Hi all!
I’m brand new here… Just want to say that i’m starting finger drumming on a MPD 226 and the last couple on night i’ve struggle a little for avoiding double hit and gaining a crisp sound!
At last i came up with this Global Parameters:
PAD GAIN:0
PAD THRESHOLD: 1
PAD CURVE: EXP1
All PAD without AfterTouch
Hit “FULL LEVEL” button on the device (i think this save me from an initial lack of confidence)
What do you think? do you have some other advice?
I hope some other folks have tips to share, because these were the settings I used as well.
I’ve owned 2 mpd226 devices. The first one did pretty well with these settings. But the second one (a newer one that I bought last year) did not perform well at all… so yeah… again you’re dealing with crappy quality control and pretty big differences in sensitivity between the akai devices.
Hey thanks Rob! I have to admit that i’ve no experience at all in this field. I’m a Bass player and i would like to learn something new.
I feel a little strange about your journey with the Akai devices, I’ve always thought that Akai was on the top of the game with all the experience over MPC, MPD, ecc…
Seem I need to look at your youtube comparison for some more clue! i’ll be back soon 
It’s just my guess, but I think Akai cut corners to save money at some point, causing the new MPDs to be really hit or miss (no pun intended). My friend has one of the older gray Akai beatpads…can’t remember which off the top of my head. But he’s had it for years and it’s super solid.
I sent my MPD218 back due to double triggering. But, I think that those units can be tweaked if you take off the back and start adding tape to the back of the pads, adjusting screws, etc. There’s a lot of tutorials and articles online about how to do it. I just couldn’t be bothered to do that, so I got a Maschine Mikro 3 instead.
I even get a little double-triggering on the Mikro 3, but I think that’s because of my technique. It’s not even close to the level of doubles on the Akai.
Yeah some doubles happen on the mikro mk3 as well, especially when playing fast and vhitting 3 pads that are close to each other at the same time with the same hand. My guess is that causes a little overload 
I’m never bothered by it though. The double notes are soft and not annoying. I mostly notice them when looking at the midi data.
Thanks guys! sorry for my late replay but here in Italy Covid has hit hard and i’ve some trouble with work…
Returning on topic, most likely it will be my lack of experience with other brand, but i’m not feeling bad over all… maybe i was lucky with the model i’ve got…
In the main time Akai LiveII came out (it’s an Update not a new model from ground up) @Robert_Mathijs do you think in a review?
I don’t think I’ll be testing an mpc live II soon, because Akai doesn’t want to send me sample units and its an expensive device.
With the launchpads and presonus atom I was like “screw it, I’ll just buy them” but with those pricey Akai units I’m just not rich enough (yet ) to just purchase a device like that just for testing.
Accurate Beats talk for a good device overall. The sound bar is pretty interesting!
Wow, this is quite worrying really. I am/was looking to buy the MPD226 as my first 4 x 4 pad largely because until now I have found more positive reviews than negative. As it happens, my usual supplier has no stock of either the 226 or the 218 and not due until the end of July. The 226 seems to have the functionality that I would use, and looking at the Micro Mk3, it has a lot of functionality that I wouldn’t use which makes me wonder about spending the extra money. It seems that with either unit, there is likely to be double hitting and other issues too. The Machine Micro isn’t out of price range but is stretching, but the MPD226 is well within. What to do? 
The full size Machine is physically to big for the space and well out of the price range for me.
I do wonder if the reason that there seems to no stock in the UK, apart from the odd one or two old stock like Amazon, if Akai have realized the issue and maybe looking to bring out a Mk2? I’d be interested if anyone has heard anything like that.
I don’t know about new mpd226’es coming out (which would be mpd326 ) but I actually ordered a pretty new device for testing which might be interesting >>
I will check it out this weekend and let you know how good this is. Might be a nice alternative to Native instruments stuff.
I ended up buying a used MPD226 a few years ago, and haven’t used it once with success. I’m a drumset player primarily, and was hoping to get into production and finger drumming with it.
But the latency was unfixable.
Sorry about your struggles.
I’m starting to conclude that it’s just a luck of the draw with those, sadly. I’m a little upset about it, tbh.
But, I said “screw it” and just got an MPC Live II. haha I cried actual tears when I played it for the first time.
