I send my main outs to my mixer’s (Mackie 12 VLZ-4) aux return & send the mixer’s alternative outs into the Force inputs. So any channel I want to send to the Force I mute it on the mixer which sends it to the alternative outs.
You can also use all 8 when recording to an ext recorder.
It’s available plenty of places in the UK, and those where they’re out of stock they’re offering pre-orders.
Things come in and out of stock - and I don’t think there’s much driving the desire for a MKIII other than GAS. The MKII works great as it is and MPC3 is optimised for the existing hardware.
If the MKII had been left behind by updates across the line then I’d understand - but unless they also plan on updating the One, Key37 and Key61 then I’m not sure I see it happening. Even the X just has a bit more RAM (which probably goes unused by 95% of its owners).
I’d expect a new revision across the board, and I’d expect it when the hardware is limiting the software upgrade path, i.e. for MPC4.
Willing to be proved wrong but it’s too easy to be held back by FOMO and waiting for that next version which will surely be the perfect one.
What is maybe more likely to happen is a special edition (although I’d have expected that to drop with MPC3). Imagine being someone waiting for the next release just to find that now you have to buy a red one 
Apart from mpe pads and more memory / cpu, I can’t seem to find or think up any feature requests for new hardware that make sense. They’ll have to keep the software so I can’t see what else would change? I suspect we’ll very likely get something with a better CPU / memory and the Roger Linn stuff is intriguing me with it getting Linnstrument pads. But apart from minor things like input / output changes, maybe a built in mic, can’t work out what should / can change.
Maybe moving to 64 Bit Arm? That would be the best step to make it all future proof.
I’m not sure it really is - at least in terms of how the functionality fits in the physical box. This is maybe just personal biases/preferences though, but e.g. other people who are much more into it than I am wanting a mouse and big changes to the touchscreen would also seem to point in the same direction. I think where they’re trying to go is an awkward fit for the current hardware.
Anyway, page is wiped on Andertons with no pre-order, same with Thomann and Musicstore. It’s a good point that they’d probably go with at least the X alongside the Live for a hardware update - it’s also gone from those sites. Whatever about whether new hardware is necessary or the current line has run out of road/processing, from a business standpoint I feel like they’re likely to do a hardware update - 3.0 was a free update after all.
Although maybe they’re making enough on packs and plugins that hardware sales are secondary at this point and this logic doesn’t apply. And a lot of stuff going on in the world that might lead to supply shortages (or delays in new launches).
Either way, a 3.0 based box won’t be for me unless something very surprising happens, but I do have my popcorn on standby for if they effectively release an Akai Force and call it an MPC. I’m not sure if this is likely, but seeing as they already pretty much pushed the Force OS to the MPC hardware I definitely wouldn’t rule it out - would actually make a lot more sense for a machine purpose-built to run 3.0.
They will want to make MPC Live 3 with more power to run more CPU intensive plugins so that the NI partnership can really take off. The new reverb Ether - is it taxing at all?
I don’t think there’s anything new there though - it’s a DAW on a touchscreen so there has always been that desire - I don’t think they’ll be adding a mouse any time soon so that sounds more like software feedback than a limitation that can be addressed by the hardware - unless they add a built in stylus or triple the size of the screen
There is a limitation to it being used on (I want to say) 2 tracks at a time? But tbh I’d never want to use it on more than one track anyway it would be a washy mess - but other than that it works great - which is not surprisng as it has been made to work on that hardware; same with the NI plugins - again they’re tailored to that environment.
I never feel like the hardware is a limitation when using the Live II, personally.
If there is a MKIII I suspect it’ll be a fairly minor upgrade - if not just a new colour 
The most valuable thing I think they could do with a MKIII is just an update to the buttons. A few more wouldn’t go a miss and aligning them a bit better with MPC3. Unless they plan on updating the whole range then increasing the hardware specs will simply divide their own product line.
That they do! I was having a bit of fun with my favorite numbers! I generally stay out of the speculation game as it’s mostly a waste of time!
What’s the chances of Kontakt 8 on MPC? It is said to be coming to Maschine+ in a fututre OS update.
I have reserved an MPC One to go alongside my DN2 and synths setup. I have couple workflow questions. (Still 2000 posts left to read in here):
First, Ableton is the master clock via OB, but I control playback using the Digitone. I plan to just midi chain the MPC to receive clock via DN. Probably no worries there regarding start and stop and slaved clock?
It is unclear to me though how I would change the “pattern” (i.e., a sequence in MPC language(?)) on the MPC when I want to change the pattern on DN to build the next part? Have the sequences next to each other in the time line and just set different part to loop when I move to work the next pattern? Or is there maybe a simpler way that works with pattern change coming from DN?
Second, can I step sequence triplets on it?
Third, does the stem exporting work over USB to a PC? (Not real time)
Four, if I end up just using the controller desktop software, does it start playback if I send start from the Digitone, but Ableton’s playback is not on.
Mr Linn clarified:
“In this video, I first created 4 tracks of one sequence, then I pressed NEXT SEQ to show a grid of all 16 sequences on the screen (intended to use the 16 pads to arrange the 16 sequences live). Then I switched between playing the new sequence I created and a few others that I had created beforehand. But I mention in the video that it would have also been possible to create all tracks of one sequence, then all tracks of a second sequence, then all tracks of a third, then arrange these 3 sequences in real time in performance. And all this could be done without stopping play.”
seems like both can just as easily be done in Ableton Session view where a scene = an MPC sequence (and in Maschine as well). Both conveniently having HW shortcuts to quickly duplicate scenes
always nice seeing Mr Linn demo stuff but struggling with MPC as “the ultimate looper”
Can’t answer 1 and 4, but can answer the other two.
Shouldn’t be any worries there.
Yup! There’s a triplet button somewhere, I think it’s a shift function when on the step sequencer or under the Time Correct menu - been a while since I actually sequenced from my MPC.
You can change the MPC’s sequence by sending a program change message to it.
Would be awesome to create a new sequence while playing the previous one
and the case without the horrible coating
Retro versions… Sticky free and they look better too…
is it still the case that in the mpc 3 software that there is a crossfader, if so they at least better come out with a model that has a crossfader on it.
On the left of course.
Both sides. We went over this. 