1010music Bento

then the MPC should be your thing?

I only own one bit of gear from 1010music, the Bluebox. While it’s a fantastic mixer and got some powerful features, it’s still hard to shake the feeling the software, and the UI + UX is just a MVP.

On the Bluebox it’s never been a serious problem, but on a device like this where the software is critical I’d have concerns about laying down Ā£900

Then again it has manual slicing which has Elektron has forgotten since 2010 :smiley:
And actual sample file management which DT2 users can only dream of

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no one cried about the 949€ for the DT2 - so yeah…this was the easiest 1k I ever spent - hope it will keep its promises

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I’d rather have a root canal without anesthesia than ever use an MPC ever again.

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This is heresy around these parts, but IMO, the DT2 is dreadful value for money given it’s feature set and limitations

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Maybe it was on a surface all along, but nevertheless an interesting observation, this explains much (not only these case, also, for example Elektron’s cadence of software and hardware upgrades, or other stories).

It’s interesting how hardware design eventually adopted Agile-like mindset - let’s release something and improve it later.

Cool. Let us know how it goes once you get it.

(Elektron is in part different though, I always thought it as akin to the demo scene, where a few years later people make impossible things happen on the same hardware (such as an C64 or Amiga).)

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The Blackbox has manual slicing, too, plus the smaller form factor.

I didn’t catch it if it was in Loopop’s video, but do you guys think we’ll be able to choose which of the three audio outputs, to assign various different tracks/sounds?

Each track can be configured for any of the three outputs.
All tracks always feed headphones output.

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I’m with you on this! Too many manufacturers nowadays trying to grab attention and market share releasing half-baked devices and making us paying beta testers. And some of us, me included, always wanting to be the first to get a flashy new device, foolishly fall for it. I’m gonna sit and wait to see if what they say it can do, or plan to do actually comes into fruition.

On paper, the Bento looks great, the device looks great too, but let’s see.

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Yeah, it certainly can’t replace a laptop as a centerpiece like they advertise if there are no automation lanes, surprised it’s not a feature. Or maybe loopop didn’t talk about it and it’s there?

In either case think I’ll stick to an ipad until it’s clear if there is midi cc automation

Also, what does this offer that the cheaper MPC One can’t do? Anyone know if MPC one can multisample external sources? I assume the bento box can automate the multisampling so I guess that’s a plus

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I guess not :slight_smile: though I’ll say it again, thank you for saying so :pray:t2:

As one who’s been on the blackbox since 2019, and heard this argument about the sequence since it came out, if the Bento does what the blackbox does in sequencing and maybe some sprinkle on that, it’s a unique and very flexible sequencer. Its strength lies in how you can launch all sequences independently of each other, with or without sync to clock, have them run at their separate divisions and length, and then string them together into batches of clips - Ableton style - where sequences continue to traverse over these batches rather than restarting when you progress.

That is an extremely powerful song writing architecture and one which enabled me for years to come up with ideas, no other tool ever did. Assuming 1010 didn’t make the Bento sequencer any less than the blackbox, I would imagine this is a very powerful platform for song writing, blackbox style.

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The MPC has auto sampling to create multi samples

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I will wait as well. Let’s see what the firmware can do after 6 to 12 month.

Companies only will learn to launch products with a relatively complete and tested firmware if we don’t (pre) order like crazy immediately after their first announcements!

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The Blackbox had an extensive and thorough firmware development post-release, and they were very active on their forum in regards to fielding user submitted requests. They fell victim to morons endlessly posting ā€œit should be easy to codeā€ because they couldn’t magically develop it into the ultimate groovebox/sampler based on tech that shipped in 2017. It’s a great box, especially now in its current state, but as with anything it can’t do it all.

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i would def go for the Bento over something like this though, i think the folks who can get down like this or blessed but I just can’t deal with any other unattached midi controller outside of push and maybe a standard keyboard controller… but for beatmachines this type of set up is a non-starter for me

Not sure if I agree with the ā€œoverpricedā€ statements. The bluebox and blackbox brand new are still around Ā£450/500+ in the UK. If you buy what’s in this device separately you’re going well over the Bento price here. Guess we’ll see if the sections are all a bit half baked. The lemondrop side looks feature complete for sure.

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