Mpc live 2 > mpc live

Support and discussion for all of Akai’s modern standalone MPCs including the MPC X / X SE, MPC Live 1, 2 & 3, MPC One / One+, MPC Key 37/61.
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Re: Mpc live 2 > mpc live

By juskolmeal Fri Jun 12, 2020 11:12 am
I am not sure I would care for having a speaker where a nice wrist cushion should be. I'd rather have the knobs flatter in order to ensure better portability. I initially wanted it thinner but the idea of a battery and an interchangeable drive moved me much more. I would have liked for them to redesign the shape to incorporate all of the necessary q-links or even reverse the positions of the screen and buttons to make to make it easier for us right handed people. I hate leaning to the left to make beats but like most things in life, I adapted. I just don't see where in my 30 years of beat making, that I have ever needed another option outside of hooking my device to either my monitors for sound or my MDR headphones for privacy. I only see the addition of internal speakers as something that I am going to have to spend money to fix in 3 years due to constant banging on the pads. The fact that they did not give us at least 4gb of ram or the ability to use vst plugins in standalone makes me shrug my shoulders in confusion.
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Re: Mpc live 2 > mpc live

By MPC-Tutor Fri Jun 12, 2020 12:48 pm
juskolmeal wrote:The fact that they did not give us ...the ability to use vst plugins in standalone makes me shrug my shoulders in confusion.


This is a well discussed topic. Using VST plugins into any type of linux environment (let alone a customised one used for the MPC) is not an easy undertaking, they have to be completely re-coded to work with the different type of processor and OS. It is unlikely that any 3rd party VST company is going to go to the effort of making a linux version of their plugins for such a tiny, niche user base. The effort required to implement the existing internal plugins is some feat in itself. This is a technical and cost-impacted restriction.

The fact remains that if you want to use VST plugins, then use controller mode, that is what it is for. There really is no point getting worked up over the lack of standalone VST support. But you can expect more stripped down versions of existing Air plugins converted to 'internal' plugins, e.g. a drum synth is on the way, and perhaps Xpand.

As for 4GB+, I suspect disk streaming is more likely which would hopefully negate the need for more ram, even if it's only used for audio tracks. Ultimately even after accounting for the OS, the remaining 1.1GB RAM the MPCs have is significantly more internal RAM than any of their competition - Digitkat 64MB, Octatrak 84MB, MC707 (64MB I believe).
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Re: Mpc live 2 > mpc live

By bees80 Fri Jun 12, 2020 3:07 pm
juskolmeal wrote:I am not sure I would care for having a speaker where a nice wrist cushion should be. I'd rather have the knobs flatter in order to ensure better portability. I initially wanted it thinner but the idea of a battery and an interchangeable drive moved me much more. I would have liked for them to redesign the shape to incorporate all of the necessary q-links or even reverse the positions of the screen and buttons to make to make it easier for us right handed people. I hate leaning to the left to make beats but like most things in life, I adapted. I just don't see where in my 30 years of beat making, that I have ever needed another option outside of hooking my device to either my monitors for sound or my MDR headphones for privacy. I only see the addition of internal speakers as something that I am going to have to spend money to fix in 3 years due to constant banging on the pads. The fact that they did not give us at least 4gb of ram or the ability to use vst plugins in standalone makes me shrug my shoulders in confusion.


That's funny because people that could have checked the specs and the manual before they actually purchased the mpc (or any hardware) keep making me shrug my shoulders.

If you are in need of 4 gig ram and VST plugins, and you know it's NOT on the MPC. Why would you bother? Or complain about it?

I would never buy a piece of equipment in the hope they will update in the future either. Maybe some people do. I'd like to refer to these people as morons, if that's okay.

Re: Mpc live 2 > mpc live

By 40Beatz Fri Jun 12, 2020 4:48 pm
Right! 4 Gigs is ALOT For building a song (On A Standalone Unit)...In my opinion.

The way i have my setup....

MPC X/Live as the Master, runnin Back n Forth, into an Akai Interface, then into the Computer. All of that running into my Mixing Board.

Essentially, using my Computer(s) as a Additional MIDI Sound Module. VSTi's Galore!.

If i need DAW duties to Clean things up, Export Stems wit Ease, into a Choice of DAW's

Only thing i use Controller Mode for, is to Back Up my Internal HDD/SD Card, Load Expansions, etc

With that being said...The Live 2 is just an Extension of the MK1. As a Collector, it'll be a Nice Upgrade, After it Matures a lil bit lol

Re: Mpc live 2 > mpc live

By rvense Sat Jun 13, 2020 7:42 pm
MPC-Tutor wrote:Using VST plugins into any type of linux environment (let alone a customised one used for the MPC) is not an easy undertaking, they have to be completely re-coded to work with the different type of processor and OS. It is unlikely that any 3rd party VST company is going to go to the effort of making a linux version of their plugins for such a tiny, niche user base. The effort required to implement the existing internal plugins is some feat in itself. This is a technical and cost-impacted restriction.


I don't think it's about technical difficulties in this sense. VST plug-ins do depend on the OS and processor architecture, but it's fairly straight-forward as far as ports go. No more difficult than going Windows to Mac (easier, in fact, since the toolchain to create Linux versions can run on other platforms). There are Linux VSTs, and every VST for other platforms that gets the source code released is ported to Linux very quickly.

I think it's as much a matter of things like how to get the things on to the device (do Akai have to make and run an "app store"?) and restriction management schemes which'd be a big issue if you add paid third party plug-ins. And of course for straight-up ports there's the question of expectations versus reality when it comes to resource usage, and getting developers to tailor their UIs to work on a 7" screen with four knobs at a time as the primary interface. That's all a lot harder than getting the code to run.

Of course Waves and NI aren't going to bother with at this scale, that's true. TBH myself, I don't care much to just have ports of this or that soft synth or reverb plugin with a UI that doesn't fit on the screen and eats half the voice count. But opening it up would allow people with a love for the platform to make small things. I think it's really cool to see Korg have some success with these custom effects and oscillators for their Mini/prologue series. Someone just wrote a custom thing that turns a Minilogue XD into a fully-fledged groovebox that they're selling for sixty bucks. Think about that how amazing that is for everyone involved - Korg make and you buy something that's a four-voice keyboard, a few months down the line someone else makes an upgrade that turns it into a drum machine. They're probably not going to be buying mansions anytime soon at 60 yanqui pesos per unit, it's most likely a side project for someone who had an XD and a point to prove. But in the same way I think there's enough Lives and Ones out there that you'd have your granular wavetable synth by the end of the next week if Akai would open it up and let a thousand flowers bloom...

Re: Mpc live 2 > mpc live

By emdog Wed Jun 24, 2020 11:25 pm
I feel like if you want a bunch of VSTs just use an iPad or a computer. I mean the MPC used to be the sample beast, now everyone wants 500 billions virtual synths to run on it. I personally wouldn't want that because of the cost associated with it. My brand new MBP starts hiccuping after a few instances of Massive.. imagine how expensive an MPC that could run tons of GOOD VSTs would have to be...and then how quickly it would be considered out dated. Seems like the only way it would make sense would be to have a computer brain that could be updated and swapped out/updated....but at that point it's just a controller with a computer built in...which is basically what the mPC is now a days anyways lol. thats why the speaker on the live 2 is so great, blows the MPB speakers out the water.
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Re: Mpc live 2 > mpc live

By NearTao Thu Jun 25, 2020 12:34 am
I'm happy with my MPC being focussed on being a great sampler personally. Not going to say no to a few plugins dropping for standalone, but it's not what really gets my motor going. I'd like to see more sample modulation, matrix style programming, and maybe some granular synthesis brought in to the environment... but honestly I'm pretty happy (barring bug cleanup) where 2.8 is at the moment.

Re: Mpc live 2 > mpc live

By Tabletop Thu Jun 25, 2020 2:28 am
emdog wrote:I feel like if you want a bunch of VSTs just use an iPad or a computer. I mean the MPC used to be the sample beast, now everyone wants 500 billions virtual synths to run on it. I personally wouldn't want that because of the cost associated with it. My brand new MBP starts hiccuping after a few instances of Massive.. imagine how expensive an MPC that could run tons of GOOD VSTs would have to be...and then how quickly it would be considered out dated. Seems like the only way it would make sense would be to have a computer brain that could be updated and swapped out/updated....but at that point it's just a controller with a computer built in...which is basically what the mPC is now a days anyways lol. thats why the speaker on the live 2 is so great, blows the MPB speakers out the water.


I kind of agree with the iPad/computer comment, but, if youre 'just gonna get a computer' for vst's you might as well just use the computer to make the rest of the music too.
Whats the point of akai putting 3 "mehhh" synths in the mpc to begin with when it has autosample & the possibility of disc streaming in the future? And there are more synths coming soon?
They are trying to compete with DAWs & other sampler/grooveboxes that are all evolving rapidly. MPC fans want it to compete with the best boxes out there, & to do so, for better or worse, theyve got to get some synth sounds on there. Why? Because all the 'groovebox' things have synth sounds. Maybe they should have spent the time to come out with a synth module of some sort... Anything but a speaker!! :Sigh:
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+100

By Lampdog Thu Jun 25, 2020 6:44 am
NearTao wrote:I'm happy with my MPC being focussed on being a great sampler personally. Not going to say no to a few plugins dropping for standalone, but it's not what really gets my motor going. I'd like to see more sample modulation, matrix style programming, and maybe some granular synthesis brought in to the environment... but honestly I'm pretty happy (barring bug cleanup) where 2.8 is at the moment.

Re: Mpc live 2 > mpc live

By 40Beatz Thu Jun 25, 2020 12:37 pm
I personally Run two computers along side my MPC's....One XP for my 32 Bit VSTi's,....Windows 10 for my 64 Bit VSTi's....thru a KVM Switch. Its like having Two Closets Filled with Rackmount Sound Modules!
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Re: Mpc live 2 > mpc live

By justineastwick Thu Jun 25, 2020 4:53 pm
MPC-Tutor wrote:I wonder how long before someone hacks the Live Mk I with some kind of case with incorporated sound bar, CV/Gate adapter and ethernet port. Or maybe an MPC One case with built in battery and speaker.

I’d like to see them hack the firmware first. LOL. Wishful thinking.

Re: Mpc live 2 > mpc live

By emdog Thu Jun 25, 2020 5:43 pm
Tabletop wrote:
emdog wrote:I feel like if you want a bunch of VSTs just use an iPad or a computer. I mean the MPC used to be the sample beast, now everyone wants 500 billions virtual synths to run on it. I personally wouldn't want that because of the cost associated with it. My brand new MBP starts hiccuping after a few instances of Massive.. imagine how expensive an MPC that could run tons of GOOD VSTs would have to be...and then how quickly it would be considered out dated. Seems like the only way it would make sense would be to have a computer brain that could be updated and swapped out/updated....but at that point it's just a controller with a computer built in...which is basically what the mPC is now a days anyways lol. thats why the speaker on the live 2 is so great, blows the MPB speakers out the water.


I kind of agree with the iPad/computer comment, but, if youre 'just gonna get a computer' for vst's you might as well just use the computer to make the rest of the music too.
Whats the point of akai putting 3 "mehhh" synths in the mpc to begin with when it has autosample & the possibility of disc streaming in the future? And there are more synths coming soon?
They are trying to compete with DAWs & other sampler/grooveboxes that are all evolving rapidly. MPC fans want it to compete with the best boxes out there, & to do so, for better or worse, theyve got to get some synth sounds on there. Why? Because all the 'groovebox' things have synth sounds. Maybe they should have spent the time to come out with a synth module of some sort... Anything but a speaker!! :Sigh:



Not really, personally I use the MPCs as sketch pads. That's why the speaker, for me, is so great. I don't have to plug anything in, don't have to start my computer and wait for a controller to maybe show up maybe not, dont have to go through and switch the midi inputs so everything works, I don't have to have dongles hanging off my computer. I guess it depends how you use things. I also don't really use VSTs to print though. I mostly use hardware when actually recording. I use VSTs for convenience and again to sketch ideas. In my opinion the MPC should be a sampler groove box/drum machine...add some synths for convenience...and then add extensive MIDI implementation so you can control hardware in all ways possible (after all that was the original purpose of the machine and MIDI implementation doesnt require much power under the hood). Then as RAM, processors, ect become cheaper they add more and more soft synths. In my opinion AKAI has been kind of doing that, but they are falling short in the MIDI area.

Re: Mpc live 2 > mpc live

By emdog Thu Jun 25, 2020 5:45 pm
40Beatz wrote:I personally Run two computers along side my MPC's....One XP for my 32 Bit VSTi's,....Windows 10 for my 64 Bit VSTi's....thru a KVM Switch. Its like having Two Closets Filled with Rackmount Sound Modules!


Yea see, if MPC had more extensive midi implementation then you could do even more with all those VSTs. modulation and all that bullshit.
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Re: Mpc live 2 > mpc live

By NearTao Thu Jun 25, 2020 7:03 pm
emdog wrote:Yea see, if MPC had more extensive midi implementation then you could do even more with all those VSTs. modulation and all that bullshit.


Just curious if you have examples for which midi implementations you'd like to see for controlling VSTs.
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