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.
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By Lampdog Mon Apr 20, 2020 3:50 pm
esenbi wrote: but I don't see why Akai shouldn't just make the MPC more similar to the SP404 (where it should).

No and **** no.
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By K. Rah Fri Apr 24, 2020 10:13 am
In LIST EDIT mode, the F1 and F2 spots are blank.

I think it would be useful to have an option here to allow pads to simultaneously highlight and audition (if note information) events in the list. The events are already listed numerically on the left... why not have pads A01-A16 audition events 1-16, B01-B16 to represent events 17-32, etc.

This way you could, for example arrange melodies more quickly using the pads to skip around to the events in the timeline and the data wheel to transpose. Have you ever been dragging notes around in grid mode to form a melody, and you can't remember what note came before the one you are about to change? It's so annoying to backtrack to those past events and tap them on a touch screen to listen. So to be able to preview the previous events using corresponding pads, you would always have a reference point before and after wherever you are. No highliting little blocks or scooting the playhead all over the place to preview.

I hope that makes sense. Long-winded I know but it would for sure speed up step-oriented key group sequence editing.
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By mr_debauch Tue Apr 28, 2020 4:49 am
unless there is already a way to do it but i just don't know about it.....
in the grid piano roll screen it would be nice to have a button to switch tools or to swap the tool while holding the button. for example, you have the pencil selected, but when you hold shift and it shows alternative tabs at the bottom of the screen, it could also change the tool to select and back to pencil when you let go.

so annoying when you click a note in the wrong spot, or you want to do a few quick things but you always have to click a different tool all the damn time. just a bit of a workflow enhancement like that would be nice.

pressing menu and a pad is not faster really than pressing menu and pressing an area of the screen but they still put that in.
By wavejockey Tue Apr 28, 2020 6:37 am
K. Rah wrote:In LIST EDIT mode, the F1 and F2 spots are blank.

I think it would be useful to have an option here to allow pads to simultaneously highlight and audition (if note information) events in the list. The events are already listed numerically on the left... why not have pads A01-A16 audition events 1-16, B01-B16 to represent events 17-32, etc.

This way you could, for example arrange melodies more quickly using the pads to skip around to the events in the timeline and the data wheel to transpose. Have you ever been dragging notes around in grid mode to form a melody, and you can't remember what note came before the one you are about to change? It's so annoying to backtrack to those past events and tap them on a touch screen to listen. So to be able to preview the previous events using corresponding pads, you would always have a reference point before and after wherever you are. No highliting little blocks or scooting the playhead all over the place to preview.

I hope that makes sense. Long-winded I know but it would for sure speed up step-oriented key group sequence editing.


great ID, would notes (or any MIDI info for that matter) that have the same timing also play at the same time when you struck a pad ?
By 40Beatz Thu Apr 30, 2020 12:36 pm
You should be able to
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By K. Rah Fri May 01, 2020 8:47 am
wavejockey wrote:
K. Rah wrote:In LIST EDIT mode, the F1 and F2 spots are blank.

I think it would be useful to have an option here to allow pads to simultaneously highlight and audition (if note information) events in the list. The events are already listed numerically on the left... why not have pads A01-A16 audition events 1-16, B01-B16 to represent events 17-32, etc.

This way you could, for example arrange melodies more quickly using the pads to skip around to the events in the timeline and the data wheel to transpose. Have you ever been dragging notes around in grid mode to form a melody, and you can't remember what note came before the one you are about to change? It's so annoying to backtrack to those past events and tap them on a touch screen to listen. So to be able to preview the previous events using corresponding pads, you would always have a reference point before and after wherever you are. No highliting little blocks or scooting the playhead all over the place to preview.

I hope that makes sense. Long-winded I know but it would for sure speed up step-oriented key group sequence editing.


great ID, would notes (or any MIDI info for that matter) that have the same timing also play at the same time when you struck a pad ?


I believe it would be one pad per event... List Edit "groups chords" together visually according to simultaneous notes, but the individual notes each have their own number. Wouldn't that be convenient, auditioning chords one pad (note) at a time. For automation events? Leave them blank I guess, or leave the pads available to overwrite new automation in terms of pad velocity for example.

The only problem I can see is, what if you have more than 128 events? Maybe it could be per-bar, like the step sequencer.

There is enough space is the settings window for List Edit for another option. I'd call it something like "Match Events to Pads "
Last edited by K. Rah on Fri May 01, 2020 10:29 am, edited 1 time in total.
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By K. Rah Fri May 01, 2020 9:42 am
mr_debauch wrote:unless there is already a way to do it but i just don't know about it.....
in the grid piano roll screen it would be nice to have a button to switch tools or to swap the tool while holding the button. for example, you have the pencil selected, but when you hold shift and it shows alternative tabs at the bottom of the screen, it could also change the tool to select and back to pencil when you let go.

so annoying when you click a note in the wrong spot, or you want to do a few quick things but you always have to click a different tool all the damn time. just a bit of a workflow enhancement like that would be nice.


^^Great idea and thanks for bringing it up. The audio editor already has a sort of "multi-tool" function depending on where you select the edge of the waveform, why not some sort of grouping feature like you decribe.

It's for this reason that I've decided to slave my Live to the 2500 (JJOS) so I can use both its transport and grid mode. I can't believe I've gone this long without a proper transport! I would recommend anybody with a 1000 or 2500 give it a try.

You can build key group sections in grid mode on the 2500 using one hand to play the keys and the other hand to do most everything else. I can lay down a chord progression in steps, go back and change every note (even change the duration of the note) all over again, never having to take my hand off the data wheel and surrounding buttons, and never have to leave the current screen. The layout is all little black squares but I was surprised at how little I really depended on the visual after a while . Then just arm the Live and hit play on the other MPC, and you have a duplicate performance.

mr_debauch wrote:pressing menu and a pad is not faster really than pressing menu and pressing an area of the screen but they still put that in.


I agree, and even slower than just hitting one numeric key (Also JJ). I miss the Instant sequence switching thing too.
Last edited by K. Rah on Fri May 01, 2020 10:31 am, edited 1 time in total.
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By K. Rah Fri May 01, 2020 10:16 am
Something Akai definitely forgot to do with the Live/X was allow you to erase notes from a sequence with a midi keyboard controller. You hit a wrong note when recording, stop the sequence and it only lets you use the pads to erase the note. You even have to hit the keyboard key to light up the right pad in order to find it sometimes, and it still makes you hit the pad instead :hmmm:

On the 2500 you can use either pads or keys to do it, even on the OG OS with the anime girl. I used it ALL the time, Please bring it back!

It would be nice to see that pretty red piano graphic from the KEY GROUP program edit window pop up on the erase screen of a KEY GROUP track instead of the DRUM program graphic, which to me makes sense, but belongs only, in the erase screen for the DRUM program track.

And most importantly.............. :mrgreen:




I would like to buy a hat like the Mother Ducker duck wears. Red on black, snap-back, thanks Akai
By Undothis Sun Jul 12, 2020 3:39 am
Being able to copy a sequence to a new sequence with a button combination. This way there is no menue diving which would make creating a song on the fly easy. Right now menu diving to spot a sequence spoils the moment.
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By mrmarbury Wed Sep 02, 2020 1:08 pm
I don't know whether is has already been mentioned? At least a quick search didn't make it show up. I would really like to have ADAT I/O on the X. That way I could connect my MOTU(s) to the X and ditch the computer all together. I would even buy an Alesis IF if it would just work with one of those
By kingdizzy Fri Oct 02, 2020 9:49 pm
K. Rah wrote:
mr_debauch wrote:unless there is already a way to do it but i just don't know about it.....
in the grid piano roll screen it would be nice to have a button to switch tools or to swap the tool while holding the button. for example, you have the pencil selected, but when you hold shift and it shows alternative tabs at the bottom of the screen, it could also change the tool to select and back to pencil when you let go.

so annoying when you click a note in the wrong spot, or you want to do a few quick things but you always have to click a different tool all the damn time. just a bit of a workflow enhancement like that would be nice.


^^Great idea and thanks for bringing it up. The audio editor already has a sort of "multi-tool" function depending on where you select the edge of the waveform, why not some sort of grouping feature like you decribe.

It's for this reason that I've decided to slave my Live to the 2500 (JJOS) so I can use both its transport and grid mode. I can't believe I've gone this long without a proper transport! I would recommend anybody with a 1000 or 2500 give it a try.

You can build key group sections in grid mode on the 2500 using one hand to play the keys and the other hand to do most everything else. I can lay down a chord progression in steps, go back and change every note (even change the duration of the note) all over again, never having to take my hand off the data wheel and surrounding buttons, and never have to leave the current screen. The layout is all little black squares but I was surprised at how little I really depended on the visual after a while . Then just arm the Live and hit play on the other MPC, and you have a duplicate performance.

mr_debauch wrote:pressing menu and a pad is not faster really than pressing menu and pressing an area of the screen but they still put that in.


I agree, and even slower than just hitting one numeric key (Also JJ). I miss the Instant sequence switching thing too.
By Eyalc Sat Oct 03, 2020 1:52 am
Undothis wrote:Being able to copy a sequence to a new sequence with a button combination. This way there is no menue diving which would make creating a song on the fly easy. Right now menu diving to spot a sequence spoils the moment.


Creating a new sequence should be one button, on the main interface. Just press the button, one pop up asking "empty sequence, or copy of current sequence". Then do it. Done.

The menu diving is silly for doing something simple.