MPC 2.2 Desktop Software and Firmware Update
Compatibility
This is a firmware and software update.
Desktop Software
The MPC 2.2 desktop software can now be controlled by any external MIDI control surface such as keyboards and pad controllers enabling hands-on control of MPC’s predefined parameters.
Downloading the Update
To download the MPC 2.2 Desktop Software Update, log into your Akai Pro user account or through MPC 2.1 when prompted.
For instructions on installing the update, please visit our knowledge base article here.
Firmware
This release is for MPC X and MPC Live hardware.
Downloading the Update
To download the 2.2 Firmware Update, navigate to the MPC X or MPC Live product page and click on Downloads to find the Mac and PC download links:
MPC Live product page
MPC X product page
For instructions on installing the update, please visit our knowledge base article here.
New Features
MIDI Learn Global - The MPC desktop software can now be controlled by external MIDI control surfaces such as keyboards and pad controllers. Once you have configured a Global MIDI Learn template, its assignments and the Enable On/Off will persist so that each time you open the MPC application your controller assignments will instantly be ready to be used.
Learn your MIDI controller’s physical controls to the MPC software’s Pads, Q-Links, Transport or other assignable parameters.
Show the MIDI Learn panel by going to View>Browser>MIDI Learn Browser or by clicking the MIDI Learn icon in the Status Bar at the bottom of the MPC app.
To learn your controller to MPC parameters, go to the MIDI Learn panel and click the Learn button On, then in the MPC app click on any parameter that has a yellow overlay to select it, then move or press a physical control. You can toggle a MIDI map on or off using the Enable button.
In the MIDI Learn panel the drop down menu in the top right-hand corner contains the following options for managing your MIDI maps : New, Duplicate, Clear, Delete, Export and Import.
MPC ships with a range of factory MIDI maps for popular MIDI controllers.
When Learn is On hold Shift and move a physical control to select the slot in the list it has been mapped to.
To make it easier to navigate the list of MIDI assignments use the View menu to filter by type. From the MIDI Learn drop down menu tick the List Follows Control option, now the View filter automatically follows the MPC control section that you last clicked on.
New: Pre-mapped controllers
AKAI Professional:
Advance 25, Advance 49, Advance 61, APC Key 25, LPD8 Wireless, MPD218, MPD226, MPD232, MPK Mini (mkII), MPK225, MPK249, MPK261
Alesis:
V25, V49, V61, Vmini, VI25, VI49, VI61, VX49
M-Audio:
Axiom AIR Mini 32, Code 25, Code 49, Code 61, CTRL49, Keystation 49 II, Oxygen 25, Oxygen 49, Oxygen 61
Native Instruments:
Kontrol S49, Maschine Jam, Maschine Mikro MKI, Maschine MK1, Maschine MK3, Maschine Studio, Traktor Kontrol F1
Novation:
Impulse 25, Impulse 49, Impulse 61, Launchkey 25, Launchkey 49, Launchkey 61, Launchkey Mini, Launchpad MK2
MIDI Learn Project - The MPC standalone and desktop software’s automatable parameters can now be controlled by external MIDI control surfaces such as keyboards, pad controllers and MIDI mixers.
Learn your MIDI controllers physical controls to MPC’s automatable parameters.
Configure a control surface as a mixer surface to control the volume, pan and sends of programs and audio tracks in your project.
Control program parameters such as drum program filters and synthesizer parameters.
Control insert FX and other automatable parameters.
When Learn is On hold Alt and move the controls on your MIDI controller to quickly add multiple assignment slots.
You can quickly copy the Target of one slot to a new slot by holding Shift and pressing the plus button.
Take your project with all of the Project MIDI controller assignments from the desktop software to your standalone.
In the desktop software go to View > Browser > MIDI Learn Browser and from the top choose the Project tab. Click the Learn button On, then click the plus button to add a new assignment slot. To choose the target, move an automatable parameter in the MPC GUI. For example, moving the mixer strip Volume of Program 001, the two Target combo boxes are then automatically populated. If you would prefer you can manually assign the target parameter using the Target sections drop down menus. To learn a MIDI hardware control to the current assignment slot simply move the physical control on your MIDI device. The Type, Channel and Data fields will be automatically populated by the MIDI message from your controller. These assignments will be saved and recalled with your MPC project. When MPC can not accurately determine the type of the incoming message you can edit the type using the Type field.
In standalone go to MIDI Control Mode and then the MIDI Learn tab, tap the Learn button to begin listening to incoming controller messages, tap the + icon to create an empty MIDI assignment slot. The currently selected slot is now listening for an incoming MIDI message. Move any physical control on your MIDI controller to assign it and this will populate the Type, Channel and Data fields with the incoming message. To assign the slot to an MPC automation parameter such as Program 001 Volume, in the left hand Inspector go to the Source field and assign it to Program > Program 001 > Program 001, next go to the Parameter field and set this to Mixer > Volume. Turn Learn Off and move the physical control you assigned, it should now move the Program 001 Volume. These assignments will be saved and recalled with your MPC project. When MPC can not accurately determine the type of the incoming message you can edit the type using the Type field. Hold Shift and press the Trash Can icon to bring up the Remove All Controls popup.
There is now a Preference option to toggle displaying multiple plugin windows off. Go to Preferences > General > Allow Multiple Plugin Windows.
Humanize - You can now randomize the timing or velocity of MIDI events. From the GUI go to Edit > Humanize. From the TUI go to the Track section and press the Pencil icon to bring up the Track Overlay, and choose Humanize.
Generate Random Events - MPC can now generate random melodic patterns and drum beats. From the GUI go to Tools > Generate Random Events. On the TUI go to the Track section and press the Pencil icon to bring up the Track Overlay, from the overlay choose Generate Random Events. Use the Event Type field to choose between generating Drum or Melodic events, this field will be automatically set to Drum when opening the popup on a track with a drum program and Melodic for other program types. Use the other controls to configure the density of the added events. To try out different ideas without closing the popup use the Apply button.
The standalone can now load a user template project from the Launch page. To assign a user template go to Preferences, Project Load/Save tab, Template field and tap the magnifying glass icon to choose your project or from the Save As popup tick the Save As Template field. To load your template project when starting a new project press the User Template f-key on the Launch Screen.
If your standalone MPC is running 2.1 it can now be updated to the latest firmware from an external drive. Copy the firmware update file to an external drive at the root level, and then plug the device into the standalone. In standalone mode go to Preferences > Info, hold the hardware Shift button and press Update on the TUI. The standalone will detect the update file and display a Firmware Update popup on the TUI, from the popup choose Update to install 2.2.
Stability and reliability
Audio Edit
After stretching an audio region on the GUI, changing the end point of an audio region on the TUI no longer causes the sample to stretch
Audio regions will now draw correctly when navigating between different Audio Tracks during recording
Event selection is now cleared after using Sequence Double Length
Minimum region size has been fixed to 4 pulses
Audio Mixdown
MPC now has error handling for saving and exporting to directories that no longer exist
Audio Path
When scrolling through samples in memory on Program Edit and Sample Edit pages, samples no longer briefly play
Audio Tracks
Audio Regions now deselect when switching tracks
Audio Track regions will no longer display empty space when their source samples are processed in Sample Edit
Channel Mixer
Channel Mixer now only edits current channel after deleting programs
Sends now accurately display the level of the sent signal
Expansions
Expansion Export window now supports over 31 Expansions
MPC no longer crashes if the Expansion Export popup is opened without any expansions being installed
The progress popup no longer endlessly spins when trying to export expansions to read only drives
Export
Bounce to Sample now works with Soloed Tracks in ACVS and SME0
Export options now follow convention in f-keys and say “Cancel/Export"
File Browser
The top file in a Browser list no longer autoplays when changing filter
Grid View
Drum track grid is now correctly displayed in New Project
Events in MIDI Track 128 are now saved and reloaded correctly
Grid View operations on pasted events no longer create duplicates
Key commands are now ignored during a Lasso selection
Pad selection in Grid View now keeps same view position
Hardware
MPC no longer crashes Logic Pro X when hot plugging MPC Live/X as the audio device
Screen brightness between standalone and desktop applications has been made consistent
Keygroups
Keygroup tracks now display from lowest MIDI event
List Editor
MPC can now correctly record and play back Channel Pressure MIDI events
Looper
Resample inputs now record in the Looper page
MIDI Control Mode
Channel Pressure messages are now transmitted correctly in MIDI Control Mode
Main Mode
Icons for changing between Drum and Keygroup tracks now always update
MIDI Events no longer remain highlighted when duplicating
Pad Mixer
Keygroup Program Channel Strips now resize correctly in the Pad Mixer
Playback
Audio no longer stops when creating a new Drum or Keygroup program
Plugin Hosting - Effects
Plugins with long names now fit in the preset title-bar
Plugin Scanner
MPC will now scan WaveShell 9.92 successfully
Plugin scanning supports Windows with Display Scaling settings
Preferences
Vintage Mode text is now readable
Productization
The Out Of Date Firmware message now enables MPC Live/X users to download the latest version for their units
Program Edit Drum
In Program Edit all slices in NDC drum programs are now retained when Edit Zones is set to All
LCD - Program Edit’s Insert Effects screen is updated immediately when selecting an effect
Program Edit’s focus now remains in its last position
Undoing the deletion of a Program now restores its samples to their pads
Program Edit Plugin/Midi
AIR plugin bipole knobs are now drawn correctly
Empty Plugin and MIDI Program parameter slots will now reload correctly
Plugin instruments with embedded UIs now print combobox values correctly
Plugins instruments’ parameter names will print correctly when reloading their Program
Programs - CV
Parameter layout changes for CV Programs may now be saved and reloaded
When a MIDI or CV Program is duplicated, its parameter layout is now retained
Q-Link
MIDI Program parameters may now be assigned to Program Mode Q-Links with Q-Link Learn
Program and Track Solos can now be assigned using Q-Link Learn and MIDI Learn
Sample Edit
BPM detection range is applied to samples under 10 seconds in length
BPM upper limit in Sample Edit is now 999 BPM
Saving and Loading
Auto Load and Template file selection dialog is now consistent across all UIs
MPC no longer crashes when exiting the ‘Save As’ page from the hardware
MPC no longer crashes when saving a sample with no data
Stability of sample loading has been improved
Sequence Edit
Copy Events - Replace function now correctly replaces events when making multiple copies
Track View
It is now possible to draw mute automation in Track View lanes
Undo/Redo
Undoing a Program deletion will now restore any automation data it contained
Warping
Sample BPM in the GUI wave view is now set correctly according to the pad’s warp state
Sample BPM in the GUI wave view is now updated when warp is enabled via the hardware
