By TXDelta1010
Thu Apr 03, 2025 2:11 pm
I dont care what youtuber or mpc loyalist you go to, the truth of the matter is the newer MPC's imo SUCK! Not worst in a sense of we have modern features (SD slot, USB 3, wifi, etc.), and cheesy over priced plugins (that take for ever to load due to the hardware limitations), but the "WORKFLOW".
I wanna be clear, the NEW MPC Workflow IS TERRIBLE! Especially with the beta mp3.xx which just completely changes a workflow people have used for decades. People buy a mpc to chop and sequence a track, not scratching their head for several minutes trying to figure out how to do something that took seconds to do in on the older units.
The mpc touch, live, live 2, se, x, key xx, etc. just changed the workflow even on the 2.0. You know its bad when you have to watch youtube videos how to do simple things you could do easily on a mpc 1000 like make a keygroup to a sample, even the chopping process is mundane compared to older mpc's. When JJ made the OS for the mpc, I can count on my finger how many times I had to refer or lookup something. Now, I have to watch bolo, Jae, Marlow, or any sponsered youtube to see what I'm trying to do is possible or a bug/issue.
Like theres too much going on. I'm willing to bet a dollar to a donut you, the user, has had to spend some time looking up and confused by the features with the mpc 2.0-3.0 features. I feel like it should be a progressive learning experience, not something that just stalls your creativity. Imagine someone who never made music or used a MPC before. If that was me in 2025, I would just sell or return my unit back if it came with 3.0 and move on to another production platform.
When the motif came out, it could sample and yes many have used it as a sampler (Erick Sermon), but it sucked to sample and chop samples on the motif, and people understood the assignment (it was never propped to be a sampler, it was know for its fantastic sounds). I dont understand the mission of the newer mpc's anymore. Im not sure if akai is trying to cheap out to keep price down (I hear the key 61 keys are cheap and nosy), to get new users, but this isnt it. And I'm not just trying to bash AKAI, I love the mpcs so just giving my opinion.
I started on the older mpcs which was simple and had a better sound. Now I have to add a ton of effects just to hope I get a close sound in a live 2 (and it still sounds as crisp as a flat cookie). EA-SKI did not lie with the rant he did awhile back. I was watching Don Cannons youtube channel where a producer remade a track nearly 1:1 that was huge back in the early 2000's (done on 2k xl), but now he did it on the mpc x. I understand professionals mixed the track and all, but hearing it now, it just sounded so flat, no grit or hardness like the original. Just the sonics sound off.
I see alot of people saying why are new mpcs so cheap/losing value. Well most gear depreciates once its used and most of the older mpcs besides the 3000 have depreciated, but over the course of decades, not in a short period! I was browsing online and I've seen a mpc key 61 for $750, I recently picked up a touch for $40, and a mpc studio the black v2 for $50. This is last year by the way.
A market oversaturated with products that require a classroom lesson to learn how to use could be part of the problem. Or a company keeps changing the workflow just because.
I'm not saying dont change the interface, I'm just saying to make it inutitive. I could tap the screen and adjust my events like that. Now its "Tap Arranger", then then touch the arranger window. Very petty the way I am saying but its just another tedious task you have to do. And its these minute tedious task that add up and make things more complicated.
And not to mention the other issues: MSB keyboard issues, the sampling process is more complicated, the system crashes more often, And the plugins. Yes 2gb of ram I believe, but they take a while to load, importing midi is weird (sometimes it imports on the current seq), and when I'm previewing samples, or loading them, I had issues. It feels like we are going 10 steps forward and 12 backward.
I remember when I got a 2500. I knew 0 about making beats or anything. It was a mpc where you easily can grasp the basics, and then you can dwele into the rabbit hole.
I loaded 3.4.3 recently. I dont even understand why akai abolished programs (something people have spent days locked in their room organizing, sampling, etc.), and added this crap. I used to be able to press or shortcut so many things and now akai is making it where I have to spend more time to do the same thing.
Well the new mpcs have plugins. MPC's never have been about having a cheap sounding piano built in. And before anyone complains, Ive spent 100's of dollars into jura, flex beat, cloud supply, etc., and they dont sound that good. They are ok, to get a idea out, but akai is competing with aturia, native instruments, etc. which sound light years better even with their stock factory kits. I will give akai the benefit the doubt here since they are new in this field, but still the focus has shifted.
TL:DR:
At the end of the day, I paid for this live 2. I agreed by akai terms and the result of the product they made, but AKAI is making the mpc worst. I'm not saying go back to the mpc 2000 xl/1000/etc workflow (even though I think they should add a feature), I'm saying stop making these boards so complicated and blocking workflow. AKAI is not FL Studio or Ableton, I understand that is the goal to move forward like those companies have and increase profits, make innovative products that are better, but listen to your core audience first. I'm not a youtuber afraid to speak their mind or trying to convince a audience about an idea or not to review a unit firsthand, or a mpc fan boy yes man that thinks they are one of the best companies. I'm not even hear to convince you, I'm sure there are many people who disagree with I said.
This is just a person that uses the product (and has been using akai products even when they were a japanese company) and wanted to express their deep thoughts and horribly written post.
When akai is doing things we like, I really think we should take the time and appreciate and give our input to them, and when they have sailed off course like with the mpc 3.x.x update or interface/etc. we should tell them.
I'm done with my rant lol.....
I wanna be clear, the NEW MPC Workflow IS TERRIBLE! Especially with the beta mp3.xx which just completely changes a workflow people have used for decades. People buy a mpc to chop and sequence a track, not scratching their head for several minutes trying to figure out how to do something that took seconds to do in on the older units.
The mpc touch, live, live 2, se, x, key xx, etc. just changed the workflow even on the 2.0. You know its bad when you have to watch youtube videos how to do simple things you could do easily on a mpc 1000 like make a keygroup to a sample, even the chopping process is mundane compared to older mpc's. When JJ made the OS for the mpc, I can count on my finger how many times I had to refer or lookup something. Now, I have to watch bolo, Jae, Marlow, or any sponsered youtube to see what I'm trying to do is possible or a bug/issue.
Like theres too much going on. I'm willing to bet a dollar to a donut you, the user, has had to spend some time looking up and confused by the features with the mpc 2.0-3.0 features. I feel like it should be a progressive learning experience, not something that just stalls your creativity. Imagine someone who never made music or used a MPC before. If that was me in 2025, I would just sell or return my unit back if it came with 3.0 and move on to another production platform.
When the motif came out, it could sample and yes many have used it as a sampler (Erick Sermon), but it sucked to sample and chop samples on the motif, and people understood the assignment (it was never propped to be a sampler, it was know for its fantastic sounds). I dont understand the mission of the newer mpc's anymore. Im not sure if akai is trying to cheap out to keep price down (I hear the key 61 keys are cheap and nosy), to get new users, but this isnt it. And I'm not just trying to bash AKAI, I love the mpcs so just giving my opinion.
I started on the older mpcs which was simple and had a better sound. Now I have to add a ton of effects just to hope I get a close sound in a live 2 (and it still sounds as crisp as a flat cookie). EA-SKI did not lie with the rant he did awhile back. I was watching Don Cannons youtube channel where a producer remade a track nearly 1:1 that was huge back in the early 2000's (done on 2k xl), but now he did it on the mpc x. I understand professionals mixed the track and all, but hearing it now, it just sounded so flat, no grit or hardness like the original. Just the sonics sound off.
I see alot of people saying why are new mpcs so cheap/losing value. Well most gear depreciates once its used and most of the older mpcs besides the 3000 have depreciated, but over the course of decades, not in a short period! I was browsing online and I've seen a mpc key 61 for $750, I recently picked up a touch for $40, and a mpc studio the black v2 for $50. This is last year by the way.
A market oversaturated with products that require a classroom lesson to learn how to use could be part of the problem. Or a company keeps changing the workflow just because.
I'm not saying dont change the interface, I'm just saying to make it inutitive. I could tap the screen and adjust my events like that. Now its "Tap Arranger", then then touch the arranger window. Very petty the way I am saying but its just another tedious task you have to do. And its these minute tedious task that add up and make things more complicated.
And not to mention the other issues: MSB keyboard issues, the sampling process is more complicated, the system crashes more often, And the plugins. Yes 2gb of ram I believe, but they take a while to load, importing midi is weird (sometimes it imports on the current seq), and when I'm previewing samples, or loading them, I had issues. It feels like we are going 10 steps forward and 12 backward.
I remember when I got a 2500. I knew 0 about making beats or anything. It was a mpc where you easily can grasp the basics, and then you can dwele into the rabbit hole.
I loaded 3.4.3 recently. I dont even understand why akai abolished programs (something people have spent days locked in their room organizing, sampling, etc.), and added this crap. I used to be able to press or shortcut so many things and now akai is making it where I have to spend more time to do the same thing.
Well the new mpcs have plugins. MPC's never have been about having a cheap sounding piano built in. And before anyone complains, Ive spent 100's of dollars into jura, flex beat, cloud supply, etc., and they dont sound that good. They are ok, to get a idea out, but akai is competing with aturia, native instruments, etc. which sound light years better even with their stock factory kits. I will give akai the benefit the doubt here since they are new in this field, but still the focus has shifted.
TL:DR:
At the end of the day, I paid for this live 2. I agreed by akai terms and the result of the product they made, but AKAI is making the mpc worst. I'm not saying go back to the mpc 2000 xl/1000/etc workflow (even though I think they should add a feature), I'm saying stop making these boards so complicated and blocking workflow. AKAI is not FL Studio or Ableton, I understand that is the goal to move forward like those companies have and increase profits, make innovative products that are better, but listen to your core audience first. I'm not a youtuber afraid to speak their mind or trying to convince a audience about an idea or not to review a unit firsthand, or a mpc fan boy yes man that thinks they are one of the best companies. I'm not even hear to convince you, I'm sure there are many people who disagree with I said.
This is just a person that uses the product (and has been using akai products even when they were a japanese company) and wanted to express their deep thoughts and horribly written post.
When akai is doing things we like, I really think we should take the time and appreciate and give our input to them, and when they have sailed off course like with the mpc 3.x.x update or interface/etc. we should tell them.
I'm done with my rant lol.....
