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

Just tried the Live out in the shop - disappointed that I can feel the latency when finger drumming. Was hoping it would be snappier.

TIL you can connect the octatrack to the Live as a disk to copy files!

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That’s what I was hoping too :ecstatic:

You can??? And you’re sure the samps were trimmed tight?

Yep, the latency in standalone seems to affect all programs. I assume this is the same for all units, not just the one I tried. I used about ten or so preset kits and instruments. It’s only a small amount of latency - probably doesn’t matter for a lot of people - but it’s enough that rapid finger drumming and quick rolls have to be done by physical feel, ignoring the sonic lag, which is kind of a bummer for a percussionist who wants to follow his ears. I’m very sensitive to this, and I’m used to the ultra-snappy response of the Nord Drum 2 + Pad and other low latency hardware units like the Wavedrum. It’s the kind of thing that could be accommodated for with practice, but it seems it’s just the same as a computer with a low buffer setting. Keygroup programs feel like they might even be a bit slower than drum programs. Overall, I’m still interested, but this is a bummer as finger drumming with self-created patches was the biggest hook for me.

really? i saw this video in mpc live group, sound smooth to me?

This ^
I was finger drumming my latest album in Live and felt super tight!

Thanks for the report cause I’m quite sensible to latency and that’s why I don’t usually use my iPad , can’t stand the jerky response , midi timing even if some of those synth sound really good. I’m going to try it when available in my local store but I don’t have a great felling cause of the bugs, latency,
Etc.

Latency seems fine in the few finger drumming videos I’ve seen.

Good idea to try it out first. There’s much less latency than using an iPad touchscreen by the way. I think it will be fine for most people, possibly me too if I can get used to it, just bummed because I expected better.

I’m kind of glad I’m forcing myself to wait a few months so that I can get a proper warranty (waiting until I’ve moved to Australia). The demo unit also got pretty hot on the left side of the touch screen, which I’ve seen described elsewhere. Excess heat is the quickest way to kill battery life, so that’s kind of a bummer.

Some parts of the UI are a bit slow as well, like when selecting ā€œall keygroupsā€ from the dropdown list in program edit mode. The UI seems a bit undercooked right now. That kind of stuff can be fixed, but will it? Seems they’ve got a lot on their plate with updates.

Overall it still seems like a great machine though, and I’m hoping I still feel good about buying one a few months down the line.

I’ve been using a couple of Wavedrums for the past few years, but I’ve not felt any noticeable latency on the Mpc Live. I’m without the Live for a week or so, but when I get it back I’m going to really focus on comparing the response of both.

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Latency when finger drumming on my MPC Touch/MAC Mini SSD also noticed , its not too bad . The MPC Live = high end tablet inserted into a MPC Touch with more I/O.-exactly so of course you will get some latency because of the linux OS.

mhmmh… i didnt feel the latency at all. its very responsive to me. even when playing 16th rolls (not with note repeat, i mean playing it :-))… thats actually the reason i have it and like it… maybe everyone should try out before buy, but as a former mpc 2500 user, i do NOT experience more latency in the live… maybe the shop unit was unstable and had to be rebooted :-))

With my fingerdrumming skills (or lack of em), I am not noticing any lag. But then again, I’m not going to be starring in Whiplash any time soon… We’re talking about 1/64th note quintuplet swing rolls here, right? I understand that higher percussive skills bring higher expectations tho.

How have you found the work flow going from the 2500?

Have you used a Push before? How does it compare latencywise to something like that?

If I understood him correctly, he states that the latency of the mpc live feels the same to him as a computer/push/ableton combo, which both lose to Nord Drum 2 and wavedrum in his opinion.

Anyone who feels a latency of 32 or even 64 samps of an ITB setup has a different kind of nervous system than me. I’m slow like that.

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No way those pads are the fastest I’ve come across

Oh yeah, latency. Let’s go there.

Let’s assume a sample rate of 48 kHz and let’s be generous and go for a latency of 128 samples. This will give a delay of 128 Ć· 48000 = 0,0027 seconds or 2.7 ms.

For the speed of sound we use 343 m/s (that’s in dry air at 20°C).

Now let’s calculate the distance sound can travel through air in 2.7 ms: 343 Ɨ 0,0027 = 0,9 m.

Yup, that’s right. Less than a meter. That’s about the distance between your hands and your ears when you clap your hands… :wink:

The lesson from this is that latency is always present in any kind of analog as well as in digital audio. I highly recommend http://whirlwindusa.com/support/tech-articles/opening-pandoras-box/ if you find this subject interesting.

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In short… lightyears faster… didnt like the sequencer in 2500 or jjos… too much ā€œclicksā€ā€¦ its pretty much close to the old workflow, but with the new bigger screen superfast… loadinng a sample, edit start and end, chop it to pads, play it… like 20 seconds :-))

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