Should I choose OT or MPC Live?

Still keeping an eye on mpc Live but with BM3 about to drop on ipad I’m curious to see how they compare. They look almost identical features/software environments…

Mpc’s physical UI, total daw integration and everything in one box (no need for soundcard etc) being the main draws for me there. But BM3 has plenty going for it too - proper song arrangement screen, standalone realtime timestrech, loads 3rd party fx/synths, multi-param macros etc… PRICE (at least for anyone already owning a half decent ipad)

Maybe MPC live will raise the bar a little more significantly after a few updates tho.

Re OT. Buy one :slight_smile:

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+1 don’t even force yourself to consider it, just do it.

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I’m loving using both in tandem. MPC handles pgm changes and longer sequences (plus anything that warrants a “human” feel, certain chord voicings etc) while the OT creates some ruckus with the arp, scales, plocks, MIDI LFOs etc… The MPC live gives the clock to the OT (via MIDI OUT B), and the MIDI seq outputs of both units (MPC MIDI OUT A + OT MIDI OUT) are combined with a merge box, controlling 4-5 MIDI targets… Vast possibilities!

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I have a MPC Live and I had an OT in the past. The only thing they have in common is that they sample, apart from that they are 2 completely different philosophies. They both excel at doing things the other doesn’t.
Personally I feel more at home with the MPC, even though I had it for less than I had the OT, it feels closer to the ever-elusive one-box-production unit, but I can easily see how some people could find it quite frustrating…

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OK I take this whole paragraph back.

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Hahaha…That’s what i’m talking abou!!!OT up for sale from tomorrow…

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This is giving me a serious reason to upgrade to a new iPad pro… hmm.

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I knew it!

Nah MPC Live still the king…

As soon as BM3 is out i’m buying it for my iPhone to feed the MPC Live with more juice :stuck_out_tongue: Also i can do the reverse by playing with those juicy pads the BM3!Infinite possibilities…For now I’ve loaded inspector gadget’s single cycle waveforms and sticked a synth inside Live in standalone mode!Stacking 4 different waveforms inside a pad and morphing between these it’s insane!

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well, i own both… i would say it depends on how you write music:

if you like to PLAY i would choose MPC. if you like control in programming i would recommend OT. Both are good in their way to control midi gear.

pro OT: if you sequence a lot… the sequencer is 1000 better than the MPC, i you want control over parameters. if you think of more dance/electronic styles the sequencer always results in nice unexpected patterns. the crossfader is absolut amazing… switching several parameters of several channels at once is s super easy to customize… matchmaker.

contra OT: its a lot of work and clicking to load all the stuff for a liveset into the OT… once its there and setup the way you want, OT is fun though

pro MPC: never experienced a faster workflow in chopping, trimming and assigning samples to pads… the pads are amazing and feel gorgeous. also the midi-setup (with MPC as master) is amazing fast: setup channel and go! for controlling midi gear i prefer the MPC over OT (you also can have extremly long sequences)

contra MPC: the sequencer is good for PLAYING stuff into it… programming it is a waste of time (and at the moment you can only program note, volume and pan). when using the audiotracks/clips at the moment the system sometimes does strange things, sometimes crashes… would use it that way in front of a audience at the moment…

My setup: MPC is controlling 5 synths and the AR and OT, all routed to RME with ADAT-expansion for parallel live recording into cubase (synced)… the OT does more of that strange stuff to just one or two samples, the MPC does basic sampledrums (supported by the fat sound of AR)… on top the MPC does some keygroups sampled from my analog devices (synthsstrings, basses)… all other gear just receives midinotes so i can tweak the knobs like hell live.

in addition: i somehow prefer the OT effects over MPC… dont know why, but the filters feel better in OT… MPC effects are only good as “background filler”. Mostly i just use the delays and flanger. but thats my personal opinion :slight_smile:

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really? ok… well i mostly avoid the MPC live screen as much as i can (just use it to switch modes and pick a parameter to be controlled by the datawheel then… only useful scene is sampleedit)… and uploading stuff to an iPad is really the Apple-Hell…:-))
i used my iPad years ago as a second controller to my old MPC2500… man, that was a unresponsive shit :-))…if you anyhow like to play stuff, touch screens are a nightmare to me :-))

I use the screen quite a lot, especially when editing pattern and samples, seems to be really quick. Nice to have a screen to edit velocity while entering notes on the pads.
Overall I find the workflow faster, but not as deep or prone ot very happy accident as the OT.
I agree on effects being lacklustre, apart from the tape delay which can feedback for days and generate some cool textures.

I really like having actual multisamples/multilayered isntruments.

You misunderstood…I don’t like playing touch screens either…I said i’d like to jam on Live’s pads using BM3’s engine…

That’s what i do…I like to perform and not just sequencing…

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yes, my comment was missleading, cause it was also repsonse about the whole BM3 comments… love to see all combinations of gear people trying out… glorious times… just wanted to add, that i am personally bored about (at the end every) iPad music software… but its nice to read elektronauts in the evening, lying in bed :-)))

Denoise,

I have both units. And to be quite truthful, I bought the MPC for features lacking in the OT. Now I’m happy with both and although there’s a slight feature overlap, I couldn’t definitely say which is better. do consider, that currently the MPC is in a similar state as was the Octatrack when it was first released: lacking several features, a bit buggy et al.
HOWEVER, even in this state, the MPC is well-equipped for a bedroom studio type situation. Apart from the pros you listed, also consider:

  • sample layering
  • polyphonic tracks (a feature I longed for the most with the OT)
  • easy grid setting from 1/16 to 1/32 or 1/8T or 1/16T
  • phono input
  • USB midi host (insta-love when I plugged in my OP1 directly to the MPC)
  • battery power
  • internal track bouncing
  • HDD / SD card / thumbdrive storage

On the other hand, the OT really shines in a jamming / live situation. Plus you can really go polyrhythm crazy with different pattern lenghts (on the MPC you’re kinda stuck with 16 steps) and pattern speed multipliers.
Another thing the MPC is missing is automation edition in standalone. you can record your filter sweeps to your heart’s content but you won’t be able to edit it. On the OT you have a workaround with the LFO designer.

my advice would be: wait it out a little bit to see if Elektron is willing to further develop the OT after releasing the mk2 and to see how fast will Akai unlock the MPC’s potential.

oh, but if you love step sequencers, definitely put the MPC on hold - although it has a step sequencer, it’s criminally underdeveloped.

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I thought I read somewhere that this wasn’t working yet?

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MPC Live has internal battery so can be used anywhere.
That’s probably one of the biggest plus points of this device. The Digitakt should’ve had an internal battery in my opinion - it’s crying out for it, to be a great friend to the OP-1.

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You have midi in via USB, not out

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agree totally to all points…except: you can do different pattern length on the MPC. :slight_smile: