The official MPC X & Live Hacks Thread

So many haters all the time. I thought this thread was about people hacking the new mpc os. Could be anything from watching porn, a mouse, cool new features with the sequencer whatever. I'm cool with whatever someone does, if I see something useful I might try I myself when the time comes.
But I could just start attacking people....

mouse support would be a great idea..

for the browser and grid edit alone it would be phenomenal..
1. selecting multiple notes ,
2. scroll & zoom,
3. selecting and deleting notes .. ever tried picking that 1/32 note out when in a 4 measure view?, or actually putting one in the right place?!..

if you think its not for standalone units.. then consider the MV8800 had it, the Fantom G had it and it dramatically improved workflow in both cases.. so theres that..
cheers!

I kind of agree with the majority on this about mouse support. I might have calculated the votes wrong but I def see some reasons why it would be helpful. However with that being said I fully agree that if I want to use a mouse i might just use the computer in controller mode. I love using the touch screen and not needing anything else but the live. Sometimes i even leave the midi trying to fully learn pad perform.

its definitely cool to see different hacks and outside the box ideas taking place though.

Yeah, I think whenever an MPC head hears anything remotely related to a computer, they imagine someone sitting there drawing in MIDI. When this was brought up on GS, folks wanted it for editing, not drawing, and only in the absence of missing and/or precise editing features.

I personally look at the long game. Add the actual editing features folks want and improve the accuracy/sensitivity of the screen if possible.

Bezo wrote:Yeah, I think whenever an MPC head hears anything remotely related to a computer, they imagine someone sitting there drawing in MIDI. When this was brought up on GS, folks wanted it for editing, not drawing, and only in the absence of missing and/or precise editing features.

I personally look at the long game. Add the actual editing features folks want and improve the accuracy/sensitivity of the screen if possible.

I think that if Akai improves the touchscreen, there would never be a mouse support request.
Anyway, mouse is the last thing I want to use when I make music.

l agree. Touch screen needs to improve. Its better but needs improvement. My phone has a better touch screen.

So....

Is it possible this mouse function??

i totally agree with the original idea... BUT for note selecting it'll just be soo much preciser and quicker ...

it couldn't hurt to add no?

On a MPC, I am ALL FOR being able to draw in notes. I WANT that ability. Its not something I need for drums or samples, but when trying to use the built in synths, it would make life so much easier when trying to lay down or build up chords. I personally struggle with using the pads for single notes and find myself feeling forced to use the pad performance mode, which again, can get you from point A to point D, but if your aim is really point B or C, you have to do a whole bunch of additional editting.

As for modding in general, somethings being discussed here are "eh". For some of us, standalone is important, some of us don't want to be tethered to a computer all the time, some of us don't want to drag around our computer either, if that was the case, there is no point in going beyond the the Touch. I'm not sure how valuable a HDMI out would be, I doubt we have the horsepower to drive two screens at once, so it would be a mirror of what's on the current screen, and even if we could power it, without mouse support, I don't see the benefit.
When I step back and look at the Live and to a lesser extent the X, there aren't a ton of MODs that feel like they owuld bring a lot to the table.

Mouse support is a terrific idea that I am 100% behind, it shouldn't be a resource hog, and the connections already exist.

While there have been one or two released, there could be value added with higher-end audio components.

Additional i/O ports would be strong for a section of the MPC community.

In tersm of physical mods, a larger, (with the same accuracy) touchscreen, especially for the Live, would be terrific. Sure it would break the form factor, sitting at an angle like some kind of mutated 2500, but it would be extremely useful. If getting into breaking the form factor a bit, modding the Q-Links on the Live, to meet the counts of the X would be awesome. While this work would seem expensive I see it going one of two ways...

Adding battery to an oversized X *meh, I've voiced by issues with the X currently elsewhere* or adding X features to the already portable Live. As it stands the X is still hard to get "cheap", but Live's are much easier to come by at a cheap price, if I buy a Live for $800, spend $400 on mods and now have a screen larger than the X, along with functinally similar Q-Links - that's a win/win.
- Unreall

well the battery situation is one we will have to deal with in a few years... would be cool to get one with even longer capacity (not that it's needed.. but "hacks" aren't always needed)

one hack that would be good would be to change the shit 1/8" (3.5mm) headphone jack to a 1/4" ... and i don't find those 1/4" jacks on the back to be the greatest either. Some cable i want to plug in (not all, but some) are really difficult to get in, and it is not the case with those same cables on other gear.

Unreallystic wrote:If getting into breaking the form factor a bit, modding the Q-Links on the Live, to meet the counts of the X would be awesome.

More Q-links would be a blessing. If Akai would release this as a controller to use with the Live I would definately buy it. Some faders would be really nice.

Not necessarily a hack but will help get you a few free samples at the record shop before the clerk notices you and bounces you out.

Portable turntables are powered USB nowadays, so you can plug one into the Live and connect its inputs, viola, instant sample jack station. I used to do this a lot at a local library until it disappeared with the hurricane.

does make me wonder, the Live and X are on such a close platform, I wonder how different the software actually is (and hardware), I would think that adding Q-Links to the Live is well within the possibility.
- Unreall

Unreallystic wrote:does make me wonder, the Live and X are on such a close platform, I wonder how different the software actually is (and hardware), I would think that adding Q-Links to the Live is well within the possibility.
- Unreall

If any midi controller can be used with any DAW, and knobs, faders and buttons can be assigned to virtually anything, then it shouldn’t be impossible to at least implement something similair. And like you said, since the X and Live aren’t that much different from each other they’re already halfway.

Unreallystic wrote:does make me wonder, the Live and X are on such a close platform, I wonder how different the software actually is (and hardware), I would think that adding Q-Links to the Live is well within the possibility.
- Unreall

It wouldn't be an Economical Viable for them to do it. They're using that as a Sales Pitch to get people to step up to the X...(More Money Flowing In). They Can do a number of things to upgrade the Live, but then it would make it harder to sell X's.

Its like having Roll Up Windows & Manual Locks VS Power Windows & Locks. The Base Model is always Less $$$

40Beatz wrote:It wouldn't be an Economical Viable for them to do it. They're using that as a Sales Pitch to get people to step up to the X...(More Money Flowing In). They Can do a number of things to upgrade the Live, but then it would make it harder to sell X's.

Its like having Roll Up Windows & Manual Locks VS Power Windows & Locks. The Base Model is always Less $$$

I meant that from a modding stand-point.

No, if Akai releases another MPC, it should be a middle of the road MPC, and while I differ from some here, I'd actually only have (8) Q-Links - as a Live user, once you are use to them, (4) is actually most of what you need outside of crazy automation on say a synth of FX. The X is just big to be big, and gains little with the size increase, some dedicated buttons, and OLEDs for the Qs, but after you are at home with it, you don't even "really" need the OLEDs, the larger screen is moot as the distance from the user thanks to the format, shrinks the screen to feel about the same as the Live, and the dedicated buttons could be greatly trimmed down with better menu diving/setup. You can argue the additional I/O, but that's really about it.
-Unreall