MPC Live + iMPC Pro 2

So, a friend of mine is dead-set on his iPad Pro + iMPC Pro 2 and he's under the impression that with his iMPC Pro 2 (app) he could start working-up something and export it (since it has the capability to .ZIP a project up) and send it over to me to continue working-on in my MPC Live.

Anyone have experience doing-so or am I delusional in thinking that they are two different products and not compatible with one another...?

*cue the LOL's*

It’s compatible.




Even the video is for iMPC pro 1, it’s pretty much the same for iMPC pro 2. There was a glitch in the first impc pro 2 where the songs would not import properly in the MPC software and Live/X.

The developers of IMPC didn’t have a Live or X to test their exports on (wtf?). But it was fixed later.

No s**t ?! I honestly thought the iMPC Pro 2 (or the Live) wouldn't have the ability (considering the way Akai works), but this is a pleasant surprise. Just wonder what "issues" we might run into. Guess I'll tell him to give it a go and send-over some stuff to test with. Thanks kaydigi !

So, can you also export your samples with it? If you don’t have the same samples across the 2?

John Vandenberghe wrote:So, can you also export your samples with it? If you don’t have the same samples across the 2?

Yes, they are attached to the program you created.

I chopped a sample in equal parts, assigned it to a program. Made a generic pattern in the timeline, exported it to mpc package (can’t remember the exact term).

I opened it in the desktop software, everything played correctly.

I haven’t tried using turbo duck and audio tracks though.

Can the Live and iMPC Pro 2 be used together? In other words, can an iPad & iMPC be used with the Live similar to how a CPU and MPC 2.2 software would be?

Bezo wrote:Can the Live and iMPC Pro 2 be used together? In other words, can an iPad & iMPC be used with the Live similar to how a CPU and MPC 2.2 software would be?

With ableton link? I can use the Live with impc pro with ableton link. It syncs in pertfect time.

Here’s another video with impc pro 1, it shows the xpj file export/import at the end

kaydigi wrote:

Bezo wrote:Can the Live and iMPC Pro 2 be used together? In other words, can an iPad & iMPC be used with the Live similar to how a CPU and MPC 2.2 software would be?

With ableton link? I can use the Live with impc pro with ableton link. It syncs in pertfect time.

Should've been more clear. I'm not sure what Abelton Link is exactly, so no. But I'd be interested in carrying an iPad with me if I could use just it and a Live.

Said another way, CPU iPad, MPC 2.2 iMPC Pro 2, & MPC Live. Can this be done without any additional soft/hardware?

Said one more way, can iMPC Pro stand in for MPC 2.2 and provide ANY of what MPC 2.2 adds to Controller Mode? Plugins/VSTs, additional audio tracks, etc?

Using iMPC pro and the live together is okay Outside of hosting plugins in the iMPC pro you are aren’t gaining anything. You lose the awesome air fx plugins in the 2.2 software.

If you wanted to use iMPC as a poor mans 2.2 you have to sync them. To sync them you would need either an audio interface, usb camera kit adaptor and usb midi cables.

Option 2 is using ableton link. Link is included in the mpc live and the iMPC pro. Basically it’s wireless midi cables and keeps your sequencers in sync wirelessly.

So if you pulled up the model d iOS plug in in iMPC pro. You would play a pattern in the iOS track. With ableton link active you can play your drums on the live and they would both play in sequence.

You can export the iMPC model d track in real-time through the head phone jack of the iPad to an audio track or direct record in the live.

Be warned @lampdog will tell you get BeatMaker 3 instead of messing with the iMPC. It’s more polished and has way more features.

He is right though

kaydigi wrote:Be warned @lampdog will tell you get BeatMaker 3 instead of messing with the iMPC. It’s more polished and has way more features.

He is right though

Nah, use whatever you want.

kaydigi wrote:Using iMPC pro and the live together is okay Outside of hosting plugins in the iMPC pro you are aren’t gaining anything. You lose the awesome air fx plugins in the 2.2 software.

If you wanted to use iMPC as a poor mans 2.2 you have to sync them. To sync them you would need either an audio interface, usb camera kit adaptor and usb midi cables.

Option 2 is using ableton link. Link is included in the mpc live and the iMPC pro. Basically it’s wireless midi cables and keeps your sequencers in sync wirelessly.

So if you pulled up the model d iOS plug in in iMPC pro. You would play a pattern in the iOS track. With ableton link active you can play your drums on the live and they would both play in sequence.

You can export the iMPC model d track in real-time through the head phone jack of the iPad to an audio track or direct record in the live.

Be warned @lampdog will tell you get BeatMaker 3 instead of messing with the iMPC. It’s more polished and has way more features.

He is right though

Thanks! That is more than what I was looking for. I was looking for stand alone plus iMPC/iPad, or Live in controller mode in iMPC. The hope was to use just the Live and iMPC/iPad to get closer to what I would get from Live in controller mode in MPC 2.2.

I'm not looking to replace MPC 2.2, more to supplement stand alone mode with iMPC. But they're not compatible without 3rd party interaction, correct?

*Edit: Better understanding. Ableton Link isn't intrusive at all. Is it just a way of allowing "controller mode" over iMPC? And I see AU plugin support. Does that include any AU plug I have? But I also assume use is limited by the speed & memory of the iPad, so not much mileage is gained from plugins, correct?

I doubt there is a easy way to use the Live as a control surface without using midi cables and a interface. Even then your live will just be a glorified mpd controller.

I don’t control the ableton link programs with the mpc live, I have a keyboard or pad controller connected directly to the iPad.

I just use the ableton link mode with direct record myself. I haven’t had any speed issues. I have iMaschine, reason, impc, ableton Live , running all at the same time as a stress test across various phones and computers on one network.

kaydigi wrote:I doubt there is a easy way to use the Live as a control surface without using midi cables and a interface. Even then your live will just be a glorified mpd controller.

I don’t control the ableton link programs with the mpc live, I have a keyboard or pad controller connected directly to the iPad.

I just use the ableton link mode with direct record myself. I haven’t had any speed issues. I have iMaschine, reason, impc, ableton Live , running all at the same time as a stress test across various phones and computers on one network.

Ahh, I got it. The scenario I'm trying to cover is outside the studio when I'd only have my Live. Bringing along anything bigger than an iPad, I might as well bring my MBP and MPC 2.2 along.

But I have a better understanding of how this works and can conduct a more educated YouTube search to see if anyone is combining these in a way that would be useful to me.

My last question would be have you used any VSTs in iMPC? If so, how was the performance?

Thanks!

Bezo wrote:

kaydigi wrote:I doubt there is a easy way to use the Live as a control surface without using midi cables and a interface. Even then your live will just be a glorified mpd controller.

I don’t control the ableton link programs with the mpc live, I have a keyboard or pad controller connected directly to the iPad.

I just use the ableton link mode with direct record myself. I haven’t had any speed issues. I have iMaschine, reason, impc, ableton Live , running all at the same time as a stress test across various phones and computers on one network.

Ahh, I got it. The scenario I'm trying to cover is outside the studio when I'd only have my Live. Bringing along anything bigger than an iPad, I might as well bring my MBP and MPC 2.2 along.

But I have a better understanding of how this works and can conduct a more educated YouTube search to see if anyone is combining these in a way that would be useful to me.

My last question would be have you used any VSTs in iMPC? If so, how was the performance?

Thanks!

I’ve used a few, no performance issues or crashes that I noticed.