Akai mpc live 3 early thought

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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Re: Akai mpc live 3 early thought

By SuperKonquer Wed Feb 11, 2026 12:10 pm
I get why some can't justify the cost but to say it's just a slightly better MPC is a vast misstatement. People who can't see the utility in x y pads are not seeking to use them to their full potential. They allow you play your instruments expressively or add effects while you are simultaneously sounding notes or chords. You can even use it for creative mutes and fading. You could use it as a pad or track mixer if you like. You could do the 4 sample thing or you can do the 4 sample thing with articulation and all of the other expressive inputs I mentioned.

The main limit to what the XY pads can do mostly imagination. The 16 step/qlink pads give you an entire 64 pad control surface on the face of your MPC. And the cpu and memory gives you power to do all of these crazy things without running into a decapitating ceiling. Then the best part of the new MPCs imo is the ability to actually be able to use quality keygroups in a full production. The new MPC's give you more than enough headroom that you will hardly ever worry about running out of memory or cpu to do anything. The latest generation and the older generations are not the same device.

Re: Akai mpc live 3 early thought

By BackOnDaMPC Thu Feb 12, 2026 2:05 pm
Lampdog wrote:
theabstract wrote:…but if you already bought those, it's a duplicate…

I have many duplicates and even triplicates…
I have this issue on my Live III with Sub Factory. On the Instruments page (with the thumbnail of each plugin), there are 2 thumbnails for Sub Factory. If I click on the 1st one, the plugin opens as it should. If I click on the 2nd thumbnail, nothing happens. Is there any way to remove the 2nd thumbnail :hmmm:

I've tried to remove it by holding down on the thumbnail (as if it were a preset on the "Favorites" list), so a hidden menu pops up, but that doesn't work.

Re: Akai mpc live 3 early thought

By Certified Beatz Thu Feb 12, 2026 3:34 pm
…but if you already I have this issue on my Live III with Sub Factory. On the Instruments page (with the thumbnail of each plugin), there are 2 thumbnails for Sub Factory. If I click on the 1st one, the plugin opens as it should. If I click on the 2nd thumbnail, nothing happens. Is there any way to remove the 2nd thumbnail :hmmm:

I've tried to remove it by holding down on the thumbnail (as if it were a preset on the "Favorites" list), so a hidden menu pops up, but that doesn't work.


Did you check your synth folder to see of there duplicate folder.. if not delete reboot see if it removed one of the thumbnails if not both.. then reinstall

Re: Akai mpc live 3 early thought

By Certified Beatz Thu Feb 12, 2026 6:46 pm
jaymack wrote:I find think I've ever used the instrument page

Now I do since instruments load faster on the XL.. it is easier just creating a instrument track and selecting..

Re: Akai mpc live 3 early thought

By BackOnDaMPC Fri Feb 13, 2026 2:06 am
Certified Beatz wrote:
…but if you already I have this issue on my Live III with Sub Factory. On the Instruments page (with the thumbnail of each plugin), there are 2 thumbnails for Sub Factory. If I click on the 1st one, the plugin opens as it should. If I click on the 2nd thumbnail, nothing happens. Is there any way to remove the 2nd thumbnail :hmmm:

I've tried to remove it by holding down on the thumbnail (as if it were a preset on the "Favorites" list), so a hidden menu pops up, but that doesn't work.


Did you check your synth folder to see of there duplicate folder.. if not delete reboot see if it removed one of the thumbnails if not both.. then reinstall

Yes! I only saw 1 Sub Factory folder, but I didn't actually look inside the folder. Maybe there's another Sub Factory instance within there. I will check again once I get some more free time. I work a minimum of 60 hrs per week (3rd shift), so I have to make time for the little things like that. It's so frustrating -- feel like there's not enough time in the day :smh:

Re: Akai mpc live 3 early thought

By Certified Beatz Fri Feb 13, 2026 2:37 am
Yes! I only saw Sub Factory folder, but I didn't actually look inside the folder. Maybe there's another Sub Factory instance within there. I will check again once I get some more free time. I work a minimum of 60 hrs per week (3rd shift), so I have to make time for the little things like that. It's so frustrating -- feel like there's not enough time in the day :smh:


I know the feeling :-D last year we worked 65hr weeks optional 8 on Saturdays :-D :-D

Re: Akai mpc live 3 early thought

By BackOnDaMPC Fri Feb 13, 2026 4:06 am
Certified Beatz wrote:
Yes! I only saw Sub Factory folder, but I didn't actually look inside the folder. Maybe there's another Sub Factory instance within there. I will check again once I get some more free time. I work a minimum of 60 hrs per week (3rd shift), so I have to make time for the little things like that. It's so frustrating -- feel like there's not enough time in the day :smh:


I know the feeling :-D last year we worked 65hr weeks optional 8 on Saturdays :-D :-D
Sheesh!

Re: Akai mpc live 3 early thought

By horisonten Fri Feb 13, 2026 6:53 am
SuperKonquer wrote:I get why some can't justify the cost but to say it's just a slightly better MPC is a vast misstatement. People who can't see the utility in x y pads are not seeking to use them to their full potential. They allow you play your instruments expressively or add effects while you are simultaneously sounding notes or chords. You can even use it for creative mutes and fading. You could use it as a pad or track mixer if you like. You could do the 4 sample thing or you can do the 4 sample thing with articulation and all of the other expressive inputs I mentioned.

The main limit to what the XY pads can do mostly imagination. The 16 step/qlink pads give you an entire 64 pad control surface on the face of your MPC. And the cpu and memory gives you power to do all of these crazy things without running into a decapitating ceiling. Then the best part of the new MPCs imo is the ability to actually be able to use quality keygroups in a full production. The new MPC's give you more than enough headroom that you will hardly ever worry about running out of memory or cpu to do anything. The latest generation and the older generations are not the same device.

I think many are looking forward to hearing the groundbreaking music that the XY pads will help unlock.
Until then the cost is not justifiable for many.

As always. That one person/artist who breaks through the noise needs to step forward, to make the rest of us follow :smoker:

Re: Akai mpc live 3 early thought

By Certified Beatz Fri Feb 13, 2026 1:41 pm
I think many are looking forward to hearing the groundbreaking music that the XY pads will help unlock.
Until then the cost is not justifiable for many.

As always. That one person/artist who breaks through the noise needs to step forward, to make the rest of us follow :smoker:


I bought for the usb c tracking intonmy daw with additional 32 midi channels.. that alone is worth it.
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Re: Akai mpc live 3 early thought

By Lampdog Fri Feb 13, 2026 7:39 pm
Certified Beatz wrote:
.... usb c tracking into my daw with additional 32 midi channels.. that alone is worth it.

That one feature is a heavy one for sure.

Re: Akai mpc live 3 early thought

By R0ckAndR0ll Fri Feb 13, 2026 9:33 pm
The best way I can describe the difference in MPC products is the more money you spend, the more knobs and buttons are on the outside and on the less expensive versions you have to do more menu diving to access the features. Of course the higher end products have additional features, more storage and more GB of RAM that can process information and do multiple tasks at once without slow load times. In my experience the MPC LIVE 3 was best for me because it has the 16 step sequencer buttons on the top and I can program sequenced beats and sounds quickly. The library of sounds are HUGE and I simply plug in a midi controller with a usb cable and I have a sound library of literally thousand of sounds: bass, synth, drums and even pianos and classical instruments that can be edited with effects like reverb delay and distortion with a tap on the screen. Plus it has an external microphone attached, a built in sampler as well as an internal DAW workstation! You can also connect other instruments such as a guitar, other synths and microphones via midi or line inputs and you can sample directly from your smart phone! I sold a bunch of synths and drum machines to pay for it and I got it pretty much for free! And the quality of the drums and synth sounds rival most drum machines and synths out there.

Re: Akai mpc live 3 early thought

By BackOnDaMPC Sun Feb 15, 2026 4:55 am
Certified Beatz wrote:
I think many are looking forward to hearing the groundbreaking music that the XY pads will help unlock.
Until then the cost is not justifiable for many.

As always. That one person/artist who breaks through the noise needs to step forward, to make the rest of us follow :smoker:


I bought for the usb c tracking intonmy daw with additional 32 midi channels.. that alone is worth it.
Same here!
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