Advance 61 like MPC X?

MPC X, MPC Live, MPC One & MPC Key 61 Forum: Support and discussion for the MPC X, MPC Live, MPC Live II, MPC One & MPC Key 61; Akai's current generation of standalone MPCs.
 Reply Share on Facebook
User avatar

Re: Advance 61 like MPC X?

By Lampdog Mon Jan 14, 2019 5:09 am
CharlesRandolph wrote:
jeff lick wrote:I have many rackmount synths and a better midi piano. I like the DAW integration of the Advance. The FA 06 is no better either. Plus is a mediocre workstation IMO. It is not a Kronos.


Well it sounds like you have everything figured out, so what was the purpose of the post?

Re: Advance 61 like MPC X?

By jeff lick Mon Jan 14, 2019 9:19 am
The purpose of my post was about controlling DAW. If the FA 06 could do it as easily and as tightly as the Advance. The Advance wins in that respect I guess. The FA 06 beats the advance as having onboard sounds. I was truly hoping for exactly what I wished for. Thinking the FA 06 was akin to an MPC X with keys. It is not apparently. Namely to get all midi functions working on the FA 06 is not plug and play. At the end of the day the FA 06 is a cheap keyboard too. Just with a different purpose. Until Akai makes an Advance "X" or whatever it is best I suppose to use the Advance to control DAW. The midi piano to control rack synths and the workstation live ETC. There is no "one box" with keys right now as the MPC X is with pads. That was my question.
User avatar

Re: Advance 61 like MPC X?

By Lampdog Mon Jan 14, 2019 4:24 pm
"Advance 61 like MPC X?'

No, it's not.

Re: Advance 61 like MPC X?

By jeff lick Mon Jan 14, 2019 4:30 pm
Indeed it is not. I meant did something like it exist. Closest thing I can think of is Kronos?
Montage sans sequencer. Before I spend $$$ is Kronos what I am looking for?
I appreciate everyone's feedback.

Re: Advance 61 like MPC X?

By Eyalc Mon Jan 14, 2019 4:36 pm
Wait to see what this Force is. I wouldn't be surprised if it's a MPC Live / X brain in a MPK / Advance form factor (49, 61, 88 keys). Then you'll have X capabilities in a keyboard workstation form.
User avatar

Re: Advance 61 like MPC X?

By Lampdog Mon Jan 14, 2019 4:39 pm
I have a triton extreme and my next logical step would be kronos, I want one.
Kronos would be a better choice than FA06 for me. For your DAW control that you want, you'll still have to search the manuals on both and see what can be done.

I only know 2 people with FA06's. One used to have a Triton Studio, he regrets changing out.
Told me to not give up my Extreme for an FA06.

Re: Advance 61 like MPC X?

By jeff lick Mon Jan 14, 2019 4:51 pm
Well the deal is that the FA 06 is an entry level workstation. Not much to be said about it. Furthermore it's DAW integration is not so straightforward. Press that button and good luck. The Kronos in fact has zero DAW integration. As I suspected what I had wished for is not made. Although with the Kronos, might forget DAW altogether. The MPC X is one of a kind, with pads of course. Not keys. It appears to simply not exist. I am not getting a FA 06 though. I am well beyond that level. Already have a Montage. The sounds in Montage blow away FA 06 IMO. I guess for now at least I can midi to my rackmount synths and DAW control is not bad at all on the Advance. The Advance is not the best key bed but better than FA 06 too. Something used perhaps, no longer made does this? You would be amazed the quality of the ASR 88 but that was long before DAW existed. Thanks
User avatar

Midi Designer Pro

By Lampdog Mon Jan 14, 2019 6:02 pm
You have an ipad?

I use this sometimes on my triton. Design/Make your own midi control surface.
Literally, it's a blank canvas when you start. You can load templates but I chose to go from scratch.
I placed knobs, sliders, buttons wherever I wanted on screen to control whatever tritons functions I needed.
No more menu diving, got exactly what I needed front page on ipad pro, been using it for years.

https://mididesigner.com/

Re: Advance 61 like MPC X?

By jeff lick Mon Jan 14, 2019 7:27 pm
Yes, I know many things to control the keyboard. Depending on what keyboard you use. Right down to sysex from a terminal but that is hard work.

I came to realize something. The low end workstations like Krome, FA 06 have DAW functionality but it is not as good as a dedicated midi controller. The high end workstations like Kronos have no DAW functionality at all. I am guessing the reason is they figure that crowd is all in hardware. The Montage is not really a workstation. It has no sequencer. Made to be played live I guess. You would not want to trade for FA 06.

So I will just do as I said above. There is no high end workstation with full DAW integration, if any.
I will still probably trade some things towards Kronos. No DAW but honestly many of the sounds are better than Omnisphere IMO. Which is amazing considering the difference in computing power. Maybe I too just forget DAW then.

The MPC X and Advance 61 is a good combo though. It can do plenty of course. Absolute sound quality maybe hand to Korg but functionality goes a long way too. Tweaking sounds on Kronos is difficult to me as opposed to the likes of Omnisphere. I come from way before DAW but quickly embraced it once it got going. It is a tossup. I would rather have both. However nothing says I require both in one machine!

Re: Advance 61 like MPC X?

By jeff lick Mon Jan 14, 2019 8:53 pm
I actually had that one once. It is very good hardware wise. My choice too. The Advance just has tighter DAW control due to VIP in the background. I wish at least one of these lower end workstations had a software component to run the DAW flawlessly and not just midi control. Nonetheless that is a better keyboard than Advance. My Piano is better still though.

I guess with the Kronos they figure people will use it as a high end "arranger" and forgo DAW entirely. Either way does the job. I just would find the Kronos on a bigger screen more helpful.

Since I am figuring you are in your fifties as well lol.

I do not understand why the low end workstations do not have after touch.....The high end ones do but then no DAW control. Other than plain midi. The high end controllers have after touch. Of course not polyphonic after touch. That is of a bygone era. Costs too much today to make that key bed. Then $4,000 Krono's would be $6,000 and no one would buy it anymore. VIP is much more than just midi signal and I really dig it. Advance is not a bad key bed but not a good one either. If you ever played a top Yamaha piano you know all keyboards stink. Of interest is the Advance 61 weighs about as much as the FA 06. The FA 06 is very entry level. Montage gigging day's would break my back. Even though it is really for live sets.

The MPC X and Advance 61 sit together nicely. I am mainly into DAW but would give it up for something better. I kind of doubt that Krono's has a better sequencer than Pro Tools or what have you. Sampling ETC. It sounds wonderful but with some tweaking I bet Omnisphere or Serum can come close. I suppose it all depends what one wants but cannot have it all!
User avatar

Re: Advance 61 like MPC X?

By Lampdog Mon Jan 14, 2019 9:57 pm
jeff lick wrote:Since I am figuring you are in your fifties as well lol.

I'm 48.

TR808 = 1987
Roland R8 = 1990
ASR X Pro = 2001
MPC 2kxl, and Triton Extreme = 2001
MPC4k = 2009
ipad = 2012
EMU Turbo Phatt = 2015 I think.
Subsequent-37 = 2018

Re: Advance 61 like MPC X?

By CharlesRandolph Mon Jan 14, 2019 10:07 pm
jeff lick wrote:I actually had that one once. It is very good hardware wise. My choice too. The Advance just has tighter DAW control due to VIP in the background. I wish at least one of these lower end workstations had a software component to run the DAW flawlessly and not just midi control. Nonetheless that is a better keyboard than Advance. My Piano is better still though.

I guess with the Kronos they figure people will use it as a high end "arranger" and forgo DAW entirely. Either way does the job. I just would find the Kronos on a bigger screen more helpful.

Since I am figuring you are in your fifties as well lol.

I do not understand why the low end workstations do not have after touch.....The high end ones do but then no DAW control. Other than plain midi. The high end controllers have after touch. Of course not polyphonic after touch. That is of a bygone era. Costs too much today to make that key bed. Then $4,000 Krono's would be $6,000 and no one would buy it anymore. VIP is much more than just midi signal and I really dig it. Advance is not a bad key bed but not a good one either. If you ever played a top Yamaha piano you know all keyboards stink. Of interest is the Advance 61 weighs about as much as the FA 06. The FA 06 is very entry level. Montage gigging day's would break my back. Even though it is really for live sets.

The MPC X and Advance 61 sit together nicely. I am mainly into DAW but would give it up for something better. I kind of doubt that Krono's has a better sequencer than Pro Tools or what have you. Sampling ETC. It sounds wonderful but with some tweaking I bet Omnisphere or Serum can come close. I suppose it all depends what one wants but cannot have it all!


What Software DAW are you using?

Re: Advance 61 like MPC X?

By jeff lick Mon Jan 14, 2019 10:22 pm
Yes, I figured you were in that age range. I did not realize those things were such a short time ago. I am 59.

I use Pro Tools PC and Ableton.

The Advance has such good control over them you really never need to use the mouse. In fact you can just turn off the monitor. Just midi would not allow for all that. Like the transport and such.

The only thing about the Kronos to me is the sound. I have a lot of older synths. 90's-2000's. Worth 4 grand to me not sure. The MPC X in software mode brings to the table much more than Touch. More Q-links, bigger screen. Kind of like a modern 5000. I am going out to get it a SSD now. Small ones are cheap.

Re: Advance 61 like MPC X?

By CharlesRandolph Mon Jan 14, 2019 10:44 pm
jeff lick wrote:Yes, I figured you were in that age range. I did not realize those things were such a short time ago. I am 59.

I use Pro Tools PC and Ableton.

The Advance has such good control over them you really never need to use the mouse. In fact you can just turn off the monitor. Just midi would not allow for all that. Like the transport and such.

The only thing about the Kronos to me is the sound. I have a lot of older synths. 90's-2000's. Worth 4 grand to me not sure. The MPC X in software mode brings to the table much more than Touch. More Q-links, bigger screen. Kind of like a modern 5000. I am going out to get it a SSD now. Small ones are cheap.


I still don't understand how Akai Pro did not fully integrate VIP 3.0 and the MPC X together. Talk about a missed opportunity.
 Reply
Return to MPC X, MPC One, MPC Live & MPC Key 61