DT II vs MPC 3

The Lounge Other Gear
1

Wondering what ppl think of comparing DT II with Akai MPC line (probably MPC One ) in the light of MPC 3 fw upgrade?

Use original DT extensively, did many dozens of live sets with DT, made a couple of “successful” full time albums using song mode etc… Quite comfortable with DT interface and mastered it to the level when my “track” takes just about 5-6mb and I can operate the maschine with eyes closed. So it works well with my workflow and type of music (minimal, experimental, idm, microscopic ).

So I wanted to upgrade to DT II in next few weeks, main reason - memory and ability to sample my hardware in stereo (it’s a real pain for example to covert Eventide H8000 processed samples to mono losing half of the “magic” ). At the same time I don’t think it’s really needed right now, original just do it for me somehow.

And now I see MPC 3 fw update. Compared to DT it feels enormously powered. Linear arranger mode is really easy and powerful, full eq, compression etc per track, disk streaming, plugins, 2GB memory vs 400mb, sample layering, polyphony… Also MPC One + is still a bit less expensive than DT II, it’s also a point here.

So the question is - what is missed with MPC line what DT has to offer? More minimalistic interface (which is a really great thing btw )? Sequencer with p-locks? Does modern Akai has something like p-locks? Options for sample mangling? I really like the sound design with DT using LFO for almost every parameter (like sample start / end, modulating AMP and FILTER envelopes, effects etc… ) automating lfo destinations and waveforms per step etc, does Akai has same modulation abilities?

I had MPC1000 like 15 year ago, wanted to like it but somehow workflow was a bit too slow for me and too “traditional”, so I kept using laptop and Ableton. After discovering Elektron, I rarely use laptop live and think it was a really good decision - a lot of new music was created, less luggage to cary onboard, and it really gained creativity.

So, what could be other reasons to prefer one or another maschine? Also not sure if I want to spend a lot of time to master MPC and I “play” DT already like a guitar… Thinking, maybe it’s good just to stick with my DT, keep accepting limitations and continue to make art with it, which in my case is not too related to tech aspects as I discovered thru years.

Want some opinions and user experiences on that! Thanks!

1 Like
2

This!

15 Likes
3

yeah : (

of course want to please myself with a new toy, but I appreciate the time and the opportunity to create what I want very quickly. It’s much more important than features. getting to know DTII will be more or less seamless I guess.

4

i bought a used mpc one last year because i got kind of bored out with the digitakt and thought the mpc would deliver all those features i needed… result was that i got rid of the mpc one after a week because everything was so cumbersome and i didn’t have fun making music with it. which then again led to more love for my digitakt :smiley:

maybe you a short one night stand with a mpc would be great for your relationship

6 Likes
5

MPC 3 is still like MPC 2, it’s mainly a UI refresh with a different visual organisation, not a new device.

But the workflow is essentially the exact same thing as before.

Digitakt is about quick sampling, mangling and limited but easy pattern sequencing and live editing with P-locks and TR-Rec.

the MPC is about finger drumming, which is the MAIN way of inputing notes, every other ways are an after thought including its own poor version of TR-rec. Let me take some time to emphasis on the fact the the TR-Rec function (commonly called step sequencing) is implemented in very weird way to say the least…

So nothing changed here. limits but simplicity == Digitakt, more flexibility but more menu diving and overreliance on a touchscreen == modern MPC line.

MPC 3 changes none of that.

5 Likes
6

One of the main reasons I’ve stayed away from the mpc is the half baked step sequencer. I’m not a finger drummer.

3 Likes
7

Also maybe someone use both machines and resample things from one to another? Does this type of workflow make sense?

1 Like
8

Does anyone have any reports if MPC3 changes (i.e. improves) latency and jitter? Or what is just a GUI update?

9

yeah, at the end it’s the only way to check…

10

I don’t know about MPCs but as a long time Elektron user, DT II is a huge step forward compared to the DT.

2 Likes
11

Making music should either be fun or use a laptop with ableton imo (which can also be fun for some ppl)

1 Like
12

I have DT1 and MPC, and I don’t see it as a replacement in anyway. It’s a totally different feeling to use. The Octatrack could be a replacement in some cases.

If you’re that fluent with the DT, why throw it away? It takes time to get to that level.
I’d look at the MPC as a complement, not a replacement – if you feel like investing the cash and time required to learn a new platform

3 Likes
13

I had a AKAI Force and I sold it long time ago. DTII is on the way to me and I can’t wait for it :grinning:

The hardware is build rock solid but the software is cumbersome. I did a lot of feature request in the beginning but you won`t hear anything back from support. Force and MPC share most features in the software. The new MPC3 arranger is from the Force, disk streaming was also introduced on the Force first and made the way to the MPC.
The Arp from MPC/Force does not have a dotted mode, only normal and triplet. I asked about it 2 years ago, still not implemented. They don’t care. 4 FX per track isn’t enough for me. I wanted a DAW in a Box. Realtime loop sampling is a pain in the a**. After recording finished the clip was out of sync and you had to adjust the sample. Timestretching is really bad and the algo is the badest I have seen. Kontakt/Falcon/Elektron/Ableton&Push3 do it much better. I am not a friend of the menu structure but that is a personal feeling. Sometimes it is not logical. You will encounter bugs for sure and some of them will never be fixed. CPU power isn’t great if you use some devices.
MIDI jitter is normal but I got rid of it using my E-RM multiclock.

3 Likes
14

No, of course not throwing… thinking of DTI + DII setup for some longer live sets and studio work, or DTI + something else

15

I see… yes it’s a little bit annoying if not more…

And I always say same - why bother if I already can do all this and much better with Ableton and Push which I also keep for some longer “live/dj” hybrid sets. Also sound wise I think RME is at least not worse that Akai AD/DA converters.

Clocking is sometimes an issue… I trust and use din sync and analog clocks between some older Roland machines, modular, DR2, Elektron, others, but had some midi clock issues with modern Roland and others so try to avoid connecting a lot of machines like I did before… Don’t know… Nowadays I like to sample individually, edit and later “put all together” in one machine, so you work with “timing” inside one sequencer, and it’s quite ok for me to put things together in DT. It’s a very nice interface.

2 Likes
16

Ja… and also of course it will be updated, so who knows how cool it will become in a few years.
That has already happened with DTI so ppl expecting something similar.

1 Like
17

Dt2 i dive in but easily loose overview
Mpc is more ‘boring’, it doesn’t suck me in, but gives me overview.

I love both and I hope dt will make a timeline
(Love the dt2 songmode though)

I think mpc is more relaxed and layed back.
But that’s just me
I have dt2 though

1 Like
18

I don’t have either, but a comparison would be.

MPC can do more than a Digitakt, but Live can do more than an MPC so it doesn’t follow that more is better.

I have the same thing with the Polyend Tracker. I find I’m more productive and creative with that than with anything else, but Bitwig and Logic are clearly way more powerful.

I have an MC-707 which is theoretically more powerful than the Tracker, but I don’t use it because it doesn’t have the same addictive workflow.

3 Likes
19

Got it. Yeah only you can know, for me I’d rather have DT 1 or 2 plus something else

3 Likes
20

I maybe wrong but to me the MPC3 looks to me like they are trying to sqeeze a DAW into a small controller jack of all trades master of non, the DTII is a different thing.

6 Likes