The new MPK mini mkII is an ultra-compact keyboard controller designed for the traveling musician and the desktop producer. With an array of hardware controls, MPK mini mkII lets you record, compose, and perform with virtual instruments, effect plugins, and DAWs whenever inspiration strikes. This guide will walk you through setting up your MPK mini mkII with Garageband, along with the included plugins: Air Hybrid and Sonivox Wobble.
Contents
What is Garageband?
Akai Pro MPK mini mkII - Complete Setup with Garageband. Created: Modified:. The new MPK mini mkII is an ultra-compact keyboard controller designed for the traveling musician and the desktop producer. Akai MPK Mini - iPad GarageBand (Beat Session #2) by Producers Play. Akai Mpk Mini MK2 - FL Studio (Beat Session #2). Akai Pro MPK Mini MKII - Complete Setup in Ableton Live Lite. The new MPK mini mkII is an ultra-compact keyboard controller designed for the traveling musician and the desktop producer. With an array of hardware controls, MPK mini mkII lets you record, compose, and perform with virtual instruments, effect plugins, and DAWs whenever inspiration strikes. This guide will walk you through setting up your MPK mini mkII with Garageband, along with the included. Jan 18, 2017 Original set-up: The camera adapter connects to the iPad. The male-to-male USB cable connects to the camera adapter. That cable plugs into the USB hub. The Akai's USB cable connects to the MPK mini mk2. And that cable plugs into the USB hub. Bonus round set-up: Rhe USB hub plugs into a 5V USB wall-charger. And that charger plugs into an AC outlet. All of the keys worked, all the pads functioned, everything came through solid, no rattles or flaws out of the box. The key mechanism is excellent, the response and change in volume to velocity works seamlessly. The pads do require more impact to respond than my Akai MPK mini, but they are workable.
GarageBand is a whole music creation studio right inside your Mac — with a complete sound library that includes software instruments, presets for guitar and voice, and virtual session drummers. An intuitive interface makes it easy to learn, play, record, create, and share your hits worldwide. It’s never been easier to make music like a pro. Garageband is not available for Windows.
For more information regarding Garageband, visit the official Apple page below:
Setup in Garageband
Connecting your MPK mini mkII to Garageband is a quick process:
- First, connect your MPK mini mkII to an available USB port on your computer. The MPK mini mkII should power on automatically.
- Locate the Garageband icon on your taskbar or in your Applications folder and click it to open the software.
- Once Garageband is open, select Empty Project.
- Select Software Instrument from the available options.
- Garageband will then open up a new project with a Classic Electric Piano on the first track.
- Garageband will recognize your MPK mini mkII automatically, so hit some of the keys to hear some electric piano!
Downloading and authorizing the included plugins
The MPK mini mkII comes bundled with two plugins to further expand your sound library. These plugins can be opened as a software instrument inside of Garageband.
To access these plugins, you will first need to create an Akai account and register your MPK mini mkII. Once registered, there will be download links and authorization codes. For a complete walkthrough on installing and authorizing the plugins, please make sure to follow the articles below before proceeding with the rest of this guide:
Accessing your included plugins
Once your plugins are installed and authorized, we can open them inside of Garageband.
- Hit the Smart Control icon located in the upper left of the software. You will see the Smart Control windows open at the bottom of the screen.
- Hit the Inspector icon to open a new window.
- Click on Plug-ins to open a new set of options.
- Select the Instrument category and hover over AU Instruments to browse your installed plugins. For this example, let's select Hybrid which is listed under AIR Music Technology.
- Once selected, the Hybrid interface will open, which allows you to adjust settings and select different presets.
![Akai Akai](/uploads/1/2/6/0/126027886/612044467.jpg)
Mapping your MPK mini mkII knobs
While Garageband does not have a MIDI learn feature, you can still use the MPK mini mkII knobs by mapping them to control parameters inside of Hybrid and/or Wobble.
Hybrid
- Open the Hybrid plugin interface as described above.
- With the interface open, select a parameter. In this case, I will be mapping the Shape knob under the category OSC 1.
- Hold down the Control key on your keyboard, and then click on the knob. You will see a list of options appear.
- Select the Learn CC option.
- Now, move the knob labeled K1 on the MPK mini mkII from left to right. You will see it reflected in the Hybrid interface, as the Shape value changes and the value moves from 0-100%.
Wobble
- Open the Wobble plugin interface as described above.
- With the interface open, select a parameter. In this case, I will be mapping the Width knob for Channel 1.
- Select the Learn icon in the upper right of the interface to enter the MIDI learn mode.
- Left click on the Width knob, and then proceed to move the K1 knob on the MPK mini MKII from left to right. You will see it reflect in the Wobble interface, as the Width knob moves left to right.
- If you would like to map another knob, first click the Learn icon to get out of MIDI learn mode. Then click it again, and you can map a separate knob.
Additional Guides & Videos
Further Technical Support
Whether you are a customer or dealer, if you already own an Akai Pro product, or if you just have pre-sales questions, the Akai Pro technical support team is available to help!
Visit the link below to connect with any of the following support options: online community support, phone support, email support.
You can connect any class compliant USB audio interface or MIDI controller or keyboard to your iPad. This article shows you what devices you can connect, and also includes some tips to ensure success when using the Apple Camera iPad Connection Kit.
All class compliant USB audio interfaces, MIDI controllers and keyboards can be connected to the iPad using the Apple iPad Camera Connection Kit.
What does 'class compliant' mean?
A class compliant device is one that doesn't require extra drivers to connect your Windows or Macintosh computer, or to your iPad. Class compliant devices use drivers which are built into the host (i.e. the computer or the iPad) operating system.
To find out if your USB audio or MIDI device is class compliant, check the manufacturer's web page. If it connects automatically to any computer without requiring you to install drivers from a website or a disk, it is probably class compliant.
iPad Power - not as much as you might think
Many USB devices draw their power right from the USB cable that connects them to their host (a computer or an iPad). The iPad can also supply power to connected USB devices. The USB ports on computers supply 5V and 100mA-500mA of power. However, through the course of several updates and revisions, Apple has decreased the amount of electrical power the iPad is allowed to supply connected USB devices.
This means that some devices that draw only a little power can survive off of what the iPad supplies, but devices that require more power may not find the iPad USB connection sufficient. Furthermore, Apple can and has altered how much juice the iPad can offer connected devices, so what may have worked in the past, may not necessarily work in the future.
When you connect, the order matters
You have a MIDI or Audio device, a USB cable, the Apple Camera Connection Kit adapter, and your iPad...
Even if the device you are connecting requires very little power, if you connect them in the wrong order, you're likely to get the following error: Accessory Unavailable. The attached accessory uses too much power.
To maximize the likelihood of a successful connection with an audio or MIDI device, you need to...
- Connect the USB cable to your Audio or MIDI device first.
- Next, connect the other end of the USB cable to the iPad Camera Connection Kit adapter.
- Last, connect the Camera Connection Kit adapter (with the USB cable already attached) to the 30-pin port on the bottom of your iPad.
- Wait 10 seconds. The iPad will take a few moments to fully recognize a connected device.
If you still get the error above, or if the class compliant device does not function within 10 seconds of connection, the device likely requires more power than the iPad can supply.
Akai Mpk Mini Pad Setup
If at first you don't succeed...use an AC Powered USB Hub
If the device you are connecting requires more power than the iPad can supply, connect it to an AC powered USB hub. Powered USB hubs have AC power adapters that connect them to an electrical socket on the wall. This will help ensure any connected devices have enough power to operate.
List of some compatible devices
Note that Apple can and has altered how much juice the iPad can offer connected devices, so what may have worked without a powered hub in the past, may not necessarily work in the future.
Akai Professional
- AFX*
- AMX*
- APC40 mkii*
- EWI5000*
- MAX25*
- MAX49*
- MPK mini MKII*
- MPK225 (uses a built-in low power mode with limited LED operation)
- MPK249(uses a built-in low power mode with limited LED operation)
- MPK261(uses a built-in low power mode with limited LED operation)
- MPX16*
- EIE* (only 2-channel input possible)
Alesis
- iO4 (only 2-channel input possible)
Mini Ipad 2 Accessories
M-Audio
Akai Mpk Mini 2 Garageband
Numark
ION Audio
- Discover Guitar USB*Powered USB Hub required.
Akai Mpk Mini Ipad 2 Garageband Review
AKAI Technical Support and Warranty Service
Akai Mpk Mini Mk2 Garageband Ipad
Whether you are a customer or dealer, if you already own an Akai Pro product, or if you just have pre-sales questions, the Akai Pro technical support team is available to help!
Visit the link below to connect with any of the following support options: online community support, phone support, email support.