MPC Stems - Coming Soon

Just like we all have samplers but don't sample the same stuff & even if we did there so many way to flip it. I'd be more worried about Ai beat generators killing the "(insert famous producer name here)-Type Beats" dudes hustle up. It pays to be unique more than ever.

I couldn't follow hyena's logic at all. Because this will "probably" happen... conformism, ftw.

My own experience with stem separation has been completely opposite. Getting vocals etc from performances on separate tracks has been a huge source of inspiration and fun. This used to be exclusive to producers who were able to obtain multitrack recordings. Now this is democratized, and "being somebody" (in a position where you can get the multitracks) doesn't matter anymore. Now all that matters is your own creativity and skills.

If you've never tried it, try HT Demucs (v4), or one of the products based on it, the results are superb. It works right now on your desktop, no need to wait for any Akai products.

I'm really happy to see this in the MPC, I don't really see the downside to a sampler having stem separation functionality alongside its other sample processing features (e.g. time stretching and pitch shifting etc) it's just another tool in the arsenal and surely quite a useful one. Assuming it's actually usable on a wide range of sources.

The marketing is the usual 'we're changing the world stuff' and perhaps it would be nice to see something a bit more real and humble for once, especially as they really are just belatedly jumping on a bandwagon.

Nickle and diming OS functions is more concerning IMO, plus I'm not convinced they are capable of actually supporting all these add-ons (bug fixes, improvements etc). Really does seem like they are throwing all this stuff out there and then quickly moving on to the next feature/plugin without ever revisiting anything.

Maybe they'd add bug fixes and improvements to the basic software, if they were available as MIT licensed open source...

The MPC Stems plugin looks cool. As with anything people will either be naysayers or supporters. This all depends on the individuals needs, creativity, etc. As stated before on this forum, this is just a tool nothing more nothing less.

jpeg wrote:
just cos u dont like it does not mean u need to demonise it; many people would find that this feature will further open up more lanes of creativity

no demonization here, rest assured, just some reflections. i hope to be proven wrong.
to reply to b-wise too: of course producers don't have to "prove" their tech skills to create great music, but i still think that a lot of clever musical samplings that sound very cool and forward thinking are in part due to the attention needed to analyze recorded music and find those hidden micro-jewels that can be recycled.
i'm afraid this kind of tools make people lazy.

this technological step is very similar to ableton's warp and similar real time granular timestretching-pitchshifting algorithms have brought to the table. problem is: they are comfortable tools, but they degrade audio considerably. yet a lot of people doesn't seem to notice or care, and this , in my humble opinion, is caused by the bad quality of the listening experience the average person has (producers included) nowadays. i'm convinced this kind of tools bring with them a sort of "domestication" of the sonic force, but here we enter in the quasi-esoteric aspect of sound and music, an area i know might cause a lot of flaming so i will stop here.

please understand: i'm not an analog or old school hardware purist, i love new tech that's really pushing the boundaries, regarding granular technology i love it when used creatively, i absolutely despise it when used to sync stuff. i love new dsp stuff that sounds crazy, futuristic, revolutionary, i tend to not like stuff that's thought to let you stay more comfortable in your comfort zone. that's all.

there has definitely been a decline on the value of quality of sound. you cant deny it.

hyena wrote:i still think that a lot of clever musical samplings that sound very cool and forward thinking are in part due to the attention needed to analyze recorded music and find those hidden micro-jewels that can be recycled.
i'm afraid this kind of tools make people lazy.

This tech doesn't change that & if anything will give you even more hidden micro-jewels that can be recycled.
Once again why are you focusing on the wack artists? This will not make creative people lazy.

If you pay for the stems software will you automatically get the standalone version for free?

Loup-Garou wrote:If you pay for the stems software will you automatically get the standalone version for free?

Yes you are allowed three activations. I use all the paid plugins across my One and Force and desktop. If I ever want to get an MPC X or Key37 I'll just deactivate it from desktop or something so I can keep using it on three units.

It’s not a plugin so I wouldn’t assume that the pricing for this extra os feature use the same pricing model as their plugins. Akai haven’t actually confirmed the exact pricing model yet

Definitely looking forward to this feature on the MPC hardware. I presently use Acon Digital Remix and Izotope RX for stem separation on PC, but the functionality would be nice to have directly on my Live II and Key 61.

My poor Maschine+ is feeling more and more neglected.

dunkeyman wrote:

Loup-Garou wrote:If you pay for the stems software will you automatically get the standalone version for free?

Yes you are allowed three activations. I use all the paid plugins across my One and Force and desktop. If I ever want to get an MPC X or Key37 I'll just deactivate it from desktop or something so I can keep using it on three units.

Thanks for the reply.

The only purchase thus far I have made from Akai for standalone is flex beat which I've found really useful.

jaymack wrote:there has definitely been a decline on the value of quality of sound. you cant deny it.

Prob something to do with so many producers nowadays wanting to 'lo-fi' every sample they can get their hands on