Considering MPCX

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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Considering MPCX

By nobuo Sun Apr 25, 2021 6:27 pm
Hello.

I know nothing of MPC's and I'm a rookie when it comes to audioproduction in general.

Current Gear
I have 4 old roland sound-modules. They have (atleast one) MIDI-IN, MIDI-OUT, AUDIO-IN, AUDIO-OUT.
At the moment I have no way of controlling or recording them. I lent a midi-controller from a friend so I know how to get sound out. My friend said that I'd need interface and a DAW, but personally I want to get far from computers (as I watch them ~8h/day).

So I was thinking, could these legacy devices be connected to MPCX.
MPCX would send midi to the devices and receive audio back? then I could sample that? or just play them?
I see that MPCX has 4 audio in ports, but 1 & 2 are for microphone?

I'd also like to try the CV-gates. If I get MPCX and Arturia Microbrute 2 (that has patchbay to play with). Could I send data with CV and then sample the resulting audio in MPCX?

I'd love to try making some Jungle / D'n'B / 90's House. Many youtube videos are hiphop and I'm not sure if this is the device I want/need.

Sorry for the bad english and dum questions.
But the device is rather expensive and I'm confused. :hmmm:
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Re: Considering MPCX

By Lampdog Sun Apr 25, 2021 7:54 pm
MPC Live and MPC One are cheaper, same operating system with a few tweak because of available buttons/knobs.

X, 4 inputs but only 2 at a time to rec in. 2 are switchable from line in (roland audio out) to phono (turntable).

Midi is not audio. Midi is signal data, it tells the machine what to play. Every machine will need to connect audio to something in order to hear it.

MPC’s can midi control all you roland gear and play it on the pads. Get a mixer.
All roland audio into your mixer.
Mixer 2chnl main out to MPC X 2chnl line in.

You can make stuff other than hiphop on mpc’s, Your production, your choice.

My audio interface is capable of running without a computer, many can do that, not all, choose wisley.

I have an old emu turbophatt control with my mpc x, easy.
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Re: Considering MPCX

By EnochLight Mon Apr 26, 2021 12:14 am
nobuo wrote:I'd love to try making some Jungle / D'n'B / 90's House. Many youtube videos are hiphop and I'm not sure if this is the device I want/need.


Tubedigga's YouTube channel has tons of D'n'B stuff on it with his MPC's. They are certainly great production and performance machines for Jungle / D'n'B / 90's House. Either the X, Live 2, or One would be perfect. Which one you want depends on how much money you want to spend and whether you want to make it a non-mobile studio device, or be mobile. Any of the 3 will play great with any/all of your old hardware and new.
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Re: Considering MPCX

By Lampdog Mon Apr 26, 2021 3:08 pm
kaydigi wrote:Don’t delete the factory content once you get the unit....

Image
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Re: Considering MPCX

By Ultros Tue Apr 27, 2021 10:00 pm
I suggest the MPC One. It does everything the other two units do and is vastly cheaper. A few knobs buttons and inputs arent worth $2000 more if you think about it.

You can buy a low noise- multi-channel ballanced line mixer for $170 and have 16 channels of inputs. (I use the behringer rx1602). Then you can take your extra $1800 and buy a nice synth or two plug them into your mixer.
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Re: Considering MPCX

By Monotremata Tue Apr 27, 2021 11:36 pm
For the last 8 months thats all Ive been making is drum and bass/jungle. The MPC gives you what you put into it. If its hip hop, you get hip hop, if its jungle, you get jungle. The end result is up to you. It has the same tools everything else does wrapped up in its own little box. Use them to do what YOU want the MPC to do. The MPC makes it so easy it should be criminal.

Re: Considering MPCX

By Sabaiion Wed Apr 28, 2021 6:58 am
Ultros wrote:I suggest the MPC One. It does everything the other two units do and is vastly cheaper. A few knobs buttons and inputs arent worth $2000 more if you think about it.

You can buy a low noise- multi-channel ballanced line mixer for $170 and have 16 channels of inputs. (I use the behringer rx1602). Then you can take your extra $1800 and buy a nice synth or two plug them into your mixer.



Not meaning to hijack this thread but have you any experience of using external effects with the mpc one through the sends of a mixer, resampling them into input 1/2 from the mixer? Your post is one of the few I have found that references mixer and mpc one.

Re: Considering MPCX

By 40Beatz Wed Apr 28, 2021 1:09 pm
That Big Ass 10" screen is perfect for my Old A$$ Eyeballs tho :lol:

Re: Considering MPCX

By nobuo Wed Apr 28, 2021 8:19 pm
Thank You for all the responses! :worthy:

The choises I have is (None,) MPCOne (800€) or MPCX (1800€).

Ultros wrote:I suggest the MPC One. It does everything the other two units do and is vastly cheaper. A few knobs buttons and inputs arent worth $2000 more if you think about it.

Thanks for the input, but It's not just the knobs. It's the connections and some reviewers said that the build quality is better in MPCX. And it has 10G samples instead of 2G. I don't know what those samples are though. :lol:

Since the OS is shared, but the controls aren't. This pushes me away from MPCOne. I dread the menudiving that might occur with a non MPCX, but I'd really like to test both. (Need to watch some demonstrations about the knobs)

I've been watching tubedigga and others making music and I kind of want the MPCX. If the device lasts long (like a decade so I can master it) it's worth it.

kaydigi wrote:Don’t delete the factory content once you get the unit....

:| Does this mean that user can delete the factory presets? There is factory reset, right?
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Re: Considering MPCX

By Lampdog Wed Apr 28, 2021 11:22 pm
And it has 10G samples instead of 2G.
Impossible for standalone. X, Live, One have 2gb ram, period. Maybe extra on SD card or download to computer but not "inside" the machine. Check specs for yourself.

:| Does this mean that user can delete the factory presets? There is factory reset, right?
DO NOT delete the default "AZ01" internal drive. On past MPC's many of us made it a practice to delete everything and build our own library, this is a mistake on newer mpc's. Instead use SD Card on MPC One. Live and X you can install your own HDD.

Factory (hardware reset in the manual) reset and factory presets are 2 diff things and not tied to each other.
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Re: Considering MPCX

By Ultros Thu Apr 29, 2021 6:28 am
Sabaiion wrote:Not meaning to hijack this thread but have you any experience of using external effects with the mpc one through the sends of a mixer, resampling them into input 1/2 from the mixer? Your post is one of the few I have found that references mixer and mpc one.


Sadly not, I dont own any hardware fx processors currently. I have been debating buying a couple however I generally run air fx on my audio channels so I've not needed to buy any hardware fx or do any weird cyclic external processing. I only record one instrument and track at a time from the mixer and each track gets its own fx chain then i flip between the devices with the mute buttons on the mixer and selecting the track I want to record on. Kinda primitive but at least all my gear is plugged in and ready.

Re: Considering MPCX

By nobuo Mon May 10, 2021 5:57 pm
Well. I just ordered MPCX. Should pick it up tomorrow.
I just hope I don't regret this. :lol:
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Re: Considering MPCX

By Lampdog Mon May 10, 2021 6:11 pm
Do NOT save/delete ANYTHING to internal "AZ01" drive. Instead use your own SD card and/or install a hdd (bottom cover underneath). Been stated on the boards here several times.

After every update "reset hardware". You will likely run into problems if you don't. Been stated on the boards here several times.

The manual is a great thing, make sure to note skip ANY small print. MPC Bible is also highly recommended from several forum members.

EXPERIMENT while making beats, touch/press everything to see what it does.

ALWAYS eject media before removing.

Most important, HAVE FUN, learn it's capabilities and sometimes you'll need to combine those in order to do something.

Don't just come up with capabilities/features it "should" have out of the blue. Check the manual for what it "does" do and then formulate your solution. You'll quickly end up frustrated if you endlessly compare it to real software daws because it's not that.
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Re: Considering MPCX

By saltmcgault Mon May 10, 2021 6:21 pm
nobuo wrote:Well. I just ordered MPCX. Should pick it up tomorrow.
I just hope I don't regret this. :lol:



:nod: I don't think you'll be disappointed.

I highly recommend getting this...

https://www.mpc-samples.com/product.php/268/mpc-bible/

Also consider these as well you'll be happy you did...

The mpcx isn't cheap protect your investment

https://www.amazon.com/Decksaver-MPC-X- ... 367&sr=8-1

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/replacem ... ernal.html

https://www.amazon.com/ChaoQ-Universal- ... 5632&psc=1

Look around for a screen protector for the mpcx screen.. I'm sure somebody around here has some recommendations.
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