To buy or not to buy

Hi there
I am considering to buy Mpc Live since I want to get rid off computer
Looking at specifications and forums I understood there is no arpeggiator and no Mic input and these are the main things that keep me from buying this machine
Do you know if Akai is going to add an arpeggiator in the future os updates?

One more question I have is about price. I noticed that in Usa the Mpc Live is 200 dollars cheaper then in Europe but I could not understand how much is shipping from Usa to Europe
Does anyone know a good place to buy it and save some money?

Ok thanks a lot

The Left input is the Mic input.

Check out Thomann.de they gave me a sweet price to ship an MPC Live from Germany to Puerto Rico and was cheaper than buying from the USA.

However, Musiciansfriend.com matched Thomann's price so I went with them since they are closer to ship. But check out Thomann and Andertons if you in UK or Europe.

Frisbi wrote:Do you know if Akai is going to add an arpeggiator in the future os updates?

Nobody knows, and Akai don't really comment on future plans.

Frisbi wrote:One more question I have is about price. I noticed that in Usa the Mpc Live is 200 dollars cheaper then in Europe but I could not understand how much is shipping from Usa to Europe
Does anyone know a good place to buy it and save some money?

$200 cheaper after you add VAT (20%)? Because you will have to pay that if you import it into the UK from the US, plus handling charges.

If you absolutely need an arp you can add something like a Keystep.

So at the end if I buy it from Usa or Europe I pay the same? Around 1200 euro?
I understand it's a beast, but is it not too much for a music machine without an arp gate? And, if I understood, without a side chain?
Is there a wishlist to ask for these fundamental effects?

Frisbi wrote:Is there a wishlist to ask for these fundamental effects?

Quite many basic functions are either broken or missing and they have been asked from Akai for months, either through the MPC 2.0 softwares feedback button or through the official AKAIPro forums. No sidechaining, arpeggiator, automation editing, still broken aftertouch etc.

Don't get me wrong, the machines work but some of these basic functions that are missing are quite to severly irritating, Live / X are not completely shit but not diamonds either. I'm hoping that somenone manages to "hack" the machines and install their custom OS, but this is quite early to hope for that.

I guess akai is still working on making live a real standalone, but I also guess right now is aimed at being a complete production machine to produce projects, export them and finalize the mixdown at computer.
Am I right?

Frisbi wrote:Am I right?

No.

It's already a very capable stand alone machine. People expect from these machines to be everything they have ever dreamed of plus some more, well guess what, you can't have all the features known to mankind in a stand alone unit. Maybe in the future.

If you want the full package get Ableton and a Push and be done with it.

No i think I'll go for mpc live.
I just need something that I can carry easily everywhere and I trust akai quality.
I was just saying I don't expect to make a final mix and a mastering with it.
I need it just to compose quickly and I really don't like to do it with laptop.

Frisbi wrote:I guess akai is still working on making live a real standalone, but I also guess right now is aimed at being a complete production machine to produce projects, export them and finalize the mixdown at computer.
Am I right?

Yes, and you shouldn't think it would be anything else, why wouldn't you want to mix in a DAW? That's absurd.

Frisbi wrote:No i think I'll go for mpc live.
I just need something that I can carry easily everywhere and I trust akai quality.
I was just saying I don't expect to make a final mix and a mastering with it.
I need it just to compose quickly and I really don't like to do it with laptop.

Then you are looking in the right place imo, but again get your ideas done in the live standalone, then export or record to a daw for mixing.

Who needs an arpeggiator? It's a sequencer. just pound some notes into a 1-2 bar track. Rinse and repeat.

So true. If peeps are waiting for an arp for the standalone they are buggin. You can play out arp type melodies on the pads or pencil in on the touch screen in sequencer mode.

Icepulse wrote:Who needs an arpeggiator? It's a sequencer. just pound some notes into a 1-2 bar track. Rinse and repeat.

Well an arp gate is always useful to sync sounds on the fly.
It should be a machine for live performance isn't it?
It's a bit slow to draw notes with a pencil during a live set...

Again l don't see that happening in this machine.
You didn't say anything about a live set, so that is a wish list for you. I don't live sets l work in the studio and lm stable. If l wa nt arps l know what to use and not depend on the Live.

Frisbi wrote:Well an arp gate is always useful to sync sounds on the fly.
It should be a machine for live performance isn't it?
It's a bit slow to draw notes with a pencil during a live set...