Akai Advance 61 Key Controller Keyboard Overview
Akai Advance Product Overview by GAK
The Akai Advance keyboard range really brings controllers into the digital age with the ability to easily connect to your favourite virtual instruments. The Keyboard is available in 25, 49 or 61 key sizes, all with semi-weighted velocity-sensitive keys.
On the unit you'll find 8 endless variable control knobs, 8 MPC pads with RGB illumination, fantastic Pitch and Modulation wheels and countless other fantastic features.
The Advance controller runs Akai's new Virtual Instrument Player(VIP) software which hosts all your instruments and can be run either as a standalone or as a plugin in your DAW of choice.
Introducing VIP 3.0
Experience expanded control of your VST instrument and effect collection with Advance 61 and VIP3.0 (Free Download Included). VIP3.0 provides you with unparalleled access to your virtual instrument and effect collection, seamlessly integrating the hardware / software experience and grants the unrestricted freedom to create in a user-friendly, intuitive format. The combination of VIP and Advance 61 maximizes workflow and ensures a playing experience that feels natural and enhances creativity – the natural, tactile feel of hardware fused with the unrivalled processing capability of virtual Instruments.
Quickly find sounds based on instrument type, timbre, style or articulation from your entire VST library; sculpt immersive, expressive sounds and textures layering up to 8 separate instruments and patches per VIP instance; load up to 4 different VST effects per instrument channel to sculpt the perfect sound; put power into your performance with Pad Chord Progressions and user-friendly Key Control processors; and much more. Thanks to Advance 61’s integrated full colour screen and dedicated hardware controls, all critical information from your VST collection is clearly displayed and edited with ease letting you focus on what’s important – your performance! From live performance to studio production, VIP’s user-friendly functionality coupled with a diverse feature set guarantees simple, seamless integration into your existing setup and provides the ultimate platform for unrestricted creative expression.
Akai Product Overview
Akai Professional's Advance Keyboards are like nothing else you've ever played. The Advance 25 gives you unprecedented playability and unrestricted manipulation of any virtual instrument with our exclusive interactive, full-colour display, complemented by performance-friendly hardware controls. Available in 25, 49, and 61 key sizes, the Advance Keyboards deftly fuse the power of software instruments with the live playability of a keyboard workstation, so you can create like never before. The dividing line between software and hardware instruments is finally gone.
The Advance Keyboards transform computer-based plugins into an entirely hands-on playing experience. The keyboard surface features an integrated high-resolution full-colour 4.3-inch display, providing real-time control and feedback of all virtual instruments. The screen instantly adapts itself to the selected plugin's controls, delivering immediate 1:1 access to the instrument and various editable functions. Better yet, the Advance Keyboards work with any VSTi virtual instrument. Using the Advance Keyboard's custom-designed Virtual Instrument Player (VIP) software application, your entire VSTi library is controlled by one application. VIP operates as a plugin inside any major digital audio workstation (DAW) or as a stand-alone application on both Mac and Windows operating systems.
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- The Advance 61 Keyboard transforms computer-based plugins into an entirely hands-on playing experience. The keyboard surface features an integrated high-resolution full-color 4.3-inch display, providing real-time control and feedback of all virtual instruments. The screen instantly adapts itself to the selected plugin's controls, delivering immediate 1:1 access to the instrument and various editable functions. Better yet, the Advance 61 Keyboard works with any VSTi virtual instrument. Using the Advance Keyboard's custom-designed Virtual Instrument Player (VIP) software application, your entire VSTi library is controlled by one application. VIP operates as a plugin inside any major digital audio workstation (DAW) or as a stand-alone application on both Mac and Windows operating systems.
- Sophisticated but Easy to Use
- Dedicated physical controls are thoughtfully included, with our RGB backlit, velocity- and pressure-sensitive pads on each keyboard surface. Rubberized pitch and modulation wheels provide simple, direct note manipulation with musically natural action. Easily-gripped, continuously-variable endless knobs let you make adjustments with granular or dramatic effect. Our custom semi-weighted, velocity-sensitive keybed supports aftertouch, making it the ideal keyboard for seasoned live performers and studio producers alike.
- We Give You Everything You Need
- Included with the Advance 61 Keyboard is the Virtual Instrument Player (VIP) application. VIP gives you immediate access to any virtual instrument in your collection, with or without a DAW-a powerful way to play virtual instruments live or integrate them into a recording session.
- VIP software users can also create setlists that provide on-demand access to your customized instruments for stage performance and studio work. By simply pressing a single button on the Advance 61, you can adapt to song changes as the live performance progresses-without ever reaching for your computer. That's what you want!
- You'll also love VIP's facilities for hyper-fast instrument and patch browsing, key zone splitting, layering of up to 8 instruments per VIP instance, expansive custom mapping capabilities, and support for any VSTi plugin. You can run as many instances of the Virtual Instrument Player as your computer allows. VIP runs as a VSTi, AU, RTAS or AAX plugin, allowing you access to VSTi's in virtually any DAW, such as Pro Tools, Logic Pro X and Ableton Live.
- With the Advance 61 Keyboard you get uninhibited access to any virtual instrument in your library without losing focus of the instrument in front of you. Nothing else can do that for you.
- The Advance 61 Keyboard comes with a 16GB download of over 10,000 sounds from industry-leading developers at AIR Music Technology, SONiVOX, and TOOLROOM RECORDS. This comprehensive collection of nine plugins provides you with an instant palette of contemporary, sought-after sounds for both live performance and studio production.
- Keyboards for advanced virtual instrument performance
- Integrated 4.3-inch high-resolution full-color screen with dedicated interface buttons
- Screen provides 1:1, real-time feedback of plugin parameters
- Includes Virtual Instrument Player software for unprecedented virtual instrument preset management, control mapping and multi patch creation
- 61 premium, semi-weighted velocity-sensitive keybed with aftertouch
- 8 large, endless and continuously variable control knobs
- 8 velocity- and pressure-sensitive MPC pads with RGB illumination
- Dedicated pad bank, transport control, octave, and performance buttons
- Note repeat, time-division, pattern arpeggiator, and tap-tempo buttons
- Rubberized Pitch and Modulation wheels
- Expression pedal and footswitch inputs
- USB and 5-pin MIDI Input/Output for use with any MIDI capable software or hardware
- Functions as a standalone controller
- Included sounds: Vacuum Pro, Loom, Hybrid 3, Xpand!2, Velvet and Transfuser by AIR Music Tech, Eighty Eight Ensemble by SONiVOX and exclusive artist launch packs from TOOLROOM RECORDS (downloads). Plus 100's of other VI's and sounds from a growing list of partners, available for purchase, downloadable from the VIP Store
- Available in 25-, 49-, and 61- key sizes
- New in VIP 3.0 Pad Chord Progressions - play factory or user defined chord progressions using a VIP-enabled keyboard controller’s pads Key Control modes: play scales, harmonised chords or chord progressions from a VIP keyboard or MIDI keyboard VIPMS – The VIP Native Plugin Map Standard allows 3rd party virtual instrument and effect developers to produce their own plugin maps for enhanced VIP integration and opening their plugins to the superior workflow offered by VIP
- Plays virtually every VSTi-compatible plugin
- Operates as a standalone virtual instrument player for your computer
- Organizes your plugin collection with intuitive browsing by plugin, artist collection, instrument type, timbre, and more
- Access, edit, and mix up to 8 virtual instruments at one time
- Setlist feature lets live performers switch between patches from any plugin instantly from the keyboard
- Extensive key zone splitting, custom mapping, and instrument mixing options
- Pre-mapped to hundreds of industry-leading virtual instruments
- Unlimited instances of VIP may be run in a DAW