Akai MPD232

This is definitely on my shopping list. Would make a great sidekick for the OT!

http://6be54c364949b623a3c0-4409a68c214f3a9eeca8d0265e9266c0.r0.cf2.rackcdn.com/1398/images/MPD232_angle_1200x750_web.png

Holy crap!!! The long awaited new MPD!!!

Finally !!

Great sidekick for the AR too!

Just what I was thinking! Iā€™m really wondering if the 32 since it has a sequencer built-in and work stand alone without a computer. Would be such a killer set up.

[ul]
[li]Works with virtually any MIDI software or MIDI hardware[/li]
[/ul]

BOOM! (the 32)

I canā€™t decide which would be more fun/useful:

OT + MPD232 or OT + Arturia Beat Step Pro

?

Too late: Iā€™ve pulled the trigger on the BeatStep Pro. Itā€™s just so packed with features itā€™s ridiculous!!

:slight_smile:

For serious. And a good bit cheaper too.
Letā€™s hope it holds up to some beatings.
Spec wise, itā€™s just parameter locks short of being A4ā€™s long lost external midi sequencer.

I suppose those LED pads are the same as on the MPK225 keyboard, which are great! Far, far better than those stock pads on the MPD32, which you need to replace with MPCstuff.com pads if youā€™d like to have some nice, responsive pads. The MPK225-type pads need no replacement, though.

Not interested in the beatstep pro as I donā€™t need the extra mono tracks. The regular beat step looks cool though, cheap and already has an Octatrack template. I love me some faders though, and the 232 would look pretty on stage :slight_smile:

I have a feeling Iā€™ll end up with both :smiley:

Tough call. I think the BeatStep is the better sequencer (i.e. not ā€˜justā€™ a drum sequencer) and with the CV/gate outputs it definitely has more scope than the Akai. Though the Akai does have faders and more tracks.

I see the BeatStep as a master clock/sync device with extra sequencing capabilities rather than a replacement for the OTā€™s internal sequencing.

So the 232 being standalone is confirmed info?

MPD226 + MPD232 have a jack to receive power via a powersupply(not sure if the power supply itself is included or not , if not, and you donā€™t want to buy one, you should be able to power it via the USB port with a USB charger)
You can set all the controls to output to the MIDIout jacks.

One thing that I think will be beneficial to AR users is that the MPD2 series has a ā€˜16 levelā€™ button.

Press a Pad (say Pad1)
Enable 16 level by pressing the ā€˜16 levelā€™ button

this will set it up so now, each of the 16 pads will play the same note that was on Pad 1 (Or whatever pad you last pressed before pressing the 16 level button), but at different velocities.

so you can hit say Pad 11, and it will consistently output at a velocity of 87, the pad next to it at velocity 95ā€¦

so if you want to do a soft hit, hard hit type thing live, but all the softs at exactly the same velocity and all the hard hits at the same velocity, you can get that consistencyā€¦ or set something up on the ARs velocity to mod setup page, and consistently be able to set the some parameter each time you hit that specific pad (like say a sample end time, then as you move up each of the 16 pads, you can get quiet short hits on the first few pads, and long hard hits on the upper pads ) and you can always reproduce that exact sound , because youā€™ll always be sending the same velocity

I think that only the 32 not the 24 is stand alone.
Its says in the specs ā€œworks with virtually any midi software or midi hardwareā€. The 24 does not say this. also only the 32 has the built in sequencer. A built in sequencer isnā€™t of much use if you can only use it with software! This leads me to strongly believe it is stand alone. Please someone feel free to play devils advocate and tell me Iā€™m wrong! :imp:

I think that only the 32 not the 24 is stand alone.
Its says in the specs ā€œworks with virtually any midi software or midi hardwareā€. The 24 does not say this. also only the 32 has the built in sequencer. A built in sequencer isnā€™t of much use if you can only use it with software! This leads me to strongly believe it is stand alone. Please someone feel free to play devils advocate and tell me Iā€™m wrong! :imp: [/quote]
youā€™re wrong : ) (about the 226 not being able to be used standalone)
226 will also work standalone. but the 218 will not.
You can use the 232 sequencer with the midi outā€™s , but honestly, the electron sequencer is much more powerful.

I think that only the 32 not the 24 is stand alone.
Its says in the specs ā€œworks with virtually any midi software or midi hardwareā€. The 24 does not say this. also only the 32 has the built in sequencer. A built in sequencer isnā€™t of much use if you can only use it with software! This leads me to strongly believe it is stand alone. Please someone feel free to play devils advocate and tell me Iā€™m wrong! :imp: [/quote]
youā€™re wrong : ) (about the 226 not being able to be used standalone)
226 will also work standalone. but the 218 will not.
You can use the 232 sequencer with the midi outā€™s , but honestly, the electron sequencer is much more powerful.
[/quote]
Hmmmmmm, 24 might be more up my alley than as I donā€™t need the sequencer, but 8 knobs and 8 faders is pretty sweet.

I think that only the 32 not the 24 is stand alone.
Its says in the specs ā€œworks with virtually any midi software or midi hardwareā€. The 24 does not say this. also only the 32 has the built in sequencer. A built in sequencer isnā€™t of much use if you can only use it with software! This leads me to strongly believe it is stand alone. Please someone feel free to play devils advocate and tell me Iā€™m wrong! :imp: [/quote]
youā€™re wrong : ) (about the 226 not being able to be used standalone)
226 will also work standalone. but the 218 will not.
You can use the 232 sequencer with the midi outā€™s , but honestly, the electron sequencer is much more powerful.
[/quote]
Hmmmmmm, 24 might be more up my alley than as I donā€™t need the sequencer, but 8 knobs and 8 faders is pretty sweet.[/quote]
Even if you donā€™t use the sequencer, having 8 knobs+faders is nice it matches the 8 knobs on the AR : ) so you can set it up so that say Bank A on the MPD232 matches the 8 knobs on the Synth page, and the next 8 match the sample page ā€¦ then the next 8 on the filter pageā€¦ and set the faders so they match the trig, amp and lfo page (or however you want to configure it)

My main concern is that in the requirements tab on the Akai website, they specify computers.

Because if this thing could run standalone with an Octatrack, oh dear.