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The MPC Key has dropped in price since it’s release and currently seems like a pretty decent deal considering the suite of included plugins, 4GB ram and of course the integrated keyboard. MPC One is a suitable choice for music producers who can handle the music theory, vocals, and instruments because this unit can help you create your own music studio and work on self-produced music projects. So, there’s more breathing space on the 4GB models which means you can more free and easy with your plugins, and maybe more lazy with your project sample management. But of course you don’t have to use plugins like Studio Strings (‘synth’ plugins use barely any RAM), and for acoustic instruments there’s keygroup instrument alternatives such as MPC Orchestral which are more highly optimised to use minimal RAM. The MPC Key 61 has 4 audio outs, and 2 inputs which support line, mic and instrument level signals, but there’s no support for phono signals. This is probably less of a deal these days, as many turntables now feature a line out, or vinyl is often sampled indirectly via a DJ mixer which will always output at line level. Then there’s those 16 Q-Links which give you immediate hands on control of essential parameters which dynamically change depending on the screen you are currently using (you can also manually configure these to suit your exact needs). And the little OLED display above each dial lets you know exactly what that currently assigned parameter is.
When it comes to syncing a MIDI controller with the MPC 2.0 Software, you have two options. You can connect any MIDI controller directly to your computer, or you can connect a class compliant MIDI controller to the MPC LivePlus, with a wide range of inputs and outputs, you can connect to a computer or a multitude of other devices for limitless production potential. Akai Professional MPC Live II Key Features: NOTE -the MPC Live's USB ports will serve as a USB hub when you are in controller mode). Follow the steps below to set up your controller using a USB cable.In this example, I will be using an Akai Pro MPKmini mkII. The Akai MPC Live II features the same multi-core processor found in the MPC X and includes all the features you'd want from a modern MPC. As you might expect, the more expensive the MPC, the better the audio input and output options. The MPC X SE is by far away the winner here, with eight individual audio outs, two standard inputs, dedicated mic inputs (with phantom power), instrument level inputs (to directly connect guitars, Rhodes etc) and phono/turntable input (with grounding). Definitely the most studio ready MPC for recording vocals and instruments.
The convenience of the MPC Live II really is irresistible. You don’t need cables and you don’t need headphones. If the battery is fully charged, you don’t need a mains plug either. Most of our time with this review model was conducted cable-free, and it’s an enormously enjoyable way to work. We even took it outside, to a local park, to remove the model from the studio context, and it proved easily loud enough to irritate passers-by. It works with a rechargeable battery and also has AC hookups to ensure seamless electric connections. It has sensitive and dynamic pads, which promises faster response for music producers who like to produce music on the go. Many people complain about the bulky design, but it’s justified, given the built-in processing and battery. This is a portable and lightweight design, so you can take it around.It's been two years since we reviewed the MPC Live, which was Akai's return to stand-alone music workstations. A lot has changed since then. The Live was joined by a flagship studio model, the MPC X, and recently by the compact and affordable MPC One. The MPCs have seen numerous software updates, and now feature on-board synth plug‑ins and Ableton Live control.
At the time of writing no other MPC has any premium plugins pre-installed, although the MPC One Plus is advertised as including one free premium plugin of your choice, but this is apparently a time limited offer. Price If you don't want to work in front of a computer with mouse/keyboard, this is what you need. Not everyone has a powerful / decent modern computer to use DAWs. This can serve as a decent standalone machine to replace a DAWs. And you can always export the project into Ableton live if you need more refinement.These MPCs are all completely standalone units – that is, they don’t need to be plugged into a computer, they provide a complete ‘in the box’ workflow all controlled by the large touchscreen UI and a combination of buttons, dials, knobs and pads. They can all also function as dedicated controllers for Akai’s DAW-like MPC Software (which comes free with all these MPCs). While the stand-alone MPC is much like a Touch sans computer, there are important features that are only available in the software version. The biggest is VST plug-in support: the MPC stand-alone is all sampler, audio and MIDI based. However, it does include the internal audio effects, so it’s not that it couldn’t do it in theory. In fact I initially misread the product information and thought that Akai had got AIR’s Hybrid synth running on the hardware. Realistically, though, this would be asking a lot of the on-board processors and memory, but I’m still holding out hope that they might be able to get some simple synths (drum synths maybe?) running on the fairly capable quad-core ARM chips. Audio To Go Wanna buy a MPC for create songs, not just lo-fi or hip hop beats, complete songs like jazz, funk,etc. To do this my idea is record instruments like saxophone, flutes, guitar, piano, bass, accordion, and other ones. Can i record instruments directly from a mic plug into MPC? Like plug a mic into the MPC and record some flute melodies for example? Wich MPC is better to work with live instruments, live II or one? Reply Open your Preferences in MPC 2.0, and select all the MIDI inputs, this will activate the MPC Live's MIDI Ports. You will need to invest some time to get into the MPC workflow and the few quirk and limitation. However it is more than worth it and I cannot imagine my music life without it.
The MPC X, MPC Live and MPC 2.0 software will all be supported for use on Windows 8.1 and up, as well as Mac OS X 10.10 and up. This will only require the installation of a single driver to use the MPC X or MPC Live as a controller with MPC 2.0. As a side note, the MPC X and MPC Live can be connected to virtually any operating system for simple file transfer. That means if you need to transfer files off of your Windows 7 computer, you can connect your MPC and your OS will be able to recognize any connected USB drives or SATA drives. How big is the display? Is it a touch screen? It’s a perfect choice for independent musicians who want to create their own music samples by editing and mixing. It even has a built-in stereo monitoring system so you can listen to your music right from the device itself. Yes! The MPC X and MPC Live will both ship with USB 3.0 cables and work at USB 3.0 speeds when connected to the computer as a controller. While USB 2.0 may work, we do recommend using 3.0 cables and ports whenever possible for the best results. If the MPC is in standalone mode, any connected thumb drives or storage devices will operate at USB 2.0. Can I add additional storage space?
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Ableton mode provides a clip launcher, mixer and device control. The launcher view is your typical 8x8 grid of tappable clip slots, complete with animated loop progress bars in each clip. The pads also work as a tactile launcher, though of course showing a smaller window into the Session view. Scenes can be launched, and you can initiate recording into clips or into the Arrangement. On the buttons you get transport control and some other basic options. Sampled instruments can be loaded with sounds from the built-in memory, an external USB/SD, or recorded directly from the MPC Live’s inputs. A Sample Edit window allows sounds to be trimmed, looped, re-pitched and sliced across the 16 pads. A Program Edit window, meanwhile, allows up to four samples to be layered on each pad, and offers filter and amp envelopes for each. All content will need to be stored on a thumb drive or the internal SATA drive before transferring to the internal storage on the MPC X or MPC Live. The internal storage will not appear as an available drive when connected to your system. As I said at the beginning, MPC veterans will likely feel right at home with the new MPCs — albeit a completely refurbished home of the future. The basic workflows and modes of operation are fully consistent with MPCs that have come before. In my review of the Touch I expressed some gripes about the MPC way of working, but over the last few months I’ve spent some intensive time comparing the workflows of the MPC, Maschine and Push, and have developed an appreciation for the strengths of the MPC, in particular the speed with which you can get stuff done once you’ve built the muscle memory, and the single point of focus. The Live is also equipped with both Bluetooth and WiFi - the former can be used to hook up MIDI devices, and although the latter doesn’t currently have any applications, Akai has expressed an intention to roll out wireless sync and file transfer in a future update.
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