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

The Lounge Other Gear
#1769

I havent used the originals so it’s not a comparison i can make. What i can say for sure, and this is why I won’t be getting one, is that the software it’s based around is currently average at best and I don’t see it improving that much that it will be a must have. The portability is a nice feature though.

I think it’s created a lot of buzz because namm this year had less big releases. I love accumulating gear but having sampled the software and hardware in the Touch format I always go back to the Octatrak.

I don’t want to kill the buzz but the hype in this thread is pretty High so I wanted to give a bit of input based on my usage. And I’m not impressed…

1 Like
#1770

Hard to find another term for DAW.
Audio Super Software ?

4 Likes
#1771

If you’re looking at it as a daw I totally agree. I’d much rather use ableton or Sonar.

But as a standalone hardware sequencer it looks next level. For linear, polyphonic sequencing it seems miles ahead of Elektron sequencing? For anyone wanting to sequence a polyphonic part with lots of timing/polyphonic variation it looks worth grabbing just for that. And for sound design with polyphonic samples that you can save as patches. Those things are a pretty big deal for me but obvs YMMV depending on your music.

Besides chords etc, the idea you can have a full drumkit and 8 note polyphony (or 64 note!) on one ‘track’, as opposed to using all my OT tracks up to do this…and be able to save the kit for use in other projects etc. Thats a big deal for me in some situations.

And when you start to pair Live with Op1 or/and OT… That’s pretty much all bases covered for me. Without even using the ‘daw’ side of the mpc. Tho I’m not gonna hate on it for having those extra features :wink:

6 Likes
#1772

Nope.

MPC = Midi Production Center.

The MPCs have been analog based when it comes to sampling until the MPC2500. Digital input was optional on the MPC2000. But they are still midi arrangers and the MPC Live and X will be as well.

#1773

I thought it would be
MPC = Music Production Center…
:slight_smile:

#1774

That was and is true for the early models … but the term “Music-Production-Center” was used by Akai later, at least since MPC 1000 etc. :wink:

Edit: Just checked … even MPC 3000 was “Production”, MPC 2000 was “Midi” :wink:

#1775

Fair enough. But you see, for us MPC affectionados, the hype is very real. I would actually go as far as to say that we already know pretty well what we’re getting ourselves into, and most of us seem impressed about it. It will not be everybody’s cup of tea, but it is undeniably an advancement for standalone MPCs.

Nothing is a must-have, it’s all subjective and depends on a multitude of factors.

3 Likes
#1776

To understand us MPC fanboys, you should give it a try yourself. The MPC provided always a very simple and intuitive workflow and the saying was, you don’t even need to read the manual, to get your head around … which is true to a certain degree :wink:

I hold my old MPC in honor because of this and what it can do for audio and midi. There are some features in the new releases, which are a great step forward, after seeing computer controllers over the recent years only. For many of us a MPC is an instrument, an audio engine, a sampler, an audio and midi recorder, a midi sequencer in one package, for which we have developed muscle memories. And we saw them passing away. Only a few experts in the world left to repair a broken machine, repairs not cheap (as with many vintage gear) … Now new-built machines with updated and new features, the announced capability to load up projects from elder machines, and good looking … that’s what makes us happy. :smiley:

2 Likes
#1777

There’s nothing like the Mpc live currently. We have specialised devices like the OT (basic midi spec), square pyramid (midi only), Roland sp404sx (just for loops and streaming but limited), and so on etc etc. But the live nearly brings all of that together in one box. May not compete with the likes of those devices where they particularly excell, but it’s shaping up to cover the bases. The trade off for all of this could be moving away from embedded processors, but so far doesn’t look like it’s going to be issue either. Streaming 24-bit audio files, long midi files, decent time stretching and producing a remix while travelling will massively outweigh all of that. But we’ll have to see.

2 Likes
#1778

Are you serious? I’d like to hear about the analogue samples you use :joy:

Oh shit it must have been all those tiny analogue tape machines in my 4000 that made it soooooo big and heavy :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

#1779

Which ASS are you rocking? Hahahaha :grin:

#1780

Exactly this!

#1781

I definately plan to own one of the “legacy” MPC’s, how-ever I just can’t get along with the current MPC software.

The touch screen interface was relatively lag free, but it just doesn’t feel right working on music that way. The presentation is bland, hasn’t changed much at all by the looks of the Live demo’s.

It almost feels like you are using a cheap tablet and a badly designed app. I would imagine using the previous models of MPC being reasonably similar to using the Elektron boxes. The touch screen takes away from the tactile feeling of moving dials, buttons and knobs.

It is possible to do a bit of editing via the buttons but because these controls are so limited it’s not very satisfactory.

If you watch the demos and the way Andy touches the screen with those dainty little touches. Thats what it’s like to use. Like the screens too small for its content, it’s not satisfying at alll. It’s hard to describe but I never really got on with using ipad music apps and the mpc is like using a poorly designed app.

I think it annoyed me because i expected more having read about the passion mpc users have for their instruments. I picked the duff version and there seems to be little difference in the live.

Just one more thing, the physical dials feel like the buttons on an Etch a Sketch, the whole build lacks in quality, apart from the excellent pads.

Reading this back i sound such a moaner, apologies for such a negative post.

#1782

Really interested in this kind of feedback. If the Live feels the way you’re describing (very cheap and fiddly) then I don’t think I’ll hold on to it. But from sonicstate reviews/namm etc everyone seems to be saying the opposite? Solid/responsive etc… Tho for the price/functions ratio I guess I could cope with it not feeling super high quality, as long as it isn’t annoying to use… Interested to hear reviews start appearing… Pre-ordered but can cancel any time.

#1783

Whilst MPCs are legendary machines the company is now owned by numark which is not a company I see on same level as classic akai. They have produced inferior products since taking over and I no longer consider akai products to be the high end products they once were, it’s numark with a different logo.

Still though on paper it looks great and I’m interested just not holding out for it be like a classic mpc

1 Like
#1784

It is responsive, and the software did respond as intended so i wouldn’t argue with that. It’s just the whole touch screen experience is not satisfactory. For example when editing a sample it’s only really useful for zooming in and out. Useless for the fine details. Its like your fingers are too big for the screen and you’d be better with a touch pen. Hence the dainty screen touches in the demos.

l’ll make this my last input as i’m reminding myself of the folk grumbling about the Nintendo Switch, the killjoys :slight_smile:

#1785

Can you not just use knobs when editing sample start/end points? I hate fine editing samples with touchscreen on ipad :confused:

#1786

You can yes, and you need to. It’s just in the demos Andy emphasises how quick and easy sample editing is with the touch screen when in fact the touch is a hinderance to what you’re trying to do, your fingers block your view.

Also when editing an individual note, it’s really fiddly, like you’re trying to pick up hundreds and thousands with the tip of your finger. For those confused hundreds and thousands are multi coloured cake toppings the size of pin heads :wink:

#1787

If you read my reply properly instead of trying to be a smart ass, I talk about “analog sampling” not “analog samples”. Which means that the input to the machine is analog, then converted to digital with A/D converters.

1 Like
#1788

No problem really then? Touchscreen is an option but you don’t ‘have’ to use it :wink: Obvs when promoting it Andy is gonna be focused on Touchscreen, I think akai mistakenly feel like that’s the thing that impresses people. But for most hardware users I think they’d rather use a touchscreen as little as poss and just see it as a great screen :wink: As long as I have the option to use knobs for sample editing like on OT etc thats fine :slight_smile: