Is MPC Live overpriced ?

CharlesRandolph wrote:

Bezo wrote:How much did they really spend on R&D if the components are already outdated? The couldn't have spent much on the development half of things.

If it was cheap and easy to do, everyone under the sun would do it. Ask any independent equipment manufacture and they will tell you the same. Just think about it this way. At home depot one bolt cost you just .03 cent. Now say, you building 10,000 machines and they require, 30 of that same bolts.

That means you need 300,000 bolts x .03 cent each = $9000 Dollars US
If they gave you a .01 cent break it would cost $6000 Dollars US.

Now imagine this is just one bolt style of 300,000 units. You're going to need extra, because some bolts will be lost, stolen, defective, and for customer who need others. Now you have to source all the other parts. So yes, if you're building just one prototype unit, the cost of the components appear to overpriced. However, building 1000's of that machine, the bulk components prices are crazy.

That's cost of goods sold, not R&D.

I'm referring to the notion that Akai used outdated components, thus there wasn't much development COMPARED to future proofing the Live/X to some degree. Development money seems to have gone to touch screen & controlling software, which wasn't new ground when the Live came about. Stand alone is nothing MPCs weren't doing in the past.

It has a regular drive bro. Hell if l got just a 250 gig SSD it would cost more than the entire lappy lol

CharlesRandolph wrote:

Danoc wrote:I have a laptop with i7 and 16 gigs ram. Its the one you see me do vidios on. Itsva Dell and l built it myself. Im not buy inti Macs anymore. Now that's over ptice but someone will say they have premium parts

I paid $275 for my Dell lappy and it runs sweet with windows 10! 15 inch screen. Ypu have to pay over $1,200 for a 13 inch Mac that's bananas.

Where did you get a $275 dollar Dell with Intel Core i7 with 16 Gig Memory with a SSD from? The lowest cost I've gotten is 900 with industry discount. Are you related to the Dell Empire or are you buying from LEON's Discount off the truck computer corporation.

Danoc wrote:$959 was not the list price. Didn't you read where l said others got their machine cheaper than l did?
Akai sold the machine at whole sake. Its the stores that jack it up si they can make a profit.

Bezo wrote:
But I'll change my response. You can get it for whatever someone is willing to let it go for. But the list price is no longer $959, it's $1,200.

Yes I did see that. You win, though I'm not sure what the point is.

Bezo wrote:I'm referring to the notion that Akai used outdated components, thus there wasn't much development COMPARED to future proofing the Live/X to some degree. Development money seems to have gone to touch screen & controlling software, which wasn't new ground when the Live came about. Stand alone is nothing MPCs weren't doing in the past.

Yes, but that is why I mentioned Prototype Unit. I do agree, that R and D is more focused on software. But Akai Pro is hardware company and I'm sure their R and D department and manufacturing department is involved in the supply chain management research.

The Live is the MPC Touch MKII.

If anyone thinks Akai just picked up off the touch they are wrong. The Live is thicker abd has different components and the list goes on.

If we are talking R&D remember they did that in 3 years. You have to pay people for that. Its called LABOR!
Like CharlesRandolph said it was easy. If it was easy how come it took three years and to this day people still getting glitches.

In this R&D process they were working on the Standalone and software so they can gel. Lets not forget that and they updated the software. In the process they made better EFXs, had to get the QLinks correct, touch more responsive than the touch, etc. Just the navigation alone l see in the machi e took a lot of work. It was not easy.

Ima say it again we got a whole lot of top line Vsts for FREE! With all that was free ran well over $1,000! Velvet is not bull crrap neither is the Mini Grand, Hybrid 3 or Xpand 2 to name a few. I had to pay for those when l had PT.

When you step back and look at the whole picture and not just R&D or MRSP or how old a board is inside the live its not really over priced. Plus free Air EFX.

If l had nothing but the live and what it came with l could produce albums without batting an eye.

-------'
Research and development (R&D) refers to the work a business conducts toward the innovation, introduction and improvement of its products and procedures. Simply, it is a series of investigative activities to improve existing products and procedures or to lead to the development of new products and procedures.

Bezo wrote:
That means you need 300,000 bolts x .03 cent each = $9000 Dollars US
If they gave you a .01 cent break it would cost $6000 Dollars US.

Now imagine this is just one bolt style of 300,000 units. You're going to need extra, because some bolts will be lost, stolen, defective, and for customer who need others. Now you have to source all the other parts. So yes, if you're building just one prototype unit, the cost of the components appear to overpriced. However, building 1000's of that machine, the bulk components prices are crazy.

That's cost of goods sold, not R&D.

I'm referring to the notion that Akai used outdated components, thus there wasn't much development COMPARED to future proofing the Live/X to some degree. Development money seems to have gone to touch screen & controlling software, which wasn't new ground when the Live came about. Stand alone is nothing MPCs weren't doing in the past.[/quote]

Danoc wrote:It has a regular drive bro. Hell if l got just a 250 gig SSD it would cost more than the entire lappy lol

I would upgrade to an SSD, I can't stand spin drive load time any more. Throw a 250 SSD and you're still under 500 for the Laptop.

CharlesRandolph wrote:

Bezo wrote:I'm referring to the notion that Akai used outdated components, thus there wasn't much development COMPARED to future proofing the Live/X to some degree. Development money seems to have gone to touch screen & controlling software, which wasn't new ground when the Live came about. Stand alone is nothing MPCs weren't doing in the past.

Yes, but that is why I mentioned Prototype Unit. I do agree, that R and D is more focused on software. But Akai Pro is hardware company and I'm sure lots of their R and D is involved in the supply chain management research.

I'm don't believe supply chain management is R&D. Seems more like cost of goods sold. R&D usually involves innovation or improving the actual product.

What was developed since the Touch? New screen tech, stand alone mode and whatever features were added to the software since the Touch's release?

I don't think they spent much on R&D at all, not for the Live or X. The Touch was the prototype. What's been introduced since that makes you say, "they really put some work & money behind THIS feature"?

Danoc wrote:...Research and development (R&D) refers to the work a business conducts toward the innovation, introduction and improvement of its products and procedures. Simply, it is a series of investigative activities to improve existing products and procedures or to lead to the development of new products and procedures.

I'm an accountant by day. I know exactly what R&D is. I don't believe they spent much.

My point is if you get a coupon you dont havevto pay retail price. The MRSP was l think $1,499, retail is $1.200 and l and others paid less. At one time stores were offering 20% off. If 15 wanted the Live that means 15 people got a luve less than my $959 that l paid for.

Bezo wrote:
Yes I did see that. You win, though I'm not sure what the point is.

To summarize, if you don't have the budget, the coupons, and it's not making you money. It's overpriced.

I didn't say you didnt know what it meant. Hell l didn't bring it up Tutor did lol
And in my business class l took accounting and could been a CPA but l couldn't see myself crunching numbers all day. Lmao

Bezo wrote:
I'm an accountant by day. I know exactly what R&D is. I don't believe they spent much.

Bammmmmm! Lmao ctfu

CharlesRandolph wrote:To summarize, if you don't have the budget, the coupons, and it's not making your money. It's overpriced.

Bezo wrote:I'm don't believe supply chain management is R&D. Seems more like cost of goods sold. R&D usually involves innovation or improving the actual product.

What was developed since the Touch? New screen tech, stand alone mode and whatever features were added to the software since the Touch's release?

I don't think they spent much on R&D at all, not for the Live or X. The Touch was the prototype. What's been introduced since that makes you say, "they really put some work & money behind THIS feature"?

No matter what we think, the fact is, that it cost millions to put out these machines and $900 to $1200 for the live, is right in line with the competition.

As a matter of fact its less than the competition as you stated. Has more features than the competition as l stated.

End conclusion its not over priced.

CharlesRandolph wrote:
No matter what we think, the fact is, that it cost millions to put out these machines and $900 to $1200 for the live, is right in line with the competition.

We all value things differently. One's answer depends on what method they use. Price vs income, price vs competition, price vs cost of manufacturing, etc.

And we all paid different prices too, so there's that.