MPC Thread : MPC Live - MPC X - MPC One (Part 1)

Don’t even know if I’m technically able to update :confused: Have never been able to get that pc connected to Internet for some reason. I’m first to admit I know Jack about that kind of stuff. But tried using my phone as hotspot connected via usb etc and no luck. Whereas on laptop that always works no problem. Plus everything is solid on that machine, purpose built audio tower, not really in to hitting possible problems with interfaces/plugins etc if update :frowning:

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Would have much preferred dual mic/guitar inputs to phono on the Live.

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You can still upgrade for free from win 7: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/accessibility/windows10upgrade?tduid=(14c348e893a91089cb2980533c6ee123)(256380)(2459594)(TnL5HPStwNw-0FBZfNm6YPFXNhiu3o52rA)()
All instructions about how to do it suitably is online.

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Thanks man, maybe I’ll look at it again if I grab the Live and when I finish the stuff I’m working on atm. Would prob make sense…

I can’t decide which to order - the Live would be perfect for my needs… but I can’t stop drooling over the X - which would be total overkill! Plus you can fit the Live on your lap :grinning:

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Im interesting in knowing if MPC Live can act as Usb midi host, and if the AD audio interface converter will compete with focusrite standard at a minimum.

It might not last forever, upgrade will then cost you 100.00 usd.

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Saw one vid where an akai rep said you can plug USB keyboard etc in to it, so yeah guess so? Think might have been the sweetwater vid. Should be killer with Op1 sequencers :slight_smile:

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Im thinking where I could save. No need to buy usb midi host or audio - midi interface if it is up to standard. Thats around 300 that could be put towards it, and less gear on the table.

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Still love my MPC2500 but will keep an eye on these new boxes

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The lfo function, as enveloppes and other functions assignable to samples stands imho inside the real guts of the mpc software, what make it such a great gear compared to pioneer, but a limited tool in front of the OT. Theses functions will be for sure part of the standalone functions of these new MPC’s.

LFO : one lfo is available per sample, sample layer (4 layers) or sample program (4X16 samples layers)

Lfo is assignable to : pan, filter (more than 10 filters in prog mode, from LP to HP, BP with different curves, to legacy mpc 3000 filter (I like this one !), pitch and amplitude. They are syncable to tempo, on a varieties of time signatures.

An enveloppe is assignable to each filter, another to the amplitude of samples/sample layer/sample programs.

Lfo’s are not assignable to other parameters (midi, send/return effects, mixer, etc.)

I suggested akaï (via akai community forum) months ago to integrate lfos directly on q-links in mpc soft 2.0 (had no response)

P-locks : no p-locks… Sad, isn’t it ? But in its philosophy, Mpc is not a step sequencer, and all the parameters (effects, mixer, plugin controls, etc.) are automatable in the linear sequencer. In fact, that’s the one of the reason which made mo choose bitwig as main daw, with its ability to automate parameters per midi event or per audio event.

On the other hand each sample has 4 send effects slots (internal effects or vst’s/au/aax) You can use self-modulated fx, (mostly reaktor in my use) and control modulation parameters of these fx with assignable q-links, in real time, and record these modulations as automations.

Personaly I think mpc software is way more deep than it is often describe (simple sample trigger and linear sequencer), but modulations are more a question of making samples sound great than mangling with audio or midi tracks. In a sense, the mpc live/X could be coupled with an OT in a very complementary way.

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Yeah that is a lot of cash. Old MPCs were always expensive though. I remember drooling over a mates 2000 XL. That thing was a truck, and a truck load of cash.

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Great info. Can you decribe your experience with Bitwig, Overbridge, Reaktor and MPC? Do they all integrate together? How would MPC live assist this integration?

Looper functions on the old software seem pretty useful with potential. Should be even better with v2 OS if real-time timestrech and pitch are integrated in that area too. Think I’m gonna pre-order later today, looks like a killer box to partner up with OT and OP1.

There is a compatibility check … I would recommend to use it. At least it makes sure that your machine will properly work after the update.

I updated in summer last year … everything’s stable since and I think, I got more performance compared to Win7.

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Thanks for heads up :slight_smile:

Try and move to 64 bit if not already there with Win 7.

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Are you sure … at a general level?

I think that I can manage to record the Q-Links of my MPC 5k quite in a similar way as the p-locks on my electrons. It’s different, yes, but in gerneral it serves the same purpose. If the new stand-alone units povide some parameter editing in the “piano-roll-view” mode, we are almost there.

Wow, the experience you ask me to describe cover almost my entire setup !

Overbridge : works fine in mpc software 1.9.6, and in bitwig. But I don’t use it because of the more than 30 ms latency…

Reaktor : works fine in mpc software (few crashes induced in .vst with some cpu angry/unstable blocks patches (unstable in almost a chemical way lol), never crash on .au (I’m on macbook pro 2ghz 8g) But obviously reaktor will not be usable in standalone mode on the mpc live/x.

Mpc software as plugin in bitwig : a dream : up to 16 audio outputs, perfect syncing, works fine…

I use this combo in 3 ways :

  • Working on mpc, with reaktor and other plugs integrated. In this way I start new projects or manage simple hip hop beats to song mode, with pre-mix.
  • Working on bitwig : exporting my audio or midi tracks from mpc (audio and midi drag&drop is very cool and fast), for mixing them (sidechains, etc.)
  • Starting entire projects on bitwig, with the mpc as drum machine/sample trigger.)

A thing I like to do when working on the mpc is sending midi tracks to my a4, record them in A4 sequencer on the fly, mangling them with p-locks, automations, perf knobs, and eventually loop the result in the mpc to work on them as audio samples.

Mostly, I prefer to work first on the mpc because of its so fast workflow which made beatmaking a game, as I’m too lazy and too noob to achieve finalized electronic music projects. And as it compliment very well with A4 workflow.

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For now according to specifications and your needs, which one would you pick and for what reasons ?