Well, there was this thing but it seemed to have not taken off the ground. 
I love cats too, and that in spite of all of those hurdles that you, Dirtywave, and the Developer of the Vekts went on and did what you did… My ideal size is the M8 and the polyend tracker mini is the largest I am interested in as if it’s gonna be larger than that you’re in table top/console territory…
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I remember that, those long rectangle style form factors are definitely not something I’m thinking of when I say handheld, those are more like consoles
that reminds me of this
Maybe a phone app is the way to go for an MPC style groovebox? Like Koala, or the similar-but-deeper Dawnbeat.
The M8 works very nicely with the iPad mini, as everything goes over one USB-C cable.
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your post reminded me on Cyberstep’s KDJ-One - sequencer and synthesizer in form of a Gameboy, which was presented in Musikmesse (Frankfurt, Germany) back in 2012:
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right now I do believe that is the best route if you’re not waiting on something better, the impc 2 app, is nuts and unbelievably underrated, and for some reason of which I have no idea , but the original old impc app, the one with the retro mpc skin is weirdly far more snappier than the latter impc pro 2… I really don’t understand it… same dev for both apps too but the snappy-ness of the first version is night and day snappy…
the later one is great though… the other apps I use koala, patterning, beatscholar, dawnbeat, etc… are all great apps… but … definitely not the hardware vibe of the M8, woovebox, vekts, polyend tracker mini…
but for the MPC style workflow there are no hardware handhelds to get your fix… the polyend tracker mini is probably the closest… of course the M8 kills on the form factor but as far as workflow it’s the poly… so peeps have no where to go really but ios…
for someone like myself that’s not gunna cut it, besides i’m already deep off into ios.
it’s just not tactile enough and I don’t enjoy connecting controllers to ios devices…
I hope some sweet dev will see it within their hearts and minds to be open to the possibilities of such a device, akai should do it themselves but if not hopefully someone else
Bitwig on a Steamdeck, or Linux comparable is probably the power to size champ over all other portable machines. It’s the desktop daw running full tilt.
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That sounds like a nightmare.
The beauty of the M8 is that the UI, the controls, and the software are perfectly designed to work together. Using a full DAW through the game controls on a Steamdeck sounds like hell.
Edit to say that I really would love a way to make the M8 more playable. I love it how it is, but sometimes I want to hit pads. Right now I do that with the Move, and sample the results into the M8, or use the Move’s pads to play the M8’s instruments. Maybe I need to make a 3D-printed thingy so I can clip the M8 to the side of the Move.
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Sonicware is the closest with the small form factor and pads. I never liked their physical design or OS, so no experience with the newer devices. Bentobox in later development might be the closest there is with nice hardware.
Hierarchy
.
.
.
HandHelds -
Dirtywave M8,
polyend tracker mini,
Woovebox,
Vekts, PO-33
some would say sonicware lo-fi’s are handhelds
.
portables - ,
ableton Move,
1010 Bento,
polyend tracker OG,
circuit rhythm,
T.E. EP-133
sonicware Livens
synthstrom Deluge, etc…
Roland SP-404mk2
.
Mobiles -
Digitakt
MPC Live,
MPC one,
octatrack etc…
.
Stay Home -
Push 3,
MPC X,
Maschine + etc…
.
I didn’t list everything under the sun as it’s just a reference for talking about form factors.
You could make a case for an Ultra portable class as well but it’s probably not necessary as it doesn’t matter how light a device is it still wouldn’t be a handheld, but I guess Ipads are the exception to that rule
Just get the new OXI ONE MK2 and an IPAD Air M3…Treat the Air purely as a sound module and even a dirty secret (stash it out of sight)…Bluetooth up the OXI One and away you go…killer sounds and the best sequencer on the planet - done.
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I love the Oxi BT to my ipad. I wish the Oxi had drum pads and a grid…cant have everything!
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and sample import and sample editior
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And built in synths and granular engines.
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I just think the OXI ONE and IPAD AIR M3 is the perfect combo…Once you set up the synths/drum machine in the IOS AUM host - you will never need to look at the ipad once - if the bluetooth allows - hell it could be in another room… Its the most powerful way of making music in a super compact form…And it pisses over the M8 - the OXI can do chords for starters. IOS synths are particularly strong recently - Waldorfs Microwave Wavetable synth sounds amazing…Loads of granular options too
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I was thinking the same. To get an Oxi to my Air M3.
But I’m on the same page. I love live input too. Finger drumming and shit. IVe had the Launchpad Pro for a week. And it does both seq and live input, but only 4 tracks. It was cool with the M8 though.
I’m the end I’ve ended up slapping a Widi Host to my USB C powered MPC 1000, and it’s dope.
Wonder if that is on the horizon now SD cards are part of it
I wish, but i would be pleasantly surprised if ever
How “playable” is the OXI for you guys that own one?