The iMPC is missing....?

In my opinion the app is missing a few things (intentionally). Here is my little list, I'm interested what others think.

1. Sample zoom
2. MIDI
3. The snapback in the variation control, a disable option would be great.
4. More tracks.
5. Reverb
6. Song mode, or some other kind of sequencing.

I can't see why akai would deny these these. I hope this isn't the version that comes with the MPC Fly. But it's still a lot of fun for a $7 iPad app.

This thing is the barest of bare. While Korg is continuing to add features to their ipad apps (see the latest Beat Flutter feature in the video below) , Akai is giving just enough away to pretend they are playing in this market. Real innovation and value is happening elsewhere.

The list of missing features is quite long.

Every time I mess with this app I miss stupid fundamental things it drives me crazy. It could be SO good, but I know retronyms is just completely restricted by the suits at Akai.

How about a chop shop, com'on GTFOH

1. Song Mode
2. Different Effects
3. Viewing / Slicing / Chopping waveforms
4. More Tracks
5. Last but not least, staying slider / slider that effects pitch while still moving


Reason I put this here is because these are the features I miss from my legacy MPC after purchasing iMPC. Without these features, it's just not worthy of the MPC name in my eyes. So much more can be accomplished, just time to wait.

1. A way to edit samples after you've already trimmed them to make adjustments
2. A number value to the tuning knob to make it easier to match the tune of your chops
3. The Ability to tune your samples as your track plays. You can only do this when you edit the program, but it's a pain to match the sample with the master tempo opposed to matching the master tempo to the sample.
4. Pad mute cut offs or mute groups so samples won't overlap each other
5. Reverb
6. More tracks
7. A way to delete unwanted samples you've already edited in the "my sounds" folder

The app is nice and I was able to make a few quality beats, but without some of the features listed above, my workflow time almost doubled. This is coming from a sample based hip hop producer. Please take not akai/retronyms.

You can hear the first few examples of my iMPC beats at www.soundcloud.com/diskodavebbb

To me it seems they they aren't trying to compete with BeatMaker 2. It seems they are trying to provide something similar to iMaschine, a stripped down sketch pad. In order for it to be more usable as a sketch pad. I would like to see.

1. Back Ground Audio: So I can keep my beat playing while in other apps like Animoog. I would then copy and paste into iMPC.

2. User Folders: So there is the one folder to put user samples through iTunes. There are no subfolders for organization. I want to have access to all of my drum kits to create sketches with sounds that I would use in the final product. I tried to work around this by using iTunes to categorize my sample collection. But then the record interface doesn't work well with oneshot drum samples. Why can't I simply import from itunes without using the record player?

3. Track Explode in the desktop software: More tracks would be nice, but a track explode option would work just as well. It would make more sense to have all drums on one track then.

To stop samples from over lapping, go to program>the "edit" tab>tap the pad with sample>switch slider to "hold on"

But you may have known that, if so disregard

DiskoDaveBBB wrote:1. A way to edit samples after you've already trimmed them to make adjustments
2. A number value to the tuning knob to make it easier to match the tune of your chops
3. The Ability to tune your samples as your track plays. You can only do this when you edit the program, but it's a pain to match the sample with the master tempo opposed to matching the master tempo to the sample.
4. Pad mute cut offs or mute groups so samples won't overlap each other
5. Reverb
6. More tracks
7. A way to delete unwanted samples you've already edited in the "my sounds" folder

The app is nice and I was able to make a few quality beats, but without some of the features listed above, my workflow time almost doubled. This is coming from a sample based hip hop producer. Please take not akai/retronyms.

You can hear the first few examples of my iMPC beats at http://www.soundcloud.com/diskodavebbb

teestrick wrote:To stop samples from over lapping, go to program>the "edit" tab>tap the pad with sample>switch slider to "hold on"

But you may have known that, if so disregard

DiskoDaveBBB wrote:1. A way to edit samples after you've already trimmed them to make adjustments
2. A number value to the tuning knob to make it easier to match the tune of your chops
3. The Ability to tune your samples as your track plays. You can only do this when you edit the program, but it's a pain to match the sample with the master tempo opposed to matching the master tempo to the sample.
4. Pad mute cut offs or mute groups so samples won't overlap each other
5. Reverb
6. More tracks
7. A way to delete unwanted samples you've already edited in the "my sounds" folder

The app is nice and I was able to make a few quality beats, but without some of the features listed above, my workflow time almost doubled. This is coming from a sample based hip hop producer. Please take not akai/retronyms.

You can hear the first few examples of my iMPC beats at http://www.soundcloud.com/diskodavebbb

I mean stop different pads from overlapping each other in mono/one shot instead of using note-off/hold. Like having a closed hi hat cut off an open one. It's a pain when you chop samples, but I've been getting by lately. There isn't a poly feature in the app. It's at one shot by default.

Check a few of my examples at www.soundcloud.com/diskodavebbb 1st 4 beats are iMPC ones. "I know it hurts" was done in hold mode for a few chops. The other beats were chopped precisely. Life would be so much easier if they had a mute group option.

I like your work. I get what youre saying with the samples and mute groups. I think the problem is we all (including myself) are frustrated we can't get the same workflow we get on an MPC. Unfortunately, it seems like that was akai's (not the developer's) goal. They want to give people enough features to get hooked on the MPC, and get an idea of the work flow, but not enough features to perform like an MPC. But that totally ignores the people that already own MPCs and just want a cool ass app. I think if they gave us all the features, 32 tracks and the ability to control with an MPC or MPD it would be epic.

I see youre in VA Beach. I go down there to visit a good friend of mine often.

Here's my email if you want to get it in touch: [email protected]

check out some of my work: https://soundcloud.com/#teddystrick

DiskoDaveBBB wrote:

teestrick wrote:To stop samples from over lapping, go to program>the "edit" tab>tap the pad with sample>switch slider to "hold on"

But you may have known that, if so disregard

DiskoDaveBBB wrote:1. A way to edit samples after you've already trimmed them to make adjustments
2. A number value to the tuning knob to make it easier to match the tune of your chops
3. The Ability to tune your samples as your track plays. You can only do this when you edit the program, but it's a pain to match the sample with the master tempo opposed to matching the master tempo to the sample.
4. Pad mute cut offs or mute groups so samples won't overlap each other
5. Reverb
6. More tracks
7. A way to delete unwanted samples you've already edited in the "my sounds" folder

The app is nice and I was able to make a few quality beats, but without some of the features listed above, my workflow time almost doubled. This is coming from a sample based hip hop producer. Please take not akai/retronyms.

You can hear the first few examples of my iMPC beats at http://www.soundcloud.com/diskodavebbb

I mean stop different pads from overlapping each other in mono/one shot instead of using note-off/hold. Like having a closed hi hat cut off an open one. It's a pain when you chop samples, but I've been getting by lately. There isn't a poly feature in the app. It's at one shot by default.

Check a few of my examples at http://www.soundcloud.com/diskodavebbb 1st 4 beats are iMPC ones. "I know it hurts" was done in hold mode for a few chops. The other beats were chopped precisely. Life would be so much easier if they had a mute group option.

Dropbox export!!!!!

Top things Id like to see in an update....

1. Step sequencer/sequence editing
2. Decent quality Reverb (look at the samplr app to see what kind of EFX the iPad can do these days)
3. Channel Compressor & EQ
4. Effect levels by pad rather than by kit.
5. A couple of knobs for Real time changing of filters etc (not just recording to pattern)
6. A mod matrix
7. Chopping, fade in, fade out, normalization
8. Dropbox Integration

Seriously give me this stuff and Id happily pay $30+ for it instead of just $5

Hey guys. If you use iMPC in conjunction with tabletop it does help considerably. Particularly with song mode/ pattern sequencer which is the t-101 triggerator in tabletop. Also there are more effects available in tabletop. You are only hindered by the amount of space available on the table. Also if u purchase the goblin 4-channel mixer in tabletop that has 2 sends so u can run multiple devices into one reverb for instance just like a real mixer. Also tabletop allows you to use up to I believe 8 iMPC's which in all honesty I can't imagine why you would need so many, but anyways that helps. So those are just a few things you guys could check out to help you in the meantime if you enjoy using the app.
With all that said I think the most needed things immediately are as follows.
1. Panning per pad
2. More advanced/ multiple chops in the sampler
3. Mute groups/ different playback modes for pads besides just one shot and hold.
4. Better organization of samples
5. A way to delete user samples without allways having to connect to iTunes file sharing to do so (delete sample function)
Those really are the main things that have to be addressed immediately. For *most* of the other stuff there are work arounds in Tabletop. But even though a lot of us know that our suggestions fall on deaf ears at Akai, Retronyms does listen and they do refer suggestions to Akai for implementation. We also know that Retronyms cannot add functions without Akai's ok. So we have to keep putting pressure on Akai with emails and public scrutiny of the app in order to get results. Remember that they are trying to sell a 300 dollar controller for this app and if we don't like it enough that controller will fail miserably!
Also I caught Akai Pro on Instagram pretty good when they posted a pic of the Fly. Someone commented how is the app? And I did not hold my tongue (or rather my typing fingers) I told the person it needed a lot of work to be worth spending 300 bones on a dedicated controller. 10 minutes later Akai pro had deleted my comment. I went back and called them out on it commenting again about why they think its better to censor the posts rather than to work better in conjunction with Retronyms to make the app better and more feasible for real music production. I got a response then and not a deleted post saying that the app is in its infancy therefore there will be added functions and updates to come in the future and that they thank me for my concern as a valued customer. Kinda a political corporate response but nonetheless it was promising that there will be added functions.
To me it seams more like we as users now are more like unpaid beta testers. And that they wanted to see how the initial response would be before dropping the Fly.
So please send emails and all that so that we can have a better app! Go to the Akai pro website contact us page for Akai. And send emails to [email protected] for Retronyms.
Also I just got an email back from Retronyms saying that the next update for iMPC and Tabletop should be within a month. They are now going to test the update for a week or two more and submit it to Apple for approval. Once it is ready we'll see what we get.

Teestrick said:

(I like your work. I get what youre saying with the samples and mute groups. I think the problem is we all (including myself) are frustrated we can't get the same workflow we get on an MPC. Unfortunately, it seems like that was akai's (not the developer's) goal. They want to give people enough features to get hooked on the MPC, and get an idea of the work flow, but not enough features to perform like an MPC. But that totally ignores the people that already own MPCs and just want a cool ass app. I think if they gave us all the features, 32 tracks and the ability to control with an MPC or MPD it would be epic)

You can control the iMPC device with an MPD or some MPCs and other compliant devices while used inside of the Free Tabletop app.

2. A number value to the tuning knob to make it easier to match the tune of your chops

DiscoDaveBBB, this I agree. It should be labeled in semitones like any other app or daw.

JazzyDrewProductions wrote:Teestrick said:

(I like your work. I get what youre saying with the samples and mute groups. I think the problem is we all (including myself) are frustrated we can't get the same workflow we get on an MPC. Unfortunately, it seems like that was akai's (not the developer's) goal. They want to give people enough features to get hooked on the MPC, and get an idea of the work flow, but not enough features to perform like an MPC. But that totally ignores the people that already own MPCs and just want a cool ass app. I think if they gave us all the features, 32 tracks and the ability to control with an MPC or MPD it would be epic)

You can control the iMPC device with an MPD or some MPCs and other compliant devices while used inside of the Free Tabletop app.

I also get the impression that Akai is deliberately omitting features in an attempt to attract potential buyers of their hardware. If the software had all of the features of say an MPC 1000 or MPC Studio when combined with a pad controller they probably feel like they would lose sales. But guess what? Beatmaker 2 already provides all of those features AND they just added Audiobus capability! Now that is a game changer. Beatmaker with Audiobus is like having an MPC with VST capability when combined with apps. such as Moog's Animoog, Korg's iPolySix,iMS-20 and iElectribe as well as Magellan,Sunriser and the powerful synths. from PPG.