MPC Key 61: New FCC Filing From Akai

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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Re: MPC Key 61: New FCC Filing From Akai

By NearTao Tue May 24, 2022 5:44 pm
Straker wrote:Hype is not a Rompler style synth?
It does sound very good to me, it's the one I prefer of Mpc ones. If you disable all effects that overwhelm presets, it has some very nice sounds.
I would love some granular synth like GR1 or Reason's Grain where you can load your own sample or waveform.

Hype is Rompler style, but it's more on the synth side, as it uses wavetables and not straight up samples. Yeah it is in a similar space, but the approach is different. I think more what I was thinking of was like a classic Roland, Korg, or Yamaha Rompler... something where you could quickly cycle through different sample sets for classic pianos, orchestral sounds, strings, etc. For example, on my Triton Studio, I can record a piano sequence, and then if I want to try the sound as a different piano, or orchestral sound, or whatever, it's just the press of a button and I can very quickly preview completely different sounds. It is all baked into how it works, so I'm not bouncing around with changing plugins and all that.

To do something similar on the MPC, I've got to load all of those key groups into memory first, where as on the Triton, it is just a knob turn away. Is the Triton knocking sound design out of the park these days? Nope, but even fully loaded, with all of the samples for the entire sound set, it is less than 256mb of memory for all of the programs, and with the use of effects, you've got access to thousands of presets. It just makes it an overall quicker experience to audition sounds (for me at least), that's all.

Don't get me wrong, I'm a huge fan of what we've got on the MPC, the Expansion ecosystem is fine, and the plugins are a great addition.
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Re: MPC Key 61: New FCC Filing From Akai

By EnochLight Tue May 24, 2022 6:16 pm
Straker wrote:I would love some granular synth like GR1 or Reason's Grain where you can load your own sample or waveform.


^^ THIS x1000 ^^

:worthy:

Re: MPC Key 61: New FCC Filing From Akai

By Straker Tue May 24, 2022 6:43 pm
NearTao wrote:
Straker wrote:Hype is not a Rompler style synth?
It does sound very good to me, it's the one I prefer of Mpc ones. If you disable all effects that overwhelm presets, it has some very nice sounds.
I would love some granular synth like GR1 or Reason's Grain where you can load your own sample or waveform.

Hype is Rompler style, but it's more on the synth side, as it uses wavetables and not straight up samples. Yeah it is in a similar space, but the approach is different. I think more what I was thinking of was like a classic Roland, Korg, or Yamaha Rompler... something where you could quickly cycle through different sample sets for classic pianos, orchestral sounds, strings, etc. For example, on my Triton Studio, I can record a piano sequence, and then if I want to try the sound as a different piano, or orchestral sound, or whatever, it's just the press of a button and I can very quickly preview completely different sounds. It is all baked into how it works, so I'm not bouncing around with changing plugins and all that.

To do something similar on the MPC, I've got to load all of those key groups into memory first, where as on the Triton, it is just a knob turn away. Is the Triton knocking sound design out of the park these days? Nope, but even fully loaded, with all of the samples for the entire sound set, it is less than 256mb of memory for all of the programs, and with the use of effects, you've got access to thousands of presets. It just makes it an overall quicker experience to audition sounds (for me at least), that's all.

Don't get me wrong, I'm a huge fan of what we've got on the MPC, the Expansion ecosystem is fine, and the plugins are a great addition.

Well, if you use Hype, you can record a phrase with a piano and then switch to other presets.
Same as Triton, isn't it?
I know Hype is not technically a Rompler but I like it more and more as I use it.
The only complain is that presets are full of fx, too much for me.
But I made a custom folder with the dry sounds I like and switch between them.
To make what you say with Keygroups we would need disk stream I guess.
Honestly, with last synths and Hype I am using keygroups less and less.

Re: MPC Key 61: New FCC Filing From Akai

By Straker Tue May 24, 2022 6:44 pm
EnochLight wrote:
Straker wrote:I would love some granular synth like GR1 or Reason's Grain where you can load your own sample or waveform.


^^ THIS x1000 ^^

:worthy:

It would be great, isn't it?

Re: MPC Key 61: New FCC Filing From Akai

By monkito Wed May 25, 2022 4:48 pm
Straker wrote:
NearTao wrote:I know Hype is not technically a Romper but I like it more and more as I use it.
The only complain is that presets are full of fx, too much for me.
But I made a custom folder with the dry sounds I like and switch between them.


1+ This. When the majority of the preset timbre relies on FX for added character I am essentially auditioning the FX chain. What is consistently wanted is to audition the dry preset. Let me decide independently whether that synth string needs a phaser, a hall reverb, and a synchd dotted 8th note delay...

Back in the day manufacturers added presets with added FX to the factory sounds to the 'factory' banks because consumers would audition sound modules live in a brick-and-mortar retail store to get a feel for overall sound engine capability but would leave the 'user' bank presets dry. Anyone else remember passing hours at Guitar Center or Sam Ash auditioning synths? In the age of online retail, why a manufacturer would provide the majority of their basic presets wet with multiple FX seems incredibly backwards headed...
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Re: MPC Key 61: New FCC Filing From Akai

By jabberwalky Wed May 25, 2022 6:17 pm
monkito wrote:Back in the day manufacturers added presets with added FX to the factory sounds to the 'factory' banks because consumers would audition sound modules live in a brick-and-mortar retail store to get a feel for overall sound engine capability but would leave the 'user' bank presets dry.


I can understand the sentiment and point you're making, but how far back in the day was this? Ever since the D50 in 1987, synths have relied heavily on the built-in FX as part of the sound design tool box. Hype is definitely a descendant in philosophy of things like the D50,Wavestation,M1, all of which used FX.

I think Hype sounds pretty good and is "relatively" flexible.

My issue with Hype is that the presets define what waveforms/oscillators and things can be used. They should just enable a fully configurable "modular" version, with the 6 blocks freely assignable to any oscillator/sample/modulator. It can do it clearly, but they wanted to dumb it down.
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Re: MPC Key 61: New FCC Filing From Akai

By MPD MPK RAY Wed May 25, 2022 7:25 pm
KaoticShock wrote:If only the 7 AIR Plugins with Touch UI actually worked in standalone mode......... Imagine having Xpand with the new sounds selector screen.


It would transform into the best most powerful start to finish standalone instrument box to come out in my lifetime(Sorry Oasys'es and MacBook Pros)
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:worthy: :worthy: :smoker: :smoker: :nod: :nod: :nod:

How many more days till 2.11 on the 23rd?
:lol:
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Re: MPC Key 61: New FCC Filing From Akai

By MPD MPK RAY Thu May 26, 2022 3:11 am
Certified Beatz wrote:Looking at the cutoff pic of the k61 and seeing the last 4 pads it's going to be a beefy keyboard hmm but again I have an X... what should I do lol...

Naw keep it a buck.

You saw the motion picture of the MPC gif bringing the actual "just a MPC live with a MPK strapped to it" sound :nod:
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Re: MPC Key 61: New FCC Filing From Akai

By Lampdog Thu May 26, 2022 4:04 am
NearTao wrote:The Oasys was my dream machine at one point

Kronos is an OASYS comeback.. Doesn't have some OASYS features but overall a much better machine. If you want an OASYS, too much, get a Kronos.

Re: MPC Key 61: New FCC Filing From Akai

By Uncle Dieppe Thu May 26, 2022 10:13 am
The Oasys and The Kronos were let down by the pathetic sequencers, and the lack of midi outputs, they are not capable of being the Central hub of a studio they are just not feasible to run in such a manner so I don't know why Korg make them out to be such, and for flagship workstations they fall short of being such a great instrument, they may as well have left the sequencer and Audio Recorder out and made them performance tools.

I have owned both of them in the past, great sound machines but too crippled by the 16 track sequencer,This is why i have always stuck by my MPC4K,I have used loads of workstations over the years but to be an all in one workstation there has to be more I/O for external setups and larger track counts and more of the basic editing features for a sequencer there is far too much page flipping on the Kronos/Oasys and they lack basic Midi editing functions that are a breeze on the MPCs.

With such a large screen they really made a massive error in not making it more workflow friendly, with all that screen real estate it could've been such a great platform if they only made a Sequencer OS the likes of the MPC X,Roland kind of headed in the right direction with the The Fantom G,but they left out a lot of great things from the MV8800 series which could've made it perfect, its almost like the big japanese Companies are frightened of making that perfect workstation

You've got a plethora of sound engines in Kronos/Oasys available but only 16 tracks of midi and also when you run external Midi gear alongside it your having to compromise between those 16 tracks as either an internal Track sound source or external soundsource,128 midi tracks should be a minimum count these days and!!!!I mean a workstation thats only able to address 16 Midi channels per se and compromise those between int or external is shocking in this day and age


You can bounce Midi tracks to Audio tracks on Kronos/Oasys and free up the tracks/Channels but the way it records Audio is not straight forward in terms of being able to cut and paste sections they are far too cumbersome and lack any real workflow,korg Workstations really pissed me off in the end thats why I ditched them,I just dont get these Korg tech guys who create a flagship synth and then put a tinpot Sequencer in them,MPCs have been out for decades are they not aware of how Sequencers should be!!!!

I have always dreamed of a synth workstation that incorporates the best of the Kronos sound engines with an Akai MPC workflow, the MPCx with it large screen has been so close to it, with all the great features they've built in to the platform so far,that I only hope Akai progress this into a Keys version with a decent Rompler, also having a dedicated Synth Workstation with all the Mid/CV I/O that the X has and traditional MPC workflow would be amazing, they also need to offer 61/76/88 Hammer action versions too,I could see a lot of the Keyboard /Live Player community jumping on this
Last edited by Uncle Dieppe on Thu May 26, 2022 11:31 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: MPC Key 61: New FCC Filing From Akai

By jabberwalky Thu May 26, 2022 11:19 am
Certified Beatz wrote:Looking at the cutoff pic of the k61 and seeing the last 4 pads it's going to be a beefy keyboard hmm but again I have an X... what should I do lol...


I think they are MPC One sized pads

Uncle Dieppe wrote:that I only hope Akai progress this into a Keys version, having a dedicated Synth Workstation with all the I/O that the X has would be amazing


If this does well enough, perhaps there is a bigger flagship version on the horizon with 88 weighted keys, 16 Qs, and so on. I'd probably swing at that one.

Re: MPC Key 61: New FCC Filing From Akai

By brisket Thu May 26, 2022 12:47 pm
Straker wrote:
NearTao wrote: Anyone else remember passing hours at Guitar Center or Sam Ash auditioning synths?


Me, back in the autumn of 97, I was in Sam Ash trying out the MC-303. I fell in love with it at the store. My mom said that if I save up for half of its price, she would match the difference and I could have it under the tree Christmas morning. I ended up making my first album on that groovebox, my first piece of musical gear too. I put my album on mp3.com and made over 100 dollars in streams. Those were the days. You know, that MC-303, which I still own (those things were built like tanks) was a big factor in my buying my first MPC, which is the One. For not too long after owning the MC-303, home computer technology caught up to the point where you could record professional quality music with an affordable budget. So for almost two decades I was using just computer DAW. Then the One caught my eye not too long ago and I thought about how much fun I had making music on a self-contained box and purchased the One. Which I now use 90 percent of the time making music, and only 10 percent maybe computer DAW, depending on the project
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