The Official MPC Element Thread

I believe companies have every right to sell limited versions of their products. I can site some examples......

1. Pro Tools
2. Live
3. Cubase
4. Studio One

All of these products have various versions (yes...gimped) of their software at various price points. They allow users to have an entry level product at a reasonable price...with the hopes of them upgrading to the flagship product. This is business.

If companies turn a profit, they continue with a product. No money? Cease development. Topic debated to death.....

I rarely buy anything but the flagship product. And I don't think it is evil to sell a limited version of a product.

Sorry, Double Post.

All the light/LE DAW versions provide at least 16 tracks.. even iMPC has a bare minimum of 4 tracks.. but ONE track lol... that's beyond reasonable..

JAH wrote:I am not sure about the 1 track limit in Standalone Mode. If Plugins or Keygroup programs can be assigned to a Pad...then pressing 16 Levels allow you to play a Plugin or Keygroup across all the pads...then that would be money. It would be similar to Maschine. But since it is not, it is more suitable to be used within a DAW.

This could be a perfect low cost resource for DAW users that want MPC-styled drum programming.

daftmunk wrote:All the light/LE DAW versions provide at least 16 tracks.. even iMPC has a bare minimum of 4 tracks.. but ONE track lol... that's beyond reasonable..

I agree. But if you are using it as a plugin inside your DAW then essentially you have unlimited tracks...unless you are using a light/LE DAW....then you may only get 16 instances.

even so... having 16 or more instances of the plugin sounds like a workflow / cpu nightmare.. would have just been a much smarter approach to allow a 16 track limit.. going form 128 to 1 is crippling it beyond belief imo.. but whatever i'm not the target market.. the goal is probably to hook a n00b and hope he upgrades.. sadly that is a bit of a sleezeball tactic as others are suggesting..

Nym wrote:pass.

What is the clear intention? entry level noobs, more portable scratch pad, or use in a daw? thats the question i have.

What will be sleaze ball IMO, is if that hardware MUST be purchased to use essentials, even if u already own a studio or ren. That'd be blatantly trying to offload their botched mpc fly venture. I already invested in a studio. I want to use essentials in my daw. I shouldn't have to buy this thing too.

Stripping this thing down is probably the only way to allow unlimited instances in a daw. The ren software is probably too heavy from a ram perspective. If its done right, using 16 instances in a daw wouldn't be a problem for many people. Ram is cheap.

Anyway, akai has an opportunity to market heavy to daw users that want mpc programming on a track. But for some reason they aren't pushing that hard. I would IMO. Unless its really not going to work the way I'm assuming it would.

I still feel strongly however, that the ren software needs more virtual outputs, to integrate better with a daw. I still should be able compose a 24 track song in the mpc software and mix in my daw, without having to work around by exporting wavs, etc. Hope this doesn't give them reason not to add that feature. Regarding essentials, Akai has an opportunity here to address a need, or to make a mess. We will see.

Just looked at the official promo site and specs for the software and hardware in greater detail. It's really sad that it's enough to slap 16 pads on a piece of plastic to call it mpc. The hardware doesn't have anything that a generic pad controller wouldn't have and all the software features are found on all modern daws.

Eyalc wrote:I still feel strongly however, that the ren software needs more virtual outputs, to integrate better with a daw. I still should be able compose a 24 track song in the mpc software and mix in my daw, without having to work around by exporting wavs, etc.

This should have been one of the main priority features since day 1, IMO.

M-Chop wrote:funny.. when I saw the interface, it reminded me of live as well.. one tone colors no shades or gradients.. not a fan of that.. but its better then fxpansions guru interface

Yeah, this 1D shit seems to be the way ALL software graphics are being designed now-a-days; Windows 8, iOS 7, Google. I don't really like it at all!

DJ Hellfire wrote:

M-Chop wrote:funny.. when I saw the interface, it reminded me of live as well.. one tone colors no shades or gradients.. not a fan of that.. but its better then fxpansions guru interface

Yeah, this 1D **** seems to be the way ALL software graphics are being designed now-a-days; Windows 8, iOS 7, Google. I don't really like it at all!

I love it!! It's so eyes relaxing!!

im still kinda confused as to how this benefits current ren/studio users - maybe i missed it in the long thread.. but as far as i can tell it doesn't even run the full version of the software (operating as a portable dongle)?? why on earth would you really want to run mpc essential software inside the full version as a vst? anyone got some real world examples?

if this is just supposed to be an economic entry level way to get into their new mpc world then maybe that makes more sense - or a way for people who want to use the software inside a DAW without buying the studio or the ren. so dont think im discounting the product - im just wondering how/why it relates to the ren/studio

the focus of the product isn't clear to me

edit - could be cool for live use with the ren - if the ren was stable enough (its def gotten way better, once again, not hating here)

Couple comments......

1. Multiple instances of the MPC Software can't be run inside of a DAW. I stand by my statement that even wanting to doesn't make sense as you would be restricted to one track if you attempted to sequence it inside of your DAW. Enter the MPC Essentials and its one track. As long as the Ren controller can control it (don't see why it shouldn't), this fills a need....multitimbral sequencing.

2. The MPC Software alone doesn't have multicore support. Multiple instances of the Essentials inside my DAW now provides a way to access all the cores of my CPU (not really for me..but for those wanting this).

3. It's not a scam and severely crippled. Some of the guys saying this are avid Reaper and Live users. Use the Essentials in your DAW of choice on up to 128 tracks. Frustrated by now global track mixer.....great, this product doesn't have any. Use your DAWs mixer.

4. Having more virtual outputs in the Ren...reasonable request. But...while you are tracking the long way using the virtual outs, a user can export 128 MPC tracks then import the tracks inside a DAW in a fraction of the time.

Should it have been a priority? One can argue that there are far more popular functions users want implemented that are not here yet. Everything can't be a priority.

es-k wrote:
the focus of the product isn't clear to me

edit - could be cool for live use with the ren - if the ren was stable enough (its def gotten way better, once again, not hating here)

Oh its very clear that they were sitting in a factory full of useless Flys and needed to get rid of them.

I don't understand the purpose of this product, Akai makes these controllers so the MPC can have "unlimited power of your computer" and yet they release half ass products and features more limited than the iMPC. Its crazy and a useless gimmick.

I think Akai should have concentrated and continue to concentrate on their so called flagship hardware (REN) and its associated software, rather than continuously keep producing more and more versions of MPCs and more software. This only dilutes what little time the developers already have fixing and enhancing the REN and Studio firmware/software. Akai need to get a dam grip on reality and stop pissing off their existing and loyal user base.