Digitakt v MPC Live: real buyers survey (UK£)

The Lounge General Discussion
#1

HThere are two new samplers available this Spring dropping at comparable price points once you factor in street price and “extras” (looking at you OB premium).

Based on shopping in U.K. Pounds which may represent a significant saving for our US cousins and other currencies benefiting from Brexit effect.

Let’s have a survey to see how folks are voting with their wallets - you may have already preordered.

To participate you should be a real buyer intending to purchase one or both of these machines.
This isn’t about knocking or comparing either product - like many here I own 4 Elektrons, 2 silver 2 black, and love em all. Existing customers may not be target consumers as has been discussed elsewhere - this is just about taking the temperature of Elektronauts in terms of where our money is going,

Try not to get into detail as there are other established threads discussing specs etc.

Also, this isn’t scientific. From where I’m sitting and as has been said in other threads, the price points are “comparable” enough given recent price bumps etc. even if the machines are not - they are both “samplers” and you may be in the market for a new sampler so the comparison is perfectly valid from the point of view of that core intent to buy.

To participate:

  1. state your choice Digitakt/MPC Live/Both
  2. give a short explanation of your decision if you want
#2

MPC Live

Just looks like more bang for buck and a more innovative product. Battery power.

1 Like
#3

I might not get either, but MPC Live.

Although we don’t have a full demo of the Digitakt yet, there is not even a remote comparison between the features of them from what I have seen. The Sonicstate demo of the MPC Live is really impressive.

Plus as has been said, battery power - 5 hours off not only the computer but the wall too…

#4

If you want a full production and live performance unit - mpc live

If you want a basic sampler with original and quirky midi sequencer - digitakt

#5

I’m holding off for demos. Have money sitting one for one and mpc does more than i need and i think may have more stability issues so digitakt was my choice. BUT after price hike and charging for overbridge it’s no longer a budget option and not as easy a choice as before.

#6

mpc live by a country mile

1 Like
#7

MPC live

#8

Digitakt - I want an instrument. To me, the MPC is an iPad with an attached controller. I’m thinking (hoping) the workflow differences will make the difference, hence my choice. Size also matters. The ninja agility of the Digitakt wins over the behemoth dimensions of the Live. I won’t be using OB.

4 Likes
#9

Digitakt doesn’t interst me, but the Live sure does. Batteries ftw. I want to see it in action first, though. As i own AR and an OT, one of them would have to go. So the Live will be up against some tough competition in my case. Workflow and stability are my main concerns.
My girlfriend has a Circuit, and i did a party with it and the OT last night, and the simplicity it offers was a bit liberating in contrast to the elektron ways.
There be some thinking ahead.
Oh and lets not forget the Deluge!

#10

Just preoredered a Digitakt from the States. So I already voted with my wallet

2 Likes
#11

A wild Deluge appears

It’s super effective!

1 Like
#12

Digitakt … p-locks for the win

#13

i ordered mpc Live…
with boxes like digitakt, i was afraid of a big setup with too many boxex
demo’s look really good, battery is amazing
hope for p locks and trig-conditions…

and it was time for some fresh air in my studio

i am afraid of the lights and the colors.

but
I tried looping samples with sample lengh 1 on my maschine… (to create a new incomming sound that can be manipulated)… but no success. there was no sound :frowning:

and
i think we don’t know enough of digitakt.

1 Like
#14

Mpc live. If reviews say it’s solid :wink: Ticks most boxes that my Elektrons don’t + bunch of other stuff for what I need/wanna mess with. And the portability/integration aspect is huge (busy life making it hard to be in studio much…).

#15

A girlfriend who is into Music Production? Cool, could we swap? :smiley: My girlfriend “hates” my hobby. Makes too much noise she says :frowning:

BTT: I consider neither. MPC Live is a completely different workflow thing and im afraid of it. Dont wanna learn a new kind of instrument which prevents me from staying creative. Digitakt was the choice with no question until the REAL price came to light. Plus: There’s no real Info on the DT so im holding back for now.

#16

Mpc live, too many options to fail.

2 Likes
#17

MPC Live. A full stereo sampler vs mono drum sampler. No competition really.
Better to compare MPC Live with the Octatrack

1 Like
#18

-> IMHO! <-

The MPC live works the same way the first one works(1988). It have the same project/sequence/tracks structure and midi capabilities. The difference is that the new ones have big color screen with high resolution, more memory and modern features(real time time stretching and so on). The option to see graphics in high resolution screen does not make it iPad, it makes it more easy to see and navigate faster. If the screen is pixelated it will more cool?

DAW in a box is just a stupid marketing crp from Akai trying to convince users that MPC does it all. Not true.

Now let’s see what digitkt offers(both are sequencers with drum sampler in them - actually Live adds instrument sampler but let’s forget about that for a minute).

Digitakt:

Elektron sequencer with Plocks and condition trigs.
Great looking box.
Sampler part is … weak! Let’s be honest here. It’s 8 voice, mono sampler with no time stretching, no sample layering, 64mb ram and 1GB internal storage that is not upgradable! What year is it? The memory is cheap as chips - 1 gig?!
One reverb and one delay effect for all tracks(send fx).
Good news is that there is distortion per track.
No individual outs witch is a problem if you want to process with external gear(you can have them in DAW with Overbridge Premium for 69 more) so you are stuck with internal effects or connect it to daw - not cool.

MPC:

Lienear sequencer(no polyphony limit)
999 bars per pattern
64 tracks. Every track can be MIDI track for sequencing external gear, Drum sampler track, Instrument sampler track or Audio track.
Option to use pads as step sequencer but no plocks.
Drum sampler can have 128 sample slots per program(track), 4 samples layered for every of that 128 slots, 64 voice stereo samples or 128 mono samples. Can time stretch/pitch shift in real time. RAM is over 1gb.
Internal storage is 16GB, you have option to use USB storage, install SSD drive or use regular SD card to store projects and move around.
It have 6 individual audio outs, 2 stereo 1/4 inputs for sampling and RCA pair for phono/tape input. 2 usb ports to connect usb midi controllers or use external hard drives.

Both boxes have completely different workflow so to me it’s just matter of personal preferences. I still don’t like the sampler engine in Digitakt but this is “cheap” box from elektron so they must have reason to cripple it like that.

It will be better if digitakt was 8 tracks from Machinedrum. That would have been a killer box. Let’s hope they are working on something like that.

This is how things looks from my point of view.

6 Likes
#19

Agreed with everying you said however it should be noted yet again that the MPC Live is twice the price of the Digitakt so not a great comparison for a thread to begin with.

#20

Approx £50 difference in UK…

1 Like