Tag Archives: miniEngine

Review: Akai MPK Mini Play (Mk1)

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Now that Akai have introduced the new Akai MPK Mini Play Mk3, original first generation Mini Plays are going on sale. Being a notorious bottom-feeder (doing the most with the least), I cashed in a few loyalty points and bought one.

First generation Akai Mini Play (Mk1)

Sound On Sound magazine recently reviewed the new mk3. Many of their comments apply to the original MPK Mini Play; basic functionality has not changed. The mk3 includes an improved second generation MPK Mini keybed, a bigger and better speaker, a different panel layout and different, narrower pads. Everything else is pretty much the same. Having an OLED in an inexpensive product like the MPK Mini Play is a luxury.

For the el cheapo price, the MPK Mini Play is surprisingly well-made. The keyboard and knobs don’t feel cheap although I doubt if they are very durable. All of the back connectors are mounted directly on the main printed circuit board (PCB) and should be treated with respect and care. There are numerous USB connector repair videos on-line (for the similar Akai MPK Mini), so beware when handling any of the Minis.

As to the Mk3 improvements, I get it. The original’s speaker is quite weak with limited frequency range. The original keybed is a little touchy. Keys need to be struck firmly to reliably trigger notes. One cannot play soft notes; forget nuance. The pads aren’t bad, however. Pads have always been Akai’s strong point.

The sound engine is the Dream S.A.S. SAM2635 with its 8MByte CleanWave® soundset. The Mini Play’s soundset has 128 General MIDI sounds, 9 drum sets and one sound effects (SFX) set. By and large, it’s a decent sounding GM set including the reverb and chorus. The front panel knobs let you tweak filter cut-off, resonance, attack time, release time, reverb level, chorus level, EQ low and EQ high. Edits can be saved to one of eight Favorite locations. In this regard, the Mini Play is one-up on the Yamaha PSS-A50. (The PSS-A50 price is in the same neighborhood as the Mini Play.)

That’s the good news. Now the bad news. As mentioned in the Sound On Sound review, the incoming MIDI implementation is a nightmare. [I’m still figuring it out.] Foremost, the Akai Mini Play is not a multi-timbral GM module. The Akai software modifies (filters? blocks? mangles?) whatever MIDI you send to it before it sends its own internal MIDI stream to the SAM2635.

This is a shame and a lost opportunity for Akai and its customers. The Mini Play could be so much more if it allowed a direct path to the SAM2635. The Dream firmware is a complete GM/GS implementation. WTF, Akai? Akai would sell shed-loads more if the Mini Play was an actual GM module.

I’ve encountered Dream synthesis before in the Modern Device Fluxamasynth and the midiPlus miniEngine USB. Unlike the Akai, both devices suffer from noisy audio. I’m doubly disappointed because the Mini Play audio is relatively clean.

So, if you’re looking for a DAW-driven synth module, pass on both the original and Mk3.

As to the outgoing MIDI implementation — using the Mini Play as a controller — it is basic and functions well. The free software editor gives you access to everything configurable (pads, knobs and joystick), storing configurations into a Favorites slot. No complaints here although MPK Mini users might miss the four additional knobs provided by the plain ole Mini.

The Akai MPK Minis are the gateway drug to MPC production. Akai have always rolled out good value with their bundles. The Mini Play software bundle follows the path and includes:

  • Akai VIP VST instrument and effect host environment
  • AIR Hybrid 3 synthesizer
  • Wobble synthesizer
  • MPC Essentials (AKA tons of samples)
  • ProTools | First

And, of course, Akai’s free MPC Beats application. Download and installation, if you go for everything, is laborious due to partnership arrangements and different authorization and licensing procedures.

Bottomline. A MIDI module it is not. If you want a tiny, inexpensive MIDI controller with a limited in-built synthesizer and a serious stack of content, give it a go. If you expect to play live, go for the Mk3 and the better keybed and speaker.

After initial disappointment about the MIDI implementation, I took a screwdriver to the MPK Mini Play. Naturally, a device this small and inexpensive is mod fodder. I will discuss mod potential in a future post.

Update: If you intend to use the Akai MPK Mini Play as a MIDI module, you must read my analysis of its MIDI implementation. If you want to mod the MPK Mini Play, start here and here.

Like the review? Check out the teardown (disassembly) and mods:

Copyright © 2022 Paul J. Drongowski

Review: MIDIPLUS miniEngine USB

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First, I must apologize to the folks who drop in regularly to see what’s up. Between the holidays, new music, and final preparations for winter, there hasn’t been a a heck of a lot of time to blog.

That doesn’t mean that there aren’t new toys around the house!

One of these little gems is the MIDIPLUS miniEngine USB. The miniEngine is a General MIDI engine in a small blue box (approximately 3″ by 4″ by 1″). It has a bright blue three digit LED display, three buttons and a data wheel. Connectivity includes:

  • 3.5mm headphone jack
  • 3.5mm MIDI IN
  • USB Host (type A) port for MIDI-over-USB communications
  • USB mini-B connector for charging and power

The miniEngine comes with a short 5-pin DIN to 3.5mm adapter, allowing you to connect the miniEngine to a standard 5-pin MIDI OUT jack. The miniEngine has a built-in rechargeable battery (2500 mAh capacity).

miniengine

The USB Host jack should have raised your eyebrows. Most MIDI modules are USB “devices” with a type-B jack, which is intended to facilitate communication with a USB host computer.

The midiEngine is a USB HOST. That means you can connect a typical MIDI controller (with a USB type-B port) to the miniEngine and jam away. The midiEngine provides power to the MIDI controller, too! For testing, I tried the miniEngine with an M-Audio Keystation mini 32 and everything worked like a charm. I also drove the miniEngine using a Nord Electro 2 with success.

I didn’t have much success driving the miniEngine from a personal computer running Sonar. In this case, I connected the miniEngine to the PC over 5-pin MIDI. The miniEngine received MIDI data (i.e., its MIDI indicator flashes), but I wasn’t able to play back a standard MIDI file (SMF). Somewhere down the line — during the doldrums of February — I’ll try again.

So, how does it sound? Not bad! The audio output is relatively clean (no hums, pops or crackles). Some of the sounds like electric pianos, strings, and horns are quite usable. Don’t throw away your copy of Hans Zimmer Piano (211GBytes), however. As usual, a few of the voices are naff.

The three buttons choose the kind of data to be set by the wheel: VOLUME level, PROGRAM change, REVERB level. The miniEngine responds to the cooresponding MIDI messages when sent by the controller. Thus,

    miniEngine + controller = General MIDI synthesizer

The data wheel is the only downer; it feels and is pretty cheap. Otherwise, everything works as advertised.

But, wait! There’s more. While researching the miniEngine, I came across a customer comment stating that the miniEngine is based on the DREAM 2553. I pulled out a screwdriver and opened the case. Unfortunately, I’m not able to confirm that claim as I chickened out and didn’t remove the circuit board within. The data wheel is just so cheap that I didn’t want to screw up the miniEngine. (At least not yet.)

I did download the data sheet for the DREAM SAM2695 chip and tried many of the MIDI messages supported by the SAM2695. The miniEngine responded to the DREAM-specific CC80 and CC81 messages that change the REVERB and CHORUS type. So, the miniEngine is almost certainly DREAM-based. I verfied the following MIDI continuous controller (CC) messages:

    CC01 Modulation wheel
    CC07 Volume
    CC10 Pan
    CC11 Expression
    CC80 REVERB program (DREAM)
    CC81 CHORUS program (DREAM)
    CC91 Reverb send level
    CC93 Chorus send level

There are also a bunch of DREAM SysEx and NRPN messages. The NRPNs can control synthy parameters like vibrato, filter cutoff/resonance and envelope times. If you get a miniEngine, be sure to download the data sheet and try these messages!

So, hey, who are these DREAM guys? Check out the DREAM web site. DREAM design and sell DSP chips for synthesis and audio processing. They’ve been doing that since 1987. If you’re not a big hitter like Yamaha or Roland, you might turn to DREAM for a synth engine.

I got my miniEngine on an ebay close-out for $40. Prices seem to have risen to about $80 or $90. For a stand-alone MIDI expander, it’s still worth the money.