MPC Firmware/Software Feature Requests & Suggestions

Hello everybody,

First of all, please apologise for my long absence (just finished a PhD thesis in Musicology, hard period but now I'm a "doctor" ). However, I see that the topic is still alive. In the meantime, I regularly read the forum and took notes from all your FRs.

I today updated the whole file. Don't forget that you can personally add things directly (I comment your FR in return) : https://docs.google.com/document/d/1tVz ... sp=sharing

I really appreciate the way the MPC is being improved. Aside to the must have features, I would love to see some navigation improvments (press main to show/hide left side panel in main screen as someone suggested, press main + pad to select a track, hold shift to select several notes, hold & drag to reorder FX/tracks, etc.) or just some other little things (rename MIDI ports or CCs, submixes, etc., save FX chains, by the way why the project notes don't work in standalone mode? I mean, it's just text...).

Let's wait and see. Don't hesitate to submit other requests. I wish someday the google doc file will be more organised so that we can send it to the MPC development department (hoping it will be read). Someone suggested to use Trello but I'm not familiar with this tool at all and don't have the time to be. If somebody is inclined to improve the organisation, please let me know.

Thank you again and don't forget to make music

c-real wrote:I today updated the whole file. Don't forget that you can personally add things directly (I comment your FR in return) : https://docs.google.com/document/d/1tVz ... sp=sharing

Under "Plugins", add:

• Add more plugins (be they instruments and/or effects) in standalone from companies other than Air

Under MIDI Control:

• Allow standalone plugin parameter learning from any MIDi keyboard controller, so that control knobs, buttons, and sliders on the MPC's instruments and effects can be easily "learned" (see any instrument or effect in Propellerhead's Reason for reference).

Add a "Hardware" section to your list, or maybe under General:

• Allow USB Class Compliant audio interfaces to be used over USB in standalone.
• Allow WiFi support for services such as DropBox, so we can easily access our own sample libraries, backup, cloud sync, etc. Splice was a good start, but we seriously need DropBox support. I'm perplexed as to why this isn't implemented yet, actually.

EnochLight wrote:

• Allow WiFi support for services such as DropBox, so we can easily access our own sample libraries, backup, cloud sync, etc. Splice was a good start, but we seriously need DropBox support. I'm perplexed as to why this isn't implemented yet, actually.

We must include, but the ability to connect to a LAN network, via WIFI or Wired. Being able to pull audio from or save audio to any device on a network. I found it strange, they left, this basic feature out. My door bell can connect to my network, but the MPC LIVE/X can't.

Good Suggestions.

The X/Live can connect to the Network, But theres a Big A$$ Fence stopping information Traffic, preventing Audio from transferring back n forth

Hardware:
- Internal program changes via automation lanes
- Alternate pad mapping for drum programs where pad numbers match sequential notes
- Disk streaming
- Modern & consistent editing functions (copy, paste, drag & drop, select all, etc)
- Improvements to existing and/or additional stand alone VSTs
- Modern & convenient browser
- More effects

Software:
- PDC
- Support for multi-output plugins/VSTs
- VCA Tracks
- Official compatibility with 3rd party plugins/VSTs
- Modern & consistent editing functions (copy, paste, drag & drop, etc)
- Modern & convenient browser
- Support for MIDI out from plugins/VSTs
- Export songs in MP3 256 kbps option

More effects!!!
A granulizer first.
A granular synth.
Latch/hold for samples.
Samples looping free from sequence and bpm.

My Requests....

Disk Streaming
Better MIDI Implementation
and......
Wait....Nothing Else!
The $hit is a Beast with NO Competition. For things that the Live is lacking(Menu diving, lack of inputs, no dedicated buttons, etc) you would have to step up to the X.

Oh wait...couple more things..

Portamento and Bass Glides (not a necessity thing)
Better Warp Algorithm (standalone) (possibly not because of hardware/memory structure)

EDITING EDITING EDITING!! Bezo nailed a pretty good chunk of my wants. I think before they start adding new gimmicks they need to get the basics fixed and smoothed out first. This is why software is such a mess nowadays. People want MORE MORE MORE and learn to live with broken features. Devs release a bugfix, everybody complains they get nothing new. So they release new features to make everybody happy, and in turn breaks more of what should be working already. People dont care and just want MORE MORE MORE instead of calming down and letting them make a simple working basic tool FIRST before trying to add the features to take over the world to it.

And fix that damn bug when you copy/paste notes in a track and it pastes them all the way down at C-2 even though you just copied C4.
Portamento/Glide is a must at some point too.. With all the folks that use these for hip-hop you would think glide would be the first thing the sequencer got! I still gotta see if it can record the slides from my BeatStep Pro or SQ-1 into the sequencer, those things are great for doing basslines.

Give option for automatic folder creation (with name) when saving project
Many of us, when creating an Akai project, like to create a folder for the project, and it is kind of redundant to have to create a folder, type in the name, and then type in the name, again, when saving the project. It would be so nice to have a check box in the save dialog (right next to the make new folder check box) to automatically create the folder for the project. You only have to type in the name once, that way.

Yeah that folder thing is kind of annoying. On that same note, programs..

Can they PLEASE find some way to throw the samples inside the xpm or something? It would be really nice to have programs self-contained like a Kontakt or Battery patch instead of a directory of 1000+ folders for each individual program. The whole 'just throw it all in the same folder and let the sampler sort it out' mentality is killing me heh.

They also need to get that whole backwards compatibility thing going with their own sample formats heh.

Ability to put slices to keygroups automatically and saved as a keygroup program.
That would be great.

Cheers

In my opinion, ensure a normal "as expected" MIDI operation.

First, choice of Ports and Channels on both In and Out, as well as USB.

Second, compared to older MPC's, the current "implementation" is strangely lacking. The marketing team at Akai says that "In creating the new MPC X, we’ve learned lessons from every MPC that preceded it", well that is great, but as DM says "it's no good", if not applied.

For example. there is no MIDI MAP editing on the MPC X. It clearly is using a map, since I am able to import one, as long as someone made one for me, ridiculous. (No, I don't use the software, and nowhere does Akai state that for full functionality one has to use the software.)

The same goes for other things, for example Time Signatures. It clearly use them, and I can insert new values, but I cannot edit what is already in place, pfft. The pattern is the same as above.

We need to be able to EDIT stuff in standalone, not just using things created elsewhere, because then it's not standalone, nor the centerpiece of any studio. Un-cripple the MPC X.

Also, I see so many places where consolidation of resources can be performed to help future development. One example is waveforms (periodic functions) in the MPC X. In the LFO for a program, you can choose sine, triangle, s&h, saw, sawd, sqr and noise, but in the automation presets there are only three (saw, sqr and triangle). The same waves should be available everywhere such a wave is a choice. I would love to be able to use s&h or noise to randomize some automation parameters.

While at it, add 8 free running (or synchronized to tempo) LFO's (with all the waveforms available as choices) that can be assigned as a source to any automation parameter, as opposed to a parameter that one wants to edit.

Anyways, just some thoughts this supposed blackest of Fridays.

DELAY COMPENSATION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Elektrobolt wrote:In my opinion, ensure a normal "as expected" MIDI operation.

First, choice of Ports and Channels on both In and Out, as well as USB.

Second, compared to older MPC's, the current "implementation" is strangely lacking. The marketing team at Akai says that "In creating the new MPC X, we’ve learned lessons from every MPC that preceded it", well that is great, but as DM says "it's no good", if not applied.

For example. there is no MIDI MAP editing on the MPC X. It clearly is using a map, since I am able to import one, as long as someone made one for me, ridiculous. (No, I don't use the software, and nowhere does Akai state that for full functionality one has to use the software.)

The same goes for other things, for example Time Signatures. It clearly use them, and I can insert new values, but I cannot edit what is already in place, pfft. The pattern is the same as above.

We need to be able to EDIT stuff in standalone, not just using things created elsewhere, because then it's not standalone, nor the centerpiece of any studio. Un-cripple the MPC X.

Also, I see so many places where consolidation of resources can be performed to help future development. One example is waveforms (periodic functions) in the MPC X. In the LFO for a program, you can choose sine, triangle, s&h, saw, sawd, sqr and noise, but in the automation presets there are only three (saw, sqr and triangle). The same waves should be available everywhere such a wave is a choice. I would love to be able to use s&h or noise to randomize some automation parameters.

While at it, add 8 free running (or synchronized to tempo) LFO's (with all the waveforms available as choices) that can be assigned as a source to any automation parameter, as opposed to a parameter that one wants to edit.

Anyways, just some thoughts this supposed blackest of Fridays.

These are crucial things for me as well. I hope Akai will hear us

c-real wrote:These are crucial things for me as well. I hope Akai will hear us

Only taking into account the three forums that I "frequent", there is no way Akai is NOT hearing these things.

Cheers!