Why People Trading MPC Key 61?

Support and discussion for all of Akai’s modern standalone MPCs including the MPC X / X SE, MPC Live 1, 2 & 3, MPC One / One+, MPC Key 37/61.
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Re: Why People Trading MPC Key 61?

By Digital Larry Tue Aug 26, 2025 2:07 pm
bldn10 wrote:... And I recorded an intro sequence. Then I opened another Project and did a verse. Now I don't see a way to create a Song using sequences from different projects. I realize now that the Song should have been the Project. I can't even seem to be able to just copy a sequence from one Project to another. So easy on my circa 1989 workstation! You should be able to copy a sequence [like to clipboard], pull up a different Project, and paste the sequence into it.

Well I'm with you there. After your first sequence you need to move to a new sequence within the same project ("Next Seq" button) or copy the first one to a new sequence (pencil icon next to "Arrangement") and delete whatever parts you don't want. Or copy a track to a new sequence.

Similar to Ableton, I don't know how to save a scene to a file and then pull it in to a new project as a scene. I've had my MPC One for several weeks and have had to adjust my mind to a lot of things and still don't have it all figured out.

I THINK that to get a part from one project into another one you'd need to render it down to a sample from the first one, which of course means you can't edit it other than trimming the sample or whatever manipulations you can do to audio samples.
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Re: Why People Trading MPC Key 61?

By EnochLight Tue Aug 26, 2025 2:16 pm
bldn10 wrote:Well that sucks. The thing has a guitar input and tons of effects including amp sims, "aggressive distorted mayhem," distortion, feedback, fuzz, etc. You sure it can't make what I want?

Anyway, I broke down and bought a mint used Key 61 at Guitar Center. And answered my own question. I'm still working on it but, to sum it up, my previous workstation was a keyboard w/ a computer in it and this is a computer w/ a keyboard. Nothing is intuitive for me, and it is quite frustrating. To review, I'm into linear sequencing songs I like - not into beats, looping, hip hop, etc. Goodness, you can't even turn this thing on and just play - everything is in the context of beats.

The dilemma I'm in now if that I was foolish enough to try to record a song w/o fully understanding the alien-to-me workflow. I went through the manual and watched lots of videos but it is too friggin complicated. Since the first thing it forces you to do is open a new Project, that's what I did. And I recorded an intro sequence. Then I opened another Project and did a verse. Now I don't see a way to create a Song using sequences from different projects. I realize now that the Song should have been the Project. I can't even seem to be able to just copy a sequence from one Project to another. So easy on my circa 1989 workstation! You should be able to copy a sequence [like to clipboard], pull up a different Project, and paste the sequence into it. No? I swear I'm thinking I could cut bait now and learn a Kronos quicker than this. :-)


Look ummmm, I'm an "old geezer" by every definition of the phrase, and I was able to understand basic production principles on the MPC... before I even bought my first (new gen) MPC. I mean seriously, did you NOT do your due diligence before buying one???! They are seriously not that difficult to wrap your head around.

I went through the manual and watched lots of videos but it is too friggin complicated.


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Lol... OK.

Since the first thing it forces you to do is open a new Project, that's what I did. And I recorded an intro sequence. Then I opened another Project and did a verse.


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All joking aside, I dunno' man, it sounds like this just isn't for you. No shame in admitting that. Take your MPC back, get a refund, and move on. There's tons of options out there. I'm sure you'll find something that clicks with you.
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Re: Why People Trading MPC Key 61?

By Lampdog Tue Aug 26, 2025 4:41 pm
xantus wrote:Qlinks are everything. it just doesn't feel very "flagship" to only have 4 qlinks like the 61 has.


This is the MAIN reason why I use X more than Key61. I still like the Key61, but, X gets more attention.

Re: Why People Trading MPC Key 61?

By Zgyhqu Thu Aug 28, 2025 5:40 am
Kinda old thread but as a longtime user who just sold their MPC Key 61, I'll weigh in

I think the issue is more to do with what people use workstation keyboards for nowadays. Back in the day workstations were mostly meant to stay in the studio and at home to write and produce music on and this is absolutely what the MPC Key 61 is best at, I'd go as far as to say it is a better all in one music production tool than any of the other workstation keyboards on the market. But the thing is, workstation keyboards aren't as popular for music production anymore, a lot of people use them as stage keyboards that they can do custom sound design on and while you can do this with the MPC Key, the other workstations like the fantoms, montage, modx, nautilus, etc are better live gigging keyboards for most people. A lot of keyboardists don't like the 8 plugin limit and since they want to use it live, they either have to wait for projects to load between songs or load different presets in their plugins which either way is cumbersome and for some simply not an option.

I used the MPC Key 61 as my main gigging keyboard for the last year and played over 50 shows with it. I mostly picked it because it handled multi samples much better that other keyboard workstations. I suspect most keyboardists who use multi samples live have a laptop and midi controller which is what I recently switched to for my shows. I was only able to use it because I have time inbetween songs to load projects and for some people this isn't the case. The MPC did really well though, in all my time using it live for many shows and rehearsals it only crashed once (at a sizable music festival ofc lol) but that's not that bad. Contrary to what a lot of people claim, every keyboard brand crashes even those oh so expensive nords. I sold my MPC Key 61 this week because as good as it was, it is just more convenient for me at this point to take my laptop and a midi controller.

Last thing, they keys are not awful feeling, I'm a piano teacher and while sure they aren't by any stretch hammer action quality, they are decent feeling especially compared to other keyboard workstations at similar price points like the Yamaha MODX and it's awful synth action keys. Ultimately if they are good enough for Cory Henry they are good enough for me.
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