Alesis Recital Pro MKII | Frequently Asked Questions

TABLE OF CONTENTS

General Information
Speakers
Sounds
Keys
Songs/Metronome
Other:
Troubleshooting:

General Information

Can the Recital Pro MKII be powered by batteries?

The Recital Pro MKII can be powered by power supply and by using 6 AA Batteries.

What kinds of stands can I use with the Recital Pro MKII?

You can use the Recital Pro MKII on universal standard “X” type metal digital piano stands that do not require mounting the piano directly to the stand with screws.

What are the Recital Pro MKII's dimensions and weight?

The Recital Pro MKII is 10.24” x 50.47” x 12.2” (WxDxH) and 23.15 lbs., with the stand and music rest attached.

What accessories come with the Recital Pro MKII?

The Recital Pro MKII comes with its own sustain pedal based off of the ASP-1 MKII. This will connect to the Sustain pedal port on the back of the unit via 1/4" cable. In addition, it comes with a music stand that connects directly to the piano.

Can I connect my own sustain pedal?

Yes! If you prefer a different sustain pedal (such as the Alesis ASP-2 pedals), you can connect it to the same port in its place. Note: If your sustain pedal is acting opposite of how it is expected, try switching it’s polarity switch. Alternatively, if there is no dedicated polarity switch on your pedal, try unplugging the pedal, and holding the pedal down while reconnecting.

Speakers

How loud are the built-in speakers?

The built-in speakers feature 20 watts of power (2x10W per side) and can fill your standard-sized room at home with beautiful sound.

Can I connect Recital Pro MKII to an external speaker (ex. Keyboard Amp or PA System)

Yes! The Recital Pro MKII is equipped with a 1/4” stereo “Line Out” that can be connected to a keyboard amplifier or PA system, which can be helpful if using in a larger performance setting such as a school or house of worship.

Does the Recital Pro MKII have a headphone outputs?

Yes! The Recital Pro MKII has a 1/8” output conveniently located on the front panel of the piano.

Does connecting the headphones mute the speakers?

Yes! Plugging a pair of headphones into the 1/8” TRS headphone outputs will mute the speakers. Please note that we do recommend the use of traditional headphones, i.e., without a microphone or inline controls, as those features can impede the stereo sound from being heard correctly due to the fact that these types of headphones use a TRRS connection.

Sounds

How many/what built-in sounds (voices) are included?

Recital Pro MKII features 25 realistic and inspiring built-in sounds (voices) divided into 5 categories that cover a wide variety of instrument types—acoustic and electric pianos, organs, harpsichord, mallet instruments, synths, and more! Below is a complete list of available sounds:

Piano:

German Grand Piano
Bright Grand Piano
Mark 1
FM Piano
Wurli

Keyboard:

Harpsichord
Clavinet
Accordion
Vibraphone
Marimba

Organ:

Drawbar Organ
Percussive Organ
Church Organ
Reed Organ
Rock Organ

Synth:

String Ensembles
Synth Strings
Synth Pad
Saw Lead
Choir

Other:

Nylon Acoustic Guitar
Steel Acoustic Guitar
Electric Bass
Acoustic Bass
Synth Bass

How do I select a new sound (voice)?

To select a sound, press one of the five Voice Select buttons. Each press will advance to the next sound available in the category.

Alternatively, you can select a sound by pressing and holding the Voice Select category button, then pressing one of the five piano keys labeled Sound Select (C1 – E1).

What is Split Mode and how do I use it?

Split Mode allows you to split the 88 keys into two zones so that you can have two different voices for each of your hands. For example, you may want the Piano voice for your right hand, and the Bass voice for your left hand. When Split Mode is enabled, the left-hand voice is referred to as the Split voice.

To split the keyboard, press and hold two Sound Select buttons, then press a key on the keyboard to assign the split point. The first sound you select will be set as the right-hand sound (R1), and the second sound you select will be the left-hand sound (L).

Note: To turn off the Split Mode, press a Sound Select button that is not one of the currently selected categories. Layer Mode, Split Mode, and Lesson Mode can only be enabled one at a time.

What is Layer Mode and how do I use it?

Layer Mode allows for two different voices to be mixed together for a fuller and richer sound.

To layer two voices, hold one Sound Select button, and then press another. The first sound you select will be the Main sound (R1), and the second sound you select will be the Layer sound (R2).

To turn off Layer Mode, press a Sound Select button that is not one of the currently selected categories.

Note: Layer Mode, Split Mode, and Lesson Mode can only be enabled one at a time.

What is Lesson Mode and how do I use it?

Lesson Mode allows you to split the 88 keys into two areas with the same sound and octave range, for the convenience of playing together with a friend or an instructor.

To enable or disable Lesson Mode, press the Lesson button.

To change the octave of both zones in Lesson Mode, press and hold the Function keys (A0, Bb0, and B0) at the same time and then press the keys marked Lesson Oct + (A3) or Lesson Oct – (B3) to adjust the octave value. Press both keys at the same time to restore the default octave value.

Lesson Mode is a separate internal function from the lesson programs offered with purchase. You should not enable Lesson Mode to use Skoove or Melodics.

Note: Layer Mode, Split Mode, and Lesson Mode can only be enabled one at a time.

What is Reverb and how do I use it?

Reverb is an audio effect that mimics the behavior of sound reflecting in an acoustic space like a concert hall, making the sound of an instrument more natural and realistic.

To turn reverb on or off (default: On), press and hold the Function keys (A0, Bb0, and B0) at the same time and then press the key labeled Reverb On/Off (C6). Alternatively, press the Reverb button to enable/disable reverb.

To adjust the reverb level up or down, press and hold the Function keys (A0, Bb0, and B0) at the same time and then press either of the keys labeled Reverb Level -/+ (D6 or E6).

To reset to the default reverb setting, press and hold the Function keys (A0, Bb0, and B0) at the same time and then press both of the keys labeled Reverb Level -/+ (D6 and E6).

Keys

Are the Recital Pro MKII’s 88 keys weighted?

Yes! The Recital Pro MKII’s keys are weighted with “graded hammer-action”, meaning they feel just like a traditional acoustic piano--- the keys feel heavier on the lower left end, and gradually become lighter when moving towards the higher right end.

Can I adjust the touch response of the keys?

Yes! There are 5 available settings for touch response. In order of response sensitivity, these are Soft 1, Soft 2, Medium, Hard 1 and Hard 2.

To adjust the touch response level of Recital Pro’s keys, press and hold the Function keys (A0, Bb0, and B0) at the same time and then press one of the keys labeled Off (C3), or Touch 1 - 5 (C#3 – F3).

• Fixed (Off): The volume level does not change regardless of how soft or hard you play the keys.

• Soft 1, Soft 2 (1, 2): The volume level does not change much when press you the keys soft or hard.

• Medium (3): This is the standard piano touch response, and the default setting.

• Hard 1, Hard 2 (4, 5): The volume level changes a lot when pressing the keys soft or hard. You must hit the keys hard to produce a loud sound.

Can I adjust the transposition of the keys?

Yes! The transposition function allows the overall pitch of the piano to be transposed up or down by a maximum of one octave.

To lower/raise the keybed transposition by a semitone (-12 to 0 to +12), press and hold the Function keys (A0, Bb0, and B0) and then press either of the keys labeled Transpose + (B3) or Transpose - (A3).

To increase or decrease the transposition by multiple steps, press and hold the Function keys (A0, Bb0, and B0) and then press either of the keys labeled Transpose + (B3) or Transpose - (A3) repeatedly.

To reset the transposition to default (0), hold the Function keys (A0, Bb0, and B0) and then press both Transpose + (B3) and Transpose - (A3) keys at the same time.

Songs/Metronome

How many/what built in demo songs are included?

The Recital Pro MKII has 10 play-along songs:

Prelude and Fugue No.1 in C Major
Minuet in G Major (BWV Anh.114)
Fur Elise
Piano Sonate No.15 K.545 1st mov.
Gavotte
Minute Waltz, Op.64 No.1
Polonaise No.6 in A Flat Major Op.53
Etude No.13 in A Flat Major, Op.25 No.1
Salut d'Amour
Maple Leaf Rag

How do I start/stop playback of the songs?

To select a song, press and hold the Function keys (A0, Bb0, and B0) at the same time and then press one of the keys labeled 1-10 (C4 – A#4) or press either of the buttons labeled Song + or Song -.

To start/stop playing a song, press the Start/Stop button. You can also stop the song by pressing the key labeled Stop.

How do I use the built-in Metronome feature/adjust the tempo?

The metronome feature provides a steady beat to aid in practicing at a consistent tempo.

To enable/disable the metronome sound that is heard when the Function key settings are changed, press and hold the Function keys (A0, Bb0, and B0) at the same time and then press the key labeled Metro On Off (C5).

To set the beat for the metronome, press and hold the Function keys (A0, Bb0, and B0) at the same time and then press one of the keys labeled Metro 0, 2-6 (C#5 – F#5). For example, when selecting 0, no accent will play. When selecting 2, you will get an accent on every two beats.

To manually set the tempo, press and hold the Function keys (A0, Bb0, and B0) at the same time and then tap the key labeled Tap (G5) at an even speed to set the tempo.

To Increase or decrease the tempo value by one step, press and hold the Function keys (A0, Bb0, and B0) at the same time and then press one of the keys labeled Tempo Value -/+ (A5 – B5).

To manual choose a specific tempo value, press and hold the Function keys (A0, Bb0, and B0) at the same time and then press the desired keys labeled Tempo 0-9 (C6 – B6). If you wish to input a value under 100, press 0 first and then a 2-digit number. If you enter a number lower than 5 or above 320, the instrument will set the tempo to 5 or 320.

To reset to the default tempo, press and hold the Function keys (A0, Bb0, and B0) at the same time and then press both of the Tempo -/+ keys (A5 and B5) at the same time.

Can I connect a mobile device to play along with my own songs?

Absolutely! The Recital Pro MKII is equipped with a stereo 1/8" auxiliary input for playing along with external equipment like a smartphone, music player or tablet.

Can I set the tempo on this device?

Yes! The piano not only feature a tap tempo function, but also features manual input which must be done in 3 digit increments, i.e. 090 for 90 BPM.

Other:

Does the Recital Pro MKII feature MIDI connections?

Yes! The Recital Pro MKII fully equipped with USB-MIDI connection and a 5-pin DIN MIDI output.

If you would like to use Recital Pro MKII to send MIDI to a Mac or PC, use the USB port located on the rear panel with a standard USB cable (not included).

If you would like to use Recital Pro MKII to send MIDI to an external sound module, sequencer, or MIDI interface, use the 5-pin DIN MIDI output located on the rear panel with a standard MIDI cable (not included).

Can I mute the Recital Pro MKII’s built-in sounds while using it with other hardware/software via MIDI?

Yes! You can do this by using the Local MIDI feature.

To turn Local MIDI on/off, press and hold the Function keys (A0, Bb0, and B0) at the same time and then press the key labeled Local (G7).

When Local MIDI is on (default), sound will be generated and heard through the speaker, and MIDI messages will be sent to the USB-MIDI output when keys are played.

When Local MIDI is off, sound will not be generated, however MIDI messages will still be sent to the USB- MIDI output and the 5-pin MIDI output when keys are played.

Can I record the Recital Pro MKII’s audio directly to a Mac/PC using a DAW?

Yes! If you are using a Mac, then the Recital Pro MKII is plug and play, and no software driver is needed.

If you are using a Windows PC, then you will need to download the Alesis Recital Pro MKII driver to be able to select it in your favorite DAW without experiencing latency.

Where can I download the Windows Driver and other included software offers like Skoove/Melodics?

To obtain the included software, create a profile at inMusic Store Accounts and then register your Recital Pro MKII using the Register Your Product button. Once registered, this software will appear with additional instructions in your inMusic profile's My Hardware section by clicking the View Downloads button on the product listing.

Troubleshooting:

My keys are playing the wrong notes, what's going on?

Most likely the transpose was accidentally activated. To turn it off, hold the Function keys (A0, Bb0, and B0) and then press both Transpose + (B3) and Transpose - (A3) keys at the same time. This will reset the key transposition back to normal.

The speakers produce a small pop sound whenever the power is turned on/off.
This is normal and is no cause for alarm.

The speakers do not produce sound when the keyboard is played.

Check if the volume is set too low.
Check if headphones are plugged into the headphones jack.
Check if the "Local MIDI" Setting is turned off. If so, turn it on.

When connecting to computer, the instrument cannot be recognized.

Check if the USB cable is firmly connected.
Try connecting Recital Pro MKII to another USB port on the computer.

How do I factory reset my Recital Pro MKII?

Simply power off Recital Pro MKII, and turn it back on. The Recital Pro MKII does not memorize your settings on power off, so it will return to the factory default settings on the next power on.