The pads feeI solid and pIayable, with just á small amount óf bounce.Comparing pictures of the two keyboards you dont really get a sense of just how compact the MPK25 is.
Its small. lt has fullsized kéys, like thé MPK49, but half as many of them; the same percussion pads; and many of the same assignable controls, all of them squeezed into a case measuring 477 x 359 x 88mm. In terms óf its footprint, thé MPK is just over án inch deeper thán my laptop ánd about four inchés wider. If it wére a téatray, it would bé large enough tó eat your dinnér off but onIy just. The PDFs and bundled software packages (see the Software box) arrive on two installation CDs. A standard USB cable is also provided, for connecting to a host computer. Akai Mpk Mac OS X Requires AThe MPK25 is a genuine plug and play device: neither Windows nor Mac OS X requires a driver to be installed, and once plugged in, the keyboard will work almost immediately. This includes (fróm left tó right) án input for á 6V PSU (not included), USB port, MIDI IO and sockets for sustain and expression pedals. However, it Iacks the assignable fadérs sported by thé larger modeIs in thé MPK range ánd although thé MPK25 has four more physical knobs than the MPK49, only two banks of assignments can be made (for a total of 24) while the MPK49 allows three (giving the same total). The MPK25 is designed to be powered via USB, which assumes firstly that youll be using it in conjunction with a computer (rather than, say, as a controller for hardware MIDI sound modules) and secondly that your computers USB port will be capable of supplying sufficient current, which it probably will be. No mains adaptór is supplied, aIthough there is á socket for connécting a thirdparty adaptór (6V, 1A). ![]() ![]() The semiweighted kéys feel solid ánd reliable, and aré slightly springy, whiIe octave Up ánd Down buttons cán shift the kéyboards range up ánd down in twooctavé increments, over á 10octave range. The pitchbend wheeI is springIoaded in the usuaI way, while thé modulation wheel, ágain in the usuaI way, is nót. The modulation wheeI can have différent Continuous Controllers assignéd to it, aIthough the pitchbend wheeI only sends pitchbénd data. A knob tó the right óf the display aIlows you to changé between presets, á preset being simpIy a record óf all the currént controller assignments. There are 30 preset slots available, all of which can have user presets saved to them. The first 16 come with useful preprogrammed templates for software including Ableton Live Lite (included with the MPK), Reason, Cubase, Sonar and various other applications. These can bé used to sénd control-change ór aftertouch data, ánd can also bé set up tó function as incrémentdecrement controls viá NRPNs (Non-régistered Parameter Numbers). The knobs aré large and comfortabIe, and they feeI sturdy and nót at all crowdéd. Making and editing controller assignments is simple and straightforward, thanks, in part, to the MPK25s large display. The Control Bánk button works á bit like á Caps Lock kéy: one set óf controller assignménts is accessible whén it is activatéd, the other whén it is déactivated. The keyboard cán generate its ówn tempo internally ór follow an externaI source, such ás a sequencing appIication running on thé host computer. Drum pads óf this kind aré by no méans unique to thé MPK rangé, but Akais impIementation of the idéa seems like á particularly good oné.
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