I’ve had the MPC Live for 18 months and just got an OP-1. Here are some thoughts about each of them and how well they compliment each other.
- Portability
The Live, as portable as it is, is too big to casually take anywhere. Its good for sofa-jamming or packing for a business trip when I know I’ll have an evening in a hotel with nothing to do.
The OP-1 is good for the above, and for randomly chucking in my day to day bag.
- Immediacy
Both are fast (now I understand the MPC’s many UX oddities)
OP-1 is faster to boot and start making music, but not by a huge amount. Partly this is because there is only 1 project
MPC Live let’s you pull up a bunch of stuff you’ve been working on, so some of that time is selecting a project or tweaking an init.
OP-1 has less choices of sounds, but they are immediately there. No loading.
MPC Plugins are as quick, but drum programs are slower to load and Multisample Keygroup Programs can take an age.
- Ease of Use
Some things are just as easy on each, some far faster on the OP-1.
An example is applying an LFO to a synth, quicker on the OP-1.
FXs are faster to add on the OP-1, but not by a lot. MPC can add a lot more effects, and has way more to chose from.
The Tape workflow of the OP-1 is just easier for me. Easier to visualise, easier to shape, easier to build upon.
There has been next to no learning curve for me on the OP-1, where the MPC was like standing at the bottom of a cliff.
- Using Them Together
This isn’t meant to be a “which is better” post, this is about how well they compliment each other.
In a few days I can already see how they support each others weaker points.
Plugging them together works very well:
OP-1 out to MPC Live in
MPC live out to OP-1 in
Headphones to MPC Live for monitoring
Set them both to same Midi Channel and you can send Chords to the OP-1 from the MPC Live pads and you can capture Midi notes from the OP-1 on the MPC Live.
Both can sample each other.
MPC Live has far longer, more detailed sequencing, which can support the OP-1. You can play a sequence, sample the OP-1s synth with an insert FX added, then resample it back to the OP-1 tape and chop it and move it around as you normally would. Or you can sample it dry, insert an FX on the MPC Live and resample it back in wet.
Another benefit of doing this, is that you have the sample retained on the MPC - either to act as an undo, or to resample in variations with different FX.
If you capture the Midi notes from the OP-1 as you’re laying down tape, you can then load up a Multisample on the MPC Live or a Plugin, and trial a bunch of alternatives and sample it right back onto the OP-1 tape. Great for replacing a melody with an orchestral Multisample.
Finally, whole tape tracks can be sampled in, one at a time, synced to the beat, on 4 separate audio tracks.
These can then be mixed, panned, effected, conpredsed, added to and saved as a project, letting you wipe the OP-1s tapes.
If you want you can also record an Album on the OP-1 and sample that mixdown to the same project, either on another synced audio track, or as an archived sample.
Basically, what I’m saying is that if you have an OP-1, an MPC Live is a great companion and vice versa.