Editor

User Guide
English

Manual Version 1.0

 Table of Contents

Introduction................................................................................................................................. 4

About This Software ............................................................................................................. 4

System Requirements and Product Support ..................................................................... 4

Getting Started ...................................................................................................................... 5

Installation ......................................................................................................................... 5
Setup ................................................................................................................................. 5

Operation .................................................................................................................................... 6

Managing Your Presets ........................................................................................................ 7

About Presets .................................................................................................................... 7
Loading Presets................................................................................................................. 8
Saving Presets ................................................................................................................... 9
Sending Presets .............................................................................................................. 10

2
 Editing Controls .................................................................................................................. 12
Pads................................................................................................................................. 13
Knobs .............................................................................................................................. 15
Faders .............................................................................................................................. 17
Switches .......................................................................................................................... 19
Other Preset Information ................................................................................................. 22

Other Functions................................................................................................................... 24
Auto-Populate Tool ......................................................................................................... 24
Send Multiple Presets ..................................................................................................... 27

Global Settings .................................................................................................................... 28

Software Menus .................................................................................................................. 31

File ................................................................................................................................... 31
Tools ................................................................................................................................ 33
Window ............................................................................................................................ 33
Help ................................................................................................................................. 33

Trademarks and Licenses ....................................................................................................... 34

3
Introduction

About This Software

The MPD226 Editor is a software application that lets you change the MIDI messages sent
from your Akai Professional MPD226. This editor lets you set each pad, knob, fader, and
switch (across all available banks) to send a unique command to your software or external
MIDI device, giving you deep, dynamic, and powerful control over your performance.
Please read this manual to get a better understanding of the MPD226 Editor.

System Requirements and Product Support

For complete system requirements, compatibility information, and product registration, visit
the Akai Professional website: akaipro.com.
For additional support, visit akaipro.com/support.

4
Getting Started

Installation
® ® ®
1. Double-click the .exe (Windows ) or .pkg (Mac OS X ) installer file you downloaded.
2. Follow the on-screen instructions.

Setup

1. Optional: Connect your MPD226 to your computer using a standard USB cable, and make
sure both are powered on. (If you are using a USB hub, make sure it is a powered hub.)
You can still use the editor without connecting MPD226, but you will not be able to send
Presets to it or load (get) Presets from it.
2. Open the MPD226 Editor.
• Windows: The file is located in C:\Program Files\Akai Professional\MPD226 Editor.
• Mac OS X: The file is located in Applications/MPD226 Editor.
3. If your MPD226 is not connected to your computer, simply start using the MPD226 Editor!
If your MPD226 is connected to your computer, click the File menu and select MIDI
Setup. In the window that appears, select the following options, depending on your
operating system, and then click OK:
• Windows: Set the Input to MIDIIN4 (MPD226) and the Output to MIDIOUT4 (MPD226).
• Mac OS X: Set the Input and Output to MPD226 Remote.
4. Start using the MPD226 Editor! See the Operation chapter to learn more about the
software in depth.

5
Operation

MPD226 Editor’s graphical interface looks just like your MPD226 but with some extra
information about the MIDI messages it sends. All of this information is stored in a Preset,
which determines how your MPD226 will command your software. Learn more about this in
Managing Your Presets.
MPD226 has three types of hardware controls whose MIDI messages you can edit. See Editing
Controls to learn how to adjust the MIDI message sent by each type of hardware control.
Important: Remember that there are four banks of pads and three banks of controls (knobs,
faders, and switches). When editing your mappings, make sure you are on the bank you
want. Click a Pad Bank button or Control Bank in the graphical interface to select the desired
bank. The button will light up, and the values on the graphical interface will reflect those of the
current bank only.
6
Managing Your Presets

About Presets

A Preset is a preset file (.mpd226) containing all of the MIDI assignments you make in the
Editor. Using Presets lets you maintain several different control configurations to use in
different situations. For instance, you may use different Presets with different kinds of
software, or you may some Presets for production and others for performance.
Your MPD226 can store 20 Presets at a time. You can store additional Presets on your
computer to load onto your MPD226 with this editor.
This chapter explains how to load Presets into the editor (Loading Presets), save Presets onto
your computer (Saving Presets), and send Presets to your connected MPD226 (Sending
Presets).

7
Loading Presets

To edit a Preset, you first have to load it into the MPD226 Editor.

To load a Preset from your connected MPD226:

1. Click the File menu and select Load
from Hardware.
2. In the Load Presets from Hardware
window that appears, click the Get
button next to the desired Preset
number.
To cancel, simply close the Load
Presets from Hardware window.
If you make changes to any Presets or current settings or assignments on your MPD226
after opening this window, click Refresh to refresh the options.
Note: The RAM slot refers to all of the settings and assignments currently being used on
your MPD226 but not yet saved to a Preset.
3. When you’re done, close the Load Presets from Hardware window.
Note: Editing the newly loaded Preset will not affect the Preset stored on your MPD226.
See Sending Presets to learn how to send the edited Preset to your MPD226.

To load a Preset from your computer, do one of the following:

• Click the File menu and select Open Preset.
• Press Ctrl+O (Windows) or +O (Mac OS X).
After that, locate the desired Preset file (.mpd226), and click Open.

8
Saving Presets

Saving a Preset on your computer lets you edit it or send it to your MPD226 in the future. All
settings and assignments currently in the editor will be saved in the Preset.

To save the Preset, do one of the following:

• Click the File menu and select Save.
• Press Ctrl+S (Windows) or +S (Mac OS X).
If this is the first time you are saving the Preset, select the desired location, enter a file name,
and click Save. The Preset will be saved as an .mpd226 file.
If this is not the first time you are saving the Preset, the Preset will save with the same name
and to the same location.

To save a Preset under a different name or to a different location, click the File menu and
select Save As. After that, select the desired location, enter a file name, and click Save. The
Preset will be saved as an .mpd226 file.

9
Sending Presets

Sending a Preset to your connected MPD226 lets you transfer the Preset from the editor to
your MPD226’s internal memory. All settings and assignments currently in the editor will be
sent to your MPD226.

To send a Preset to your connected MPD226:

1. Click Send to Hardware.
2. In the Send Preset window that appears, click the
drop-down menu to select the desired Preset number.
To cancel, simply close the Send Preset window.
Note: The RAM slot refers to all of the settings and
assignments currently being used on your MPD226 but
not yet saved to a Preset.
3. Click Send to confirm. Sending a Preset will overwrite that Preset number on your
MPD226.
4. When you’re done, close the Send Preset window.

10
To send multiple Presets to your connected MPD226:

1. Click the Tools menu and select Send Multiple Presets.

2. In the Batch Send Presets window that appears, select which Presets you want to send
by doing any of the following:
• Click a slot’s Browse button and then select the Preset file from your computer.
• Click and drag MPD226 Editor’s graphical user interface onto the desired slot.
• Click and drag an MPD226 Preset file from your computer onto the desired slot.
• Click and drag a folder containing multiple MPD226 Preset files from your computer
onto the desired slot. (The selected slot and the ones below it will be “populated”
with the Preset files in that folder and its subfolders.)
To remove a previously selected Preset from the list, click its X button.
To cancel, simply close the Send Preset window.
Note: The RAM slot refers to all of the settings and assignments currently being used on
your MPD226 but not yet saved to a Preset.
3. Click Send to confirm. Sending Presets will overwrite the corresponding Preset numbers
on your MPD226. If you did not select a Preset to send, that Preset will not be overwritten.
4. When you’re done, close the Send Preset window.

11
Editing Controls

To edit the parameters for a pad or control on your MPD226, click it in the software’s graphical
user interface.
Tip: To copy the parameters of one pad, knob, fader, or switch to another, simply click and
drag it. To access another bank, hover the mouse cursor over the desired Pad Bank or
Control Bank button.

1 2

Click one of the types of controls to jump to that section in this User Guide: (1) Pads, (2) Knobs,
(3) Faders, (4) Switches, or (5) Other Preset Information.

12
Pads

These are the available parameters and settings for MPD226’s pads.
Note: Use the Pad Bank buttons to access all pads (1–64).

Parameter Description Available Settings

Type The type of event that will be sent. Note

Program
Program Bank

MIDI Channel This setting determines over which MIDI Common

channel data is sent.
USB A1–A16
USB B1–B16

MIDI Note If Note is the selected Type, this assigns 0–127 (C0–G9)
the note number.

Aftertouch If Note is the selected Type, this Off

determines the Aftertouch settings. Chn (Channel Aftertouch)
Poly (Poly Aftertouch)

13
Program Number If Program or Program Bank is the 0–127
selected Type, this determines the
Program number.

Program MSB If Program or Program Bank is the 0–127

Program LSB selected Type, these determine the MSB
(Most Significant Bit) and LSB (Least
Significant Bit).

Trigger Mode If Note is the selected Type, this Toggle

determines whether it is in Toggle or Momentary
Momentary Mode.

MIDI to DIN Determines whether or not MIDI data is On

sent to the MIDI Out or not. MIDI data Off
will be sent to MPD226’s USB
connection regardless of this setting.

On Color These determine what colors the pad Off, Red, Orange, Amber,
Off Color will be when it is pressed (On) and not Yellow, Green,
pressed (Off). Green Blue, Aqua,
Light Blue, Blue, Purple,
Pink, Hot Pink,
Light Purple, Light Green,
Light Pink, Grey

14
Knobs

These are the available parameters and settings for MPD226’s knobs.
Note: Use the Control Bank buttons to access all knobs (1–12).

Parameter Description Available Settings

Type The type of message that will be sent. CC

Aftertouch
Increment/Decrement 1
(Inc/Dec1)
Increment/Decrement 2
(Inc/Dec2)

MIDI Channel This setting determines over which MIDI Common

channel data is sent. USB A1–A16
USB B1–B16

MIDI CC If CC or Inc/Dec2 is the selected Type, this 0–127

determines the MIDI CC number.

15
Min If CC or Aftertouch is the selected Type, 0–127
Max these determine the lowest (Min) and highest
(Max) values. (If Min is higher than Max, the
knob’s polarity will be reversed.)

NRPN MSB If Inc/Dec1 is the selected Type, these 0–127

NRPN LSB determine the MSB (Most Significant Bit) and
LSB (Least Significant Bit).

Value If Inc/Dec1 is the selected Type, this 0–127

determines the value sent by an Increment
(CC #96) or Decrement (CC #97) message.

MIDI to DIN Determines whether or not MIDI data is sent On, Off
to the MIDI Out or not. MIDI data will be sent
to MPD226’s USB connection regardless of
this setting.

16
Faders

These are the available parameters and settings for MPD226’s faders.
Note: Use the Control Bank buttons to access all faders (1–12).

Parameter Description Available Settings

Type The type of message that will be sent. CC

Aftertouch

MIDI Channel This setting determines over which MIDI Common

channel data is sent. USB A1–A16
USB B1–B16

MIDI CC If CC is the selected Type, this determines 0–127

the MIDI CC number.

17
Min These determine the lowest (Min) and highest 0–127
Max (Max) values. (If Min is higher than Max, the
fader’s polarity will be reversed.)

MIDI to DIN Determines whether or not MIDI data is sent On, Off
to the MIDI Out or not. MIDI data will be sent
to MPD226’s USB connection regardless of
this setting.

18
Switches

These are the available parameters and settings for MPD226’s switches.
Note: Use the Control Bank buttons to access all switches (1–12).

Parameter Description Available Settings

Type The type of event that will be sent. CC

Note
Program
Program Bank
Key Stroke

MIDI Channel This setting determines over which MIDI Common

channel data is sent. USB A1–A16
USB B1–B16

MIDI Note If Note is the selected Type, this assigns the 0–127 (C0–G9)
note number.

Velocity If Note is the selected Type, this assigns the 0–127

velocity.

19
Trigger Mode If Note or CC is the selected Type, this Toggle
determines whether it is in Toggle or Momentary
Momentary Mode.

MIDI CC If CC is the selected Type, this 0–127

determines the MIDI CC number.

Program Number If Program or Program Bank is the 0–127

selected Type, this determines the
Program number.

Program Number MSB If Program or Program Bank is the 0–127

Program Number LSB selected Type, these determine the MSB
(Most Significant Bit) and LSB (Least
Significant Bit).

MIDI to DIN Determines whether or not MIDI data is On, Off

sent to the MIDI Out or not. MIDI data
will be sent to MPD226’s USB connection
regardless of this setting.

20
Key 1 If Key Stroke is the selected Type, this 0–9, A–Z, F1–F12, Backspace,
determines what keystroke the switch Return, Up Arrow, Down Arrow,
sends. Left Arrow, Right Arrow, Tab,
various symbols ( , . / [ ] \ ‘ ; - = ),
Esc, Insert, Home, Page Up,
Delete, End, Page Down, Num 0–9.

Key 2 If Key Stroke is the selected Type, this None, Ctrl, Shift, Alt, Option,
determines what modifier keystroke (e.g., Ctrl+Shift, Ctrl+Alt,
Shift, Option, etc.), if any, the switch Ctrl+Option, Shift+Alt,
sends with the Key 1 keystroke. Shift+Option, Alt+Option,
Ctrl+Option+Alt,
Ctrl+Shift+Alt,
Ctrl+Shift+Option

Tip: The HID (Human Interface Device) protocol lets devices send typical computer keyboard
keystrokes. USB game controllers are an example of this, acting as an alternative to your
computer’s keyboard. MPD226 also uses the HID protocol, letting you configure certain
buttons to send your most-often used keystrokes to your software, so you no longer need to
switch focus constantly between the computer’s keyboard and your MPD226.

21
Other Preset Information

These are the available parameters and settings for the preset in general.

Parameter Description Available Settings

Preset The name of the preset. Standard alphanumeric

characters

Tempo The tempo as indicated in beats per 30–300

minute.

Gate The length of the repeated notes of 0–99%

the Note Repeat feature.

Swing The amount of swing used in the 50–75%

repeated notes of the Note Repeat
feature.

Time Division The speed of the Note Repeat 1/4, 1/4T, 1/8, 1/8T,
repetition as a division of the master 1/16, 1/16T, 1/32, 1/32T
tempo or external clock. (T denotes a triplet-based time
division.)

22
Note Repeat Switch This determines whether each Toggle, Momentary
Time Div Switch button is in Toggle or Momentary
Mode.

Transport Type The type of event that will be sent by MMC

the transport buttons (Stop, Play, MMC/MIDI
and Rec).
MIDI Real Time
MIDI CC
PTEX
(The PTEX setting is for use
with Avid® Pro Tools® Express
only. Transport control
messages will be sent only on
USB Port B, Channel 16,
regardless of the Common
Channel setting.)

23
Other Functions

Auto-Populate Tool

The auto-populate feature lets you quickly apply common “patterns” of assignments to the
pads and controls, sparing you the time of having to create each assignment manually.
To open the Auto-Populate Tool, click the Tools menu and select Auto Populate Tool.

24
To auto-populate a pad, knob, fader, or switch:
1. For each type of control (pad, knob, fader, or switch), check the box to the left of
the parameter to select it. Only the selected parameters will be auto-populated. You
can do this for multiple parameters.
2. If the parameter has a drop-down menu, click it and select the desired setting.
If the parameter requires you to enter a number, click the field, delete the current number
(if necessary), type a new number, and then press Enter on your computer keyboard.
3. Repeat Step 2 for each additional parameter you want to auto-populate (if necessary).
4. Under Apply to Banks, click each bank to select/deselect it. Only the
selected banks will be auto-populated.
5. Click Apply to auto-populate the selected parameters in the selected banks.
To cancel the operation instead, close the Auto Populate window.

For ranges of notes, you must set a starting note and scale. For ranges of numbers, you must
set a starting number and whether the values will increase or decrease across the bank(s).
These types of parameters are described below.

When the Type is set to Note (for pads or switches), select

the starting note (of a scale) by clicking the Scale drop-down
menu, selecting a scale, and then doing either of the following:
• Click the Start drop-down menu, and select the desired
MIDI note value (C-1 – G9). The field next to it will
change accordingly.
• Click the Start field, delete the current number (if
necessary), type a new number (0–127), and then press
Enter on your computer keyboard. The drop-down
menu next to it will change accordingly.

25
When the Type is set to Program or Program Bank (for
pads or switches), select the starting program number by
doing the following:
1. Click the Order drop-down menu, and select whether
you want the numbers to increase (Ascending) or
decrease (Descending) across the bank(s) of controls.
2. Click the Start field, delete the current number (if
necessary), type a new number (0–127), and then press
Enter on your computer keyboard.

When the Type is set to CC (for knobs, faders, or switches)

or Inc/Dec2 (for knobs only), select the starting CC number
by doing the following:
1. Click the Order drop-down menu, and select whether
you want the numbers to increase (Ascending) or
decrease (Descending) across the bank(s) of controls.
2. Click the Start field, delete the current number (if
necessary), type a new number (0–127), and then press
Enter on your computer keyboard.

When the Type is set to Inc/Dec 1 (for knobs only), select

the starting NRPN number by doing the following:
1. Click the Order drop-down menu, and select whether
you want the numbers to increase (Ascending) or
decrease (Descending) across the bank(s) of controls.
2. Click the Start field, delete the current number (if
necessary), type a new number (0–16383), and then
press Enter on your computer keyboard. Alternatively,
do the same for the MSB and LSB fields (0–127).

26
Send Multiple Presets

You can send multiple Presets to your

connected MPD226 simultaneously rather
than sending just one at a time.

To send multiple Presets to your connected MPD226:

1. Click the Tools menu and select Send Multiple Presets.
2. In the Batch Send Presets window that appears, select which Presets you want to send
by doing any of the following:
• Click a slot’s Browse button and then select the Preset file from your computer.
• Click and drag MPD226 Editor’s graphical user interface onto the desired slot.
• Click and drag an MPD226 Preset file from your computer onto the desired slot.
• Click and drag a folder containing multiple MPD226 Preset files from your computer
onto the desired slot. (The selected slot and the ones below it will be “populated”
with the Preset files in that folder and its subfolders.)
To remove a previously selected Preset from the list, click its X button.
To cancel, simply close the Send Preset window.
Note: The RAM slot refers to all of the settings and assignments currently being used on
your MPD226 but not yet saved to a Preset.
3. Click Send to confirm. For each Preset Sending Presets will overwrite the corresponding
Preset numbers on your MPD226. If you did not select a Preset to send, that Preset will
not be overwritten.
4. When you’re done, close the Send Preset window.

27
Global Settings

To edit MPD226’s global settings, click the Tools menu and select Global Settings Editor.

At any point, you can click any of these buttons:

• Revert: Click this to cancel your changes and return to the previous global settings.
• Get: Click this to load the current global settings from your connected MPD226 to this
window.
• Send: Click this to send the global settings in this window to your connected MPD226.

Parameter Description Available Settings

Common Channel This setting determines which MIDI USB A1–A16

channel is the common channel
USB B1–B16
(various controls can be assigned to
the common channel in Edit Mode).

Note Display Determines whether the display will Value

show notes as values (e.g., C2, F#3, Number
etc.) or a number (e.g., 36, 54, etc.).

28
LCD Contrast The MPD226 display’s contrast. 0–99%

Tap Average The number of times you would need 2–4

to press Tap Tempo to enter a new
tempo.

Tempo LED When MPD226 is using its internal Off

MIDI clock, the Tap Tempo LED will On
flash in time with the current tempo
setting.

Transport to DIN Determines whether or not MIDI data On

from the transport controls is sent to
Off
the MIDI Out or not. MIDI data will be
sent to MPD226’s USB connection
regardless of this setting.

Pad Gain The pads’ overall velocity sensitivity. 0–20

At lower settings, it takes a lot of
force to generate a note with a
velocity of 127. At higher settings, the
opposite is true.

Pad Threshold The velocity threshold to trigger the 1–10

pads. This can help prevent false
triggering or make it easier to trigger
the pads.

29
Pad Curve The pads’ velocity curve. Linear
S-curve
Log1 (Logarithmic 1)
Log2 (Logarithmic 2)
Exp1 (Exponential 1)
Exp2 (Exponential 2)

Clock Source Determines whether MPD226 uses its Internal

internal MIDI clock or refers to an
External
external clock (e.g., from a DAW).

30
Software Menus

This chapter is a description of the available options in the menus at the top of the window.

File

New Window: Select this to open an additional MPD226 Editor window. Alternatively, press
Ctrl+N (Windows) or +N (Mac OS X).

Open: Select this to locate and load a Preset file (.mpd226) on your computer to the MPD226
Editor. Alternatively, press Ctrl+O (Windows) or +O (Mac OS X).

Close Window: Select this to close the MPD226 Editor window. Alternatively, press Ctrl+W
(Windows) or +W (Mac OS X).

Save: Select this to save the MPD226 Editor’s current settings to your computer as a Preset
file (.mpd226). Alternatively, press Ctrl+S (Windows) or +S (Mac OS X).

Save As: Select this to save the MPD226 Editor’s current settings to your computer as a
Preset file (.mpd226) with a different file name.

Load From Hardware: Select this to import the current settings from your connected
MPD226 into the MPD226 Editor.

Send To Hardware: Select this to export the current settings from the MPD226 Editor to your
connected MPD226.

31
MIDI Setup: Select this option to open the Device Setup window.
If your MPD226 is connected to your computer, MPD226 and its MIDI ports will appear in
both the Input and Output fields. We recommend selecting its MIDI port in each field,
depending on your operating system (below). This will let you use the MPD226 Editor while
simultaneously using MPD226 with your digital audio workstation (DAW).
• Windows: Set the Input to MIDIIN4 (MPD226) and the Output to MIDIOUT4 (MPD226).
• Mac OS X: Set both the Input and Output to MPD226 Remote.
If your MPD226 is not connected to your computer, it will not be available in the Input and
Output fields. This means that you cannot send Presets to it or load (get) Presets from it,
but you can still use the MPD226 Editor to edit and save Presets on your computer.
Click OK to apply your selection and close the window. Alternatively, click Cancel to close
the window without applying the selection, or click Apply to apply the selection without
closing the window.

MIDI Setup for Windows. MIDI Setup for Mac OS X.

Quit: Select this to close the MPD226 Editor. Alternatively, press Ctrl+Q (Windows) or
+Q (Mac OS X).
Mac OS X users: This option is in the MPD226 Editor menu.

32
Tools

Auto Populate Tool: Select this to open the Auto Populate window. See Other Functions >
Auto-Populate Tool to learn how this feature works.

Send Multiple Presets: Select this to send multiple presets simultaneously to your connected
MPD226. See Other Functions > Send Multiple Presets to learn how this feature works.

Global Settings Editor: Select this to access the global settings (settings not specific to a
Preset). See Global Settings to learn about these settings.

Window

Minimize Window: Select this to minimize the MPD226 Editor. Alternatively, press Ctrl+M
(Windows) or +M (Mac OS X).

Bring to Front: Select this to place the MPD226 Editor above all other open application
windows.

Help

Open User Guide: Select this to open this User Guide.

About: Select this to view information about this version of the MPD226 Editor.
Mac OS X users: This option is in the MPD226 Editor menu.

33
Trademarks and Licenses
Akai Professional is a trademark of inMusic Brands, Inc., registered in the U.S. and other
countries.
Mac and OS X are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.
Windows is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and other
countries.
All other product or company names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their
respective owners.

akaipro.com

34
akaipro.com