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

Useful for camping trip charging :+1:

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Pretty impressed with the live 2, it does everything I was hoping for and maybe a bit more, it’s not that bad with the touchscreen, alot can be done with the data wheel and macros…
Works great as a centre hub for hardware👌
Not as streamlined as ableton live but it does an excellent job without a mouse and keyboard, it does have alot of similarities to ableton

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New user asking ‘how’s the touchscreen’?? :wave::sunglasses:

This week I’ve managed to merge all 16+ of my outboard USB sources into using 2 USB ports (using stacked powered USB 3.0 hubs). (Inc 2 Moogs, Elektron AR/A4/Digitone, Novation Peak/Bass Station 2, Prophet Rev2, Roland TR8S, DeepMind12 to name a few…)

So, I’m now in a position where I can seamlessly shift from using Ableton, my MPC or my Force as the main brain of my system with the reconnecting of 2 USB leads!
Given this choice, I currently like working in the MPC most… but I will switch to Ableton for certain things… they can also work together without any issues.

I also have everything running into/from my central mixer (an Allen and Heath Xone 96) into my MPC’s input for instant sampling accessibility… so I can sample pretty much anything within seconds!

I’ve had a variety of different studios over the years, different locations, different setups, and worked in countless other studios (since 1991- 30 years at it now, which seems crazy!) and I can honestly say that this is the most versatile and creatively inspiring set up I’ve ever had.

If someone had told me 2 years ago that I’d have a studio based around an MPC sampler with a ton of synths and drum machines, I’d have thought they were crazy… but here I am, and enjoying it beyond words.

So, if anyone thinks that having to touch the screen of one of the current MPC’s is a problem, or it’s too ‘DAW-like’… remember that the glass is 99.99% full… we’re living in a golden age of the most fantastic creative devices/instruments ever seen, and the MPC’s are at the forefront of this, as are Elektrons instruments, as are a whole host of other amazing manufacturers.

Sunday morning ramble over. :v:

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That’s the way I have my gear set up, it’s a really effective way to do stuff, I’m using a zed-i 10 though, so basically it’s the audio interface for Ableton with my monitors on the main outs and sub on the monitor outs, iPad and MPC on separate channels, and the aux outs going back into the MPC so I can sample YouTube, Ableton etc from the desktop and also sequence the iPad from the MPC and sample the output with zero fuss… and the zed-i 10 is class compliant with the MPC so that’s a bonus…
You’re totally right about our embarrassment of riches too, there’s never been a better time really imho…

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When I was researching grooveboxes (for lack of a more accurate term), the touch screen was definitely a factor that spoke against the MPC for me and is a part of the reason why I took a deliberate step away from it, which is also partly why I ended up with Elektron boxes. I assumed that a touch screen would feel too much like using a computer and being “at work”, making it less of an “instrument”.

But after having owned the MPC One for 3 weeks I can honestly say that the touch screen is not a negative at all. First of all, you don’t use it all that much, and when you do, it’s because it’s a faster workflow. For example, tapping right on the filter cutoff frequency “knob” on the screen and then twisting the physical knob with the other hand. It becomes second nature after just an hour with the machine in front of you.

But more importantly, and this gets into how the brain works I guess, you don’t end up associating this touch screen with computers and work at all. I see the interface on this screen and it takes me into music making mode, not work mode. I mostly think of the touch screen as an advantage in that it enables much deeper control of parameters than what would be reasonably possible without it.

In general, the thing that disappoints me the most on the MPC is the exact same thing that the Digitakt does so well: the step sequencer. I’m still learning how to use it and just discovered that Shift+Pad selects the active pad, which is useful. But overall it just feels inconvenient to use, especially on a tone track, because you only see one key/pad at a time, and selecting a key is a real chore. It’s maybe useful for some simple automation programming but it’s not anywhere near the usefulness of the Digitakt step sequencer. Of course, you could argue that the Digitakt has to have a superb step sequencer since that’s the only “grid view” there is on it, so no wonder they went the extra mile to make it superb. But, inevitably, you do miss those happy accidents that happen all the time on the Digitakt when messing with the MPC sequencer.

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Thanks @DanJamesAUS, @CCMP, @Symian, @djst, good insights. The live is starting to really look good to me. Sounds like the touchscreen is a real advantage for specific tasks! Pretty compelling when you add it to the battery operation and connectivity. I love the idea of being able to compose and export an entire tune anywhere in one device, or do that and drive/sample a bunch of external gear as well. Even though I have and love an OT!

EDIT: more boxes Live could tick: Midi controller for OT

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Anyone know how to select a pad on the MPC without triggering the sound? Thanks!

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This was exactly my reasoning too. I love the music I’m making on the Digitone/Digitakt combo, but I end up with song ideas that stay inside the boxes unless I go out of the way to record it into my DAW, which is a real chore. With the MPC, it’s as easy as exporting it to an mp3.

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How is the Xone:96 working with the MPC 2.10 over USB audio? I’m about to get one but have read about glitches and crackles when recording multiple channels over USB.

Which ones are you using?

Thanks

I got a couple of these, and I already had an Anker 7-way plus 3 power port one.

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Honestly, I’ve not used it in this way yet, I don’t feel the need.
I’ve got a spare Focusrite 18i20 if I want to expand the MPC in that way, but I’m happy enough using good old analogue routing with the Xone 96.
I have 2 external mixers, plus my Mac’s system sound, and the MPC feeding into my Xone 96, which I have set up like a Buss mixer really… I only really use it’s digital/USB side for going in and out of the Mac.

The sound of the analogue outputs on the MPC (and Force) is fantastic… I’d probably use the separate physical outs into the Xone 96 if I wanted to mix with it.

Thanks.

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What dust cover/case are people using for their live 2?

weirdly cannot remember if that’s possible, but a work around might be to set a layer you’re not using to a velocity you’re not using :slight_smile:

I like the deck savers but am worried about them scratching the corners so I might try putting some soft material in the corners of the deck savers themselves to help with that.

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You can choose from a variety of fabrics.

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Dang…

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Did you test this and/or can you confirm the Zed can be used as a compliant interface with the MPC? As the specs say the A&H Zed mixers are 96khz and the MPC’s can only do 44khz.

i use a bandana folded in half for dust protection. :green_square: