MPC X, MPC Live, MPC One & MPC Key 61 Forum: Support and discussion for the MPC X, MPC Live, MPC Live II, MPC One & MPC Key 61; Akai's current generation of standalone MPCs.
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By pspsounds Wed Jul 31, 2019 4:10 pm
The other day I walked pass my MPC Live and knowing I could load up sounds in 30 seconds, I decided to turn it on and create. That gave ME inspiration. Bottom line is what inspires YOU? What makes the Live standout is you can always hook it up to the software too. With 2.6 you can now even export your project as an Ableton Live set. Best of both worlds.

Back to the beats.
By 40Beatz Wed Jul 31, 2019 5:35 pm
Pads wrote:I bought both the Live and the X. I love the Live for it’s portability, just throw whatever you need on an sd card and take it where ever you may. Use the X at home and take my projects along with the Live with me if I’m heading out for a weekend or something.


This is exactly how I use Both my X and Live. The best of both worlds
By Cockdiesel Thu Aug 01, 2019 4:48 am
strange. I just came to the conclusion that I don't need a force or a X just the live for my workflow. so nice to just write with a few boxes in front of me. I can do make shift set-up with just the live and a effects pedal, or bust out some racks and set up next to my couch. All standalone. Once I get things to mixing point I'll fire up the computer but truth be told the computer takes alot of creativity out of me. rather fire up my live get crafty with effects or another small synth and Im good to go.

I have a small desk set up for a minimal writing and sound design setup. I have my computer desk set up for mixing too. after going through just about every piece of gear over the last few years. I have settled with live, digitone and analog heat as my main writing/ basic sound design setup, I also have 2 4 ru rack units that I can break down and set up anywhere. dinner table, couch cocktail table setup, and my little writing desk.

really happy that I finally have a nice "minimal" setup. once I get better with mixing i'll finish my mixing desk set-up.

to answer the OP, yes the live helped me get back into making beats. You may be better off with a mac book if thats what inspires you, but I am big on hardware. From understanding the tech, to the work flow it offers.

Force is really dope but I don't need a synth groove box, or the fast ableton style sampling. I am not much of traditional musician and just program my synths and track out. Having a multi timbral synth to work with the live has been the key to my workflow.

Hopefully can test out some submixes this weekend and see how they export. too many ideas for me, it's crazy.

All that said, I still think about how the X would be really dope for my set-up with the ins and outs and q links, but I just can justify the space or the extra "luxury" , when I get by just fine with the LIve
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By Monotremata Thu Aug 01, 2019 8:19 am
I think its hilarious he was using the laptop with the 1.x software and didnt see any difference in 2.0.. Whatever works for you I guess?
By CharlesRandolph Thu Aug 01, 2019 3:09 pm
What you explain has always been the vain of Sampler Drum Machines. Because the user is programing a machine to create music. Older drum machines are super easy. Turn it on, tap a pad, drum sound come out. sound. That's why the SP1200 is so well liked as a sampler because IT'S EASY!

For your case, it may be best to look at your computer as simply a tracking and mixing device. I do find that 99% of what's requested on the MPC LIve/X are programming related and have nothing to do with composing music. Personally, this is why I steer away from large EURO Racks. Patch 20 cables, Turn 20 knobs, write down what I patched and turned, to get the same sound. Yeah, I'm good with all that. :lol: :lol: beep beep bop bep bop bop bop beep beep. :lol:


Cockdiesel wrote:strange. I just came to the conclusion that I don't need a force or a X just the live for my workflow. so nice to just write with a few boxes in front of me. I can do make shift set-up with just the live and a effects pedal, or bust out some racks and set up next to my couch. All standalone. Once I get things to mixing point I'll fire up the computer but truth be told the computer takes alot of creativity out of me. rather fire up my live get crafty with effects or another small synth and Im good to go.

I have a small desk set up for a minimal writing and sound design setup. I have my computer desk set up for mixing too. after going through just about every piece of gear over the last few years. I have settled with live, digitone and analog heat as my main writing/ basic sound design setup, I also have 2 4 ru rack units that I can break down and set up anywhere. dinner table, couch cocktail table setup, and my little writing desk.

really happy that I finally have a nice "minimal" setup. once I get better with mixing i'll finish my mixing desk set-up.

to answer the OP, yes the live helped me get back into making beats. You may be better off with a mac book if thats what inspires you, but I am big on hardware. From understanding the tech, to the work flow it offers.

Force is really dope but I don't need a synth groove box, or the fast ableton style sampling. I am not much of traditional musician and just program my synths and track out. Having a multi timbral synth to work with the live has been the key to my workflow.

Hopefully can test out some submixes this weekend and see how they export. too many ideas for me, it's crazy.

All that said, I still think about how the X would be really dope for my set-up with the ins and outs and q links, but I just can justify the space or the extra "luxury" , when I get by just fine with the LIve
By Cockdiesel Thu Aug 01, 2019 3:53 pm
That’s what I am hoping for although they are similar it’s the forces composition features I will miss the most. The layout and interface is so dope for chords, progressions at . Just takes more time and not as pretty on the live.

Actually that’s how I have it set up. Write music where ever. Export to ableton and mix on my big speakers.

I track out synths and my rack effects into the live. Really happy with my setup besides the Dbx tube preamp. It gets dirty real quick and is a bit fiddlly. The compressor is decent though. May just need to swap out tubes to be more impressed by it.

If I was into euro rack the force would be the way to go to get them off kilter beep blip loops. Although the moog matriarch looks pretty amazing by the specs.
By Mirror Cube Sat Aug 10, 2019 6:19 pm
getting ready to return mpc live after 2 weeks of use. primarily got it for finger drumming, but the sensitivity is so bad compared to my ableton push 2.

loved the stand alone. but the thing is useless for finger drumming because I have to like smash it just to maybe get a response...

im coming from a piano background and I developed a very acute attention to how sensitivity and velocity should work. there should be dynamics from soft key strokes all the way to steep rolls through octaves.

maybe a break in period could help, but i doubt it could improve to what my unfortunately high standards are.


BUT if you like sequencing and traveling while beat making, then this is a next level piece of gear.

Looks like im still stuck to a desk for producing :Sigh:
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By Lampdog Sat Aug 10, 2019 7:17 pm
Mirror Cube wrote:im coming from a piano background and I developed a very acute attention to how sensitivity and velocity should work. there should be dynamics from soft key strokes all the way to steep rolls through octaves.


You couldn’t take time to adjust, tweak pad /velocity settings?
By Mirror Cube Sat Aug 10, 2019 9:20 pm
Lampdog wrote:
You couldn’t take time to adjust, tweak pad /velocity settings?



I did adjust velocity and threshold settings and tried just about every solution presented in youtube videos and on this forum.

also after closer examination of the play styles from several mpc live finger drummers on youtube, i noticed that they all were smacking the pads in a very particular fashion to get the response.

i need something that will respond from just wiping my finger across pad softly. And the push has always done that for me so ill be staying loyal.

It just needs a battery, stand-alone, and larger pads. haha :WTF:
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By Monotremata Sun Aug 11, 2019 12:21 am
Dude, you've got to give the thing waaaaaaay more time to break in, and how much time depends on how much you use it. Mine took about two months of daily use before it finally 'loosened' up to the point where I could set it back to the default sensitivity settings and play it like I was used to (Ive also used keys for controllers my entire life before this). Its definitely not as 'light' as my Beatstep, but I think it works great. When I play drums now, I actually get what I would get if I was playing a real kit. The BeatStep, you can pretty much bet everything is gonna come out at 120-127. Not a bad thing, but I like the little bit of dynamics the MPC gives me. Once the pads are worn in enough you should be able to do whatever you want with the settings. When its all the way up I can barely touch the thing and Im yelling at it 'DAMMIT DONT ASSIGN THAT THERE!!!'. Dont forget you also have the response curves to adjust as well, although I still dont get why you would want anything but the linear one for a sequencer hehe.
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By Danoc Sun Aug 11, 2019 3:18 am
My pads been working since day one.
Mirror what are your sensitivity settings?
By dryad-66 Sun Aug 11, 2019 4:15 am
With the numark mpc's i did the tape mod (about 4 strips of insulation tape) and got them ultra sensitive and you could just barely touch them and got velocity 1- 128 easily.Very nice.The Live/X are more caveman style.Suit different playing.
By Mirror Cube Sun Aug 11, 2019 10:19 am
Danoc wrote:My pads been working since day one.
Mirror what are your sensitivity settings?



tried them in every combination 1-16.

ill prolly pick up an mpc live again when the price drops in a few years or like black friday or something lol