HUBA wrote:This might be a boring take but I'd think the case seemingly being slightly bigger than the 1. gen X would suggest they added step sequencer buttons between the pads and the screen. Not sure how they'd be able to fit in a touch strip as well without removing any buttons of the original, which IMO they shouldn't. Same processor as the Live 3, same amount of RAM. That's it.
I'm more concerned about the Key 61, but if even a next gen MPC One would need to have larger pads for the quad function then I suppose the next Key 61 would also need to have a deeper chassis, meaning there would be space for a bigger screen too and so they might as well base a new Key 61 on the X instead and give us the full set of qlink knobs already.
This would off course make many users very happy. And worse: Perfectly content with owning one single MPC model. So maybe not. Then again it would also mean serious competition for Roland, Korg, Yamaha and Kurzweil so Akai might actually consider it if they're able to realize the potential of their own product but I somehow doubt that they are.
The Force uses its 64 pads as step sequencer button. I don't really use it but its amazing if that's your thing. I most play patterns in live.
The 64 pads also act macros. So, basically the 16 step/function buttons aren't really needed & is way to compensate for the of 64 or even 32 pads.
Unlike the 16 step/function buttons on L3, the Force & MPC drum pads are velocity & pressure sensitive which makes them way more powerful, like for example, you can use the Pad FX macros to assign mixer level & have the vol be affected by paf pressure so that you can adjust the vol with finger pressure turn the 64 pads into 64 faders.
The L3 has 16 top buttons are great for quickly selecting tracks, the Force has 8 & that enough in most cases, plus it lines up with what being showned on the 8x8 clip-matrix.
I see them making a Key 88 with bigger MPCe pads & more qlinks (hopefully with the little screens) before they remake a another 61. But, they can also make the MPC compatible with the APC64 or whatever & then they can keep most of the smaller MPCs the same as now but with the added new processing power of gen².