OT MK2 + MPC Live Killer combo!

Elektron Gear Octatrack
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I have been searching online and the various forums looking for a sampler to compliment the OT.

Love the OT MK2 but wish it had velocity sensitivity pads and multisampling and an easy way to get data from CF to another sampler/daw without worrying about potentially breaking pins in CF slot from repeated removal and insertion.

I think this was mentioned in another thread but not confirmed (?)

Just got the MPC Live decided to take a chance as it has a USB hub for external drive …
and Yeah baby best of both worlds !

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Able to audition samples from OT via MPC and create new folders to CF card … sweet.

OT MK 2> MPC LIVE >DAW (for import of OT stems(tracks) for editing )

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VERY interesting. so you send the OT into USB mode every time you need to grab something ?

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Yeh, OT + MPC live is indeed a killer combo!

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Yeah, just got a LIVE and I’m pretty impressed with it…and had ZERO idea I could access the OTmk2 directly from USB! Damnnnnn…whoa…
Thank for the tip!

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Funny this thread would pop up now. I’m acquiring one soon in a trade but I’m expecting I’ll either flip the MPC or the OT after I give it a testrun. I realise they’re very different takes on the sampler/sequencer formula but I don’t think I’ll need two samplers. So I’m really curious how you use the two together. What does your workflow look like?

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the combo would be so cool for live performance versatility options, not to mention studio/production workflow.

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I must admit, I am new to MPCand took it on vacation with me (just arrived yesterday)…damn thing simply does NOT have the immediacy of Elektron…it’s cool to ‘bang out’ beats, which is not really my thing, but it simply has very little character…and it has locked up SEVERAL times. It’s basically an iPad with audio and midi i/o and pads slapped on it…
It’s kinda cool, but not as rock solid as I imagined.
Gonna continue to mess with it.
I’m mad at myself for not bringing my ARmk2 (which now seems solid after my third try) and my OTmk2…don’t know if I’ll be keeping the Live.

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Totally different beasts. For me it’s OT or both.
Nothing crazy in Mpcs. I chose a cute MPC 500 !
I had Mpc 2000 / 2 x Mpc 1000 JJOS2XL but I grabbed this Mpc 500 just in case I need linearity, midi overdub, more poly, layered samples, more pitch range…

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Quite scary. I heard it was a windows os. :scream:

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I have both and totally different machines.

MPC has linaire sequencing approach wihich the OT doens’t. So you can me very ling sequencing and correct if needed with screen. Elektorn gear sometimes can make you getting stuck at 4 bar seqs, but adding the MPC takes my mind away from that. I am Using it to hit in the chords and some melodies using these nice feeling pads.

Although i dont really use the sample/audio possiblity that much. Basically only as midi controller and sampling some vocals. I am thinking about swapping the live for mpc touch if it does the same.

Anyone have the MPC touch with the ot?

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How do you incoporate the mpc 500 as I was interested in copping since selling my mpc 1000, like the fact I can make beats on the go.

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Yep I realise they’re very different machines with different strengths. I’m really curious how you combine both in your workflow. The main reason I have for owning the OT was as a ‘pre-DAW’ device that I can use to put track ideas together on by feeding my synths into it. In my time with it I’ve found it great for processing external gear and morphing samples but I’m not really writing any music on it.

I believe people speculate it runs some form of Linux (read that somewhere on the Akai forums)

That sounds similar to what I’m experiencing with the OT. I’m wondering how I can put the OT to use next to the MPC. I hope I can answer my own question in about 1-2 days when the MPC arrives.

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Me too ! :smile: I tried with MPC 1000 JJOS2XL but I found it quite boring. I planned to use Ot’s step seq and record several sequences in the MPC. I use random parameters a lot with arp and lfos so once recorded in Mpc I found it not alive anymore.
Didn’t need all JJOS2XL functions.

I want several little pair setups, and Mpc 500 will be with a QY100 I think. I would record satisfying results in OT, and would make things like below : arp controlling Mpc, one bar, lfos on LEN, arp speed, Velocity, and filter assigned to filter in MPC.
Arp chords are similar intruments with different sounds.

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YES !:grinning:

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those very cool tabla referencing tunes would sound very cool with low-mid flutes of some format.

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@Astromass yeah I took a chance and crossed my fingers . I figured if the mpc also can access usb drives then why not the OT in usb mode.
I was going down the internet rabbit hole looking for CF to ios connectors wireless card readers etc etc. smdh

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Ok so Th OT has 8 audio tracks and 8 midi tracks
sample mangling /manipulation
BUT …
No polyphony like standard samplers , no keygroup/keymapping of samples and no velocity sensitivity and/or pads for drums.
The MPC Live addresses all of these plus it does 8 audio tracks for recording.

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Sorry I realize I didnt really answer your question.

Still working out the workflow, but basically OT will handle sample manglling duties and long samples i.e. bass lines, background vocals and effects.

MPC will be drums , instruments (keys, strings etc) and looping/clip launching a la Ableton

I think the MPC will be better at handling live instruments guitar, bass, vocal etc. Due to the more “comprehensive” and detailed GUI for audio editing and midi editing.

OT><MPC Live via midi and use the OT as a mixer or the MPC as a mixer.
MPC also doubls as audio interface so I can transfer OT stem via usb disk mode directly to MPC LIVE and then import into MPC 2.X daw for editing (At least thats the plan )

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:wink:

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I went with the LIve because the computer was becoming a workflow killer for me.
The Live allows me to create complete productions without ever going to the computer unless I want to.

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reasons why i will most likely invest in a Live to work alongside with the OT:

the Akai Live’s very different workflow would be a refreshing contrast and complement to the OT workflow.

also: different effects to choose from, simply more spice for the palette of colours to work with.

the Octatrack’s Midi side, although surprisingly powerful, super tight, and very creative, compared to the initial presentation of no more than four notes in a chord, same-velocity for all notes in a chord … does have one limitation of four-bar sequencing at a time, and no multitracking option.

so the Live’s more impressive and comprehensive implementation of midi sequencing with the extra length is quite a desirable feature.

for playing audio samples/stems longer than 4 bars, it is moderately easy to achieve with the OT’s individual track length feature. and yet i think the Live’s workflow is somehow going to be more immediately encouraging to recording longer 16 bar melody or vocal takes.

the Live has a big visual screen for checking out the waveforms and so forth.

the Octatrack has the mega-funky power of P-Locks, implemented with all the impressively tight timing and quirky-yet-logical sensibility that only Elektron knows how to bring.

i was planning on a second Octatrack, and yet if the Live works properly and syncs perfectly with the OT as Master Clock/Start-Stop signal, then it would be a difficult choice. Most likely go with the OT-Live combo, at least to try it out.

the OT is the main game though imho.

and with the Akai’s capacity to allow usb data connection with the OT, well that is next-level cool functionality turnkey studio rocking celebration! :joy::heart_eyes::sunglasses:

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