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

The Lounge Other Gear
#6364

Yeah I was ready to sell mine, I’ve actually already replaced it with an Toraiz SP-16 in my setup, but today I thought I’d give it another chance.

I’m actually quite impressed with what’s possible with a little more planning and setup work than I would usually invest in one of my Elektron devices - so in terms of immediacy, you are absolutely right about being “spoiled” here!

I did a jam just now with only MPC Live’s internal sounds (so a drum program, a keygroup and two Tube synth plugins), just to explore whether I can make it work.

Using the Q-Link mappings on project level, I’ve mapped a few transition parameters to the four pages available (LPF Cutoff, LPF Resonance, Delay Time/Feedback/Mix, Reverb Time/Mix, etc) and set them to be momentary, that means: I can close the filter and open its resonance and as soon as I let go it jumps back to its original values. Handy for performance.

Then I discovered that I can long press Q-Link button to jump between the Project and Program Q-Link assignments quite quickly. And what is more, if I turn one of the momentary controls from my project Q-link page and then jump to the program Q-link page without letting go of the Q-Link, the value doesn’t reset. So effectively I can use this to dial in the “base values” the control jumps back to once I release it, all without leaving the screen I’m on. A bug maybe, but to my needs it’s a feature :grin:

Some of the other stuff I want to do can only be done with an additional midi controller attached to the MPC Live. So I have an MPD218 there today where the pads are mapped to Track Mutes - that’s handy because now I can have eg the XY pad open, manipulate that on the MPC’s touchscreen while muting and unmuting tracks as needed. This is cool for transitions and variations.

I’ve also “macro mapped” a few controls to the MPD’s knobs, ie multiple values/parameters controlled by a single knob (eg Cutoff + Resonance (inverse) on Knob 1, Delay Feedback + Delay Mix + Reverb Time + Reverb Mix on Knob 2 etc etc). This allows me to perform effects/variations/transitions while still having a hand free to eg play a new melodic line on the MPC’s pads. I WISH the MPC could do that natively, ie map multiple parameters to a single Q-Link…it’s little things like this which make me wonder about Akai’s design decisions and customer-centricity…they seem to hold on to limitations and awkward workflow elements from the first MPCs just for the sake of “authenticity”. Making macro mappings available for Q-Links seems like a fairly easy thing to implement given what’s already there (and would massively improve the MPC’s usability in use cases such as mine), yet they continue to hold on to this (and other) limitation. Case in point - an MPC1000 with JJOSXL can do this (map multiple parameters to its faders), but an MPC1000/2500 without JJOS cannot…ie, it took a FORMER Akai employee programming his own OS for such features to land on an MPC.

The same goes for the aforementioned Erase behaviour…why I can’t just clear a track’s contents during playback (eg by pressing SHIFT + ERASE) is a total mystery to me. Anyway, I’ve worked around that limitation today by preparing two tracks per program so that I can mute one and immediately record on the other for an emulation of that Elektron behaviour. To make this work, the attached MPD218’s pads mapped to track mutes help here, so I can mute Track A on the MPD while I have Track B still in focus on the MPC Live with a Pad Perform Layout ready to record a new variation. (I then go into Track A and delete midi events in the piano roll as suggested @sndrsklr, so I don’t have to prep more than two tracks per program. So thank you! :))

With these choices/workarounds I just had a fairly successful live jam in my studio, and an enjoyable one as well.

I’ll see if any of these insights will help me bring my MPC Live back into my live setup, ideally as a Midi Looper/sequencer.

And now I’m also thinking of placing the MPC Live into my Mixer’s Master Inserts so that I can use those XY pad effects on the entire mix when need be…not sure if that’ll be possible in terms of internal routing of the MPC, but let’s see.

I thought I’d write this up as I tend to bitch quite heavily about the MPC Live on this forum, lol, and I do see it’s potential today so yeah.

4 Likes
#6365

Now that I’ve spent some time studying the MPC Live workflow and can see which parameters the Q-Links are editing it’s been a pleasure to use. I’ve been exploring the drum synth and it has some very interesting percussion sounds.

2 Likes
#6366

Are there any at least half-serious projections of how Akai plans to develop the MPC X? I’m asking because, even though I like my MPC One well enough, in my particular setup, I have a lot of use for the X’s larger and angled screen so that I can sometimes place it farther away from me while still being able to see and operate the screen. The 12 extra Q-link knobs would also be to die for, but at this cost, the 4-year-old X wouldn’t be worth it to me given I already have a One. On the other hand, if the X had more computing power or onboard storage or whatever, then it might start ticking enough boxes to be feasible for me.

While I’m mulling it over, I wonder if people with experience of Akai’s MPC development in this area have any thoughts about what we’re likely to see and when we’re likely to see it in the way of a refreshed X. I realize it’s kind of a silly question to speculate like this, but aside from personal want lists, I wonder what people more in the know than me think.

#6367

MPC since '96
This version of Akai and its new MPCs have seen regular point updates since launch. I owned an MPC live from June of 2017 until Sept of 2020.
While the updates were coming every quarter more or less, it appeared to me that there was never enough attention to the OS on the whole. In my 25 years experience with Akai, I know they are going to disappoint. The new MPC are not very inspiring to perform with. Powerful but clumsy. I don’t want to have to connect 2 controllers and have to map them for every project as there was no effective way to create a proper master template.
Akai developers aren’t real users. No love in the design at all… Software and Hardware. I felt it using it every single time.
It does a lot. I learned it in and out. Made some good stuff and there were moments where I said “I couldn’t do this with any other box.”
Akai doesn’t love it. It will have mediocre improvments going forward is what I predict. I could be wrong of course, but I have no desire to look at that fugly ass display ever again lol.
It will be never be classic or even particularly noteworthy in a couple years. Disposable, like a microwave or an iPad 3 maybe.
The next wave of boxes from companies whose developers LOVE will push the bar or Maybe Roger Linn will return to put an end to Akai MPC once and for all.

4 Likes
#6368

I’m thinking more in the way of updated hardware rather than software. Maybe more memory or CPU power isn’t terribly important for most users given what these devices already do. In my case, I recently bought the One purely as a sound module for percussion, and it’s been great for that—and cheaper and more flexible than my Nord Drum 3P’s. An X would defeat the cost effectiveness, but I could also use those bigger pads because the One’s pads are too small for the kind of fingerdrumming I’m dedicated to because there’s not enough space for finger trills (stroke rolls). If Akai were to make an X mkII with enough CPU power to increase the number of plugins from 8 to 16, that’s something I could really use. If I could have 25 to match the number of triggers on my percussion controller, it would be worth it to me to pay the $2k to use an X only as a sound module for synthesized percussion.

1 Like
#6369

I agree with you. Same feelings.
These MPC’s are made to sell.
Anyway the price/quality/features ratio is still high and hard to beat.
These are very deep and capable machines. With 2.8 update the MIDI management is unparalleled.
A new MPC with build quality on par with older MPC’s, would probably cost more than 2x the price.

3 Likes
#6370

In Australia the X cost 3grand. The Live $1800. And the One $1350.

2 Likes
#6371

RYTM cost 3K Octa 2500 and DT 1450. Seems everything costs about +20% over there…
Probably due to higher shipping costs and customs expenses (often an hassle to clear australian customs).

1 Like
#6372

I’ve never been an MPC user, and I paid about $722 USD for my One as well worth the price even for the limited way I intend to use it. That’s before shipping and customs, but still the same total cost as my Nord Drum 3P.

His next project is an “expressive drum machine,” so more of a Tempest replacement than MPC competitor. I’m looking forward to it.

1 Like
#6373

I complain about MPCs the way rappers complain about microphones

1 Like
#6374

rcmusic is correct. you will need a midi->USB to make the MPC control the iPad via MIDI…

#6375

Really Love it… it brings me back so memories as a young man with the s2000 damn

1 Like
#6376

Bro there’s an open box in my area too. I am waiting just in case the X gets a retro paint job. Waiting for NAMM to finish first.

#6377

Anyone know if there’s a way to reset a program or preset for a program. Was thinking of setting up Qlink parameters for effects a little like Ctrl all on elektron but might need to reset the program in case things get out of control?

#6378

Ok just realised the QLink page has a reset function which should work!

EDIT: also has a cool momentary option which automatically resets the Qlink to saved state when you let go of the knob.

1 Like
#6379

can anyone comment on the quality of the drum synthesis - can it get as crazy as a machinedrum or rytm?

also, if I just wanted an MPC as a drum machine, would it be better to go with the live, or an MPC1000 with JJOS?

I want something to compliment my rytm as I use it so much I just need a different flavor sometimes

#6380

heh nothing is as crazy as a machine drum! One of the secrets is of course 16 free-running LFOs

The MPC drum synth is competent. Has a slightly weird architecture for programs but your can get your head around that.

I think the Live is a better bet than an MPC1k/JJOS even though I have some pet grievances. My old MPC went into storage… The price dfference doesn’t seem great enough to grab an old machine instead (in AU anyway).

#6381

does the MPC drum synthesis have a lot of LFOs?

#6382

not that I can see (I’ve only used a few of the instruments in the plugin) - it’s more like the drum synth in Maschine. There’s more LFO action in the sample-drum program architecture though no free-running modulation.

#6383

I’ve owned quite a few drum machines and walked the path from Mpc to elektron myself. I would never go back to MPC again. The current rytm is so much more an instrument to me then the mpc. The newer mpc’s are way too reliant on the touch screen and the interface is just not that intuitive. Even though I went all the way to the MPCX and forced myself to do as much as possible with the knobs. They are great machines from a functional standpoint and the pads are excellent, but I couldn’t gel with it in the end. I would recommend to compliment the rytm with a much simpler machine. I myself have a Tanzbär, but even a tanzmaus. Maybe drumbrute wich has a great interface (I don’t like most sounds though). If it’s drumsynth you’re after I would recommend micro tonic, although it’s not hardware

1 Like