MPK49 and A4 Match made for each other

Elektron Gear Analog Keys/Four
#1

Hi Everyone,

I have had my A4 for many months. I’ve had my MPK49 before I got my A4.

When I originally bought my MPK49 I bought the power supply and an “old school” midi cable.

Earlier this week I figured out how to get them to play nice with each other.
There are still a few things I need to work out like saving my patch settings etc.

Also and this is key. I was able to assign the midI CC numbers to the knobs of my MPK for Filter 1 and 2 and Resonance 1 and 2.

And here is the punchline: The filter sweeps work better with the MPK knobs. The only word that comes to mind is ELEGANT!

ALSO the MPK has a pitch wheel and Mod wheel and aftertouch plus it is velocity sensitive.

Playing notes with the velocity sensitivty set to open the filter or resonanse filter. Again elegant.

No need to change octaves on the A4 because I have four ocataves on the MPK49.

I was a bit frustrated with the A4 up until now.

But now it has become an amazing destop synth.

If you need to know how I set it up here it is.

  1. Make sure the MPK is not plugged into your computer via the USB cable.
  2. Supply power with the power adapter.
  3. Plug in “old school” midi cable. (I assume you know how that works)
  4. Enjoy!

To set up the Mod Wheel, Pitch Bend, Velocity, and Aftertouch settings,
press Function/Sound key/Sound Settings/etc.

One caveat is when you want the MPK to play a different track you have to change all the track numbers for all the settings.
Until I figure out how to save and make different patches that is the only way for me.
If you figure out a different way let me know.

Robert

1 Like
#2

Very cool.

#3

@Robert re Your caveat… In the mpk, you can avoid changing the midi channel for each button, knob, etc as long as you have the channel right in the global settings. Instead of specifying a specific channel for the knobs etc, there is a value that will use the channel from the global settings.

I don’t have an A4, so I’m not as sure how it would interact, but with the OT, I would think that remapping the mpk controls wouldn’t be needed if you are using the channel for the active track.

I’ve been meaning to map my mpk to the ot, maybe I’ll have to try this soon…

sean

#4

i am familiar with midi cables, as just about every synth has midi ports for them, but what is an old school midi cable? what is a new school midi cable?

#5

I guess “old School” is a midi cable with midi on both ends. As opposed to USB on one side and the printer type connection on the other.

1 Like
#6

@op : by default the A4 takes midi info from Ch 10 (changeable) into whichever track you are on !!

#7

@artistlife could you expand on how you got these to work? Been pouring over the manual and looking going through midi setting to no avail!

The one thing I think could be throwing it off is I’m powering the MPK via usb through my mixer (mx-1). I don’t have the power adapter for the MPK and was hoping this would be a nice work around.

Any advice from anyone would be greatly appreciated!

EDIT: yup, it was the a/c adapter. Seriously the mx-1 would be such a dope mixer if it could integrate other usb devices… but that’s for another forum :wink: