Setup Advice - OT or MPC or DT+Simpler

The Lounge Other Gear
#1

Hi guys… trying to get a feel for these options before making any decisions selling stuff.

I make 80% hiphop and 20% Techno at this moment.
Ive got a Digitakt (main thing i use), a Digitone (have had doubts due to the sound not being my thing for hiphop) and a minilogue XD that does have that hiphop sound. also got a Keystep.

I like to sample; but for more intricate stuff i need to use Simpler, and using ableton that early in the process is a bit of a pain for me… Now i might think i need more than i got so hence the topic.

Thing is; i LOVE the elektron workflow and don’t want to part ways.
But the MPC one has a lot of features id like. I was hoping the OT could be the perfect combination of those two aspects but its pretty old already and twice the price.

I don’t want the mpc one to replace my DT. Plan now is to order one; test it out and refund it and then decide. Anyone got useful two cents>

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#2

imo, you may need more than 30 days to get comfortable with the modern MPCs. Same with the Octatrack.

Digitakt + MPC One is the best of both worlds, imo - each compliments the other, making up for the other’s shortcomings.

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#3

While there are similarities, the OT workflow is very different from the Digitakt.
Especially in terms of sampling. Really the only workflow similarities are sequencing and parameter tweaking.

They are very different beasts. DT has more in common with Analog Rytm than it has with OT.

Just something to consider.
If I were you, I’d liquidate the Digitone, since you don’t like the sound, and try an MPC One alongside the Digitakt. That way you get the features you are attracted to, and can keep an Elektron workflow.

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#4

the only other thing to keep in mind though is that the MPC Live 2 has all of that crazy I/O that in some respects you can use to great advantage for stuff like running your mpc out to Fx boxes for processing and back into your mpc… the mpc L2 has extra buttons like the mpc one which are great for workflow and without a doubt you would use the speaker on the unit even if you don’t think so now…

def worth checking out along with your digital like Adam said, my digitakt is basically a part of my mpc now days

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#5

Almost the same but more drum’n bass than techno.

Same, I love it.

I also have the PERfourMER and never go with DN for the same reason as you, I don’t like the FM sound.

I wanted to change a bit my setup and I choosed the OT over AR or MPC.

The OT is the best of three imho : “same” workflow as DT (I mean sequencer, plocks, trig preview, key combinations, etc), stereo sampling, slice mode.
It also add unique feeling with scenes to break repetitive loops and buffers to resample quickly without naming and saving.

OT is not old, 10 years is young. People made still great track 10 years ago.
If you are scared about sound quality and quality FX of the OT, don’t. They are more than satisfying and wont make you banger sound shit, unless you made a shit track.

And I’m actually reading the manual and learning the beast, It’s not hard at all to learn if you are used to DT. I love everything about OT for now.

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#6

I’ve run the gauntlet on MPCs from the 60 to the live2.

Modern day MPC are a far cry from the MPC workflow.
Youl spend 90% of your time on that touchscreen. At that point I just wondered why I wasn’t used a DAW, iPad app with a drum pad controller, or just get another 1000/2500 with JJOS.

Personally I’d still choose these over an OT or DT

#7

Yeah That has been on my mind. Thing is; I’ve had the DN on sale 2 times already and kept pulling off last minute. But that’s more because they look SO damn good next to each other and that i build a stand. but I use the minilogue more. I was scared that they would overlap but i am reading that the DT is still the start point due to intuitive workflow. and that the MPC one would be what Ableton is for me right now.

Thats the counterpoint. TBH i work on my desk; pc is always there and I know Ableton & Simpler etc but I just don’t want to use it… even though its right there! I often just make loops and jams and record 2 out of 10 to ableton to mix it up there; but i find that i always end up cutting and pasting different loops around and add some automation instead of creating a form of linearity on the boxes. Ive looked into an older MPC but its hard to judge which ones are good quality and then again they are the same price as the MPC one… Which one would you recommend aside from the 2500XL?

Also a good point. I mean it’s a wonderous machine for sure. I saw JonWayne make MPC style beats on that on YT which was dope as hell… Some things have put me off; and its not the steep learning curve. The ease of export to ableton ie. But I’d say price wise this compares more to the MPC Live 2.

One thing I will push forward is selling the Digitone. A benefit of the MPC one / live is that they can sample VST’s into playable synths on the mpc which would require me to just spend an afternoon with my pc sampling Kontakt and Serum.

thanks all… back into Youtube i go.

#8

…with the latest mpc’s, the touch touch only days are finally over again…
and as adam jay recommends, the tone can easily finance a mpc…

so having BOTH best hardware sequencing concepts at hand right next to each other , sounds like a good way to go…

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#9

agreed, combining the workflows is sublime, and all of those buttons and knobs on the MPC Live 2/ one equate to more than 10% of it’s workflow so that’s one thing I disagree about, as well as that it’s lost it’s core… sure it has other stuff than it used to but In my opinion the core is largely in tact and if you don’t like the added functions you don’t really have to use them.

#10

Thanks! I’ll sell.off the tone and add an MPC. Live 2 looks pretty great but I’ve been eying the MPC one as well. I’ll see which one comes up with a second hand deal first!

#11

you’d say MPC live 2 over One then?

#12

The 1000. They’re the only 2 capable of running JJOS, which eliminates any different between the 2 other than size and the few physical things (number of outputs). I wouldn’t consider anything else.

There’s a 1000 for 650 in the marketplace now for sale. Which is a great price and it already has JJOS and the better pads. You won’t lose money on that one. You’ll easily sell it for 650.

Again, the MPC workflow is pretty far from an electron workflow. Not saying it’s bad, it’s just different. I find it much faster to carve stuff out.

#13

I have the MPC Live and OT. The MPC is boxed up due to renovations. I’m OT only right now for learning this beast. I can not wait to pair them though. MPC is so much faster with sampling and editing and the OT sequencer and workflow is amazing!

The touch screen is not as bad as some make it out to be. I’m not a fan of them but it has its purpose. I got over the stigma pretty quickly and found it better than menu diving. Also, if you do get an MPC, don’t forget to auto-sample the DN before it leaves!

I say couple up the DT with an MPC and make beats!

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#14

I think the MPC one is great don’t count it out because you never know what instrument is going to click for you, but what I’m saying is that because you have access to a store that will allow you to spend some time with the unit to make sure it’s the right thing for you it would be a good idea to test them both out, that way you could see how you feel about the contrast between the added flexibility of the mpc Live 2 over the mpc one. Afterwards you’ll know you do or don’t need all of that I/O and the capabilities that come along with it and can just opt out for the mpc one… it’s kind of like the difference between the digitakt and the rytm, even though the mpc one and Live 2 run the same software and have the same core workflow they still feel a little different in workflow but have a great difference in flexibility options.

you might not need those options for the next 6 months and then all of sudden wake up one day and wanna run 6 different tracks through 6 different fx pedals, or who knows… and the speaker which I thought I was gonna hate has turned out to be super useful and convenient…

or you could be perfectly fine with wanting to do the same thing but because you Don’t have the I/o you’d have to use judicious amounts of resampling instead… which is something I never get tired of on the mpc one and do not find tedious.

#15

Cool, I’ll check it out.
I just saw a Maschine + as well on a local marketplace and that looks like an MPC with a more intuitive workflow but Ive read issues as well…

#16

I’ve tried a machine+. I didnt see a point of the Machine+ for standalone really as its just slimmed down plugins from the desktop version with CPU limits.

I sold my MPC a little while ago trying force myself to change to a new workflow. Worst mistake ive made, so I’ll be buying another 1000 shortly. I’ve run the gauntlet on sequencers. Nothing ever filled this void yet, and I’ll know i’m gonna get flamed for this, but this even incudes a cirklon.

I also know a few people using a DT or OT with an mpd232. Just sucks neither of these devices are USB hosts. Really with elektron would get around to incorporating that.

Akai-MPD232-MIDI-pad-controller-with-16

You also might just want to consider an OT with using an ipad:

#17

I mean the main reason im looking to get an MPC is that i want to do sampling/slicing/stretching… the OT can do that as well but I feel like it does TOOO much more or something. and its expensive.

#18

wasn’t your original post about possibly having the MPC replace the DT, except you like the Elektron workflow? if you’re selling the DN now, sell the DT too and boom: OT paid for.

the OT is not that complicated. if you know the Elektron sequencer you’re halfway there already. you just need to learn the file structure, and you’ll be off and running. more advanced things, you can learn as needed.

#19

Yea what i meant was that i cannot part ways with Elektron so i didn’t really like that the MPC had so much overlapping with Digitakt. But i was comforted by another response saying they compliment each other more than they replace each other.

#20

I never could get along with the OT, but that probably from my MPC roots.
I lasted even less time with the DT. The lack of a chopping mode just boggles my mind.

To be quite honest, I havent gotten along w/ anything elektron since the silver boxes. I keep borrowing ARs, OTs, etc thinking “maybe this time it will click” and just end up giving them and them again.

Wish we could resurrect Daniel :frowning: