MPC 3 -- Let's GO!!

Right, I realized after posting that this argument is not supporting what I was trying to say.

I need the event track mutes all the time. Sometimes just to see how things go together which I didnt add in that order. Sometimes one or more tracks in a sequence I started with arent even used in the end. So I might start with drums, add synth, add piano, and only have the piano in the final and so on.
And I dont want to mute the audio instantly either, I just want to stop the MIDI.

What worries me a bit that I dont see so many complaints about the new way in other places on the net. I hope AKAI takes this serious and fixes it.

I m also still a bit confused whether the "arranger" is just another view on the sequence or not.
I could possibly live with fixed order of programs throughout all sequences but if I cant mute tracks notes per sequence I will not update.

Monotremata wrote:

moonlake wrote:There is a reason that mixing consoles and a lot of other things have per track mute (and solo) buttons.

Which is exactly how the MPC works now. It mutes the audio in the mixer, not the MIDI events. That's the big issue with it. You mute now, its ALL muted instead of just the MIDI data on the one sequence.

This worked great for assembling stuff in song mode with the copy/paste/mute method quite a lot of folks use. Now if the track is muted, its muted, period, it doesn't play when the next sequence starts.

I agree fam. They screwed us over with that. I commented on the YouTube channel to give us the option to have it function per sequence in the Preferences. Makes so much sense and shouldn't be hard to implement. I want them to give us programs back like they've been for the past 36 years lol. Again, give it back to us in the Preferences. It'll probably have to restart the MPC which is fine. This will make everyone happy.

Edit: In comments for the Overview video I said,

"Longtime MPC users are unhappy about what happened to track mutes and programs. The rug has been wiped from under our feet despite the many great new features. This has damaged the classic workflow.

A simple and elegant solution to complement the new design and features for all users, old and new, would be to address it in the preferences section. Give us the option to have track mutes behave per sequence and programs function separately from tracks like they do in 2.15 and every MPC for the past 36 years. If the MPC has to restart, add a pop-up window that says "Are You Sure?" and give users the option to save the project before restarting. This way we can keep the exciting new design that offers a DAW experience without killing the classic legacy workflow that got us here in the first place."

Pytajnik wrote:

emdog wrote:Has anyone been able to test the audio interface selection in MPC3? Can you choose input/output separately? Can you choose the audio rate?

Anyone ?

These changes are so fundamental and enormous that they certainly would have been mentioned in the Akai video, not to mention by the various "influencers". So it is safe to assume the answer is No.

I am kinda excited. if it works on my old ass mpc one (non mpc-gbqt+) model i will be fkn stoked. Kinda sounds like they met a lot of my own personal desires and critisizms of their 2.0 version. I eventually found myself tiring of the device though and kinda just burning out musically. I hope a major update will rekindle the flame.

moonlake wrote:I m also still a bit confused whether the "arranger" is just another view on the sequence or not.

Yes it's exactly that, a way of viewing and managing the sequence, with a different approach to MAIN.

Both screens allow you to manage core sequence parameters (e.g. tempo, bars, etc) and to perform all the standard sequence editing functions via the 'sequence edit' dialogue (insert bars, delete bars etc)

In the arranger you can immediately see all the tracks in your sequence, in MAIN you can only ever view one track at a time.

Both screens allow you to select a specific track for further editing, either using the core track edit dialog (e.g. delete track, clear track, pitch quantise etc), or by giving you access to other existing editing screens (grid/audio edit and list edit). You can also change core track settings (midi routing, name, position...)

The arranger also offers a split screen editing option which puts grid/audio edit in the bottom half of the screen, which includes automation lanes. Or you can use the normal full screen versions (grid edit, audio edit, list edit)

Main shows a visual grid view of the current track but you cannot directly manipulate the events on screen, but you can click through straight to grid view to do that. Main offers more granular track related parameters (e.g. track length, velocity_

Both screens allow you to record/overdub to a track in real time.

Main also has access to other aspects of common workflow, such as channel strips, FX, sample assign and basic pad editing and links directly to track edit (the old program edit). So main is more of a central hub for many common tasks, while Arrange is entirely about sequence/tracks, so pick the mode that suits the current focus of your workflow.

In the arranger view, MIDI should have been placed as clips, just like audio tracks. In the MPC3, notes are placed directly on the MIDI tracks, making it less intuitive to arrange. If MIDI sequences were in clip format, muting would have been easier (like pressing the 0 key in Ableton).

Elijah wrote:In the arranger view, MIDI should have been placed as clips, just like audio tracks. In the MPC3, notes are placed directly on the MIDI tracks, making it less intuitive to arrange. If MIDI sequences were in clip format, muting would have been easier (like pressing the 0 key in Ableton).

They'll give the MPC more Force features little by little, but they want you guy to beg first then give it out later & be seen as the hero. You guys need to keep asking for it or just get their device that already has those features.

mrmarbury wrote:

marctronixx wrote:https://www.akaipro.com/mpc3

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LGoMH3guZk

Just signed up. the video looks really promising!

one minute too late for me ... can't wait to try it out. One question remains though: did they fix the midi channel bug?

I have the MPC One Plus and when I try to use Reason 12 as a sound module it sends the same midi data from one channel to the next midi channel I’m trying to record on. So say I recorded data on the MPC one midi ch 1 the kong drum design is on midi ch 1 in reason then I create a malstrom on ch 2 then in the MPC create midi ch 2 on track 2 then when I begin recording on midi channel 2 midi data from ch 1 is playing the malstrom sounds on midi channel 2. I have a MV 8000 and that does not happen I thought it was a bug in Reason but it did the same with my force and MPC Live 2 retro which I have sold them both. Thinking about sending the one back to American music supply.

JML wrote:
I have the MPC One Plus and when I try to use Reason 12 as a sound module it sends the same midi data from one channel to the next midi channel I’m trying to record on. So say I recorded data on the MPC one midi ch 1 the kong drum design is on midi ch 1 in reason then I create a malstrom on ch 2 then in the MPC create midi ch 2 on track 2 then when I begin recording on midi channel 2 midi data from ch 1 is playing the malstrom sounds on midi channel 2. I have a MV 8000 and that does not happen I thought it was a bug in Reason but it did the same with my force and MPC Live 2 retro which I have sold them both. Thinking about sending the one back to American music supply.

Is Reason echoing the channel 1 track back to the MPC? Either way one of the devices is rechannelising and echoing to the other. You are dealing with two sequencers, both could be expecting to monitor and echo the source midi to the current enabled channel.

Yeah I'm just not gonna do the update. Love the way my MPC works right now and I really don't need any of the new features, let alone the change in workflow.

2.10 works fine for me.

Would anyone know if there will be more shortcuts available in MPC3?

I switched from One to X because I was looking for a way to not use the touchscreen too much, but like the size and ergonomics of the One.. quite curious if they added any shortcuts.

I just did cut a support ticket to Akai regarding the upcoming changes with MPC OS 3.
I don't know if this is interesting for everyone but I tried to deliver the major pain points I have with this update

If someone feels the urge to do the same feel free to copy & paste and cut your own ticket.

Here is what I wrote:

"The introduction of the MPC 3 OS brings profound changes to the proven workflows of MPCs that have been appreciated by musicians and producers for decades. These changes particularly affect the "Track Mutes" and "Programs" functions.

Changes to Track mutes in MPC 3 OS
Traditionally, track mutes in the MPCs were local to each sequence, allowing certain tracks in a sequence to be muted while other sequences remained unchanged. This was particularly useful for establishing a song structure in the creation phase and for live performances where musicians could decide on the fly which elements of a sequence to play or mute. With the new MPC 3 OS, however, the track mutes are global for the entire project, which means that changing the mute settings in one sequence will affect all other sequences. This reduces flexibility and makes it more difficult to manipulate complex arrangements on the fly. This a significant disadvantage as it limits the creative control that was previously possible.

Changes to Programs in MPC 3 OS
Previously, programs could be used in an MPC to quickly and easily try out different sounds or instruments without having to switch between tracks. This was ideal for sound design and experimenting with different sounds while staying in a single track. In the coming MPC OS 3, however, this flexibility is limited as the system is now designed so that each track has a fixed program. Users now have to switch between different tracks to use different programs, which can slow down the workflow and limit creative flexibility. It hinders the ease of use and quick experimentation with sounds that MPCs are known for, which is especially important in the creation phase.

In summary, while these changes aim to evolve the MPC into a more modern and powerful system, they may also limit the traditional workflows that characterize MPCs.

Why the workarounds offered are not really a replacement for the removed core features:

Workarounds for Track Mutes in MPC 3 OS
With the switch to global track mutes instead of local mutes, there are some workarounds that do not fully provide the original flexibility:
Automated mutes: some users might try to replace track mutes with automations to mute certain parts of a track. However, this requires much more upfront work and does not offer the spontaneous control that local mutes provide.
Use of submixes or multiple sequences: Another approach could be to create multiple sequences or submixes to achieve similar mute effects. However, this leads to a more complex setup and can make project management more difficult, especially for live performances.
Synchronization issues: Since mutes are now global, it can be difficult to perform specific mutes in one part of a song without having unintended effects on other parts of the project.

Workaround programs in MPC 3 OS
The limitation of using programs in MPC 3 OS means that users will need to use workarounds to achieve similar flexibility:

Switching between tracks for different programs: Instead of switching programs within a track, users now have to switch between different tracks. However, this can interrupt the workflow and make it difficult to quickly explore sounds.
Prior program assignments: Some users could pre-assign all the programs they need on different tracks and then switch between them. However, this requires extensive planning and takes away the spontaneous nature that was possible with previous MPC versions.
Limited creative freedom: These workarounds often result in limited creative freedom by making it difficult to quickly customize and experiment with different sounds.

Overall, while these workarounds are useful, they are not a complete replacement for the flexibility and spontaneity that previous versions of the MPC offered. Users will have to adapt and potentially compromise, which can be frustrating for some producers and musicians.

The fun thing about an MPC is that it specifically encourages a non-linear approach, you can create the chorus first, then the verse and then the intro. You can always try or change something by quickly changing the programs in the tracks and muting.

This is where the original features are crucial to get results faster and to be able to quickly try out several approaches in the creative process and change them later without much effort.

This is what makes the MPC workflow so spontaneous and flexible.

Please don't remove these features because they make the difference to a DAW, you could just as well use a DAW on a big screen if these features were removed.

MPC-Tutor wrote:

J.O.BEATS wrote:The arranger view isn’t that impressive enough to ditch the old workflow.

I just don't think the arranger is related to the new vs old workflow, it's just 'sequence view' and a feature they could have implemented in MPC2 as well. The unified tracks thing is what makes mpc3 different in terms of workflow as it's what ties together sequences.

The arranger is currently only associated with a single sequence, so unified tracks doesn't come into it. If they put the arranger in song mode then it would become multi-sequence and thus dependent on mpc3 unified tracks.

Calling it an 'arranger' is really a bit misleading. You can 'arrange' the order of your tracks, but only using the pop up 'track settings' dialogue which is the same one available in main and track view. IMO arrange view should offer visual drag and drop track re-arranging

And when it comes to 'arranging' events and audio, you cannot really do anything directly on the tracks in the arranger. You have to use a small frame at the bottom of the screen that displays grid or audio edit, or use the same 'Sequence Edit'' dialogue boxes as used in main mode.

i like your way of thinking 'out of the box'
take more walks, with your dog or with your partner (or both)

i don't like that all your programs aka tracks are all the same all over all sequences in 1 project
(if i understand correctly)
how many tracks aka programs are available per project ?
- i heard there was a limit of 128 previously but now upped to 10.000 but don't remember this applies to tracks/programs or sequences
they should limit this limitation to 1 sequence

what if you slice a sample to a program and let the slices make up a track?
(e.g. slice up the amen and create a new sequence who play those slices consecutively)

can you play (out) those slices/that sequence with other samples/aka sounds?
(e.g. play the sequence from above not with the amen beat but with an electronic kit - or orchestral sounds, i'm just suggesting)