MPC Thread : MPC Live - MPC X - MPC One (Part 2)

[LyingDalai]

This discussion is certainly very interesting, but absolutely not on topic, and you knew that from the beginning, @djst.

Please continue this discussion somewhere else,

Ableton Live 11

Some random notes for you here… I’m someone who occasionally gets the “grass is greener” feeling as an Ableton user who sometimes looks at Logic, but the Ableton workflow keeps me there. Ableton is all about building blocks which can apply to your songs in Session View, your Instruments, Drums or Effects in racks. For sampling and resampling, it’s well known as being one of the best if not the best - the grid based editing of audio clips is super smooth. Then you have the fun and games of Max F…

Ableton Live: workflow, tips & tricks / Q & A

Thanks I’ve just discovered multi-track editing on “linked tracks". [Linked Tracks and Multi-Track Editing // What's New in Ableton Live 11]

Or your own

MPC Live 2 vs Push 3 Standalone (w/ Live Suite)

[mpc-vs-push] I really enjoy the tactile, hands-on nature of grooveboxes. At the same time, I want to make finished tracks in the end, not just jam live for the fun of it. Regardless of which groovebox I’m using, there’s always a point where I go from exploring and sketching, to transitioning into mixing and working on the final arrangement of a track. The MPC Live 2 and the Push 3 (with Live Suite) are two of the most fully featured standalone grooveboxes and production centers out there. Ev…

Or start another one.

This shows little respect for MPC users that hang in this thread.

[djst]

Indeed, this is drifting off topic. To bring it back to the topic of MPC, it seems that just about the only step you save with the MPC’s export to Ableton feature is having to name your tracks manually and setting the master tempo. Other than that, it’s just like exporting audio stems and dragging them into a new project manually in any other DAW.

So in conclusion, I’d say that the Ableton export feature was a bit disappointing. It would have been more useful if it would automatically create clips for each sequence of the MPC project.

I’ll take the more Ableton-specific questions to a better thread. Thanks all!

Edit: I saw your note about not being respectful towards others and just want to say that this was absolutely not my intention. My apologies.

[GovernorSilver]

I don’t mind that the question of how best to export one’s MPC project to an Ableton Live project came up.

Thanks to those who responded with useful info. I’m taking notes!

Elsewhere, I’ve seen advice to move/copy/whatever your MPC standalone project to the MPC (desktop) software… then run MPC Software instances as plugins inside of Ableton. That might be worth having a play with.

[DeKneus]

I bought Jura, Fabrik, Op4, delay pro and Flavor pro a while ago on discount.

I really like jura as synth. Fabrik is good as rompler but nothing special. Op4 is a nice fm beast.

Delay pro and flavor pro are also really nice fx.
Flavor really adds grit and is way better than the free flavor. Delay pro is the best delay in the mpc eco system.

I didn’t regret buying them in discount, but the normal prices are a bit steep.

[adamc]

Tried the rest:

• Air Stage Piano and Air Stage EP, no need if you have Fabric
• Jura Chorus, I don’t care for Junos
• Air Delay Pro, I think if using it for drum kits and very percussive stuff it’d probably work better but I found it ended up way too muddy for sustained sound like I’d use with wind synths
• Air Flavor Pro, makes it really easy to get LoFi sounds out and add some character to the sound without completely overpowering it
• FlexBeat, these are some really unique effects and some of the momentary/gate stuff works pretty nicely with sustained sounds. Some of the effects can be very overpowering and probably better as a subtle thing with the dry/wet turned down. Also this is I think the only plugin I had to actually press play to hear it kick in as most will still operate without playing the track.

[Poetic-Noise]

@adamc

Air Delay Pro, I think if using it for drum kits and very percussive stuff it’d probably work better but I found it ended up way too muddy for sustained sound like I’d use with wind synths

This FX has a clear feature to prevent the mud build up. It useful on more than just percussion. It has 2 types delays; digital & analog. How long did you “try” before you made that conclusion?

Sorry, but please try again & don’t just rely on the fx presets like most.

Maybe this demo by Joe Filburn will help:

AIR Delay Pro - A Sonic Explorer's Guide

[adamc]

@Poetic-Noise

This FX has a clear feature to prevent the mud build up.

Yeah I kept fiddling with it but I wasn’t finding it as useful without a clear transient.

[Noisebuddy]

Are you satisfied with the probability-mode per step? I sometimes wish it has the A:B feature found on Elektrons.

[Automageddon]

Probability is too random, I would have preferred a more programmable approach, like the Elektron step sequencer, but it would be too fiddly on the screen…

[CCMP]

@Noisebuddy

I sometimes wish it has the A:B feature found on Elektrons.

It does have an Elektron style A:B (or 1:2, 2:2 up to 1:4, 4:4) functionality if you know how to manipulate the 4 sample slots in a Drum Program’s Program Edit.
Plus, you can use the same section for randomness (@ 25%, 50% and 75%).
And, let’s not forget you can get this repeatable by extending your sequence length way beyond the 64 step/4 bar limit of Elektrons.

Like a lot of things with the MPC, it’s all doable when you know the MPC and adapt to its way of doing things, no need to wish.

[Automageddon]

There is a difference between doable and usable.
And yes, it can be done but it’s just not as usable as on the Elektron boxes.
It’s just a different type of sequencer with a different mentality.
I program Elektron sequences, I play MPC sequences. Different state of mind for me.

[CCMP]

@Automageddon

There is a difference between doable and usable.
And yes, it can be done but it’s just not as usable as on the Elektron boxes.

But this cuts both ways, right?
Think about the ‘extra work’ needed to make an Elektron box do what you can do with a 16 or 32 bar sequence in the MPC… like having to scroll through and create fills, etc, or 8:8 type events for a turnaround… it’s way faster in the MPC to get there from a one to four bar pattern… and that’s without going into the Prog Edit to do what I referred to above.
And it’s 100% usable…

@Automageddon

I program Elektron sequences, I play MPC sequences. Different state of mind for me.

Completely agree with you here. Different mental approach for me too, I really like both.

[Noisebuddy]

Yeah, this is an approach I’ve already done. I guess it has to do with the way I’ve got used to on my Elektrons … 16 steps pattern length and the trig-probability, rarely more steps because I lost the oversight in the past

Of course I can use the MPC-sw to overcome the screen-fiddling on my Live and it is doable. In some ways I wish my Elektrons would have an editor for the sequencer because it would expand the capability of the boxes (Accent, Slide, Trigmute, Swing) beyond it’s live-purpose.

Anyway, back on topic …

as @Automageddon stated:

@Automageddon

I program Elektron sequences, I play MPC sequences. Different state of mind for me.

there is nothing to add

[Striker10]

Does anyone still get messages on current firmware re authorising plugins?

[DaGeek]

Drum Synth is free with any purchase at PluginBoutique …

Drum Synth

[J-Hz]

One of the best plugins on the mpc imo.

[Poetic-Noise]

All demo’s by Watermark High

BEEF UP your drum breaks with MPC’s DRUM SYNTHS!

BEEF UP your drum breaks with MPC’s DRUM SYNTHS!

The same guy that did this:

The Ultimate Guide to Mastering the MPC’s Flavor Pro Plugin

The Ultimate Guide to Mastering the MPC's Flavor Pro Plugin

This was dope too so here you go!

Chop your samples like THIS!

Chop your samples like THIS!

[subduct]

Does the drum synth come bundled with MPC Live 2? I can’t quite tell.
Maybe the single instance but not the multi?

[J-Hz]

The drum synth comes with the standalone mpcs

[Automageddon]

Both single and multi are on all current MPCs