The Full Akai MPC Touch Review From MPC-Tutor.com

Bug reports & end-user support for Akai's MPC Software 'controllers' including the new MPC Studio 2, the MPC Touch, MPC Renaissance & original MPC Studio and MPC StudioB lack.
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Re: The Full Akai MPC Touch Review From MPC-Tutor.com

By jsf Fri Jan 15, 2016 7:17 pm
Ideally, the next mpc would have wifi connection for cloud access and be battery powered.
Damn, they be given away mobile phones with same specs if you buy a pack of crisps!
Sorry Tutor, do go on.
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Re: The Full Akai MPC Touch Review From MPC-Tutor.com

By distortedtekno Fri Jan 15, 2016 9:15 pm
jsf wrote:Ideally, the next mpc would have wifi connection for cloud access and be battery powered.
Damn, they be given away mobile phones with same specs if you buy a pack of crisps!
Sorry Tutor, do go on.



Okay, I know I shouldn't hijack the thread either. So anyway, that was on hell of a great review, Andy. As a standalone guy like me, I've been fairly interested in the Touch for it's workflow. I'm glad to see the lag isn't really an issue because it's only with the waveform editing. I have some questions. Can the knob controls on the display be set to linear mode? You mentioned that the housing was metal. Were you referring to the entire housing or just the bottom? I'm glad to know it's sturdy either way. The first video we saw with the unit wobbling may have been from a warped table top, I'm guessing, since you haven't had any problems with it. I guess many of us including myself have been in denial about Akai making a good product again, which is natural from what we've seen over the past decade. Thanks for the review. It's always easier to trust your reviews over everyone else.
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Re: The Full Akai MPC Touch Review From MPC-Tutor.com

By Lampdog Fri Jan 15, 2016 9:22 pm
distortedtekno wrote:Thanks for the review. It's always easier to trust your reviews over everyone else.


+1


I want to be HIGHLY interested in MPC Touch but I remain looking at the fence, not even "on" the fence about it, lol.

Re: The Full Akai MPC Touch Review From MPC-Tutor.com

By TT_Lab Fri Jan 15, 2016 9:35 pm
Great review.
I am loving the touch, but I am returning it tomorrow. It looks like my unit has an air bubble in the sensor sheet cos I can listen a crikitycrik when I hit the pad 5,6,9,10 adjacent corners. And it's driving me nuts
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Re: The Full Akai MPC Touch Review From MPC-Tutor.com

By Icepulse Fri Jan 15, 2016 9:38 pm
distortedtekno wrote:
jsf wrote:Ideally, the next mpc would have wifi connection for cloud access and be battery powered.
Damn, they be given away mobile phones with same specs if you buy a pack of crisps!
Sorry Tutor, do go on.



Okay, I know I shouldn't hijack the thread either. So anyway, that was on hell of a great review, Andy. As a standalone guy like me, I've been fairly interested in the Touch for it's workflow. I'm glad to see the lag isn't really an issue because it's only with the waveform editing. I have some questions. Can the knob controls on the display be set to linear mode? You mentioned that the housing was metal. Were you referring to the entire housing or just the bottom? I'm glad to know it's sturdy either way. The first video we saw with the unit wobbling may have been from a warped table top, I'm guessing, since you haven't had any problems with it. I guess many of us including myself have been in denial about Akai making a good product again, which is natural from what we've seen over the past decade. Thanks for the review. It's always easier to trust your reviews over everyone else.


FYI, the wobbliness in an earlier preview was due to the stand being attached upside down, apparently. Or so subsequent reports are claiming. I can echo this reviewer's assertion that it is rock solid when attached properly.

Re: The Full Akai MPC Touch Review From MPC-Tutor.com

By BremenCole Fri Jan 15, 2016 10:21 pm
Good and fair review.

It is not perfect, but IMHO an excellent 1.0 effort. I will state that if Akai never did an update, I could use the Touch as is and be happy. The fact that they are bound to make updates makes it even sweeter.

I got a Ren when they first came out, liked it but returned it. It was so unstable for me that I just couldn't use it. One issue after another, after another, after another....... I already had a Maschine MK1 (still do) but went and got a Maschine Studio and went with NI. Maschine is an excellent product, but I never really connected with it. It never really "fit" me.

Got the touch about 6 weeks ago, and really like it. It "fits" me and I connect with it as you should to a musical instrument. Sold the Maschine Studio, and don't miss it a bit. (Again I do still have the MK1).

The Touch is solid, the pads are a joy, the workflow is for me just about perfect. And yes Tutor, the more you work with it the more natural it becomes. I hardly think about the menus and such anymore, it just flows.
I also used to want a standalone, but really after having the touch its not that big of a deal to me anymore. Plus I doubt I could afford a standalone that had the specs of my quad core i7 Dell desktop......

I am looking forward to improvements, but I am not depending on them.

Re: The Full Akai MPC Touch Review From MPC-Tutor.com

By kaydigi Fri Jan 15, 2016 11:27 pm
distortedtekno wrote:
jsf wrote:Ideally, the next mpc would have wifi connection for cloud access and be battery powered.
Damn, they be given away mobile phones with same specs if you buy a pack of crisps!
Sorry Tutor, do go on.



Okay, I know I shouldn't hijack the thread either. So anyway, that was on hell of a great review, Andy. As a standalone guy like me, I've been fairly interested in the Touch for it's workflow. I'm glad to see the lag isn't really an issue because it's only with the waveform editing. I have some questions. Can the knob controls on the display be set to linear mode? You mentioned that the housing was metal. Were you referring to the entire housing or just the bottom? I'm glad to know it's sturdy either way. The first video we saw with the unit wobbling may have been from a warped table top, I'm guessing, since you haven't had any problems with it. I guess many of us including myself have been in denial about Akai making a good product again, which is natural from what we've seen over the past decade. Thanks for the review. It's always easier to trust your reviews over everyone else.



In the original video the unit wobbled because the stand was put on backwards. You can try it yourself. If you flip the stand around and strike pads the unit wobbles everywhere. Silly oversight from the video's producer that caused unneeded concern.
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Re: The Full Akai MPC Touch Review From MPC-Tutor.com

By MPC-Tutor Sat Jan 16, 2016 8:55 am
TT_Lab wrote:Great review.
I am loving the touch, but I am returning it tomorrow. It looks like my unit has an air bubble in the sensor sheet cos I can listen a crikitycrik when I hit the pad 5,6,9,10 adjacent corners. And it's driving me nuts


I have exactly this on one of my MPC Studio pads, I believe it's quite common. I don't have it on my Touch though.
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Re: The Full Akai MPC Touch Review From MPC-Tutor.com

By MPC-Tutor Sat Jan 16, 2016 9:04 am
distortedtekno wrote: So anyway, that was on hell of a great review, Andy....


Thank you, appreciate that!

distortedtekno wrote: Can the knob controls on the display be set to linear mode? You mentioned that the housing was metal. Were you referring to the entire housing or just the bottom?.


The whole unit appears to be metal, top and bottom.

By linear mode, do you mean a way of converting it to a slider-like setting? If so, no, it's always a dial, so you can try adjusting it on screen (which I'm not liking so much), tap it and adjust with the data wheel (or the +/- buttons), or use the appropriate mapped Q link.

There are some slider-style parameters dotted around as well, lots of pure numerical values, and drop down selection boxes when there are limited values available to select (sample lists, root note, program lists etc) - all can be controlled by tapping and turning the data wheel if you prefer.

Re: The Full Akai MPC Touch Review From MPC-Tutor.com

By Eyalc Sat Jan 16, 2016 11:57 pm
MPC-Tutor wrote:Gut feeling is that we're more likely to see a larger flagship touch controller than a true standalone.


Wouldn't be surprised either, though would be disappointed myself. What would really be interesting if no standalone, is to see how they backtrack out of their "this is only the beginning" responses to the standalone comments on social media.

What I just don't understand, is why folks want to be tethered to their laptop, just to be able to close their laptop and be able to do everything from the hardware - but yet they don't want standalone. When if they made a standalone, you wouldn't need your laptop, but could do the same thing - everything from the hardware. :hmmm:

Great review btw. Also +1 on being more interested in your reviews than others. Been waiting to see what you think about it. Appreciate your efforts.

Re: The Full Akai MPC Touch Review From MPC-Tutor.com

By Jonespnice1 Sun Jan 17, 2016 1:27 am
MPC-Tutor wrote:Anyone else want to comment on the stuff covered in the review?


Very good review, the only thing that I think should be emphasized is that the more you use it the more people like it, it may not click with you at first. I think a lot of people had the same feeling that I had when I first tried it out "it's ok but not that impressive" but after using it for a week I began to feel more and more that the MPC Touch is amazing.

Re: The Full Akai MPC Touch Review From MPC-Tutor.com

By Jonespnice1 Sun Jan 17, 2016 1:47 am
To chime in on the "standalone" conversation, I am very happy with the controller and when I had my MPC 4000 I had it connected to my computer anyway so a standalone unit doesn't really matter to me. With that being said I can see a few advantages that a standalone unit would have.
1) You can still have it working years after it has been discontinued without having to worry about if it is still compatible with whichever operating system. I had that problem when I bought EMU's Proteus X 2, it only worked with windows XP.
2) It will have more limitations than a hardware/software controller unit would have and sometimes limitations will make you more productive than a bunch of options.
3) Hardware standalone units usually hold their value longer. I bought a MPC 4000 used for $1650 from GC and sold it back to them 5 years later for almost the same price.

I'm sure there's other advantages but the two big disadvantages are price and update ability, hardware tend to be limited to how they are able to update it but on the flip side look at Maschine, I bought the first unit in 2009 (I believe) and it is still compatible 6-7 years and several updates later.
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Re: The Full Akai MPC Touch Review From MPC-Tutor.com

By le rat Sun Jan 17, 2016 2:45 am
What about chopping with the MPC touch?
Has it got the best TRIM edit mode so far?
I bought my MPC1000 approximately 10 years ago and I'm thinking about something new.

I've tried it for 15 minutes at a Guitar center. Found the pads a bit hard compared to fat pads. I think LED under the pads is cool, especially for finger drumming. I was standing in front of the unit, banging the pads very hard and the unit was moving back and forth. So it wasn't set up properly I guess. Otherwise I didn't feel the screen super responsive but I was only scratching the surface.

15 minutes is too short anyway. Everyone seems quite happy with the MPC touch. So what's the feedback for samples based music (boombap) after many hours of intense use? :)
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