Help me decide please!
I’m a heavy user of the digitakt ii and digitone ii, in combination with microcosm hologram and a polyend mess. Love the setup!
I was just thinking that the MPC live 3 would be a great addition to complement the already nice dawless setup.
But I do miss the capability of live looping/sequencing, and recording my keyboard play on a linear grid instead of the 16 beat grid. I also like having direct access to micpreamp and so on to connect my guitar and mics. And 4 output for connection my modular. As I understand now I could also record my live perfomance straight to the MPC (resampling option, diskstreaming)?
Would you suggest otherwise? Who has the same setup or likewise?
I use MPC live 2 and some elektron boxes, but I mostly use them separately. There are benefits to having both if you like the MPC workflow.
I don’t think Live 3 can use an audio interface while simultaneously maintaining it’s own internal I/O which includes the built-in speaker (so probably audio over USB either). You’d probably have to monitor from the elektron box to use class compliant audio over USB (because it serves the function of an audio interface, or technically is one). That means anything physically plugged into MPC analog inputs or outputs at the time will not work.
If you visit the MPC topic, you’ll find some people already using these devices together and may have some better perspective.
Linear / timeline sequencing and audio recording is useful. CV sequencing is very useful. Battery life is said to be poor on Live 3 but may not concern you in a studio setting. Touch screens on MPC devices kinda suck but it’s useable. Best sample chop in the game.
Might get a different perspective from someone else but you may end up like me where you work in one box and then work in the other separately, probably with resampling.
The MPC sequencer doesn’t feel like the elektron sequencer. It’s just different. Sometimes I have to get off the MPC to execute an idea on digitakt or digitone because it will be a lot easier than to make the same thing happen on MPC, sometimes the situation is reversed.
I think it will be hard for you to decide without trying the MPC, preferably in person before purchase.
I use a DT and other instruments and effects with the Live II. It’s all going through a mixer which also goes into the MPC audio inputs for sampling whatever comes out of the other stuff and then I arrange and develop the idea on the MPC, adding elements along the way when necessary. It is a very flexible piece of kit and highly useful for polishing and finishing pieces of music if you are willing to learn its workflows.
Just spent the last month spending many hours a day on the Live III, then sold it earlier this week. It’s an amazing box, but if you like the Elektron workflow the Live III is about as far from that as you can get. It can do SO much, but that also means you spend a lot of time in and out of menus to get even simple stuff done I found. While the Live III has a lot of buttons to help speed this up, you’ll still end up needing to interact with the touchscreen quite a bit to do anything. I personally didn’t find the responsiveness of the touchscreen all that bad, but it does tend to slow you down at times.
If you’re someone who is 100% dead set on not using a DAW, then the Live III will be the closest thing you’re going to find in hardware. For me personally, I just kept finding myself thinking over and over “this would be ten times faster if I just did in Ableton.” Since the Live III has Ableton export, that’s what I kept doing and eventually I realized I just didn’t need the MPC for my workflow.
Oh, and the Live III is really NOT all that live performance oriented IMVHO. Having only 4 Q-links means you’re constantly banking back and forth which is a 2 handed operation. Trying to manage track levels and still have some hands on control over the synths and effects was just way too much menu diving for me in a performance situation.
It’s a brilliant box and I recognize that, but for me it was just too slow compared to other tools I have that do the same thing. I think if I was going to do it again, I would definitely go for the MPC XL as that solves quite a lot of my issues it looks like.
Happy to answer any questions you might have. If you do buy an MPC Live III, I HIGHLY recommend the MPC Bible to get up to speed asap on it, it’s really well done and worth the money.
Yes, in a way, but still a lot of setup on a per project basis. I think you could set a template if you were going to use the same functions every time, but otherwise there will always be assigning and figuring out what you want to assign to the controller.
I’d like the flexibility but sounds like a headache to constantly reconfigure the controller based on the per project needs. I think it would come down to the person using it. Someone with that workflow already in place probably wouldn’t mind.
There are so many places you can menu off into, that you just never know where you’ll need those knobs assigned to.
I also have a Push2 and do love ableton live and since the release of Live 12 the interfacing is greatly improved. But I kind of hate the ‘thinking’ part of the setup. Mainly because the technical stuff is getting in the way of the producing/creative part. I’m a very experienced with technical stuff by profession, but just for the creative part of me i want to avoid the majority of the not so fun part. I found Push to be not superstabile connectivity-wise, and option-wise greatly depending on the audio interface used. And I don’t want to be forced to having to always use my computer including the screen mouse and so…
So the akai mpc live 3 seems to solve all that. But the remark "this would be faster if I would do this in Ableton’ really resonates with me.
Some sacrifices are definitely made in exchange for the standalone paradigm.
It’s also my opinion though, that the reason people compare MPC to (insert DAW here) is because there are very few hardware devices with the same power outside of a DAW.
So I guess you have to figure out if your priority is Ableton workflow that you’re familiar and comfortable with, or not receiving email on the same device you’re making music with (I realize people have other reasons for using standalone products but I don’t love having people contact me on the same device I’m making music with because I lose focus easily. I also traditionally prefer hardware).
more or less everything is easier to do on a computer always until you really lock in with a device. Hardware has a tendency to trick you into doing the same tricks really quickly and then you start thinking it would be harder to do on a computer. If you did the same thing on a computer and set up templates etc to do your workflows it’s just way more apparent that youre doing the same shit repeatedly and it seems less fun. But still at a certain turning point after a lot of work a box really clicks and you can actually do things with real fluency which actually allows you to use it to its potential. That’s obviously capped lower than a computers potential. but really what you need to make music is actually nowhere near a computers potential
slightly rambly and tangential to your thread but my point is if you want the new MPC it’s starting to step into a territory between hardware and ITB potential. I can honestly only recommend the box but think about if you’re willing to learn a whole new thing to actual fluency.
Also one more thing I wanted to mention, even though the Live III added tons of buttons to speed up the workflow and provide hardware shortcuts to things, most of those shortcuts were for things I didn’t need to access (visualizer, next sequence, etc). Or redundant to other buttons already on the device like Edit or drum/track mute. And you can’t reassign them sadly. So a lot of the hands on functions with the new hardware buttons was just wasted space for me.
And like I said, not trying to bad talk the Live III it is a really nice box with tons of features, and the included synths and effects are 1st class ( the expansions not so much sadly). But I think it’s really going to appeal the most to people who want to be 100% out of the box in hardware only. While I get frustrated by my Push 3 sometimes with some of the bugs it has lately, I find the workflow a lot more focused and quicker to use compared to the MPC. Ableton Live export is a lot more reliable too (obviously), I had a lot of issues with MPC Live III exporting all my work as Ableton projects before I sold it. It kept hanging, or certain tracks wouldn’t render correctly, etc. Took me 3-4 tries with each MPC project, even small ones, to get my Live Projects exported from it correctly.
There have been some great replies here, but I’ll throw my 2 cents in, since we have some similar devices.
TLDR: Do it if you have the means and patience to learn a new workflow.
I think these newer MPCs (Live 2 included) are great machines and powerful as people have mentioned here.
I also think Elektron machines, while not being as powerful, are very special and this very website is proof of that.
I think MPC’s handle live playing and chopping much better than Elektron, but an MPC will never be as good at step programming and parameter locking as an Elektron.
I have a Push 3, a digitone 2 and one of the newer mpc’s and I not only like them all for different reasons, but they all work well together in different ways.
I know some people have lots of Elektron’s, but I really only have the mental bandwith for one, and I’m one of the few that hope Elektron releases their version of something that releases a greatest hits box with synthesis, sampling and all the bells and whistles in one machine.
One big thing that I don’t think gets mentioned enough is how good the file management is on an MPC. I’ve always struggled with keeping things organized on Elektron machines, and Ableton has wayyyyyy too much stuff sometimes.
…“the MPC is a DAW”…“it’s like Ableton”…“you have to learn the workflow”… yes, all true, but you know what? You can turn on the MPC, load a drumkit or place sounds on the individual pads much faster than with Digitakt, you can open keygroups and plugins full of presets, you can record with the sampler, with the looper, with the sequencer… you can make mammoth projects…or you turn it on and play, alone or with all the instruments you like, it will always be fine
This thread and all of its responses is literally me. Got an MPC Live III but it was DOA unfortunately. Was only able to use it for an hour.
I can confirm USB audio from the DN2 does not work as Elektron does not output class compliant audio at 44.1 (if there’s a setting please illuminate me).
The idea would be to replace Push 2 + Ableton (which I love don’t get me wrong) simply because I just don’t feel like turning on the computer etc sometimes. I have to be in that precise mindset of opening Ableton and being open to mouse/keyboard input which I loathe in music making.
EDIT: if I end up just refunding the Live III, would a Push 3 make sense? I do like the touch strip and having hands-on FX control (and automation). What I don’t like about Push is that arrangement view basically does not exist, with my use case being recording a live performance with clips and then cleaning up / editing in arrangement after the fact.
tldr: Elektron Digis, OTII and now TV + MPC L2 was my dream setup, especially on the road. L3 has so far made this even more excellent. There are some faults, but there are more wins imho, tbf, brb bbq.
MPC & Elektron head checking in. I’ve been lucky enough to learn from the MPC 2kxl, had the L2, now L3, Dt1/2, DK 1/2, TV, OT2 AH+fx. Also had the Push 3 since launch, right up to 2 weeks with the Live 3. I sold the Push 3 right away after getting my head out of Live 3 land and realized I’d probably never use the P3 again.
Working on a DAW is like pouring salt in my eyes so take the following with just a grain. I’m an old-head broadcast and online media engineer, so getting away from a keyboard is essential to sanity.
The workflow between Elektron boxes and the L3 are pretty interchangeable. I mean that in the sense that you’re free to make a workflow style that really works for you, and you’re able to go backwards and forwards with it. I know that sounds insane and confusing, but the Live 3 and Digi boxes really have the means to jam on either. ingest into the L3 or DT as samples or tracks, then fiddle. Same with the Live 3, but the L3 has an intense amount of capabilities to master full tracks now. Also the it’s ability to build tracks out with the new arrangement features is wild.
Elektron boxes work can be (pretty much) slapped fully into the Live 3 if you know where to menu dive. And the opposite way can somewhat be accomplished. A lot of folks say the touchscreen is cumbersome or not good enough, but that’s an argument based on wanting something that isn’t there. A god-of-the-gaps logical fallacy where if it isn’t perfect enough it isn’t good at all.
For me, the Live 3 or an Octatrack II are my desert island groove boxes. Moreso the L3 because of the battery and speakers.
I don’t know if push 3 makes sense if you only intend to use it in standalone. So many menus deep. So many things that would just be easier to reach up and use your keyboard and mouse and than return to working on the push.
I have P3SA, but it was for live show intentions (Played out once, worked great). I am in controller mode 100% when I’m in the studio and not practicing a live set.
The other thing that I think is possibly important to discuss between the New MPCs, Elektron boxes, and Push3 (or push 2) is how they feel to interact with.
How do they actually feel to touch?
Elektron’s clicky buttons are a joy to use.
Easy 1st place. Push 3 would be dead last here. something about the buttons feel joyless to touch. I know that’s harsh and possibly shallow, but I felt that way about push 2 when I had it and I feel that way about push 3.
And of course this is IMO and YMMV
The MPC is basically a DAW with a nice set of pads and a smaller screen. Agree with everything @Tarekith said. I also went down this road a few years ago and ended up selling my MPC as well, after many many hours trying to make it fun in a live setup. It’s just not that much fun to keep track of, especially if you have Elektron boxes simultaneously.
