Why are the new MPCs so counterintuitive?

I often wonder if I could forgive the modern MPCs all their overblown obesity and start using one. So last night I gave it a shot and simply tried to make a drum kit from the Impeach break.

What a nightmare. I actually gave up in the end, unable to find where I made a sample play back as a one shot. Today I was told it is under the LFO menu. I mean, WTF?

This is one of the main features of any sampler. Why is it hidden under LFO? And the envelopes are in the filter menu?

Not for me. Touching a screen isn’t playing a musical instrument. What a terrible experience. I’ll be staying back at the 1000/2000 era. After that era it’s a shitshow.

My personal experience coming from a 1k it was really easy transition. But I am not from Tormes.

Lazarillo wrote:Not for me. Touching a screen isn’t playing a musical instrument. What a terrible experience. I’ll be staying back at the 1000/2000 era. After that era it’s a shitshow.

But using a data wheel & directional arrows keys & a number keypad is?
It's just another way to use & move around on a digital instrument. But since you're leaving, bye & make some bangers on whatever you like. Peace

Cop The MPC Bible....and you won't have any more Counter-intuitivness

Maybe you just haven't spent enough time with it.

First, I agree, that every model from the Live/X/One/key range should have required a usage of the touch screen that was kept to a minimum.

I means, that there should have been a way to navigate between screens, parameters within screens (like tab on a computer), select menus, prompts, WITHOUT having to use the touch screen, That's not realistic for note grid edition, obviously, but paging and menu/function access should have not required the touch screen.

My personal pet peeve is really with some functions that should have been directly accessible via the grid mode, but they require to user to go to main, and click on the pen. It simply does not make sense.

However, once you know what is where, it's fairly easy to navigate. But at the end of the day, a touch screen should be here to enhance the user experience in various ways, not a constraint.

Now it is what it is and nothing is going to change that, not even an update.

Lazarillo wrote:I actually gave up in the end, unable to find where I made a sample play back as a one shot. Today I was told it is under the LFO menu. I mean, WTF?

You were told incorrectly. 'sample play' is in the 'global' screen of program edit, where you configure all the 'global' pad settings. The LFO section covers only LFO settings.

And the envelopes are in the filter menu?

The envelopes are in the 'envelopes' section. Where are you getting this incorrect information from?

TT_Lab wrote:But I am not from Tormes.

Never expected to read that kind of joke HERE

This forum is full of surprises...

I just fired up my mcp 2500 and did some beats.
I constantly tried.to touch the screen and really see now how nice the new ones are.
I don't miss that to be honest.

bitermc wrote:

TT_Lab wrote:But I am not from Tormes.

Never expected to read that kind of joke HERE

This forum is full of surprises...

Unusual criticisms - but that’s just individual experience I guess. Having come from the 4k via the 1k I miss lots of sound design and sequencing features, but I find the MPC X vastly easier to use and so much faster to get an idea up and running with. However, as that’s not your experience, those above who recommended the MPC Bible are absolutely right: it’s invaluable - even if you already know what you’re doing it’s an essential supplement

Just wanted to say, I have only had my MPC Live 2 for a couple of months, never read any manuals and I'm able to make beats and sample instruments and create songs already, I personally think they are pretty easy to get on with, but yeah there's still a lot to learn but counter-intuitive, I don't think so, IMHO.

Lazarillo wrote:What a nightmare. I actually gave up in the end, unable to find where I made a sample play back as a one shot. Today I was told it is under the LFO menu. I mean, WTF?

Maybe you are talking about the MPC Software UI. In Software, the One-Shot option is next to the LFO settings.

The software UI is indeed a nightmare, but the standalone UI is intuitive and easy to use.

1. Read the manual (as with any piece of gear)

2. Learn to speak Akai

3. Benefit greatly