MPC/ MPC Forum veterans, what are your X/ Live verdicts?

Menco wrote:

MaScHiNeHeAd wrote:I like the convenience of the Live, it's very portable, it can perform pretty much every task I throw at it, & I DO like the effects. Given, they're not as comprehensive as perhaps they should be, but they're very usable.
It gets me away from the laptop, the same way my 2500 does. I can (and have) finish songs within the box, or if I want I can drag & drop the stems into a daw, & arrange that way. The software isn't all it could be, but only time will tell if Akai are serious about improving the software & feature set.
It's a good little box, with a lot of potential.
Peace

If you had to pick between the 2500 and the Live for your ‘getting away from the laptop box’, which one would you choose, and why?

The Live, definitely. for me, portability is key. If I have an idea & I'm at work, I can just reach for it & start sketching the beat out. Can't do that with my 25K.
If I'm honest, the reason I keep the 25K around, is more just sentimental. I keep talking about selling it, but that's as far as I get!!
It's like an old pair of kicks, I just can't bear to part with it. It was my first MPC, so that's probably why!!

Truthfully, to me, its 20 year old workflow in a new box. Still fun to use like it was yesteryear, will make an MPC head a fan again.

Sometimes I think all companies should leave the workflow alone of a great sampler and just beef it up with every generation with more polyphony, more sample time and more features instead of focusing on one feature just to remove six others.

My verdict is you'll still be content if you go from 2500 to the Live as well as going from the Live to the 2500. I still read that JJOS remains superior. However, it all comes down to what you really need. The Live is up to date with technology and you can sample in 24 bit. If its a business, I say yeah, cop one like its mandatory but on the artistry side of it all, any MPC can do what you need it to do.

I am not a Mpc veteran but just a new Mpc Live user.
I come from.computer music, I quit with computer and transfered all to Mpc.
The standalone sound is really good, much better then motu and focusrite audio cards I used before.
I like the internal effects, they are not horrible at all, they just need some tweaking and chaining but they work fine.
Not the best reverbs and modulations though, you would need extra hardware in standalone or plugins in controller mode.
Qlinks are actually the things I use most, they can be configured in any way you need and I feel them very comfortable, in some projects I use them as volume faders, or to open up effects and so on.
If you intend to use Live as an advanced sampler and effect box with track and pad mute or in a clip launch style, it really works great.

Frisbi wrote: much better then motu and focusrite audio cards I used before.

Interesting...

For me l was waiting on something like this for years. I don't like tracking out this helped me. Tight sequencer, exploding etc that l'm use to using software. Mines works well and its all good.

My first MPC was a 2500 with JJOS. I loved it but found it just a tad too massive for carrying around, so flipped it for a 1000 with JJOS. Later on, I got a 4000. The 4k felt even better than the 1k/2k5, but felt awkward in some regards..

When the MPC live was announced, I immediately preordered one. Now while the OS is still a bit unfinished, I feel like the MPC live, at least for me, is everything I always wanted the 1k to be. Just enough i/o to get things done. Small enough to carry around while still having full-sized pads. Doesn’t add mojo or colour the sound, but pitching sounds down doesn’t make me tear my ears off either. And I NEVER HAVE TO PRESS STOP FOR USING A FUNCTION. EVER. This fact alone used to be a major buzzkill for me with the older MPCs, as I was used to not having to stop anything just to NORMALIZE etc when working with a computer DAW.

I think the ”classic MPC workflow” is present on the live in most respects. Some people might lament the lack of dedicated transport ctrls and the omission of qlink faders, but other than that, everythings pretty much still there.

One thing though - no footswitch inputs! That’s what I miss the most from the legacy MPCs.

MaScHiNeHeAd wrote:The Live, definitely. for me, portability is key. If I have an idea & I'm at work, I can just reach for it & start sketching the beat out. Can't do that with my 25K.
If I'm honest, the reason I keep the 25K around, is more just sentimental. I keep talking about selling it, but that's as far as I get!!
It's like an old pair of kicks, I just can't bear to part with it. It was my first MPC, so that's probably why!!

I have the feeling this will be the situation I'll end up too if I purchase the Live

Ill-Green wrote:Truthfully, to me, its 20 year old workflow in a new box. Still fun to use like it was yesteryear, will make an MPC head a fan again.

Sometimes I think all companies should leave the workflow alone of a great sampler and just beef it up with every generation with more polyphony, more sample time and more features instead of focusing on one feature just to remove six others.

My verdict is you'll still be content if you go from 2500 to the Live as well as going from the Live to the 2500. I still read that JJOS remains superior. However, it all comes down to what you really need. The Live is up to date with technology and you can sample in 24 bit. If its a business, I say yeah, cop one like its mandatory but on the artistry side of it all, any MPC can do what you need it to do.

Oh shit! Ill Green up in this moddafokka!!! How you been holding up? Last time I checked the boards you were haywire and all the fellas overhere were hoping you were doing well.

Thanks for your input. Your opinion has some more weight to it for me since I know where you came from with the Grun Reaper Headstones (partly) made on the 500. Still rocking that tape.

Complex sample editing and sequencing features is not what I look for, but workflow and feel. To throw something in your backpack and bring it with you, or take it on your lap on the couch and just start banging away. It's not business, and yes, even the 500 can do quite a bit of what I'm expecting from a MPC, but cleaning up the routine, making things more practical and have something new to wrestle with can really motivate one to bang those pads more often.

Everybody thanks a lot for chipping in. I think I'm quite convinced. I also ran into a video review by DJ Hellfire (is he still hanging around overhere?) highlighting some stuff I found quite interesting. Also because he used the 2500 for quite a while before jumping ship to the MPC Ren and Software and being quite content for some of the same reasons I like to work with the Software.

For now I've got a holiday planned for the second week of October and some motorcycle maintenance. Next pay check it'll be the first thing I'll buy.

Menco wrote:

Ill-Green wrote:Truthfully, to me, its 20 year old workflow in a new box. Still fun to use like it was yesteryear, will make an MPC head a fan again.

Sometimes I think all companies should leave the workflow alone of a great sampler and just beef it up with every generation with more polyphony, more sample time and more features instead of focusing on one feature just to remove six others.

My verdict is you'll still be content if you go from 2500 to the Live as well as going from the Live to the 2500. I still read that JJOS remains superior. However, it all comes down to what you really need. The Live is up to date with technology and you can sample in 24 bit. If its a business, I say yeah, cop one like its mandatory but on the artistry side of it all, any MPC can do what you need it to do.

Oh shit! Ill Green up in this moddafokka!!! How you been holding up? Last time I checked the boards you were haywire and all the fellas overhere were hoping you were doing well.

Thanks for your input. Your opinion has some more weight to it for me since I know where you came from with the Grun Reaper Headstones (partly) made on the 500. Still rocking that tape.

Complex sample editing and sequencing features is not what I look for, but workflow and feel. To throw something in your backpack and bring it with you, or take it on your lap on the couch and just start banging away. It's not business, and yes, even the 500 can do quite a bit of what I'm expecting from a MPC, but cleaning up the routine, making things more practical and have something new to wrestle with can really motivate one to bang those pads more often.

Been a while huh. Hey whats up Menco!! Definitely the Live is an upgrade from the 500. It will feel like a breath of fresh air when you transfer over.

Things are well on the island but a lot of changes. Because of my US citizenship, I am considered a foreigner now and its mandatory to carry a passport. I would like to leave really. Had a chance to transfer to NY but I couldn't leave family stranded during the hurricanes.

I love the Live. For me, the trick with sampling is the judicious use of samples, and the effects are merely there for a slight bump to accentuate.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=P ... MXIAtg86o4

In sample-based music, it's still the king of workflows. Fast, fun, dope.

What's not so dope are the baffling omissions of automation lanes on standalone and lack of PDC in software.
All I'd ask for personally.

True Fanu.
I wouldn't trade my Live fir no other machine.
It has things l wasn't looking for and its freaking great.

Ill-Green wrote:Been a while huh. Hey whats up Menco!! Definitely the Live is an upgrade from the 500. It will feel like a breath of fresh air when you transfer over.

Things are well on the island but a lot of changes. Because of my US citizenship, I am considered a foreigner now and its mandatory to carry a passport. I would like to leave really. Had a chance to transfer to NY but I couldn't leave family stranded during the hurricanes.

Glad to hear you’re ok.
Man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do. Hope all will settle quickly so you can leave soon. Btw, Amsterdam is still waiting for you.

Menco wrote:

Ill-Green wrote:Been a while huh. Hey whats up Menco!! Definitely the Live is an upgrade from the 500. It will feel like a breath of fresh air when you transfer over.

Things are well on the island but a lot of changes. Because of my US citizenship, I am considered a foreigner now and its mandatory to carry a passport. I would like to leave really. Had a chance to transfer to NY but I couldn't leave family stranded during the hurricanes.

Glad to hear you’re ok.
Man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do. Hope all will settle quickly so you can leave soon. Btw, Amsterdam is still waiting for you.

God bless you bro. I think we got coliseums over in Netherlands, we got exchange programs, I'm gonna see if I can sign up and go down there. They pay flight, rooms and food. I'll let you know via PM.