Crazy deal in Sweden tonight on “Blocket” in case anyone wants an MPC X. Sub $900.
3 Likes
Why don’t you grab it?
Compare the One, Live 2 and X together and keep your favourite? 
Congrats. The X is a beast!!
It becomes an otherwordly controller with the 16 Q-links with OLED screens 
2 Likes
Yeah got mine for 700€ used. Nuts.
I played around with it for 15min now, the mode buttons alone make a decent difference (I guess that’s the edge the MPC One has also over the og Live), but really those q-links with the little screen strips and the q-link modes laid out as tactile buttons look like the big one in terms of workflow/immediacy.
If I dig this, I will sell my MPC Live and give this a nice spot in my studio. (it’s definitely NOT portable lol, even though I know a guy who gigs with it and carries it in his bagpack…but I wouldn’t :))
4 Likes
I honestly thought about buying it just to resell it, but then again maybe the Swedish used market is a really dry one. I have no space for an X anyway. 
1 Like
Cheers mate, yeah it’s huge 
I’ll have to take my time with it, but first impressions are definitely positive.
2 Likes
1 Like
Here a few first impressions after messing with the MPC X for a few hours last night and this morning (to contextualise for future reference: I’ve owned an MPC Live Mk1 for a few years so this is in comparison to the Live)
Stuff I like:
-
Q-Links are very good and improve the workflow considerably for me (in particular the OLED strips really do make a difference compared to using a 16 knob midi controller with TheKikGen’s mod on the Live)
-
Same goes for F-Key mod button — super nice to “convert” the mode buttons underneath the screen to function buttons mapped to the bottom row of functions on the screen - less touch screen action and more of a classic MPC workflow / vibe.
-
The navigation pad also is a big improvement (again less touch screen interaction needed, which I like)
-
Mode buttons are good. I’m fluent on the MPC Live with its shortcuts (menu + track), but dedicated buttons still makes a difference to me, regardless
-
The piano roll is better and somewhat more fluid to use with the F-Key mod key latched in combination with the selector knob.
-
The integrated XLR inputs, instrument jacks in the front and all the gain staging knobs on top of the device as part of the main interface are a great value add for me over the Live.
-
I love having the “physical” level meter on the top right of the hardware.
-
I prefer the screen above the pads (MPC X, MPC One) rather than to the right of them (Live). Feels more “connected” and natural to me
Stuff I wish were different:
-
I still wish I could delete a track’s content at once while playback is running
-
I still wish I could loop a pad SP404 style (one shot + hold / or set it to loop). I know that’s what clip programs are for, but I want to loop harmonic samples (eg chord progressions) and switch between 2-3 loops on the fly while finger drumming, and that’s just not possible with clip programs (at least I wouldn’t know how). And even not for that use case, why not just allow me to loop a one shot pad, why is that greyed out (but does work in note on or note off(!) playback mode)
-
The piano roll still hides zoom in/out behind the separate zoom tool. If the zoom were a constantly available layer underneath the other three tools (pen, erase, select) it would be MUCH better. The way it goes now, it’s a lot of tool switching just to get the right view in…and just how inconvenient and unintuitive this is you can see in the latest MPC 2.11 preview on sonicstate, where Andy Mac struggles to select a few notes then messes up the zoom which in turn makes it hard to select the right notes and so on
-
I wish there were a “latch” mode for the q-links…ie if I’m in program edit on the filter page and I’m focussed on eg pad A4, I’d love to be able to press a button and “latch” that particular q-link mapping to the q-links, so that when I switch to eg track mute mode, I could still manipulate eg the filter cutoff of the pad I had in focus. I know I can programme a set of permanent Q-Link mappings in the q-link project page, but such a latch mode would make it much more performance friendly.
-
I haven’t thought of this before, but with the X’s 10” screen, I kind of wish I could “split screen” modes…or even just latch one mode to the pads and another to the screen (as is possible to some extend already, eg with Pad Perform settings).
-
I’d love for the numerical pad to have a secondary function (eg enable the aforementioned q-link latch, or use it to jump sequences…anything really — it’s not super useful to me as is :))
All in all the MPC X feels quite a bit better to me than the Live. Most of the things I (still) don’t like / lament, are true for all MPCs of this range. I will say though that the Live has that portable, instrument feel due to its form factor, whereas the MPC X really lets me know that I’m sitting in front of a full fledged workstation that does everything.
9 Likes
+1 on this, I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve attempted to zoom out and accidentally drawn in a dozen new notes. Sort out a fast and reliable way of zooming and much of the frustration of using the piano roll would be fixed, I think.
4 Likes
you can delete track content during playback via grid edit, just select all and erase. not perfect but it works
you can loop pads 404 style by turning on note on in program edit, setting it to loop and then on the main page under track change TRANSPOSE to anything but 0. just set it to one. this stops the mpc sending note off messages and the pad will loop infinitely. spoke about this a long way back in the other thread. not an intentional feature but it works! you can put loops in a mute group too on that program. turn transpose back to 0 it will end the loop
use your q links to zoom and scroll in piano roll! bottom right two under screen control
agreed quickly mapping Q links like that would be useful. I just take it as thats not the approach on MPC its very much about structure and knowing what you want set up ahead of time. its a bit rigid compared to some workflows but it can be quite rewarding as far as not fucking up a set. your tracks are simply where they are, your FX are in the order you put them in and the q links are mapped to whatever you prepared for yourself. its work but I think their vision is to build your own path then follow it. I recommend setting up your own start up template asap. you can set your default plugins, BPM, sequence length and template in the settings. theres still lots of room for enjoying live performance, you just need a solid direction
yeah some places I wish the pads wouldnt change. like id love to be able to use pad perform in the looper. I just play things into the sequence then use looper to resample that. same result different method
and as for num pad I feel like its a bit of a homeage to the old MPC format more than anything. ive pretty much only used it to rename the Q links to their regular CC numbers in order quickly
glad youre enjoying your new MPC man. I find its such a big and powerful unit that you really do have to focus on it as your full control centrepiece. ive used a live and a one and they dont have the same space-station-captain feel. you really have to move right in and let it consume your whole focus and then it becomes a monster. I actually struggle a bit with this sometimes because I feel like im underutilising it when I turn it on and it just has to be the middle man between whatever else im doing 
hope some of this helps
5 Likes
Thank you for the tips and the encouragement, both very much appreciated 
1 Like
I really wish the MPC One had this. My mpc2000xl has this and I prefer it for navigating over the touchscreen
2 Likes
that’s kinda it…I wrote AKAI about the shit rubberized coating. I try to keep my shit as clean as possible, but its gotten SO tacky, its disgusting. almost gooey. and I think on comparison to a hard core user, my hands aren’t on it nearly as much as theirs might be. makes me wonder how gnarly someone else’s more used box is.
they better respond and offer up some kinda remedy. I understand buttons going off…but a whole box is pretty gross.
noting: the buttons are actually FINE. the case is messed up. 
wish the +/- buttons controlled the zoom, in piano roll view.
4 Likes
I once had a piece of electronic gear with that nasty rubberized coating. I finally just had to basically saturate it in rubbing alcohol and scrub the coating off. Not fun. Wish manufacturers would think about the future of the gear before they used it, it always turns into a sticky mess over time. If there wasn’t the retro option I wouldn’t have bought the live II just for that simple reason.
I think there are vinyl skins you can buy for the live ii, you might want to look into that.
1 Like
ya thanks. ive been pointed in the direction of the skins. that idea is on standby. I wanna see what or if AKAI have a response to what I wrote.
I like the Live a lot. I dont want Live2, and I would not feel comfortable selling the Live like this.
id strip it…but I still kinda reference the stuff thats printed on there.
I totally think this is one for the manufacturer to address.
1 Like
Would you mind sharing some detailed photos? I just bought a Live 2 and want to know what I just got myself into. 
not much to show in a pic. its all touch. the shiny is is actually REALLY sticky.
and THAT pic is clean. I mean thats kinda as clean as I can get it. the pic really shows the dust. it doesnt look SO bad in person…and thats tuff for me to say, cuz this pic is grossing me out.
1 Like
I skinned my live mk1 when I noticed some of the coating wearing off. I sold it not long after. I just don’t see any of these machines maintaining their value very long. They all feel cheap to me. I have a One now. It’s missing a bunch of hardware connections. but I got it cheap and no rubber coating like the standard Lives.
1 Like