Just noticed the MPC series manual is now up for 2.10, with a nice fat addendum for the new features, so well worth a look for anyone intrigued by the update.
On the very first page of the new stuff it has a handy tip:
Note: For maximum convenience, we recommend you install a SATA drive in the drive bay of your standalone Force and then copy the Synths folder onto this drive.
More confirmation that Force owners should be watching the skies.
Iāve come to love and appreciate my MPC Live since I stopped wanting it to be something itās not (which is a device that combines the power of sheer endless possibilities with the immediacy of Eektron gear or my SP16). I also gave up using its full feature set as some of the workflow aspects just bother me way too much and it becomes too menu divey if I want to do it all.
Iām surprised at Akaiās continued support, and I still donāt trust it lol, testament to the shitty support Akai USED to provide for decades. But their handling of this latest MPC series has been really good all in all.
Remembering how you felt about the MPC One (what I read on here), Iām not sure if the updates will be enough to change your feelings, after all the workflow and touchscreen-centricity remain.
But yeah, the firmware updates have made the MPCs more than they were and I think more than many of us who bought them early would have anticipated.
Whoa - I didnāt know that. That will come in handy once I get more versed on the MPC. I already notice that I tend to gravitate towards certain FX combos.
Yeah, it comes with a bunch of presets and you can save any four-slot set of effects as a rack and drop it in anywhere else. Some FX have a lot of parameters, so if it fits in with your workflow it could be a big timesaver.
I prefer the look of that to the regular black look as well.
One idea, however, is to get regular version, along with the 2000XL style faceplate from MPC Stuff - even with the price of the faceplate, total cost is still less than retro edition:
https://www.mpcstuff.com/akai-mpc-one-custom-color-faceplate-skin-kit-cover-case/
I found the store while looking up other opinions on the MPC One pads, which have been compared unfavorably to the Maschine+ ones. The store sells replacement pads that are thicker.
They also have replacement knobs for further bling
As far as Mastering you should download the free MPCBeats software to hear how the signal chain sounds. The app offers the same synths and effects as the MPC Hardware.
It doesnāt look to be updated to 2.10, but the 2.9 version will give you a clear idea of how it stacks up against the SP-16.
Hope that info helps 
ā¢
is there a way to copy the necessary files for the plugins to work onto the MPC or do I just have a permanent USB stick in my MPC now? seeing lots of people ask this with no answers. this would mean I cant use the new synths and a USB audio interface at the same time 
I got one incoming now, on a 30 day trial. Iāve just finished my first track on my new project with the SP-16 and Iām really happy with it. If I can get the same results with the One, then things might get interesting.
Well, maybe. There wasnāt enough reasons for me to want to learn it. My needs as well as the MPC have both changed.
But as mentioned, itāll be uphill from day one. I really donāt swap much these days.
If you have an MPC One ā SD Card
If you have a MPC Live / X ā SDD drive
you can copy files from an SD but not from a USB? or do you just mean you have to keep an SD card in there instead?
Not gonna lie. If there was a Retro version available in Seattle Iād get it. I have the OG Live which works just fine. But the Retro does look cool. And would fit better on my desk. But whateverā¦itās all the same stuff and sounds
Feel hella bad for the Maschine+
I may end up like echo opera and whoever else has both a Maschine Plus and MPC something.
Theyāre not helping keep GAS away, by posting videos/tracks!
The MPC One provides two ways for using different time signatures.
If you just want to create a tune in a time signature other than 4/4, which is the default, you need to go into Preferences, Project Defaults and set the default time signature numerator and denominator.
Note that any changes you make will only come into effect when you next switch the MPC on. If you set the default values to say 6/8 then the grid, piano roll and step sequencer will all display 6/8 bars.
If you want to have different time signatures within a sequence you need to use the Insert Bars feature, which lets you specify the time signature for the bars you want to insert. Note that the step sequencer only follows the master default time signature but the grid editor and piano roll show the different time signatured bar sizes.
ah man this is definitely a hit for them. I can only assume theyve got something in the pipeline soon. I reckon all these big names are in cahoots at this point.
got it sorted on the SD card, suppose I dont mind keeping that in there. is there any such thing as a midi implementation chart for the MPC one? interested in making an accompanying lemur controller but not sure if modern MPCs have such control. I used to use one with my 1k and it was great fun
Is the touch screen delicate? I see people buying these protectors
Thatās correct. I think right now it only supports 44.1 khz audio interfaces.
I wouldnāt say they are delicate at all, Iāve never worried about it or peeled off the plastic covering that it comes with.
I would imagine those protectors are more if you are gigging with it etcā¦ where things like jacks can fall onto it & scratch the screen, to give some extra protection. Mine just stays in the house so Iām not bothered at all.
Iām wondering whether the vocal tools in this update were a direct response to the VerseLab. Now itās time for Akai to take on the Octatrak with a fw updateā¦