(admins I don't know whether to put this in the software or hardware forum but since it's a software update I figured it might go here feel free to move )

Either way, if you are an owner of the AKAI Advance keyboards with the VIP software, please exercise caution with the new 1.1 update. Since I don't have access to internet connection I didn't find out about the update till yesterday but I think it came out like the 11th or something. The idea of being able to add your own expansion libraries really excited me since previously you had to use work arounds and they had finally finished mapping the Omnisphere 2 library so I rushed somewhere to download. Either way I was being kind of cavalier this morning and I finally updated and didn't use the backup library tool and all of my preset libraries that I had spent a bunch of hours on so I could use with the keyboard were wiped out automatically by the installer . The only things that were left were the preset libraries that already come premapped. So now I have to upload all the expansion libraries to VIP all over again So if you decide to update please exercise caution and definitely backup and find someway that you can revert back to the 1.0 install if you need to.

Also, it said something about a cloud that would automatically install maps as they happen, its not really a problem for me but for those of you who have internet access at your workstations that seems really problematic since not all of us have the latest updates to stuff and presets aren't usually backwards compatible

I only got a few minutes with it so I haven't been able to fully try out the update yet but already I'm having trouble with reFX Nexus (figures) running through Jbridge since I'm on a 64 bit system and their nexus maps use the newer updates and it keeps telling me I only have Omnisphere (not omnisphere 2) since the spectrasonics downloader doesn't change the name of the dll files. I Will keep you folks posted on if I figure anything out.

Butttttt I'm really pissed since I had mapped out quite a few things out and was really hoping to share the maps so that people can use the keyboard with different plugins without having to spend countless hours on it =/

 

Last edited: Nov 23, 2015

other than this unfortunate experience, are you happy with the advance? i am having a heck of a time trying to decide between buying the advance 61 or the mpk261 or the nektar panorama p6 or the native instruments s61.

 

I have exactly the same problem. The main point is, being able to use my vst's, control them easy, without page switching like mad (apc40 for example). Enlighten us further please

 

To be honest, even though I'm pretty miffed about what happened, the Akai Advance is pretty groundbreaking in so many different ways. For a a really long time now I'd been waiting for more software integrating hardware solutions. Nothing sucks the creativity (and fun) out of making music like having to point and click at stuff in a DAW. However,till now hardware solutions have been severely limited to their own interfaces not to mention usually pretty damn expensive for something that unless you really have the big bucks for, sound pretty dated. So I was really excited about this particular keyboard, especially since unlike when the komplete kontrol first came out supported all instruments instead of just their own. It doesn't come without its flaws though like you can't currently use fx vsts with it, lots of stuff I like isn't mapped, also it can get kind of confusing at times with the integration etc but all in all from what I had before (a keystudio 49) it's really pretty fucking awesome. I keep reading things about the keys feeling stiff but I love the weightiness of the keys. The knobs feel really awesome like rotary knobs on analog synths. Especially considering I use it in conjunction with the Ableton Push Gen 1 on 9.5, I truly feel like I use a hardware only setup that I can still do plenty of stuff within a DAW. I'd totally recommend it, plus since they've been out for a while there are used ones going around now that if you know where to look could be had for under 300. I got mine for 280 US like a month or so ago.

 

You do have to put in quite a bit of grunt work though if you want all your stuff on there though. Like, Serum isn't currently mapped as well as others or in the case of plugins like Nexus that haven't had a crack in a long time there preset maps don't work since those presets only work with current. Also there is a load bank button that works on some vsts like Sylenth that will let you load an entire bank but with others you have to click each preset individually and if you're really unlucky with a particular vst also name each preset which can take a really long time especially if you're using something like Kontakt. If you're using a Kontakt instrument like Output which has its own way to scroll presets it takes a lot longer to load since its loading the entire instrument not just the particular sound.

I just spent a lot of time getting all the Addictive Drummer banks on there including all the expansions. The stock Nexus library as well as a bunch of other banks that I was going to share once I had a few things done but alas I must start over =/

 

The choice should be easy if you are looking for something focused on all your VSTi's:

- The MPK261 is nice but doesn't offer anything special (compared to the Advance).
- The Nektar is more dedicated to control your DAW.
- Finally, NI's keyboards are first and foremost dedicated to the Komplete stuff, which might be fine if you are mainly using their VSTi's, but less interesting if you use other plugins. Of course they recently decided to open themselves (they are starting to feel the heat from Akai's Advance) but it remains to be seen if beside Arturia, other companies will follow.

To make a long story short, I wouldn't hesitate if I had the cash. I would go with the Advance.

One of the big advantages of this keyboard is that you don't depend of a company willing to support your favorite plugin, you can map it by yourself (if it's not already done by Akai). This is IMO, a big advantage over NI's keyboards which were until recently only able to deal with Komplete's plugins.

 

Thank you for you're information thetirdperson and mrpsanter. There is also this one
http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2015/11/16/alesis-introduces-vx49-midi-controller-keyboard/
Wich is basically running the same software as akai (VIP), but much cheaper (doesn't mean worse right)
Also the push 2.0 has come to integrate external vst's. I'm really on the fence, i want a good 61 controller, for DAW use (Ableton for me atm)
With the possibilties to control most of my vst's, or give me the option to map them, but will change mappings by patch (vst), not as dedicated controller. Another really important thing is aftertouch, this controller is for my synth vst's, not for piano playing. The biggest gripe i have with most if not all of those keyboards mentionned, is the lack of controllers, it's mostly only 8 macro buttons, yippie, i need to get to page 23 of my vst mapping, to get to the filter of my oscillator 3, this alone drives me nuts, i had the same problem with the 1st push, wich i sold for that reason. Enough ranting, i'm hijacking someone's thread, i'm sorry.

 

Yea...i dont like the idea of cloud either. Fuck that. Plus, i cling to way too many oldet plugins and I believe the Advance will prove very problematic

 

don't be sorry. i'm the one who hijacked his thread. and i share your gripe about the lack of controllers. the reason that the mpk261 and the nektar are still on my list is that they both have faders and pads. i guess my problem is that i want it all. i want control over my daw and my vsts.

 

Ugh, I totally thought I had replied to this post. With finals week here though and an entire semesters worth of work to cram in a week I guess it's easy to be all over the place.

That being said, I did unfortunately lose everything with the update =/. It reimported all of the stock plugin maps and presets for all the stuff and seemingly erased everything. I might have accidentally used the installer instead of the update though. That being said let this serve as a cautionary tale to back stuff up. There was a folder though that I found that was primarly used by the original 1.0 version of VIP with FXP files listed from 1-50,000.fxp so I assume those were the original. That being said I did save some of the really big libraries that I managed to manually import, so honestly I didn't want to sift around through their website looking for fixes, and I eventually just started from scratch.

I am kinda ticked off though that I did primarily install the update so that I could use the Omnisphere 2 plugin mapped supposedly with all the 13,000 presets already mapped and well it's the same exact map as it was before. If anyone is using the map that they released for Omni 2 and wants to hook it up, since they are on the cloud. That would be really appreciated. (If asking for this is not allowed MODS feel free to remove this. Seriously, I mean no disrespect by this it just seems like a sort of grey area) Either way though it seems like you have to modify the original plugin map in someway to be able to save the whole map for a plugin. So, if you're feeling generous I'm pretty sure all you have to do is save an extra preset or two to have it not be the "original map". However, since omnisphere 1 and omnisphere 2's dll fies are both named omnisphere.dll I wonder if it just think I have omnisphere 1 *shrugs*

As for the actual update itself. I will say I'm fairly satisfied with the update having not had to deal with the bullshit of the cloud. If anyone wants to update me on what that's like that would be cool. I do really like that you can add your own custom expansions ,something that you should've been able to do in the first place. As well as the fact that you can scroll through the presets with just the knob instead of having to push it down each time (the loading time is of course based on your cpu specs and the instrument you're loading) I'm not super super familiar with using actual high end hardware stuff but it seriously feels like so much more than using soft-synths and this keeps on blurring the line. That being said if you're wondering on whether on not you should update I don't think it's really all that necessary. I don't know what the cloud is like though, so if anyone wants to fill others in on it I just really don't like the idea since not all of my libraries are legit.

You should really try out Ableton Push (with Ableton 9.5)+Akai Advance then. I really haven't had this much fun making music in a very long long time. Especially considering that since the Push 2 came out, the price for the used original Push has plummeted since the trade in value offered by Ableton is 200 bucks towards the purchase of the newer one. Totally bullshit move by Ableton on their part.