MPC Beats Software

vwkountz wrote:I'm preparing for the worst, but it only make sense because Akai has been doing updates on the quarterly bases. ....The acquisition of Splice (subscription) and now free Software. Call me Nostradamus, lol, but something is about to change. :popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn:

inMusic have not acquired Splice. They're just an affiliate partner, like dozens of other vendors.

A subscription service or Beat Premium software, but no more free full software with the MPC. If you want more then Beat you buy it and if your cool with Standalone you're good.

The thing is, Akai have been trying to sell the MPC Software as a DAW for other MIDI controllers for years now and no one has been biting, it's a very hard sell when you have so many mature DAWs or tightly integrated systems like Push/Live. It seems they've finally realised it makes more sense to just offer a highly featured free version as it immediately brings in hundreds of thousands of new users into the MPC ecosystem. It's a marketing tool.

Many of these free users will be buying expansions and eventually many will inevitably buy MPC hardware, which I assume will still come with the full version of the MPC Software. Most will look at the $200 update cost for the software and think 'Hmm, spend a bit more and I can have an MPC One which already includes the software'.

A big selling point of these MPCs is you can jump between standalone and software and get the same experience from the controller UI. This requires that both MPC and computer need to be running the same software (same features, same version number), so introducing a business model that by default basically penalises you in software mode unless you upgrade is just about as cynical as it gets. I just can't see how this would work. For example, it's fine shipping Live Intro with Push as Push is just a controller, the features are set by the version of Live you are running on your computer, there isn't a standalone environment which runs the full Live Suite and then gimps everything down to Intro when you go into computer mode.

This is why, IMO, MPC 3.0 will change nothing with respect to the business model. I guess the general assumption is this to be a paid upgrade unless you are buying whatever new MPC model they release at the same time. Just like they did when they introduced 2.0. However I do wonder if they might forgo this and just release it as just another standard, free update. In the end, a version number is quite arbitrary - 2.3 and 2.6 were huge (and free) updates - can 3.0 trump these?

MPC-Tutor wrote:

JackJackdaw wrote:My one big question is, can you use the qwerty keyboard to enter sample names etc when using it as a VST plug in? It drives me nuts you can't do this in mpc 2.0.

Yes, can type in names from the computer keyboard, but I can do this with full MPC 2.8 plugin as well (on a Mac, perhaps that's relevant). The two apps are identical in all ways except the 8 MIDI track and 2 audio track limit.

It is a Windows thing. Even says it in the manual, seems like such a cop out. It makes building programs in VST mode almost impossible.

Well, if the rumours are true that they are rolling out a huge update for the Live -family, they might be porting over the Ableton/Force -style sequencer to the MPC Live, so the current Live software is now re-branded as "MPC Beats" and the new one is going to be "MPC Music" or something in the lines just to make it more easier for consumer to understand. This is just a hunch, I really have NO idea what they are planning but that's what this feels like.

The current MPC software is cool and all, but the workflow is really showing it's age compared to the other stuff on/coming to the market - Force was their first attempt at modernizing the live performance aspects of the MPC. The first and foremost use on the current MPC Live is to make beats and loops etc - the classic MPC workflow, hence the name for the new software package.

This is just speculation based on all the stuff that I've read about the "big" update that's coming (my guess is MPC Software 3.0 for Live/One/X and they are working on a massive overhaul for the Force as well if I understood correctly?).

A linear arranger is coming to the Force so it's possible that might also come to the MPC, although I'm not aware if this has ever been officially confirmed by anyone from Akai. But the song mode style of working does seem very peculiar to much if the newer generation. I'll assume stuff like disk streaming and the extra plugins are also pencilled in. Probably some kind of graphical UI overhaul.

I really can't see Akai veering away entirely from the MPC Software core workflow though, an MPC is an MPC, the Force is a Force. I think they are happy to share features where it makes sense, but the core workflows are very different. But yeah, guesswork, who knows what's going to happen. Akai are full of surprises these days.

Does anybody have a download link for the Windows and Mac version ?
I registered, got the mail with all the tracking links in it, clicked , took me to the site, clicked download.
Asks me to register again

I don't get the bite back at the idea of a paid 3.0. Considering what other DAWs do - except FL Studios - its pretty normal to have the big increment be a "paid" thing, even if the new stuff is "not impressive".

As it stands - we've had MPC 2.0 for what - at least 3 years? In that time Reason has had two paid updates.

Honestly, outside of bugs, I wouldn't even be mad at them storing the new plug-ins for stand-alone mode, behind a 3.0 paywall. Of course I want it for free, but those go far beyond my expectations on the hardware, so I understand paying for the extra work.
-Unreall

Unreallystic wrote:Honestly, outside of bugs, I wouldn't even be mad at them storing the new plug-ins for stand-alone mode, behind a 3.0 paywall. Of course I want it for free, but those go far beyond my expectations on the hardware, so I understand paying for the extra work.
-Unreall

JJOS even did this... free version, Paid OS1, Paid OS2/2XL/3

I have no problem paying for the features if I want them (even if it is only some)... I just hope that you (EDIT) don't have to pay to also get the bug fixes. That'd be a bummer.

From what I've seen most people seem quite happy with the idea of a paid update.

There are only like 8 sequence and 8 tracks I believe... But you do get f9 interments with it... They are selling that expansion for 39.00.. imma download it to get f9... And maybe put the beats software on a little cheap laptop so I can be mobile with it along with my mpkII mini...

Has anyone tried using the MPC Beats software on Catalina with the Studio Black or Ren?

Hi, does anybody knows, if it is possible to use a mpc1000 as controller for the MPC Beats software?

irvin5 wrote:But you do get f9 interments with it... They are selling that expansion for 39.00.. imma download it to get f9..

It's not the full version, just a 'demo' pack with a handful of instruments.

tsindt wrote:Hi, does anybody knows, if it is possible to use a mpc1000 as controller for the MPC Beats software?

You could connect via MIDI cable and fire off pads, maybe JJOSXL or OS3 might offer some more mappable options perhaps, I can't remember.

MPC Beats is a scaled down version of MPC. It does not replace MPC 2. You can look at as the long awaited much anticipated upgrade to MPC Essentials, which only has one track. This is really great for those of us that have the MPK Mini MkII.


Excerpt from p. 7 of the help files.

I think apart from the track limitation, the only other feature removed from the app is the Hybrid plugin. Additionally, MPC Software users get a bunch of free VST plugins that you download from your Akai account (e.g. mini grand etc) and the large drum/instrument library (e.g. Vault).