but I can’t hear anything on playback. This will give me some direction in sorting that out tomorrow.

[@DThompson55]

I'm so pleased you were able to make progress. I love this little setup. I use it often.

[@daniilkorotkov6616]

Such a great setup guide! Thank you so much!

[@qeadwsws]

Great Info Thanks for sharing the knowledge!

[@scorchedearthdj]

excellent video. i'll be setting reaper up with this tutorial today! thank you.

[@DThompson55]

So glad!

[@scorchedearthdj]

@@DThompson55 great stuff. i followed the video yesterday and got started. relearn for controls is next. thanks again.

[@scorchedearthdj]

nevermind

[@nilesrodriguez4343]

Thank you! I'm going to try and set mine up today!

[@context_eidolon_music]

King.

[@fernandocaramori]

Thanks alot Dan! You videos are very helpful. A hug from Brazil!!

[@kacperprzybysz499]

Thank you! That was really helpful :)

[@RarebitFiends]

This is extremely helpful! Thank you!

[@CMDRJessie]

This was very helpful. Thank you so much for posting this video.

[@DThompson55]

Glad it worked out for you!

[@laaryamartinez]

that was incredibly helpful, thank you very much!

[@DThompson55]

Hourray! Glad it helped!

[@HubertMurrayMusic]

Thanks for this Dan. been a great help to get me started.

[@DThompson55]

So glad it helped

[@chaoslogics]

Thank you sir for sharing those beautiful informations, I have learned a lot from this video. would you please make more videos about akai mpk mini and how to use it pads as drumkit on Reaper and record them.. Thanks a lot.

[@DThompson55]

Here you go - kzbin.info/www/bejne/jGPZmXycl9SMeM0

[@chaoslogics]

@@DThompson55 thank you very much Sir for your time, it's a precious video for me🙏

[@ShlomirBareket]

thanks1 You convinced me to buy an Akai MPK!

[@hrryniu]

This video is great! Thanks Man ;)

[@sheldonswan45]

Are you able to have an interface with studio speakers hooked up to it and also have the akai plugged into the computer via usb? What would you set your audio settings to in reaper to hear the sound through the studio speakers when playing the akai? Thanks

[@DThompson55]

Yes of course. I use a focusrite 2i2 Gen3. In my Reaper Preferences, under Audio/Device I make sure my audio interface is selected, and that I have all the volumes turned up to the desired level, and it just works. On the track itself I have the Record Monitoring set to On.

[@sheldonswan45]

@@DThompson55 thanks so much!

[@DThompson55]

@@sheldonswan45 I hope it helps, if not write back.

[@sheldonswan45]

@@DThompson55 Also, when you make presets in the editor like yours "Danny Midi" do you need to make sure that preset is selected before you open Reaper? Thanks again

[@DThompson55]

@@sheldonswan45 The presets in the MPK Mini Editor only affect the keyboard itself, how its buttons work, which midi notes and CC they send. They have to send what Reaper is expecting, so to that extent I guess you're right, it does need to be loaded. But not before Reaper is started.

[@Eddie.The.Trader]

Thank you !!

[@sapolio1538]

Hello! Is this method still relevant? Or is there a difference with Windows version? I have v7.11(win) and can't find the extensions menu. p.s. Did not understand that extensions option should have been installed earlier

[@DThompson55]

AH HA! Yes, ReaPack must be installed first in order for the extensions menu to appear. AND the menu looks different with the latest SWS extensions. But neither of these changes are part of the 7.1 install. I will add to my description that you must install ReaPack for this to work.

[@guillaumemigas]

Thank you for this video ; very interesting. Is there any hope to achieve similar setup when using Reaper with Linux ? .

[@VancouverHellDoggy]

is a 90 year old really teaching me how to use a computer?

[@DThompson55]

I love you man.

[@marcosab9042]

Hi, I have a question. I bought an Akai MPK Mini MK3 midi keyboard. I would like to use the cc key function of the keyboard to assign reaper actions to the PADs using a section customized by me, for example: putting a track into record, muting a track... To be used in live to easily change tracks assigned to my midi keyboard and therefore have different sounds. I tried to do this, for example: putting track 1 into record but when I immediately release the PAD button the track goes back not into record as before. How do I assign the action with a PAD key, in CC mode so that even when released it remains? (For example I tried to do it by assigning the action to the letter Q on the keyboard and in this case once the letter is pressed it functions and the track remains in record). Thanks!

[@DThompson55]

It'll take me awhile to get to this but I'll definitely take a look. Maybe we'll both learn something.

[@suniso370]

I assigned pads in CC mode to trigger transport controls, but note off also triggers the same action, this results in recording not being latched. I noticed you have a custom action for playback/stop, did you make it to solve the problem I'm having? Right now I have pad 1 to play and pad 2 to stop, that's the only way it will work.

[@DThompson55]

I set CC 10 to the same action as space bar, transport start/stop. But that will leave any delay or reverb effects running after I stop. If I want them to mute when I stop then I need two actions, which I set to CC11 and CC12. One mutes the main (SWS Set All Master Track Outputs to Mute) and stops the transport, the other does the opposite. I usually have those three set to pads 1,2 and 3. I'm considering getting a midi footswitch to take over those functions, but those things cost about the same as this Akai Mini.

[@multani0]

Hey, I had a similar issue, where I wanted to map a pad to the "Transport: Record" action to start/stop the recording by pressing the pad. I didn't find a "toggle record" action so I got this issue where the recording stopped if I wasn't pressing the pad. I managed to make it work by pressing the "Prog Change" buttont next to the "CC" button on the MPK Mini; it apparently starts the "send MIDI Program Change messages instead of MIDI Note On messages", and that fixed the issue for me at least. I guess it has side effect (all the other pads are in the same mode then), but I haven't checked that yet.

[@MethodicalMaker]

Hey, awesome video! I was looking into getting the MPK mini as something to just have fun with, and wanted to make sure i wasn't going to be disapointed with its integration... this video solved all that, and was straight to the point! One question though, do the rotary encoders work out of the box in vst's, or do you have to map them for each vst with reaLearn?

[@DThompson55]

Great question - I think I recall a few VSTs that can use CC values from those knobs, but there is not standard set up to say, the first knob controls whatever. And I have not found any VSTs that use all for the knobs CC 70 through 77 out of the box. So you have to map them. You don't have to map them using reaLearn, but you do have to map them. The alternative to ReaLearn is the "param" button on each VST in Reaper. Consider a VST like ReaEQ. You might want to use one of the knobs to adjust the frequency an EQ band. It can be done, but I don't find it any easier. Likewise, you can assign knobs to a VSVi to adjust oscillators or whatever, but in this case there are often so many parameters you can adjust, that it doesn't make it any easier to go through the steps of manually mapping them.

[@MethodicalMaker]

@@DThompson55 Makes sense, thanks for the reply! :)

[@chezSeans]

helped a lot thanks!

[@musicandlyrics2737]

Have you found a way to assign FX parameters to the knobs - like - threshold on a compressor, etc. Nice concise and useful clip BTW

[@twinabox]

THANK YOU Dan

[@townheadbluesboy]

Great video super helpful

[@DThompson55]

Thanks!

[@synthxperiments3691]

Very helpful!!

[@DThompson55]

So happy it helped

[@nilesrodriguez4343]

So I set mine up. I'm having a hard time getting anything to work with this tutorial. Not sure what I'm doing wrong, I followed all the steps and I'm not getting any sort of signal. Something is up. I'm gonna keep messing with it tho.

[@DThompson55]

I'm wondering how I might help you.

[@weedman8801]

same here. for some reason, it won't allow me to run through Reaper. I am currently on the section where I can name the knows and save the programs but when I hop over to reaper, it gives me a notification that the dollowing MIDI imputs could not be opened: MPK mini 3

[@kubra1131]

also mine@@weedman8801

[@veguillar1]

it doesnt work for me even with the settings put the way you have it

[@Canyoning-speleologieFr]

hi thanks for video i ve got a problem;;;;; write : Les entrées MIDI suivantes ne peuvent pas être ouvertes: MPK mini 3 Les sorties MIDI suivantes ne peuvent pas être ouvertes: Microsoft GS Wavetable Synth MPK mini 3 Thank you for attention

[@gaucho.mdq1]

Good night. Thank you very much for your explanations. I'm having a hard time getting my controller to work though. What you configured as you in Reaper and it doesn't work. There are a few features that have changed with the latest Reaper update. Could you help me? Thank you so much.

[@DThompson55]

oye gaucho - I'm on the latest Reaper 7.07, and I still use this same set up almost every day. Let me see if I can come up with some troubleshooting tips.

[@gaucho.mdq1]

@@DThompson55 Oh thank you very much! Can I contact you in some way? Some new/changed features appear in my Reaper.

[@DThompson55]

@@gaucho.mdq1 you can email me at [e-mail] In Reaper, look your preferences/audio/midi devices, and make sure your AKAI is listed there. It should show Input, All, and Control are all checked, and it has an ID number. If not check your ASIO drivers are installed correctly. This is the most common problem.

[@gaucho.mdq1]

@@DThompson55 I have sent you an email. Have you received it?

[@LucianoClassicalGuitar]

How did you figure all this out. Requires a computer science degree.

[@DThompson55]

I have a computer science degree.

[@LucianoClassicalGuitar]

@@DThompson55 😆

[@LucianoClassicalGuitar]

I tried forever to make that akai work with those programs. I never figured it out.

[@kubra1131]

it's not workinf, i am seeing akai midi mini klavye on preferences / mini devices options, but not working

[@DThompson55]

Can you get it to do anything? Play notes even? Even with the right out of the box defaults the keyboard should send midi notes to a midi track, and if you have a midi instrument in the FX of that track you should hear something. Can you get that much to work?

[@kubra1131]

HAVE I ALREADY WATCHED THE OTHER VIDEOS? COULD I HAVE ALREADY LEARNED HOW THIS DEVICE WORKS FROM OTHERS BY THE TIME YOU RESPONDED? I REALIZE HOW INCOMPLETE YOUR VIDEOS ARE, BUT CAN I TELL YOU HOW UNHELPFUL THEY ARE?@@DThompson55

[@kubra1131]

AYRİYETEN HADSİZLEŞMENİN MANASI YOKTUR. ADAM GİBİ SORULAN BİR SORUYA ADAM GİBİ CEVAP VERMEYECEKSEN AĞZINA FERMUAR ÇEKİP SUSMAN İCAP EDER. SEN HİÇ BENİM KADAR ÇALIŞMADIN, O YÜZDEN HADSİZLEŞİP DE ONU YAPABİLİR MİSİN BU KADAR OLABİLİR MİSİN DİYE SORGULAMA, BU SEVİYEDE BİR ŞAHISSAN, ALLAH'IN İZNİYLE YAPABİLECEKLERİMİN ZERRESİNİ BİLE TAHAYYÜL EDEMEZSİN.@@DThompson55

[@kubra1131]

😎@@DThompson55

[@donotwantahandle1111]

Is using the MPK249 with reaper just as easy?

[@DThompson55]

I'm guessing yes, but I don't have an MPK249 handy to try it out on.

[@mishea13]

Followed these instructions...wonder why mine wont work

[@DThompson55]

What about it is not working? Where are you stuck? It can be tricky.

[@mishea13]

@@DThompson55 Thanx... I found the issue. Needed to Insert VST instrument rather than double click to create track.

[@DThompson55]

@@mishea13 Glad you got it figured out. I still have times where I'll spend an hour swearing at Reaper only to realize the Roomba turned off monitor's power strip.

[@mishea13]

@@DThompson55 I know, right! But I do love Reaper LOL

[@sohitkhalifa9777]

Can you send me that themper

[@DThompson55]

The theme I'm using is called Flat Madness 3 Black - you can download from here stash.reaper.fm/browse.php?q=flat+madness&x=10&y=12&cat=Themes&u=a&v=th&o=nd&pp=24

[@anneschenk1699]

This is getting so fucking frustrating every fucking video has one step in it where something is not showing for me. This time the MPK editor is not there. Already 3 hours in, 10 different software downloads and got zero sound out of the MPK mini. How can this be so fucking frustrating.

[@DThompson55]

If the "MPK mini Editor" is not listed in your software manager, go to settings (left up corner) and check "Show Advanced Software".

[@mrhexadus1303]

thank you o7

[@gaucho.mdq1]

Good afternoon. How do you feel? Have you received my email? Thank you so much!

[@DThompson55]

I haven't seen anything that I recognize as you. Try putting MPK MINI in the subject line. Then I'm sure to see it?

[@gaucho.mdq1]

@@DThompson55 Apologies. There was a mistake on my part. I thought MPK mini 3 included sounds. I see that no. But it works perfectly with other virtual instruments. I would like MPC to appear in Reaper. It is not appearing at this time.

[@DThompson55]

@@gaucho.mdq1 I think just about everyone assumes that!

[@DThompson55]

It even has that plug in the back that looks like it should be a headphone jack, but it isn't.

[@gaucho.mdq1]

@@DThompson55 Haha you're right! I'm having trouble getting MPC Beats to appear in Reaper. Do you have a video to see how to enter it?

[@robinlarripa4712]

After 2 hours of downloading random programs on the net, nothing works, what a waste of time

[@DThompson55]

How can I help?

[@danbrooks3669]

@@DThompson55first off i got a few questions just got the akia mpk mini controlle i mostly use reaper i have tried the steps new to this controller came off using m audos mdmi controller whats the difference and is it the same steps above cant get beat pad or keyboard working but mdmi is lit up and working trying to create beat for next track using plugins, if can dm or respond would love your input and help thanks a fellow producer (90's baby)