when is it too much?

Support and discussion for all of Akai’s modern standalone MPCs including the MPC X / X SE, MPC Live 1, 2 & 3, MPC One / One+, MPC Key 37/61.
 Reply Share on Facebook
User avatar

when is it too much?

By personM Wed Jun 24, 2026 1:50 pm
heyall,

i already know the answer - it depends, who you are, i think.
i juste realized, that i begin to enmass wavetables, keygroups and stuff and somehow i´m getting in the trap which was the reason for me to move away from computers and daws in the first place:
decision fatigue.
when i completly switched over to the mpc one plus, i rediscovered my playfulness and making music became fun again.
think it´s a classic _me_ problem, but wondered if someone of you feel the same way.

cheers
User avatar

Re: when is it to much?

By bitermc Wed Jun 24, 2026 2:33 pm
Always.

Too many FX, too many synths, too many samples and, above all, too many presets... In the end, I always end up using the same piano presets, the same bass key group and a couple drum kits.

Re: when is it to much?

By JethroJethro Wed Jun 24, 2026 3:36 pm
I’ve been meaning to save my favorite assembled kits and presets and FX chains. I sit down intending to execute an idea and often just waste hours noodling with synths. Fun but not productive.

Luckily I got out of the expansions and samples trap years ago in my Maschine days, haven’t bought a single pack for MPC but I did buy all the cool plug-ins I wanted.

Re: when is it to much?

By mjudge55 Wed Jun 24, 2026 5:04 pm
Assembling a setup that does only what you need is a distraction too. Pick your poison.
User avatar

Re: when is it to much?

By MPC-Tutor Wed Jun 24, 2026 5:10 pm
jpeg wrote:its a non issue, u dont have to use every feature that is added, but it gives flexibility to the MPC platform such that different users can get what they want out of MPC and leave the rest.


I think it's more nuanced than that. IMO the MPC Sample is popular because the features are not there at all, there's no option but to keep it simple, find creative workarounds etc, i.e. legacy style. Without those features Akai have been able to create a more simplistic UI and workflow with no excessive menu diving. There's also no option to add more plugins, just samples. If the features are there, if the plugins exist, the distractions are there.

I cant remember the last time I saw so many happy MPC users making beats online (I'm referring to MPC Sample owners). Simple beats of course, but they are having fun working within the limited framework (which in all fairness isn't actually THAT limited in the general scheme of things, let's face it).

Re: when is it to much?

By mjudge55 Wed Jun 24, 2026 5:18 pm
Maybe Akai will see fit, based on the Sample's success, to release something similarly stripped down but with the MIDI capability, knobs, build quality, and i/o to be a centerpiece.
User avatar

Re: when is it to much?

By personM Wed Jun 24, 2026 7:08 pm
i like all the new features of 3.9.
i like the instruments.
i just catched me grinding for more. the cubilas ultimate keygroup package for example (444GB of Keygroups). now i was hyped to gather more wavetables as i can ever prelisten to.
at last most of it is deadspace on the drive later on my journey and there is always the voice "maybe there is another keygroup or instrument inside this mess which would fit even betterer".

Re: when is it to much?

By Shift Gorden Wed Jun 24, 2026 7:32 pm
JethroJethro wrote:I’ve been meaning to save my favorite assembled kits and presets and FX chains. I sit down intending to execute an idea and often just waste hours noodling with synths. Fun but not productive.

Luckily I got out of the expansions and samples trap years ago in my Maschine days, haven’t bought a single pack for MPC but I did buy all the cool plug-ins I wanted.


Fun question, OP. I have recently felt similar. When I first got my Key 61 I was prolific in my production - bashing out tracks left, right and center - not really paying much mind to the technical deets, just enjoying the new workflow and hardware.

Now I feel a bit like Jethro - spend hours noodling, and then re-noodling but not getting much done.

I am also terrible at saving my own kits and presets so I can use them in other projects. One and done becomes annoying after a while.

Interesting how we all have different workflows and triggers.

Re: when is it to much?

By Zack Zerox Wed Jun 24, 2026 8:33 pm
JethroJethro wrote: I sit down intending to execute an idea and often just waste hours noodling with synths. Fun but not productive.


I think for 99.9% of us hobbyists (whether that includes you, I don't know) the fun should come first. There's a fetish about getting stuff completed and being productive. I have quotas to fill at work. If you enjoy it, enjoy it. If you have a guitar, you probably feel fine about picking it up and noodling - no need for an end beyond that, unless you want one.

... Is what I try to tell myself.

Re: when is it to much?

By chino Wed Jun 24, 2026 8:39 pm
MPC-Tutor wrote:IMO the MPC Sample is popular because the features are not there at all, there's no option but to keep it simple, find creative workarounds etc, i.e. legacy style. Without those features Akai have been able to create a more simplistic UI and workflow with no excessive menu diving. There's also no option to add more plugins, just samples. If the features are there, if the plugins exist, the distractions are there.

I cant remember the last time I saw so many happy MPC users making beats online (I'm referring to MPC Sample owners). Simple beats of course, but they are having fun working within the limited framework (which in all fairness isn't actually THAT limited in the general scheme of things, let's face it).


THIS ^!! :nod:

Re: when is it to much?

By johnnytravels Wed Jun 24, 2026 8:47 pm
mjudge55 wrote:Maybe Akai will see fit, based on the Sample's success, to release something similarly stripped down but with the MIDI capability, knobs, build quality, and i/o to be a centerpiece.


Maybe they can sell us a focus mode for 199

But seriously, it would already help me if they had a favourites / tagging system in the browser and a way to hide stock plugins.

Re: when is it to much?

By JethroJethro Wed Jun 24, 2026 9:58 pm
johnnytravels wrote:
mjudge55 wrote:Maybe Akai will see fit, based on the Sample's success, to release something similarly stripped down but with the MIDI capability, knobs, build quality, and i/o to be a centerpiece.

it would already help me if they had a favourites / tagging system in the browser and a way to hide stock plugins.


At least they don’t have a separate list for Air and Akai brand FX any more good lord that was stupid

But personally as I do EDM and use a ton of plug-ins and weird features I don’t want the devices dumbed down at all.
User avatar

Re: when is it to much?

By Lampdog Wed Jun 24, 2026 10:08 pm
MPC-Tutor wrote:I cant remember the last time I saw so many happy MPC users making beats online (I'm referring to MPC Sample owners).


Several hours everyday for 3 weeks straight, I couldn't stop, it's fun.

Same thing when I got X years ago, I couldn't stop making beats, it's a fun machine.
 Reply
Return to MPC X, MPC One, MPC Live & MPC Key