MPC One External Storage

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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MPC One External Storage

By Rottenkiwi Sat Jul 11, 2020 6:24 am
Im thinking about getting the mpc one sometime soon (Im a complete beginner)!

I had a question about external storage.

Im thinking Im going to store all my samples and sound packs into an external hard drive via the usb port and use the SD card to save/transfer projects to my computer.

Im also wondering the minimum hard drive storage I should be getting to store all my samples and instruments.

Or....

Should I just get a larger SD card for all the samples and instruments. Then save my projects via USB

Re: MPC One External Storage

By biomaskin Sat Jul 11, 2020 11:43 am
If you're going to use it in Stand Alone mode; you should get a fast SD card. I have one from Kingston that does 100mb/s, size: 512GB. That way I free up the USB port for a MIDI keyboard. When using the MPC One in Controller Mode; you gain access to your PC or MAC connected with USB. Then you get to use the HDD on your computer, or any USB connected drives. The choices are many, but with SD cards being so reasonable now a days - I feel a 512GB SD card is a very good choice; for storing projects, samples, expansions, etc.
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Re: MPC One External Storage

By Lampdog Sat Jul 11, 2020 1:04 pm
viewtopic.php?f=48&t=198969

MPC One doesn’t do the external usb to computer connection like X and Live.
Dumb that Akai took that away in One.

We were talking about it earlier (thread link above).
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Re: MPC One External Storage

By EnochLight Sat Jul 11, 2020 5:00 pm
Rottenkiwi wrote:Im thinking about getting the mpc one sometime soon (Im a complete beginner)!

I had a question about external storage.

Im thinking Im going to store all my samples and sound packs into an external hard drive via the usb port and use the SD card to save/transfer projects to my computer.

Im also wondering the minimum hard drive storage I should be getting to store all my samples and instruments.

Or....

Should I just get a larger SD card for all the samples and instruments. Then save my projects via USB


That seems to be over complicating things, IMHO - and also introduces two points of possible failure instead of just one. IMHO, it would be better to get the largest/fastest SD Card you can afford, and use that alone for all of your storage - both projects, samples, and Expansions. Pro tip: make sure you are ejecting the SD Card from your MPC before removing (same with your computer).

The internal storage on the MPC One is very small, and is not meant for that (it'll fill up fast), and isn't accessible as attached storage on a computer anyway. And as mentioned already, you can't access the MPC One's attached devices as attached storage via your computer when in Controller Mode, so you'll need to have an SD Card reader at your disposal for your computer.

Going the attached USB drive is just too bulky, IMHO. That said, if you decide to go that route, make sure it's a quality SSD. While the old fashioned mechanical HDD's are cheaper, they're slow compared to even cheap SSD's, and are fragile. You'll also need to eject these before removing from your MPC (or computer), just like the SD Card, or you'll damage the file structure and lose data.

Re: MPC One External Storage

By Rottenkiwi Sat Jul 11, 2020 8:32 pm
EnochLight wrote:
Rottenkiwi wrote:Im thinking about getting the mpc one sometime soon (Im a complete beginner)!

I had a question about external storage.

Im thinking Im going to store all my samples and sound packs into an external hard drive via the usb port and use the SD card to save/transfer projects to my computer.

Im also wondering the minimum hard drive storage I should be getting to store all my samples and instruments.

Or....

Should I just get a larger SD card for all the samples and instruments. Then save my projects via USB


That seems to be over complicating things, IMHO - and also introduces two points of possible failure instead of just one. IMHO, it would be better to get the largest/fastest SD Card you can afford, and use that alone for all of your storage - both projects, samples, and Expansions. Pro tip: make sure you are ejecting the SD Card from your MPC before removing (same with your computer).

The internal storage on the MPC One is very small, and is not meant for that (it'll fill up fast), and isn't accessible as attached storage on a computer anyway. And as mentioned already, you can't access the MPC One's attached devices as attached storage via your computer when in Controller Mode, so you'll need to have an SD Card reader at your disposal for your computer.

Going the attached USB drive is just too bulky, IMHO. That said, if you decide to go that route, make sure it's a quality SSD. While the old fashioned mechanical HDD's are cheaper, they're slow compared to even cheap SSD's, and are fragile. You'll also need to eject these before removing from your MPC (or computer), just like the SD Card, or you'll damage the file structure and lose data.


That makes a lot of sense maybe I will just get the largest SD card that I can afford and start off with that. Also since I've never used an MPC, it'll probably better to no over complicate things when I'm just starting up.

Thanks for the advice!

Re: MPC One External Storage

By CharlesRandolph Sat Jul 11, 2020 10:05 pm
Rottenkiwi wrote:
That makes a lot of sense maybe I will just get the largest SD card that I can afford and start off with that. Also since I've never used an MPC, it'll probably better to no over complicate things when I'm just starting up.

Thanks for the advice!



I use the rear usb key for saving projects and the front SD card for sounds/instruments. I keep my card under 128 GB because your going to need to back it up. Also never save everything on the same card, because cards can get corrupted when transfering from one machine to another. You don't want to lose everything
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Re: MPC One External Storage

By EnochLight Sun Jul 12, 2020 6:23 pm
Rottenkiwi wrote:That makes a lot of sense maybe I will just get the largest SD card that I can afford and start off with that. Also since I've never used an MPC, it'll probably better to no over complicate things when I'm just starting up.

Thanks for the advice!


No problem! Yeah, going with a single solution is really the best option, IMHO. Absolutely no need to spread content out between two storage mediums. But definitely back your SD Card up occasionally, so you minimize the risk of losing your data. :wink:
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Re: MPC One External Storage

By Lampdog Sun Jul 12, 2020 7:04 pm
EnochLight wrote:....But definitely back your SD Card up occasionally, so you minimize the risk of losing your data. :wink:

Re: MPC One External Storage

By CharlesRandolph Sun Jul 12, 2020 8:56 pm
EnochLight wrote:No problem! Yeah, going with a single solution is really the best option, IMHO. Absolutely no need to spread content out between two storage mediums. But definitely back your SD Card up occasionally, so you minimize the risk of losing your data. :wink:


So on your desktop you run your Software/App and Audio off the same disk?
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Re: MPC One External Storage

By EnochLight Sun Jul 12, 2020 11:56 pm
CharlesRandolph wrote:
So on your desktop you run your Software/App and Audio off the same disk?


This has nothing to do with the MPC One, which loads all content to RAM regardless of what you’re running or what you’re running it from. But you know this already.

But to answer your question, sure - modern SSD’s easily handle your OS, any software you run, and record/play/stream audio all from the same disc.

Re: MPC One External Storage

By CharlesRandolph Mon Jul 13, 2020 3:14 am
EnochLight wrote:So on your desktop you run your Software/App and Audio off the same disk?
This has nothing to do with the MPC One, which loads all content to RAM regardless of what you’re running
or what you’re running it from. But you know this already.



I use a MPC ONE and I keep them separate. All sounds on one disk and All projects on another. It's not wise to put everything on the same disk. There are only two kind of storage mediums, one that failed and one that hasn't failed yet.

EnochLight wrote:But to answer your question, sure - modern SSD’s easily handle your OS, any software you run, and record/play/stream audio all from the same disc.


Yeah, don't do that. :lol: Load OS, Software, Plug In, Drivers on one disk. Then make a mirror image of that drive. That way when you swap out drives, it crashes, etc.. You don't have to download and figure out everything that was on that drive. If I have a drive that crashes, I swap out a new one, run the image and I'm back an running in 10 mins. Can't afford the down time.

Always keep data and OS content separated with 3 back ups: 2 on site and one off.

Re: MPC One External Storage

By CharlesRandolph Mon Jul 13, 2020 3:35 am
Rottenkiwi wrote:
That makes a lot of sense maybe I will just get the largest SD card that I can afford and start off with that. Also since I've never used an MPC, it'll probably better to no over complicate things when I'm just starting up.

Thanks for the advice!


Another reason to keep your sound separate from projects. Is that you should get in the habit of saving the MPC projects, render wav stems of that project, and render a 2 track wav/mp3 file of that project. Many people think that saving, is just having the MPC PROJECT. When it should consist of what I mentioned.

Practice good saving habits and good data management. It will help when you have thousands of projects to go through. Especially, when they're many years old.
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Re: MPC One External Storage

By EnochLight Mon Jul 13, 2020 3:09 pm
CharlesRandolph wrote:I use a MPC ONE and I keep them separate. All sounds on one disk and All projects on another. It's not wise to put everything on the same disk. There are only two kind of storage mediums, one that failed and one that hasn't failed yet.


If that works for you, that's lovely. But you now have two storage mediums that you should be backing up and keeping duplicates for instead of one. If one fails, and you're not backing it up, you've lost either your sounds or your projects. Not a good position to be in.

CharlesRandolph wrote:Yeah, don't do that. :lol: Load OS, Software, Plug In, Drivers on one disk. Then make a mirror image of that drive. That way when you swap out drives, it crashes, etc.. You don't have to download and figure out everything that was on that drive. If I have a drive that crashes, I swap out a new one, run the image and I'm back an running in 10 mins. Can't afford the down time.


:roll: Yeah, don't do that. :nod: :lol: If my drive fails, I slap my clone in that is backed up daily. No need to download anything. Takes 5 minutes. Unless my studio burns down or there is a theft, in which case there are bigger things to worry about, but my cloud backup is always available, as is my clone drive - which is kept in a fireproof safe. :popcorn:

CharlesRandolph wrote:Always keep data and OS content separated with 3 back ups: 2 on site and one off.


Uh, no. Don't do that. You can easily keep your OS content, programs, and data on the same disc while keeping backups available. Like I said, if it works for you - that's lovely - but it's a lot simpler if you just keep it all on one drive and clone/backup your data. If the drive fails, slap the new one in - done. But you do you - I know you like it Charlie's way, even though simpler options are pointed out. :nod: :lol:

Re: MPC One External Storage

By CharlesRandolph Mon Jul 13, 2020 4:46 pm
EnochLight wrote:If that works for you, that's lovely. But you now have two storage mediums that you should be backing up and keeping duplicates for instead of one. If one fails, and you're not backing it up, you've lost either your sounds or your projects. Not a good position to be in.


The sounds on the MPC drive are already backed up. Project Folder: MPC project, Audio Stems, Audio 2 Tracks. All are backed up: Two Onsite, Clone, Offsite

EnochLight wrote: :roll: Yeah, don't do that. :nod: :lol: If my drive fails, I slap my clone in that is backed up daily. No need to download anything. Takes 5 minutes. Unless my studio burns down or there is a theft, in which case there are bigger things to worry about, but my cloud backup is always available, as is my clone drive - which is kept in a fireproof safe. :popcorn:


I don't clone drives, because every couple of month you have to fire them up. I take incremental backup snapshot, of the system. (Not DATA) If I do install something new on my main rig. (Which is hardly ever)

Also I use two systems of storage: Backup which is data that I actively use and Archiving which is for long term.


EnochLight wrote:Uh, no. Don't do that. You can easily keep your OS content, programs, and data on the same disc while keeping backups available. Like I said, if it works for you - that's lovely - but it's a lot simpler if you just keep it all on one drive and clone/backup your data. If the drive fails, slap the new one in - done. But you do you - I know you like it Charlie's way, even though simpler options are pointed out. :nod: :lol:


I work with large amounts of uncompressed video, audio, and DNG and Raw Images. So the way I backup and archive data differs from you. Nevertheless, if it's good enough for that process, it's good enough for the MPC one.
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