Background
The Akai Midimix is a MIDI controller with some sliders and buttons for use with DAW software.It comes with a mapping for Cubase as described here:
https://www.akaipro.com/kb/akai-pro-midimix-setup-with-steinberg-cubase/
This works OK, but as it says on that page, the various lights don't work.
This page describes how you can get the lights to work.
I've tried it with Cubase LE AI Elements 10, but assume similar setup will work with other versions
Transport Buttons
I have actually re-purposed 8 of the buttons to use as a transport control, as I don't actually do a lot of multi-channel mixing. Here's a photo of my labelled buttons:-
CH5: MUTE-> Home; REC-> Loop
CH6: MUTE->Last marker; REC->Stop
CH7: MUTE->Next marker; REC-> Play
CH8: MUTE->End; REC-> Record
The instructions below will set it up like this. If you don't want that, you'll need to modify the file so CH5-6 are set up just like 1-4.
Instructions
- Follow the instructions in the above link and check you can get the thing to work in Cubase as described there.
- Repeat the "Installing the mapping file" step but instead of the Akai provided XML file, use this one I saved: link here
- Set both input AND output to MIDIMIX on the Generic Remote form
Limitations
- I did not implement the other banks. If you press bank right/left, the lights will no longer light.
Details
- The LEDs are controlled by the same command as the received messages for the buttons, but with NOTE ON rather than NOTE OFF.
- Cubase doesn't allow this type of 2-way control - it always sends the control back using the same message type
- To work around this, I created an additional NOTE ON control for the LED, and mapped this to the same function. Seems to work.
- If anyone has time, the bank left/right functions could be made to select either the MUTE/REC ARM function OR the transport controls. The bank light could be made to light to tell you which mode is selected. Or you could buy a nice transport controller!
