Unsure of which model to choose

New guy here. I'm torn between the Live and the X. Is the X very heavy? If I buy the X, will it fit in the overhead compartment when I travel?

Anybody here bought the Live and wish they bought the X? And vise versa?

Anyone else was ever in the position where they truly didn't know which model to get? What help you decide?

I went to my local GS thursday, just stood there and stared at the MPC X for at least a half an hour. Should I just get the X, play around with it and if I don't like it, return it?

Hi,
I’d say get the Live and pay around with it. If it does everything you need it to do, you keep it. It’s half the price and portable. The software is the same in the Live and X. The X is more hands on (less touch screen or looking at the screen, more dedicated buttons), more inputs and outputs, CV, pedal inputs. Lots of people are enjoying their Live, including me. Their are wishes for the software and limitations, but that’s the same for the X and Live. I also thought about going from the X to the Live, but didn’t go for it. See the topic ‘Is the X built to last?’. If you go for the X you probably won’t return it, but the Live might be just what you need.
And try them out in the store, and lift them if you need to feel the weight
Greets,
Bo

* ' thought about going from the Live to the X' 'There are wishes'

The dedicated buttons on the X makes it worth it. Even though menu diving is fast on the Live, you are still menu diving.

For the price of the x you can get way more bang for your buck with a live and a bunch of other gear. I decided on a live with a mixer because it solved my in and out needs when I was considering the x. With the money I saved I got to try out a bunch of gear this year. Settled on a live, some vintage gear and effects boxes.

Both can do the “all in one” type thing, if that’s what you’re after the x may be worth it for you. It comes down to in and outs, cv gear usage, studio real estate, and dedicated buttons. They are essentially the same beyond those points.

Where I'm from, choose is what you put on your feet.

Just for fun, I looked through Guitar Center's used gear portion of their site. I saw several MPC Live units already traded in, but no MPC X. Why is that? I know GC sells both because that is where I got mine (MPC X).

Tony

dflat57 wrote:New guy here. I'm torn between the Live and the X. Is the X very heavy? If I buy the X, will it fit in the overhead compartment when I travel?

Anybody here bought the Live and wish they bought the X? And vise versa?

Anyone else was ever in the position where they truly didn't know which model to get? What help you decide?

I went to my local GS thursday, just stood there and stared at the MPC X for at least a half an hour. Should I just get the X, play around with it and if I don't like it, return it?

Wassup & welcome to the forum!!
I'd say get the Live.
It's portable for one, mine pretty much lives in my backpack & goes to work with me on my bike.
when inspiration strikes, it's close to hand, rather than waiting until I get back to my studio, by which time any inspiration has left the building!
I don't need to be connected to a laptop, so that's a bonus, but If I wanted I could take my macbook too & I could pretty much finish a track on the go.
Weight: of MPC X: 12.57 lbs/5.66 kg
Weight of MPC Live:5.9 lbs/2.7 kg
(Taken from the Akai site)

So as far as overhead luggage goes, the Live is certainly the winner for me, but you could take the X on a flight..bit heavy to lug around though...
The other consideration you have to make is that the X ain't battery powered. So no instant beat-making sessions on the beach or on the balcony of your hotel room. Or for that matter, on the flight!!
Seriously dude, Live is the way to go. Hope that helps.
Peace...

You need to understand both machines and what they can do. X is up front the live is reserved but get the job done. Do you travel a lot? Want a battery operated machine? Live is the answer. If you don't need all what what the X has get the Live. If you what all X is it.

dflat57 wrote:New guy here. I'm torn between the Live and the X. Is the X very heavy? If I buy the X, will it fit in the overhead compartment when I travel?

Anybody here bought the Live and wish they bought the X? And vise versa?

Anyone else was ever in the position where they truly didn't know which model to get? What help you decide?

I went to my local GS thursday, just stood there and stared at the MPC X for at least a half an hour. Should I just get the X, play around with it and if I don't like it, return it?

I went back and forth a few times and ended up getting the live. The battery is what solidified it. I can sit on the couch with it, and bring it with me when I go out back for a smoke no problem. It's great to just have it within arm's reach all the time as opposed to only in my studio.

I love the size and weight of it. It's bigger than I thought from watching videos. I don't mind the menu diving either, but this is my first MPC So perhaps I don't know what I'm missing.

Personally, I don't like devices with proprietary (custom) batteries. If the battery is an industry standard form factor and output/current capacity (such as AA, AAA, C, D, 9v) batteries, then it would be fine. However, those standard batteries do not provide enough voltage and current long enough to be useful in devices such as the MPC Live. These Lithium batteries have a finite number of charge/discharge cycles before they no longer hold a charge. By the time a given battery reaches the end of its useful life, the company that made the device using the battery has usually moved on to other products and no longer supports that device. The device then becomes essentially useless unless it can run directly off AC power and the user doesn't mind the device no longer being portable.

Tony

Conclusion:

You can get another battery put in the Live!

tbeltrans wrote:Personally, I don't like devices with proprietary (custom) batteries. If the battery is an industry standard form factor and output/current capacity (such as AA, AAA, C, D, 9v) batteries, then it would be fine. However, those standard batteries do not provide enough voltage and current long enough to be useful in devices such as the MPC Live. These Lithium batteries have a finite number of charge/discharge cycles before they no longer hold a charge. By the time a given battery reaches the end of its useful life, the company that made the device using the battery has usually moved on to other products and no longer supports that device. The device then becomes essentially useless unless it can run directly off AC power and the user doesn't mind the device no longer being portable.

Tony

Dive into it watch some vids. And buy MPC Tutor's Tutorial pdf book. Over 500 pages you can't beat that.

Gaboon wrote:I went back and forth a few times and ended up getting the live. The battery is what solidified it. I can sit on the couch with it, and bring it with me when I go out back for a smoke no problem. It's great to just have it within arm's reach all the time as opposed to only in my studio.

I love the size and weight of it. It's bigger than I thought from watching videos. I don't mind the menu diving either, but this is my first MPC So perhaps I don't know what I'm missing.

Danoc wrote:Conclusion:

You can get another battery put in the Live!

tbeltrans wrote:Personally, I don't like devices with proprietary (custom) batteries. If the battery is an industry standard form factor and output/current capacity (such as AA, AAA, C, D, 9v) batteries, then it would be fine. However, those standard batteries do not provide enough voltage and current long enough to be useful in devices such as the MPC Live. These Lithium batteries have a finite number of charge/discharge cycles before they no longer hold a charge. By the time a given battery reaches the end of its useful life, the company that made the device using the battery has usually moved on to other products and no longer supports that device. The device then becomes essentially useless unless it can run directly off AC power and the user doesn't mind the device no longer being portable.

Tony

As I said in the quoted post, that depends on whether the battery is proprietary and whether it is still available when you need it a couple of years down the road. Again, this is a problem with ANY device that uses properitary batteries such as cell phones, laptops, tablets, etc. When a battery is built to a specific form factor and output for a particular device, it isn't cost effective for a business to continue making and selling that battery long past its product life cycle. Some proprietary batteries for products that were unusually popular might be carried by third party vendors, but you can't know whether the battery for the MPC Live will be until that time comes.

These days, people seem all too quick to want to move on to the next shiny new thing, so maybe folks won't care about this issue. I tend to hang on to stuff that works for me, and also to ask these kinds of questions. When folks were scrambling to get ARM mortgages prior to 2008, I would ask them what happens when interest rates rise. I as often told that this would not happen. It did and we saw the market crash. I tend to think these things through, when many people don't. I am just bringing up a consideration that I think should be a factor in a purchasing decision here, based on long time observation of the usage of these prprietary batteries in products.

Tony

I am going to assume that MPC stuff will start carrying batteries when that day comes... or if you are capable... you could tear the mpc open and install a new one you buy that are of the right spec.