Omnisphere 3 Hardware Guide

Setting Up the MPD218

When using the Akai MPD218 to control Omnisphere, the knobs on the MPD218 are assigned to the following Omnisphere parameters:

  • Knob 1 (CC#03) – Global Controls Cutoff
  • Knob 2 (CC#09) – Global Controls Env
  • Knob 3 (CC#12) – Global Controls Vibrato Depth
  • Knob 4 (CC#13) – Global Controls Ambience Amount
  • Knob 5 (CC#14) – Global Controls Unison
  • Knob 6 (CC#15) – Global Controls Glide

Setup

To control Omnisphere using the MPD218, you’ll need to do the following:

  1. Connect the MPD218 to your computer via USB.
  2. Set up the MPD218 to control Omnisphere.
  3. Enable the MPD218 as a MIDI input device in the host software you’re using (DAW, Standalone, etc.).
  4. Activate the MPD218 Hardware Profile in Omnisphere 3 or later.

MPD218 SETUP

Omnisphere relies on the factory default settings of Program 1 on the MPD218 for external control.

  • Typically, Program 1 is active by default when the MPD218 is turned ON.
  • If needed, you can quickly activate Program 1 by holding down the [PROG] button on the MPD218 and then press Pad 1.

HOST CONNECTION

  • Open your host (DAW, Standalone, etc.) and make sure the MPD218 is enabled as a MIDI input device.

OMNISPHERE SETUP

  • Open Omnisphere and from the header, select the HW menu button.
  • From the drop-down menu, select “Akai > Akai MPD218” to activate the MPD218 hardware profile.

TROUBLESHOOTING

Not working? Here are some things to try:

  • Is your DAW receiving MIDI from the MPD218?
  • Make sure your DAW is configured to correctly route the MIDI output of the MPD218 to the MIDI channel assigned to the desired part in Omnisphere.
  • If you are using the Omnisphere standalone host, make sure the MIDI output channel of the MPD218 matches the MIDI channel of the Omnisphere Part you want to control.
  • Are the knobs on the MPD218 sending the correct MIDI CC messages? A simple way to check this is by using MIDI Monitor by Snoize or recording knob movement in your DAW. See the list at the top of the page for the correct MIDI CC#s.

NOTE: If you need to change the MIDI CC#s of the knobs on the MPD218, you’ll need to use the Akai Professional MPD218 Editor application to either restore Program 1 or manually reconfigure the Program to match the MIDI CC#s listed above.

SUPPORT

Still not working? More questions?

Feel free to contact us directly and we can work with you:

Tech Support
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818-955-8444
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email: info@spectrasonics.net