This is definitely on my shopping list. Would make a great sidekick for the OT!
Holy crap!!! The long awaited new MPD!!!
Finally !!
Great sidekick for the AR too!
Just what I was thinking! Iām really wondering if the 32 since it has a sequencer built-in and work stand alone without a computer. Would be such a killer set up.
[ul]
[li]Works with virtually any MIDI software or MIDI hardware[/li]
[/ul]
BOOM! (the 32)
I canāt decide which would be more fun/useful:
OT + MPD232 or OT + Arturia Beat Step Pro
?
Too late: Iāve pulled the trigger on the BeatStep Pro. Itās just so packed with features itās ridiculous!!
For serious. And a good bit cheaper too.
Letās hope it holds up to some beatings.
Spec wise, itās just parameter locks short of being A4ās long lost external midi sequencer.
I suppose those LED pads are the same as on the MPK225 keyboard, which are great! Far, far better than those stock pads on the MPD32, which you need to replace with MPCstuff.com pads if youād like to have some nice, responsive pads. The MPK225-type pads need no replacement, though.
Not interested in the beatstep pro as I donāt need the extra mono tracks. The regular beat step looks cool though, cheap and already has an Octatrack template. I love me some faders though, and the 232 would look pretty on stage
I have a feeling Iāll end up with both 
Tough call. I think the BeatStep is the better sequencer (i.e. not ājustā a drum sequencer) and with the CV/gate outputs it definitely has more scope than the Akai. Though the Akai does have faders and more tracks.
I see the BeatStep as a master clock/sync device with extra sequencing capabilities rather than a replacement for the OTās internal sequencing.
So the 232 being standalone is confirmed info?
MPD226 + MPD232 have a jack to receive power via a powersupply(not sure if the power supply itself is included or not , if not, and you donāt want to buy one, you should be able to power it via the USB port with a USB charger)
You can set all the controls to output to the MIDIout jacks.
One thing that I think will be beneficial to AR users is that the MPD2 series has a ā16 levelā button.
Press a Pad (say Pad1)
Enable 16 level by pressing the ā16 levelā button
this will set it up so now, each of the 16 pads will play the same note that was on Pad 1 (Or whatever pad you last pressed before pressing the 16 level button), but at different velocities.
so you can hit say Pad 11, and it will consistently output at a velocity of 87, the pad next to it at velocity 95ā¦
so if you want to do a soft hit, hard hit type thing live, but all the softs at exactly the same velocity and all the hard hits at the same velocity, you can get that consistencyā¦ or set something up on the ARs velocity to mod setup page, and consistently be able to set the some parameter each time you hit that specific pad (like say a sample end time, then as you move up each of the 16 pads, you can get quiet short hits on the first few pads, and long hard hits on the upper pads ) and you can always reproduce that exact sound , because youāll always be sending the same velocity
I think that only the 32 not the 24 is stand alone.
Its says in the specs āworks with virtually any midi software or midi hardwareā. The 24 does not say this. also only the 32 has the built in sequencer. A built in sequencer isnāt of much use if you can only use it with software! This leads me to strongly believe it is stand alone. Please someone feel free to play devils advocate and tell me Iām wrong! 
I think that only the 32 not the 24 is stand alone.
Its says in the specs āworks with virtually any midi software or midi hardwareā. The 24 does not say this. also only the 32 has the built in sequencer. A built in sequencer isnāt of much use if you can only use it with software! This leads me to strongly believe it is stand alone. Please someone feel free to play devils advocate and tell me Iām wrong! [/quote]
youāre wrong : ) (about the 226 not being able to be used standalone)
226 will also work standalone. but the 218 will not.
You can use the 232 sequencer with the midi outās , but honestly, the electron sequencer is much more powerful.
I think that only the 32 not the 24 is stand alone.
Its says in the specs āworks with virtually any midi software or midi hardwareā. The 24 does not say this. also only the 32 has the built in sequencer. A built in sequencer isnāt of much use if you can only use it with software! This leads me to strongly believe it is stand alone. Please someone feel free to play devils advocate and tell me Iām wrong! [/quote]
youāre wrong : ) (about the 226 not being able to be used standalone)
226 will also work standalone. but the 218 will not.
You can use the 232 sequencer with the midi outās , but honestly, the electron sequencer is much more powerful.
[/quote]
Hmmmmmm, 24 might be more up my alley than as I donāt need the sequencer, but 8 knobs and 8 faders is pretty sweet.
I think that only the 32 not the 24 is stand alone.
Its says in the specs āworks with virtually any midi software or midi hardwareā. The 24 does not say this. also only the 32 has the built in sequencer. A built in sequencer isnāt of much use if you can only use it with software! This leads me to strongly believe it is stand alone. Please someone feel free to play devils advocate and tell me Iām wrong! [/quote]
youāre wrong : ) (about the 226 not being able to be used standalone)
226 will also work standalone. but the 218 will not.
You can use the 232 sequencer with the midi outās , but honestly, the electron sequencer is much more powerful.
[/quote]
Hmmmmmm, 24 might be more up my alley than as I donāt need the sequencer, but 8 knobs and 8 faders is pretty sweet.[/quote]
Even if you donāt use the sequencer, having 8 knobs+faders is nice it matches the 8 knobs on the AR : ) so you can set it up so that say Bank A on the MPD232 matches the 8 knobs on the Synth page, and the next 8 match the sample page ā¦ then the next 8 on the filter pageā¦ and set the faders so they match the trig, amp and lfo page (or however you want to configure it)
My main concern is that in the requirements tab on the Akai website, they specify computers.
Because if this thing could run standalone with an Octatrack, oh dear.