Hey all - I had to post because I found the workaround which makes no sense to me but hell at least it is fixed - I change the power chord / power adapter. I did read online late in the night that the issue for one user was “electricity” so I went on a limb and made the switch - hopefully helpful to users who might be facing the same issue. Sooooo relieved. Thanks all!
3 Likes
Do not forget there are 2 step sequencers on the MPC, one only accessible from the menu and it allows for easy (easier) step editing and runs in parallel to the standard sequencer
You can also update the firmware on the MPC One with the SD card; just download the firmware on you PC/Mac, put it on the card and update the firmware on the device itself: Menu -> Preferences -> Press shift -> Click update
Hype has some excellent sounding presets, though there are way too many of them. I’d say it’s certainly superior to Tubesynth, but it requires some effort to get into designing with it because you’ve got things like enormous sample & wavetable lists with no accompanying reference, so all you can do is explore, hope for the best and try to remember or note what you find for later. You can’t even bring up a list to scroll through, you have to read the small label as you turn the knob (in fairness I haven’t checked that detail on the One, I’m basing it on the Force).
The other new synths all sound great, too - I don’t like the original bass synth and don’t have a great deal of use for the electric piano, but I do find Tubesynth useful for pads and as a samples source. From an admittedly brief run through of presents and tinker with the controls, I’d say all the new additions are a step up from the originals and likely to find some use.
I’m particularly keen to get the Odyssey on the Force, where I can get at it with macros and more hardware controls. The slider-style controls work well on the touchscreen too - Hype has this to a degree, but I think all the offerings would benefit from some work on integration. I guess they have to work as desktop software plugins too, but it’s interesting to compare with the Blackbox where the UI is far more minimal, but fits like a glove. But I’m not a big fan of skeuomorphic stuff like fake screws and 3D knobs in general. The Odyssey is guilty of all that, but succeeds because fake sliders still slide.
Lost my thread there. Um, yeah, I’d say Hype and the new plugins are well worth investigating - not enough to justify a purchase in themselves, but a compelling part of the overall package.
2 Likes
Thanks, that’s a great answer. I’m not much of a synth guy anyway, I sample and do stuff with the sources that doesn’t sound much like where they came from anyway, in the end. Electric pianos, string machine and a mellotron, though, they’re all interesting, and a bass synth to boost that can just be some low end rumbling, that sounds attractive. Combined with the new fx, this is becoming a package that’s capturing my interest.
I tried the Live briefly before, say for a month or two, and did give the One a spin when it came out since I was asked to review it. I passed, though, feeling I wouldn’t do it justice. While I kind of liked the overall thing, it didn’t quite click with me. It was more okay than great.
But given these additions, very much tailored to what I do, it’s compelling enough to try this again.
On MPC-Forums I’ve seen people flashing experimental firmware on their Machines such as the Force firmware, it might be worth tracking them down and asking how they flash. There must be a low level way to do it presumably.
The EQ controls on Hype are very effective, no problem getting low frequencies from that.
You’ve hit on one of the key strengths of these MPCs, I think - they have a broad palette of onboard sounds that can plug straight into a solid sampler engine (which also has some good improvements in this update). If you like to grab and mangle, you can go a long way without needing any external sources.
You also mentioned lo-fi effects, and I think this is another strength - the new diode clipper can be pushed into interesting areas, and the existing Air lo-fi has a lot of depth and utility. They’ll definitely make an interesting chain combo.
One slight frustration is that some of the synths have useful and interesting FX built in, and it’d be nice if you could access these separately to apply to samples - kind of a Reaktor approach, I suppose. The new drum FX might be a step in the right direction there - I’d love to see some more effects turned into modules you could deploy anywhere in the system.
1 Like
I’ve had update issues in the past because I was using a different power supply.
Always updated fine with the akai supply that came with it.
Ok, just watched the video where they plug in a Tascam Model 12 with USB, then it’s possible to route back and forth all channels of the Tascam as inputs/outputs to the MPC.
That is an insanely powerful and flexible setup.
3 Likes
If your track length is under five minutes, this would be a really nice eight-track (stereo!) Portastudio setup, especially combined with the assorted processing & effects and the ability to have MIDI sequences alongside it all. If Akai do throw streaming into the mix as expected, hello.
Sadly I think my R16 needs a driver for multi-channel audio, and my mixer is stereo only. But this seems to be quite an active area of development at the moment, so who knows what’s around the corner? Maybe Akai themselves will release some kind of expander for all that.
Thank you again, very helpful all this.
I’m currently putting together a set on the Toraiz, and I’m using three boxes to get my tracks to where I want, right now. A prophet 12 for bass and assorted pad duties, the Blackbox for really long non-synced loops, and the Toraiz for the rest, and to control it all.
But if the Toraiz could stream or just handle really long samples (the internal memory in the MPC is enough for this purpose), and if it had an internal bass synth at least, I could do with just the Toraiz. I don’t want to use three boxes for my current setup, but given my list of demands, this is where I’m at 
Also, the Toraiz sounds fantastic, the one kit I have where I feel I could do without my SSL SiX even in a mix-down and mastering context (I’m a kitchen producer, mind you). I’m not gonna give that up.
But if the MPC can get close enough to the same output quality with its software effects, this might be a more streamlined option for me. Last time around, the eq, compressor and limiter didn’t quite do it for me, it all sounded a bit flat despite taking the advice from people who really knew what they were doing when using the MPC like this.
But with these new fx, a stronger familiarity from my own end on my source material, and the additional sound engines which really are right up my lane (mellotron and string mainly, and I don’t mind the already existing electric pianos and bass), this might be worth a shot. But I seem to recall mastering was a bit messy on the One. For better or worse, on the Toraiz, you just go into Master mode, pick an effect and they give you like three or four parameters on that effect and boom, it sounds awesome.
2 Likes
TheKikGen is the pioneer on this matter.
Here are instructions, files to download etc from his GitHub page.
I don’t think the MPC has any kind of ‘magic’ mastering mode - it has all the components you need, but they’ll likely have to be arranged and tweaked to your taste. They’ve added the FX rack feature from the Force, though, so you can now save and reuse a chain once you’ve perfected it.
The sample lengths are fine for me - I’d certainly welcome streaming, but being able to have eight 5m audio tracks and samples up to 20m long is pretty damned good (and the clip mode is a good solution for integrating long samples). I’ve done some testing and the audio tracks do support ‘unlimited’ audio as long as the total length isn’t over 5m, if that makes sense - e.g. you can have a 5m audio recording and chop & copy elements of it into a 30m track, all referencing the original recording. So for collage stuff, or reusing audio elements, it’s very nice as-is.
EDIT: That’s actually eight five minute tracks you can chop & copy, at least in theory - I’ve not pushed it that far, but I guess the 5m / 8 track limit is a result of ensuring this configuration is always supported in a new project.
1 Like
I’d be okay with it being tricky to get right, as long as it’s possible. I realise we’re comparing software to software, but algoritms matter. Deluge doesn’t come anywhere near a solid mastering quality. Digitakt is close, as is the Blackbox. Toraiz nails it, if you’re into the Pioneer sound.
Though of course, in the end, I prefer my SSL SiX by miles and it’s not going anywhere, so potentially this is a vain pursuit anyway. But that whole instant recall of presets and stuff, knowing the output is good enough if I for some reason only can or want to bring just the one box, that matters, too.
1 Like
The new limiter is supposed to be good for mastering, combine that with some send eqs on important sounds and I reckon it should be pretty good for getting a nice sounding production.
I have hardly dug into the new features yet, but it is a very different machine than a year ago, and for the price somewhat of a no brainer IMHO.
5 Likes
And the retro edition, which I’m gunning for, looks just the part, too that matters too
3 Likes
What’s stopping you from putting the SSL on one of the outputs of the MPC and direct the master out to that output?
I’m doing something similar on the Force with the Analog Heat, then just resample as needed
Nothing. It’s that all in one box magic I’m after. Toraiz has it but misses some other things which I feel the MPC now maybe has.
But I’m not much inclined to switch gear these days so it’s uphill right from the start 
2 Likes
Ah the one box. The reason why I have a Force…
1 Like
Depending on your needs I think the current range of MPCs probably represent the closest thing to a one stop box:
Great sound
Fairly comprehensive if a bit standard sequencing (I’ll come back to this though)
Good sampling implementation
Good fx
Nice synths
Pretty painless workflow
A bit like a DAW but without some of the hassle, and some of the power.
Reasonable mixing and polishing options.
The sequencer has a good range of methods, step, grid, list, realtime, overdub, and you can mix and match between short and long sequences, you can combine short sequences into a linear section, and you have the option to loop a section for edits etc. There is a fair range of editing options at event level or on a range of data options.
It does not really want you to stray into other time signatures, but you can kind of do some although I personally have not delved into this yet.
It does not have Elektron type bells and whistles, like TRC, but with some workarounds you can achieve a similar end result.
The automation stuff is very simple but you don’t get a good overview of it, you kind of have to remember what you did if you want to go back and edit it.
You can use it in a very simple way, or you can go deep into micro edits, if you want to.
1 Like