When would we expect the next MPC and which new features ?

Ultros wrote:Naw man what did you really get for your $2600? a couple more ins and outs and some BUTTONS? "ooo look at my shiney BUTTONS!" lol. what makes me lol is the sense of pride people have that their more costly units are somehow more capable.

The X also has a pair of mic preamps though. If you compare it to the original Live it made total sense as an 'upgrade' but now all of them have the CV I/O, so aside from the extra buttons (which can make things much easier to be honest), you get two more MIDI outputs and two more audio outputs, and 12 more q-links. Audio and MIDI is moot since you can connect USB interfaces now, so q-links and more buttons (and way more desk space) for $1600?

Workflow wise I think the X is worth every penny.

I really would like to see how you work with it because I thought its already exceptional with live and one.

I love these threads. Some people's workflow is the only way. If you want things added to the MPC, you must doing nothing with yours but looking at it, and you should just get a laptop.

Me?
General workflow improvements
Live II size, no speaker, with more buttons, knobs & a fader or 2
Improve screen sensitivity & functionality
8 layers per pad
Pad zones that can be assigned to layers
Independent velocity & cycle assignments
4 5-pin MIDI outs
Expandable RAM
Internal program changes
User patterns in standalone
Modern, DAW-like editing (copy, paste, duplicate...)
Ability to solo multiple tracks
More MIDI note selection options (top note, bottom note, offbeats, by velocity range, etc.)
Arranger
Ability to reorder programs/tracks

Regarding the software-
Multi-out support for VIs
Plugin delay compensation

I am quite happy with my current X and my ... let's call them ... gripes are solvable in software I think.

- real 32/32 I/o support without clicks and pops - probably solvable with adjustable samples cache (*)
- graphic EQ like the Pro-Q or similar (*)
- arrangement view
- workflow improvements so I can do everything without ever using the touchscreen
- re-arrangement/sorting of Tracks (propagates across all sequences of course)
- better grouping of tracks (similar to Ableton's grouping in the arrangement view) ... also giving my groups a name
- input delay compensation
- if we get disk streaming, then more audio tracks(*)
- UI color themes (this red and black-ish combo is awful)
- Easier Backup via usb attachable disk (something similar to TimeMachine) (*)

(*) the only reason I have to switch to controller mode at some point which will also makes the projects unavailable in standalone forever (for most things)

If there will be new MPCs, then probably the following:
- replaceable/more RAM (like at least 8GB or maybe configurable options?) - But I have yet to run out of RAM in the X. This would probably make sense if there is ever external VST support which I don't really need.
- ribbon controller
- better touch screen
- MPC Live: Remove the speakers
- MPC One: Definitely a Battery
- Live and One: An integrated Microphone for sampling whatever on the go.

A tiltable screen is all that comes to mind really.

I know that MPC, no matter which version is already a gerat product !!! but basically I wanted your opinion if it is a good idea to purchase now or if it is better to wait for the next update.

Even if MPC is delivering a great experience it would be still disappointing to buy and getting an updated version after a view weeks.

I am currently using MPC Studio mk2, I am not dependent on standalone but current integration of the controller and software is unsatisfactory for me. I would like to get one step further but don't know if now is a good time.

Doesn't even need to be a new unit because I don't think I'll buy a new one for the comming 7 years if my X survives this long. But they should add bluetooth speaker support.

Marc Teichmann wrote:I know that MPC, no matter which version is already a gerat product !!! but basically I wanted your opinion if it is a good idea to purchase now or if it is better to wait for the next update.

Even if MPC is delivering a great experience it would be still disappointing to buy and getting an updated version after a view weeks.

I am currently using MPC Studio mk2, I am not dependent on standalone but current integration of the controller and software is unsatisfactory for me. I would like to get one step further but don't know if now is a good time.

I have an Mpc Live mk1 since 4 years and I am perfectly fine with it, I don't think that some new upgrade will change Mpc so drastically anyway.
You can maybe get a used Live mk1, prices of mk1 dropped after the release of mk2, you can find it for a good price and start going standalone.
So anything happens, you can sell it back without losing much money.
And anyway I am sure Akai will keep updating it even if new hardware comes out, so all good.

I see its more about feelings and not about features which I really like.

But what about the current bugs mentioned in this thread ? I never heard about it but of course it would be painful to buy something with already known and never fixed bugs.

I own a product from NI with known bugs and they don't have any intentions to fix it since years. I would not like to get the same experience with a product form Akai.

Marc Teichmann wrote:But what about the current bugs mentioned in this thread ? I never heard about it but of course it would be painful to buy something with already known and never fixed bugs.
.

You can read about all the bugs in the '2.10 bugs' topic which is sticked at the top of this sub forum.

Marc Teichmann wrote:I see its more about feelings and not about features which I really like.

But what about the current bugs mentioned in this thread ? I never heard about it but of course it would be painful to buy something with already known and never fixed bugs.

I own a product from NI with known bugs and they don't have any intentions to fix it since years. I would not like to get the same experience with a product form Akai.

Yeah there are some minor bugs, but nothing that compromises the workflow.
My biggest complain is that track mute used to work in a way and it's changed when Akai put multimidi, probably because they changed all midi protocol and that affected track mute, I guess.
Before that update, the track kept playing but silenced when muted so you could unmute it anywhere on the timeline and it started playing immediately.
Now that changed and the track, when unmuted, starts playing only when a note is triggered. If you have a sample that's triggered only once at the beginning of the sequence, that means it starts playing only at the beginning of the sequence.
I don't even know if it's a bug or a change of behaviour, but I don't like it anyway.
There are some bugs with midi but I use midi only for midi clock so I don't really know about it.
What I can say is that anytime you update the Os, esoecially with major updates, some new bug pops up somewhere.
But at the moment, beside this track mute change, all is fine with my workflow.
And with any update, the Os gets optimized and all is faster and reliable.

I like my one a lot and don't think I'd upgrade unless:

- Much thinner, half the thickness
- Internal Battery
- Wifi and Bluetooth
- Faster CPU and more RAM



The rest of my requests are few and all software related

I feel My X was well worth it. It beefy lots of knobs, lots of button. The 10 inch tiltable screen makes 10 -12 hour sessions a breeze. The 1/8 and 1/4 headphone jacks plus the front instrument inputs have been lifesavers. The X just feels different. Being able to reach up and hit a button in a split sec, having the num pad to dial in things immediately. The VU meter.... All this excess of little things make the X a huge step up from all the other devices in term of workflow and I think people are understating how great having all the extras and all at your fingertips is.

Yeah the buttons and Q-Links alone would do it for me. I started with the MPC Studio and was able to fly around the MPC software without even looking at the computer screen. I was perfectly fine with the old school MPC2000 size LCD on it. Moving to the Live was amazing, but it did slow me down a bit as there was more menu diving involved (and having to learn where everything was put in the standalone software). I keep forgetting its screen is 3" bigger too, I bet Grid Edit rocks hard on that thing haha.