Thats cool re: remote access of OT CF Card from MPC Live.
I wonder though… have you run into the dreaded fake 2GB RAM limitations yet? Seems that people are only getting about 300-500mb in a project of useable sample ram (defeats the purpose of 8 audio tracks) and are clamouring for ‘stream from disk or sd card’ functionality.
I want one but thats an instant showstopper for seamless live performance until remedied.
OT MK2 + MPC Live Killer combo!
This should give you a good idea about ram. It’s got 2GB RAM but the OS itself takes up about 850MB. All samples are converted to 32-bit for some reason which means you have approximately 550Mb of 16-bit samples.
Not as insane as 2GB but 500mb still sounds like a lot of ram. Believe they’re working on disk streaming similar to the Deluge as well 
Mine arrived just an hour ago. First impressions on the hardware side are very positive (stiff knobs, weighty and sturdy build, etc). Software seems alright. Going through menus is quick, scrubbing audio waves is amazing, but scrolling through lists of samples gives me serious 2011 android phone vibes. Looking forward to digging in over the next few days.
Will report back with my thoughts on MPC + OT.
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I’m in the process of looking at moving an older Ableton live set to MPC Live. Due to the linear MIDI and audio vs. OT, I reckon it might work. I might well use my OT for live sound mangling - I’ll see how it goes.
It’s looking like MPC Live, drum samples moved from my ESX1 and re-mixed, then Virus Ti for most of the synth parts. It’s then a case of exporting the MIDI from Cubase/Ableton, re-loading the drum samples and pulling in (3 at most) stems, recorded from other kit.
Having a sequenced multi-tibral synth or two, makes the MPC Live much more useful for me.
Arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.
Just as I was thinking my Double Octatrack-Digitone-DB4 is perfect . . . . this idea crops up.
Now I am wondering if swapping an OT out and a MPC Live in would be even more incredible.
Bugger.
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you need to use the event editor to introduce the pgm chg msg earlier on the MPC. Unfortunately this also means that one will need a ”transition” sequence to do this…
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Yeah that’s almost what I wrote but apparently you can’t place Prog Changes in MPC LIVE step edit. A shame, for OT too !
A workaround for OT’s instant pattern change is to send a PC followed by STOP and START messages. Doable with a midi processor, or some midi sequencers (like older MPCs ?)
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I do the program changes manually on the Home page. Just turn to the program you want prior to the end of the bar. Kind of cool actually. You can change things independently of where the MPC is in its timeline. Good for drum machines like 8S
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Not sure if it works with OT. For pattern changes, OT seems to need a PC before the end of the bar. I don’t know how much.
Here to report back!
The MPC and Octatrack are indeed completely different samplers. The OT is infinitely better at instant tweaking and mangling of samples and ideal for performing. The MPC feels better at straight forward song writing.
In a setup they do compliment each other nicely. I however found it difficult to balance using two machines with this amount of depth at the same time. Definitely not for the faint of heart.
I found the MPC Live fun to use and very powerful. It’s built in FX were much better than I anticipated and I never even got close to reaching the CPU or RAM limit. A real portable sketchpad for music. However, I found a lot of small things required way too much effort for me to do. Perhaps I didn’t delve deep enough but whenever I wanted to adjust the volume of a single drum hit I would have to go Menu > Pad Mixer > Adjust volume rather then just tapping a button and dialing in a value like on the OT. I couldn’t help but wish I was using a DAW at times.
I normally would’ve considered keeping both around and seeing where things go but I had to drastically cut down on the amount of gear. This means that both the MPC live and the OT are being sold. Even my Digitone isn’t safe and is on the list! Only boxes I’m keeping are the 
and 
.
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You really need to try JJOSXL and an old school MPC. I regret selling mine but its just better than the LIve imo. My main gripe with the system is the lack of tactile controls which sounds ridiculous. But I miss the dialling with the big jog wheel and pressing a button to add slices instead of via touching. It just reminded me of Beatmaker 3 which isn’t too far off.
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Perhaps I’ll give a used 1000 a shot some time.
I do love playing in sounds using the 16 drumpads but a lot of the other things in the Live were quite a chore to do with the menus inside menus. I was wishing it had some dedicated controls for sample source, filter, envelope and FX. Similar to something like a Tempest or an Electribe perhaps. Shift + pad and then tweak whatever was assigned to said pad. Not sure if JJOSXL is better in this regard?
These things are subjective. I gave my MPC 4000 away and my MPC1000 with JJOS is gathering dust now. Never going back. For me the MPC live will be everything I always wanted from an MPC (as soon as Akai adds multitimbral MIDI input, which is already promised in an upcoming OS). I never liked the 1k sound and the constant pressing of stop was a total buzzkill. But YMMV and all that.
Think going to cop a mpc live again and see if I can get it to work in my set again
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I have the opposite opinion, but reading your statement, I’m thinking it might just be me. Are you using the reverbs, compressors and filters ? I find I can’t get anything usable from those and always end up treating sound before importing it into the Live, but that’s a convoluted process, should I keep trying ?
Drives me crazy. The machine is full of those quirks but none of those make it unusable, lucky enough.The way I see it, it’s a UX nightmare but a functionality dream (if you leave out the fact that obvious things are missing, like manual edition of automations).
I could be interested 
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I had an MPC Live but as some others have mentioned already here, it didn’t feel immediate enough…too visual, too much menu diving - more like using a computer or an iPad + MPD218…so that’s what I’ve flipped it for now, iPad + Beatmaker 3 + MPD218. 
I’d love an OT Mk2 for sample mangling in realtime to combine with my Digitakt…alternatively, should I at one point want to give the MPC another chance, I’d porbably go for an MPC 1000 with JJOSXL, that just seems a more “immediate” tool than the MPC Live (not sure why, but I feel strongly about this )
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I didn’t find JJOS2XL immediate at all. I was interested in Grid Editor but having OT it was useless, like many functionalities. Poor arp, very few random possibilities. Recording on several channels was usefull, some pad functions / midi send.
So I thought MPC500 would be enough, and more immediate, for sure ! No regret.
What I heard from MPC LIVE ipad / computer inside aspect stopped my GAS, but I’d like a new 100% hardware MPC, smaller than Live.
On the main screen of the MPC Live, tap the little thing that looks like an eyeball somewhere on the left side of the screen. That opens up a channel strip where you can adjust the volume and pan of the program or pad. You can also set up your inserts here. It’s in the manual.
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I own a 500 but its a buggy mess which craps out on occassions. If you think menu diving is bad on the live then you’re in a world of hurt.
Answering me but quoting someone else…
You also mixed 2 answers apparently.
I don’t know Live menus but 1000 JJOS2XL’s.
I use an Mpc Editor so no special pain with MPC 500, of course very limited.
What about LIVE’s pads quality ?
They seem really good.
Are there usb Akai Pads with similar quality ?
I don’t especially like 1000 and 500’s pads but 2000 were better IIRC.
MPC live pads are amazing, its on par with the Maschine mk3 for playing I feel.
But what mpc editor?, are we talking mpc maid?