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.
By Certified Beatz Thu Jul 29, 2021 12:39 am
At the end of the day you still need to mix in a daw... I love the idea but using a expensive audio card with and already pricey MPC audio for more inputs just dont seem right.. audio over USB stand-alone should be the go to for stand-alone.
By ace_of_dub Thu Jul 29, 2021 1:58 am
Certified Beatz wrote:At the end of the day you still need to mix in a daw... I love the idea but using a expensive audio card with and already pricey MPC audio for more inputs just dont seem right.. audio over USB stand-alone should be the go to for stand-alone.


But the MPC is the DAW at first place. Whether in Standalone mode or in Controller mode + MPC Software.
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By Neodymium Thu Jul 29, 2021 2:47 am
Certified Beatz wrote:At the end of the day you still need to mix in a daw... I love the idea but using a expensive audio card with and already pricey MPC audio for more inputs just dont seem right.. audio over USB stand-alone should be the go to for stand-alone.



I didn't think my MPC One was expensive, and Tascam do a USB 16 in soundacrd for a 250 quid. I have two soundcards as it, one is 4 ins and outs. I never thought I'd be able to use it with this MPC, now I can. So with no extra expense I've just doubled the inputs, adding HiZ and Mic Pre amps. . My original plan was running a small mixer into this ins to handle multiple synths, bass and Guitar, and use the onboard compression, Eq for the submix.

If your goal is to make Audio releases, then I agree, the DAW is king. My DAW (currently out of action, hence trying a second soundcard)/interface) has far superior soft synths, realistic drums, pianos, horns, far more superiors FX, Amp modelers, tons of small plug ins, hi end reverbs and multiband compresion etc. Creatively this can get in the way a bit.

But if that's not your goal, but Dawless Jamming on Youtube, or playing with friends, doing gigs, then the playing field is leveled. I wouldn't trust a laptop live, and I don't like watching Laptop gigs as much.

I currently have 5 external synths, and a Ditto two channel pedal (for bass and guitar with MIdi in for clock). That's 8 inputs. I can run through a mixer, or get a new interface. The MPC can now instead of adding an FX to a submix, can still do this but add FX to individual channels. Live these can all change as the parts change. If I add a vocalist, the chorus section can add different processing to the vocalist. Doing this before would have required a larger mixer, plus multple fx.

A larger Audio Interface doesn't look expensive in the scheme of what the MPC now offers.
By emdog Thu Jul 29, 2021 4:11 am
For me the point of being able to use an interface is so i can use the Mpc to sequence analog synths or drums or record vocals and have it with the higher quality A/D conversion than the Mpcs conversion
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By Neodymium Thu Jul 29, 2021 4:38 am
emdog wrote:For me the point of being able to use an interface is so i can use the Mpc to sequence analog synths or drums or record vocals and have it with the higher quality A/D conversion than the Mpcs conversion



Do you mean:
The A/D are better quality at the same rates, or
The option to choose better rates?
By Yorgos Arabatzis Thu Jul 29, 2021 5:51 am
From a user at Gearspace:

“Just in case anyone was wondering if Presonus studiolive mixers will work with the new update (nope, quote from presonus forum)

“Yeah, that's not going to work.

The Series 3 hardware isn't USB Class Compliant, only the drivers on Windows / Mac are.

Series 3 is a 64x64 I/O device, which already exceeds their I/O spec stated in the video (32x32).

This is the same reason why Series 3 doesn't work on Linux natively. It needs a driver.

Series 3 works on iPad because Apple writes the driver for their ecosystem, which already complies based on MacOS. Now, it's up to the App's to support the channel count (N-Track is the only one I think).“

What a letdown..
That means that any audio interface that’s compatible with Linux can make the cut..
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By Neodymium Thu Jul 29, 2021 6:15 am
There a is a SPIDF converter Swissonic Converter AD 24/192 that I've seen a review where the guy tested it at 48KHz. IF I connect this to a USB compliant device connected to the MPC, would it automatically set to 44.1Khz, or would it needs access to the drivers though a computer to make that change?
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By jereon Thu Jul 29, 2021 8:51 am
Having strange results with my Allen and Heath XONE:96. When connected DIRECTLY to my MPC ONE the sound has glitches and crackles very randomly. When connected in Controller mode none of this happens, using the same XONE:96.

I tried different USB cables, different ports, but the glitches remain. Running the latest firmware on the Xone which is 1.02.

Should I drop a message to Ajai and Allen and Heath? Anyone else?

Greets,

Jeroen
By iLLadelphian Thu Jul 29, 2021 11:47 am
[quote=What a letdown..
That means that any audio interface that’s compatible with Linux can make the cut..[/quote]

Akai states that on the manual. Essentially these interfaces need to meet 3 requirements:

1) 44.1 khz sample rate support over USB
2) USB class compliant
3) Linux class complaint

The 3rd one is the party killer as it really cuts down the options. Having said that, I read the Craneborne Audio's 500R8 manual and it meets all 3. It's a great Swiss army knife type of interface where you can connect a lot of digital and analog gear to the interface then run it to the MPC plus exposure to 500 series analog equipment...especially if you have ADAT. Other than that, RME has a few class complaint devices that will satisfy the Linux piece: Babyface Pro, Madiface Pro, UCX, UCX2, UCX+. Mixers with an AI are another story...Tascam and a few others, but there arent any digital mixers that meet all 3 requirements except the X32 which is great as long as you don't do multitrack recording (as reported by someone on here).
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By ACRE Thu Jul 29, 2021 12:26 pm
ace_of_dub wrote:
My question how are you going to 16 outs to your daw?


I think what a lot of people aren't getting here is that the USB class compliance applies to the MPC itself .It means that the MPC serves as a USB concentrator, the computer has absolutely nothing to do in that setup.

IF a soundcard has 16 outputs, then the audio source is the MPC, not the computer.

if a soundcard has 16 inputs, then these inputs are directed to the MPC, not the computer.

The 2.10 update doesn't allow to do anything with an external computer in terms of audio. The audio interface becomes a peripheral for the MPC, not the computer.

If your goal is to use a DAW (for mixing purposes), then it makes no sense to open a project in standalone mode at first place. Use that project in controller mode directly in your DAW.


exactly ... a lot of guys are misunderstanding indeed ... ace of dub is right , that's how class compliance mode is working , nothing to do with the computer ... the mpc x goes straight to your sound card ... & i was saying that trough total mix fx you can send anything anywhere & then get a lot more than 32 ins & outs but that's an other story
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By ACRE Thu Jul 29, 2021 12:29 pm
Certified Beatz wrote:At the end of the day you still need to mix in a daw... I love the idea but using a expensive audio card with and already pricey MPC audio for more inputs just dont seem right.. audio over USB stand-alone should be the go to for stand-alone.


not at all , the mpcx has all the tools you need for a true mix process , even for a pre master if you know how to use the included tools within the mpc x ... 16 outs now with the class compliance mode is quite enough for a decent mix of a track ... & way enough for a pre master
Last edited by ACRE on Thu Jul 29, 2021 12:33 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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By ACRE Thu Jul 29, 2021 12:31 pm
emdog wrote:For me the point of being able to use an interface is so i can use the Mpc to sequence analog synths or drums or record vocals and have it with the higher quality A/D conversion than the Mpcs conversion


1000% agree ... that's what rocks with this class compliance stuff ... my mpc x trough my RME converters ... i know can truly get rid off my computer ... i still use it for the tools , software , plugins etc etc that the X lacks at the moment ... but now you can nearly work 100% in your Mpc

the only CONS is that it asks a lot more work in the mix process but that's just a personal taste ...