MIDI Learn coming in 2.2 update?

mothereffers are thirsty

JeriKo Jackson wrote:mothereffers are thirsty

Hungry you mean...

Cockdiesel wrote:They are focusing on midi features. I think this is critical to the live becoming a multi-Timbral instrument. I could be wrong but it was my guess.

Aah, ok, well yeah, I sure hope you are correct.

I think it is very uncool of Akai to not even comment on the future of the MIDI implementation in the MPCX. I did buy the MPCX to replace my DAW, I want what the standalone MPCX as being portraited on Akai.

I did comment on their community site, as a reply to Nick D of Akai when he himself wrote this response to the thread "Multitimbral MIDI?":

"You can currently input MIDI data to the track that is selected. Of course I understand the usefulness of inputting MIDI on two separate tracks with a controller and the MPC itself in a live setting - and I would like to see this function too - but I'm not sure it's quite accurate to say that it renders the MPC Live useless in this scenario. It is a sequencer after all so if you want to perform with it, you can sequence your drums, play the sequence, and play over the sequence on another track with the controller or vice versa and that's really only getting started with how this machine could be used as a live performance instrument. "

I thought this was downplaying the importance of what is being asked:

"Nick, I humbly disagree with the simplification in your statement.

Currently, the heading for the MPCX on http://www.akaipro.com/products/mpc-s... is "The Studio Centerpiece" and on http://www.akaipro.com/products/mpc-s... as "Bigger than beats. The X is truly a studio centerpiece."

And not to get too far into word games, but I would argue that there is a distinct gap between the sequencer-for-play (as in PLAY a sequence, not a toy, obviously) and studio-centerpiece. So even though you are absolutely correct that it is ALSO a sequencer, it is being marketed and sold as way more than simply a sequencer.

Now don't get me wrong, please. I am in no way complaining. I am simply saying that Akai should live up to the expectations under which the MPCX is being sold, which can easily be viewed on the two URLs above.

The first bullet of major features on the mpc-x URL is "Standalone MPC – no computer required" and another is "2 MIDI inputs, 4 MIDI Outputs", which is true to an extent, but this is where things LIKE the multi-timbrality has to be resolved. The implication by Akai IS that there are, at least 64 channels in and 32 out, and are available for management of MIDI gear. This is not quite the case at the moment.

As I have stated before, the solution should include not only USB MIDI In Ports but also USB MIDI Out Ports since there is virtually no difference between them in terms of class compliance, well the direction I suppose. I know Akai makes absolutely no claim of this, but it follows that this should be made available on a studio centerpiece. Not only because it make sense, but because it is a huge marketing point. (And because it would make myself, and surely other, happier!)

MIDI isn't going away anytime soon. There is no alternative because of patents, copyrights and well, corporate greed in general I suppose. Akai IS one of the few last (and seasoned) companies that has made such amazing strides in the standalone sequencer arena and keeps investing in MIDI too).

I am VERY happy with my MPCX, but I think that there are a few things that you guys need to complete in order to live up to the studio centerpiece. Though I am actually using it, as true to its claim of a studio centerpiece, I have had to rework my approach because some of the current deficiencies.

I have tons of old MIDI gear that used to be accessed (from a computer) through a 8x8 MIDI interface and a couple of old JLCooper MSB16/20's. So I have high hopes for my newest member, a USB3 8x8 MIDI interface that DOES WORK with the MPCX, but the 8 Out Ports do not show (obvious reasons, at the moment) and the 8 In Ports cannot be assigned to individual Tracks (as we all know). Please allow this kind of a solution.

Anyways, thank you for such wonderful gear!"