Having watched your videos for over a year now, I feel it’s time to praise the tone and flow of your vocal delivery - comforting and delightful for listening to.
no regrets with my MPC one purchase. plug-ins aren’t too shabby and external midi control is super easy. great video! I want to splurge on additional groove boxes so watching your videos gives me my fix 😂
The mpc one is truly the finest piece of production gear I've ever used, especially when combined with a midi keyboard, you've got a full production center that it's both powerful and capable of whatever you need. I've been using it for years and the name still exceeds my ability.
MPC One has become my production and effects machine. Plus it can sequence external synths, allowing me to control and automate paratamters on external synths, and it has several different ways to jam or make songs. With ZERO latency. Everything I record or sample is dead on. And ... you're not making music on a pc, which is a big deal for me. Bottom line: you just can't beat the MPC for versatility, reliability and creativity. And oh yeah ... the VST synth plugins that come free are just incredible. From bass, lead or pad sounds ... it's all there. Thanks the for the review!
Juicy is the funniest way to describe the mpc one. I think it's very satisfying for sure, hella substantial. It's like a buffet it's got plenty and more
even compared to other elektron boxes, octatrack is difficult to learn but its the absolute king of samplers in terms of raw capability. Its also way more than i needed so i sold it and got the sp-404 mkii.
Nah for me, I've been burned with driver failures, and other issues like performance or virus even with windows since XP days, and want to use a device without that sort of agro... ...I turn it on I know it works (without bugs from early versions 😂)
Thanks for this. Highly informative/educational. I wish there was room for hoping for an Octatrack 2.0 a re-imagined successor would be dope. Also looking forward to that 1010music black box review and addition to this list hopefully soon!
I'm used to older akai samplers like the s950 and the s3000xl. I wanted to sequence my gear but also wanted to chill at my bedroom making music. I bought a live 2 and tbh, it's even better than I expected. Sample integration is way easier compared to my ususal sample ordering. the whole OS, look and feel is a really whole experience. It's super easy for me to forget how much time I spend with the unit late at night :) True, it's not perfect. Undo button is misplaced, no dedicated program edit button etc. But yeah, it feels like a DAW but at the same time, it totally doesn't. It feels like an instrument when playing the pads, DAW when editing in grid and sample tool when chopping breaks. Never expected to like it that much, I was really prepared to hate the first weeks using it and having constanly looking for stuff in the manual but nope, most of the stuff is easy to use and easier to figure out yourself once ur familiar with the whole OS.
@@artisans8521 yep, versatility is truly something on this machines. I thought it was more or less made with beat guys in mind in to a certain degree, it kinda is but not that much and way less than I thought. also, the stock expansions really give that edm beat type vibe which can distract from the versatility of it and give a false impression. btw, gonna check out lionclad :)
@@filipzawadzki9424 yeah maybe. But the oldskool mpc with their small screen and with their price was too much to handle for me. once i've heard the mpc live 2 can handle an usb interface, I was hooked. still, took me some time to get one
You should also check out the dirtywave m8. It tops the OP1 in portability and real production capabilities a lot. Not to mention the price. It is great as a sampler and it is no problem to produce full tracks on it with it's built-in synth engines and mastering. Definitely fits in this category here.
Unpopular opinion and I've never really used one -- but isn't the M8 wildly overrated? Is there any reason why more than a niche audience would want to learn and actually use a tracker workflow? Trackers just seem like a trendy thing right now.
@@jones786trackers provide a lot of control and breakaway compared a regular daw and for sequencing they can be very very nice but yeah I can see how you wouldn't want to learn a new workflow
@@jones786 suspect the hype has to do with cool or unconventional gimmicky looking devices. People have GAS and are always on the lookout for the next thing.
For me, as for many people, the ability to record long samples is the defining choice of the device.In this regard, the mc707 and everyone's favorite oB are just fun toys. The fact that black box 1010 dropped out of your review surprised me ;)
My favourite is Digitakt for creativity , experimental ( 2 lfo 's add to p-locking is a game changer ) but it's a sequencer above all . i didn't like the sp404 mk2 worklow but i use this like an fx box
When it comes to samplers, I think that a very important factor is how they affect the way you make music.. I never owned an MPC but judging from my experience with the Maschine, I sometimes feel that it is just too easy to make music on it. On the other hand, all the limitations from the SP and the Digitakt have completely changed the way I compose or even think of music. They are just too impredictable - each in their own way - and this is what I love about them.
@@artisans8521 Digitakts have Reverb, Overdrive, Bit Reduction, Compression and Delay. So at least 5 great sounding effects. There is also Werp, Pitchshift and and Slice. I believe it is also possible to get Chorus, Phasing/Flanging from the delay, although I haven't tried that yet. The quality is on another level compared to the crap effects on my Korg Electribe 2 Sampler.
Love the quality and mix of deep dive & casual vibes in these videos! Thank you! After searching (and starting with music) for dawless 2 years ago, I’ve upon 2 weeks ago was team Digitakt and SP404, now switched Digitakt for Syntakt. Could not be more happy. Everything I could need.
Interesting video! I would have liked to see the total score in a final chart. It seemed that the MPC one got the best overall score. I quite like it too, and it let me to get the Akai Force, same sampling engine etc. But with disk streaming and clip launching but less compact. My 2nd place contender would be the Deluge atm. It's probably the best overall portable device to me. I had previously started with the Octatrack mk1 and have always been very torn about it. Everything it can do comes with some sort of caveat, but the sum of features is still great. I think it makes sense as a DJ FX processor, looper, mixer as a performance addition, but I don't enjoy making full beats or tracks with it. I did not own the digitakt or op-1 yet.
The octatrack is so misunderstood. At the end of the day, it's just a digitakt with a memory card slot and a crossfader that can be bound to anything. Digitakt lets you have 128 sounds per project, octatrack lets you have 256, half of which load the sound into ram for extra features. Octatrack also has 8 recording buffers that can be juggled in a limitless manner. While it's main strengths are in it's audio inputs and realtime mangling it's worth giving it a shot as a standalone sampler just for the crossfader alone!
Maybe it’s because the Digitakt + Octatrack we’re my first pieces of hardware I ever bought (Thank you for breaking my wallet Ricky Tinez), they’re still my favourite. I’ve also spent the most time with the Octatrack so of course it’s my go-to. Since after four years I still don’t know everything, it constantly feels like a new instrument to me - more so than my more recently acquired MPC boxes.
@@Gagarinprojectofficial I use them quite differently. I seldom sample with my Digitakt and instead load one shots as a sample based drum machine. You can do this with the Octa, but you only have 8 machines which get eaten up fast so I offload that duty. The Octa is my performance mixer, master clock, MIDI sequencer and effects machine. The Octa is also really good for live resampling with the pickup machine for external gear like the Digitakt, Digitone or Syntakt.
I think it might be the greatest bang for the buck of any single piece of hardware out there. I was also really impressed by the build quality, like you. I sort of can't believe they actually made it that good, for something that you can get fairly cheap.
Same thing happened to me! Had both and just felt like it was a slower Ableton haha. I'm considering the Elktron stuff because I hear it has an inspiring method.
I own two MPCs (Live & X), an Octatrack, Digitakt, Toraiz SP-16, SP404mk2 and a bunch of other gear. But these are the main samplers I own. For studio work, deliberate songwriting so to speak, the MPCs I guess are great, personally though I MUCH prefer my Elektron boxes and even the SP404mk2. All of these give me more of a hardware feeling than the MPCs (the X being better in this regard than the Live) and thus they are much more conducive to experimentation & discovery than the MPCs are for me. The SP16 is also great, it is one firmware update away from being incredible, but we all know that update will never come, so as is it is a great and inspiring box with a few workflow / feature shortcomings.
Super deep dive .. so deep i needed an extra oxygen tank ! Thanks for all the tips ..details .. expertise .. cheers to your always thorough explanations!
I would love for you to make a comparison video on sequencers for dawless jams next. I’ve tried a handful and like the MPC one the best so far. It gives me a lot of tracks
I've had or used most of these and I think Maschine+ is my favorite that it looks like you don't have. Outside of Elektron's sequencing features, I think it beats all the other samplers in ease of use and power.
Hello! Great vid, thanks for that! I was wondering if you could shed some light on where to find a Visual Sampler like the old discontinued Roland P-10. I can't find any option for Visual Sampling online these days. Do you know anything about that, Liam? Cheers.
got the DIGITAKT when i first started producing, no DAW, im a programmer i didn't want to be on pc for this hobby. i eventually sold it and got the mpc live 2. Digitakt is amazing, however for me it left me uninspired and too limited. with my MPC Live 2 iv enjoyed everything about it, its taken what i learned with Digitakt with the fundamentals to a new level. if your tossing up between the MPC ONE and live id ask you if you care about the speaker and battery and storage which i think are the three major things that make it stand out from the one. personally for me being able to throw in a 1TB hard drive, unplug from power and take it to another room easily is incredible.
Such a great informative video. Love your content. I have the MPC One, Digitakt, Octatrack, Analog Rytm, along with a few vintage boxes like the Korg Electribe ESX1 and Yamaha RS7000. And my favourite is... the Pioneer Toraiz SP16! It sounds the most "club ready" out of the box, with a stupidly simple workflow (it's biggest disadvantage as well), but man is it immediate and fun. It has the best build quality of all my boxes. Do try and get hold of a used unit. From watching your content and the kind of music you make, you will have a blast with it. I think they marketed the product as a "studio in a box" which it is NOT! And that really hurt it's sales and acceptability. It has basic parameter locking and the simplest arrangement mode possible. Sampling is very direct and easy, and it's time stretching capabilities is quite decent. I know you will love it.
Feel like most people don't understand how powerful the MPC One is. I have mine connected to a 4 track audio interface with a USB hub, sequencing and applying effects to all my external synths, making it the ultimate performance tool.
Your microphone on your desk picks up every tap rather than just hearing the instructions audio output. I’m not sure if that is your intention. Just thought to let you know.
The newly released Digitakt V2 is the way to go... I'm so glad that I didn't buy into the V1 because it is mono...and now it's worthless with everyone scrambling to sell their V1s now to get the V2... It won't be long before the V1s are selling for dirt cheap when owners realize that no one is going to pay that kind of money for a used V1 when they can spend a little more and get a brand new V2...
Great in-depth comparison Liam, solid points. I had an MPC Live Mk2 but found it too big and bulky to carry anywhere. Software wise, it was kind of a custom DAW but simpler, so I was missing certain conveniences that I’m used to. Also, the sequence structure is just weird, you could make full tracks but there wasn’t really a way to create transitions between sequences, such as build-ups, it was missing an arrangement view. The Live Mk2 had a very unstable, jittery midi clock btw, it randomly drifted by like one bpm so was unusable for me as the master. I’m thinking of getting a digitakt or maybe the newly released smpltrek next, just want something super portable and fun to use as a standalone device. To be honest, using a laptop with a DAW is by far easier but I just can’t help myself when I see that a new music box with shiny lights is coming out. P.S. Even though batteries are bad for the environment I think that every portable music device should come with a rechargeable battery for portability’s sake. And maybe a speaker as well.
Ok, so.. I got a launch key and launch pad and microfreak for the wife. Set it all up with logic on a mac air M1, and set up some 8” Kali monitors I had sitting around.. She is not a musician, does not know theory or anything, and would be overwhelmed with all of this. I think if I were to buy her ONE stand alone she can make stuff up and I can play guitar along with. It would be the MPC because of the screen. Its more noob friendly. As of now a launch pad, and working with loops, writing songs, making scenes to launch live. Very very basic stuff is where we are at. Hope someday to be at your level. But for now, I think this helped me decide to stick with our set up we have now and save our money. For now.
@@LiamKillen 1010 Music is a small company. The founders come from large companies such as NI. Have now specialized etc. The support is ultra massive! The firmware wishes of the consumer are taken seriously.. Much better than Big Player Co. !! I have both.. blue and black box. still impeccable in every situation. touchscreen is faster and sharper than all MPC s have! technology.. very pro, portable ..fuck my ass ..,) It is the New Way..
great video, after using push/push2 and ableton for years i wanted some external samplers, got a MPC one, hated the workflow, couldnt understand their language of what they called things, sold it after a week. got a digitakt, LOVED IT but since i play guitar and the live sampling on the digi isnt that great i bought a octatrack and a morningstar mc6, best guitar looper, haha albeit overpriced. i make sample based music with guitar layers and like a lot of people budget is a big factor, the OP1 is almost $3000 here in australia and yeah the octatrack is about $2500 but you get SOOO much more. i really want to give the sp404mk2 a run but not sure how i could fit it in with primarily playing guitar stuff. again, fantastic video
Well that was a nice look through a fair number of options...though i was hoping to see the Blackbox make an appearance to see how it might stack up. I'm now deeply attached to it. I could easily go crazy collecting samplers but just keep returning to that little beast.
I hope the mpc adds different warp modes and a true granular engine. Also I would recommend spending time with the synths. They’re pretty capable. I’ve been able to build extremely complex basses without resampling especially with the opx4
Yeah everything's sort of been done at this point so now the market is about workflow / mixing things together for like "the ultimate dawless unit" type of deal.
I have been using the Play (original version) as my dawless centerpiece and midi controller 35:12 in conjunction with a Roland MC-707, and Aeros loop studio for guitar. It’s been working pretty well with very few hitches. It’s good as a sample player, great as a midi sequencer.
@@LiamKillen no problem. I know the lineup can be a little funky and I definitely had issues with the MPC Software in the past with the MPC Touch, but this new one works really well. I still can't believe it's $699 brand new
Two questions for you Liam: #1 Where did you purchase the covers/skins for your MPC One and SP404 mk2? #2 What it the device at 13:41 that appears to be connected to the Digitakt via MIDI?
So, you're saying we should get a bunch of MPC One's controlled by midi by a bunch of digitakts, in turn controlled by 404s and so on, in the end having them feed cacophony into a PO-33 , out through a metalmaster pedal outputting via a transformer to a tattoo gun?
The digitakt’s 64mb per project limit is a deal breaker for me, I need more. Unfortunately the Octatrack seems to be only alternative that will allow me to replace what Ableton is doing (looping samples and using fx for a performance) but it’s like buying a Swiss Army knife when you need a tooth pick!
I have the Digitakt and had an OP-1.. i also have the SP 404 Mk2. But my most favorite sampler is the SP 202. It's all about the Filter and the Pitch fucntion. Can't do as much with it as the those other examples but, it's the most fun i've ever had using a sampler!!
I found it interesting that you cited environmental impact for your reason to not want batteries in the MPC One. I was thinking about the same thing earlier this year, about how wasteful it is for every single device to have it's own internal battery. I feel like it's best to have a powerful external battery that can be used across many devices, or making products that are powered by AA batteries or other standardized interchangeable batteries so that people can invest in rechargeable batteries that they can swap between devices as needed instead of every device having it's own internal battery and needing it's own special charger and power supply just because
I've been using the sp 606 but in a couple years I'm going become a nomad lol I'm looking to streamline my whole studio into a van the MPC looks like a great choice to replace the SP. and my DAW
9:30 Again....the greatest "let down" of all these cases is : Where do I leave my POWERSUPPLY.....Almost everytime you're gonna need ANOTHER bag to carry that stuff around. Portability Analog Cases : 5/10
Good video. My favorite sampler isn't listed here, it's the 1010 Music Blackbox. It gets high scores for portability and features, and the new beta firmware is making the sequencer and song mode far better. So I think it's probably an 8/10 overall type thing. It does depend on a midi controller if you want drum pads or more controls though, so it's less self-contained than the ones listed here.
Yeah. On individual audio tracks. 1.Plug up the 404 via usb (set 404 as input device) 2.Match bpms 3.hit the link button on Ableton. (At this point you basically record each pad onto different audio tracks) 4. Playing from the 404s sequencer, just mute pads you aren’t recording. 5. Hit record on Ableton and it’ll trigger the 404.
MPC has the worst pads. They are very stiff and double trigger a lot while cutting all the effects, it sound awful then. But I love the mpc because I can take it anywhere. Btw you didn’t consider Maschine+. It is beast of a Maschine 😅.
The crazy thing about the MPC platform is that if all it gave you was 1 track (which can hold 128 samples which could be up to 4 layers) it would far outpace the competition.
really I think kit like the AKAI MPC range should be relabeled as a "DAWbox" since they are a DAW in a box and a sampler is only one of the many things the MPC range can do just as proficiently as a DAW and wont crash randomly or shutdown randomly to "update" you with more bloatware like a laptop. Anyways my belief that musicians need to start moving away from PC/Laptop DAWS unless you're a settings addict and love playing football manager!
I’ve never tried a Deluge (as didn’t have a proper screen until recently) but I’m in love with Elektron sequencing. Parameter locking anything you want quicker than it takes to type this. Really creative imho, best sequencer since Cubase on the Atari 😉
Hi! Great video as always! My MPC One just arrived and I began to mess around with it. I noticed that when turning Q-Links, a slight noise appears in the audio outputs (headphones and main out). It is specially noticeable for the third Q-Link. It sounds a bit like an old pot. It is not very obvious and I can live with it but I wanted to know if you experienced this same issue. It happens no matter what parameter you control with the Q-Link. I think it might be some sort of digital interference bleeding into the audio path… however I’m not sure.
I want to mod a professional broadcast vhs unit into an effects unit and sampler. Those things have so many options and controls that I’m thinking it wouldn’t be too hard.
I found that creation music on MPC 1 is not inspiring at all 🙁 It looks like I using a computer with cutted functionality. Also Akai added so much functions to it, that just confusing. I can’t using it immediately cause they buried under bunches of menus. Originally MPCs are drum machine+sampler. I think Akai forget about it. As a result - it can do anything in a inconvenient way 😕
Any ideas which of these would play nicely slaved to an Oxi One? I had the Digitakt but just didn't like it, the FX were kind of limiting. Love the look of the FX on the SPmk2 though, plus it looks like a lot of fun to play with. Thoughts?
My go to would def be Elektron gear - the OP-1 I think could also be really cool for that sort of approach - but then you're just limited to one melodic voice. Still though - could be fun !
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Having watched your videos for over a year now, I feel it’s time to praise the tone and flow of your vocal delivery - comforting and delightful for listening to.
I always appreciate you listening Keith 😊
I’d like to add your text overlays are so artistic
no regrets with my MPC one purchase. plug-ins aren’t too shabby and external midi control is super easy. great video! I want to splurge on additional groove boxes so watching your videos gives me my fix 😂
😏 #gas
The mpc one is truly the finest piece of production gear I've ever used, especially when combined with a midi keyboard, you've got a full production center that it's both powerful and capable of whatever you need. I've been using it for years and the name still exceeds my ability.
It's a beast - it all really depends on how you want to use it.
MPC One has become my production and effects machine. Plus it can sequence external synths, allowing me to control and automate paratamters on external synths, and it has several different ways to jam or make songs. With ZERO latency. Everything I record or sample is dead on. And ... you're not making music on a pc, which is a big deal for me. Bottom line: you just can't beat the MPC for versatility, reliability and creativity. And oh yeah ... the VST synth plugins that come free are just incredible. From bass, lead or pad sounds ... it's all there. Thanks the for the review!
Awesome! Thank you for your input :-)
Juicy is the funniest way to describe the mpc one. I think it's very satisfying for sure, hella substantial. It's like a buffet it's got plenty and more
There’s always another gear to shift up to
Yap 9,3 fits perfect. Finally someone who knows that it’s all about the player behind the Maschine and not mystic Japan converters.
Love the video
True! The player is key!
This basically confirms I made the right decision buying the MPC Live 2.
😏
even compared to other elektron boxes, octatrack is difficult to learn but its the absolute king of samplers in terms of raw capability. Its also way more than i needed so i sold it and got the sp-404 mkii.
SP-404 mk2 I think is the best sampler on the market right now.
Yo man, this production quality is great. Thank you for sharing and creating this
Thx so much for watching!
They say: l ˋm going dawless, because I ˋm sitting on job the whole day in front of a screen. And they buy a MPC 😂
Lol it’s a different screen to their defence
i always stand in front of my Mpc !
@@docpification 😂
Nah for me, I've been burned with driver failures, and other issues like performance or virus even with windows since XP days, and want to use a device without that sort of agro...
...I turn it on I know it works (without bugs from early versions 😂)
@@RaverOperatorGeeza pirated DAW's are loaded with viruses to punish.
Thanks for the shoutout Liam!
We’ll deserved shoutout! Thx for watching 😊
Thanks for this. Highly informative/educational. I wish there was room for hoping for an Octatrack 2.0 a re-imagined successor would be dope. Also looking forward to that 1010music black box review and addition to this list hopefully soon!
You’re like the 4th person who’s mentioned this! I’ll see what I can do 😏
I also am interested in the black box. I consider to add it to my setup for stereo samples/ loops
Great collection! Thanks for the nice review! Have a wonderful day!
Thanks for watching! 😊
This guy is very informative and now and again slightly hilarious.
Why thank you
I'm used to older akai samplers like the s950 and the s3000xl. I wanted to sequence my gear but also wanted to chill at my bedroom making music. I bought a live 2 and tbh, it's even better than I expected. Sample integration is way easier compared to my ususal sample ordering. the whole OS, look and feel is a really whole experience. It's super easy for me to forget how much time I spend with the unit late at night :)
True, it's not perfect. Undo button is misplaced, no dedicated program edit button etc. But yeah, it feels like a DAW but at the same time, it totally doesn't. It feels like an instrument when playing the pads, DAW when editing in grid and sample tool when chopping breaks. Never expected to like it that much, I was really prepared to hate the first weeks using it and having constanly looking for stuff in the manual but nope, most of the stuff is easy to use and easier to figure out yourself once ur familiar with the whole OS.
It’s all about background and preference!
@@artisans8521 yep, versatility is truly something on this machines. I thought it was more or less made with beat guys in mind in to a certain degree, it kinda is but not that much and way less than I thought.
also, the stock expansions really give that edm beat type vibe which can distract from the versatility of it and give a false impression.
btw, gonna check out lionclad :)
Why didn't you tried MPC1000 with jjos2xl update? Holy fuck man, you missed a LOT.
@@filipzawadzki9424 yeah maybe. But the oldskool mpc with their small screen and with their price was too much to handle for me. once i've heard the mpc live 2 can handle an usb interface, I was hooked. still, took me some time to get one
Your channel is great, thanks for all the reviews.
It’s a pleasure- thanks for watching
You should also check out the dirtywave m8. It tops the OP1 in portability and real production capabilities a lot. Not to mention the price.
It is great as a sampler and it is no problem to produce full tracks on it with it's built-in synth engines and mastering. Definitely fits in this category here.
I’ve heard nothing but good things about it
Unpopular opinion and I've never really used one -- but isn't the M8 wildly overrated? Is there any reason why more than a niche audience would want to learn and actually use a tracker workflow? Trackers just seem like a trendy thing right now.
@@jones786trackers provide a lot of control and breakaway compared a regular daw and for sequencing they can be very very nice but yeah I can see how you wouldn't want to learn a new workflow
@@jones786 suspect the hype has to do with cool or unconventional gimmicky looking devices.
People have GAS and are always on the lookout for the next thing.
@@r3dsnow757it truly is a great device so easy to make great sounding stuff on it in no time. Its my favourite
For me, as for many people, the ability to record long samples is the defining choice of the device.In this regard, the mc707 and everyone's favorite oB are just fun toys. The fact that black box 1010 dropped out of your review surprised me ;)
I don’t have the black box! Would love to try it out
you are so blessed thank you for making this video
It's a pleasure thank you Chase! :-)
My favourite is Digitakt for creativity , experimental ( 2 lfo 's add to p-locking is a game changer ) but it's a sequencer above all . i didn't like the sp404 mk2 worklow but i use this like an fx box
Yeah that's precisely how I use them too.
When it comes to samplers, I think that a very important factor is how they affect the way you make music.. I never owned an MPC but judging from my experience with the Maschine, I sometimes feel that it is just too easy to make music on it. On the other hand, all the limitations from the SP and the Digitakt have completely changed the way I compose or even think of music. They are just too impredictable - each in their own way - and this is what I love about them.
My thoughts exactly- it’s the workflow that’s most important IMO
@@artisans8521 A proper Odyssey!
@@artisans8521 Digitakts have Reverb, Overdrive, Bit Reduction, Compression and Delay. So at least 5 great sounding effects. There is also Werp, Pitchshift and and Slice. I believe it is also possible to get Chorus, Phasing/Flanging from the delay, although I haven't tried that yet.
The quality is on another level compared to the crap effects on my Korg Electribe 2 Sampler.
Of course it’s easy! Because it’s a instrument! Big differences to Sound design on app
ur fingerdrumming is really good
Hey thanks :-)
I got an MPC One it's totally overkill for what I use it for but I'm happy with it.
It’s a monster
Love the quality and mix of deep dive & casual vibes in these videos! Thank you! After searching (and starting with music) for dawless 2 years ago, I’ve upon 2 weeks ago was team Digitakt and SP404, now switched Digitakt for Syntakt. Could not be more happy. Everything I could need.
Awesome that you like the Syntakt! I might get into it one day!
Probably will who am I kidding lol
Interesting video! I would have liked to see the total score in a final chart.
It seemed that the MPC one got the best overall score. I quite like it too, and it let me to get the Akai Force, same sampling engine etc. But with disk streaming and clip launching but less compact.
My 2nd place contender would be the Deluge atm. It's probably the best overall portable device to me.
I had previously started with the Octatrack mk1 and have always been very torn about it. Everything it can do comes with some sort of caveat, but the sum of features is still great. I think it makes sense as a DJ FX processor, looper, mixer as a performance addition, but I don't enjoy making full beats or tracks with it.
I did not own the digitakt or op-1 yet.
Yeah the deluge is something people keep mentioning- it’s def on my wish list
Akai Force is locked to 4/4, isn't it?
The octatrack is so misunderstood. At the end of the day, it's just a digitakt with a memory card slot and a crossfader that can be bound to anything. Digitakt lets you have 128 sounds per project, octatrack lets you have 256, half of which load the sound into ram for extra features. Octatrack also has 8 recording buffers that can be juggled in a limitless manner. While it's main strengths are in it's audio inputs and realtime mangling it's worth giving it a shot as a standalone sampler just for the crossfader alone!
I still don't understand it lol
Maybe it’s because the Digitakt + Octatrack we’re my first pieces of hardware I ever bought (Thank you for breaking my wallet Ricky Tinez), they’re still my favourite. I’ve also spent the most time with the Octatrack so of course it’s my go-to. Since after four years I still don’t know everything, it constantly feels like a new instrument to me - more so than my more recently acquired MPC boxes.
Ricky knows the Octa inside out! I feel the way way when I come back to my Digitakt
is there reason to choose Digitakt rather then Octa ?
@@Gagarinprojectofficial I use them quite differently. I seldom sample with my Digitakt and instead load one shots as a sample based drum machine. You can do this with the Octa, but you only have 8 machines which get eaten up fast so I offload that duty. The Octa is my performance mixer, master clock, MIDI sequencer and effects machine. The Octa is also really good for live resampling with the pickup machine for external gear like the Digitakt, Digitone or Syntakt.
So you prefer MPC one ?
Nice topic. I had the MPC one briefly, the Force as well. It felt too much like a limited DAW for me. The elektrons really add in terms of creativity.
Fair comparison
I think it might be the greatest bang for the buck of any single piece of hardware out there. I was also really impressed by the build quality, like you. I sort of can't believe they actually made it that good, for something that you can get fairly cheap.
Same thing happened to me! Had both and just felt like it was a slower Ableton haha. I'm considering the Elktron stuff because I hear it has an inspiring method.
I own two MPCs (Live & X), an Octatrack, Digitakt, Toraiz SP-16, SP404mk2 and a bunch of other gear. But these are the main samplers I own. For studio work, deliberate songwriting so to speak, the MPCs I guess are great, personally though I MUCH prefer my Elektron boxes and even the SP404mk2. All of these give me more of a hardware feeling than the MPCs (the X being better in this regard than the Live) and thus they are much more conducive to experimentation & discovery than the MPCs are for me. The SP16 is also great, it is one firmware update away from being incredible, but we all know that update will never come, so as is it is a great and inspiring box with a few workflow / feature shortcomings.
Got an Og 404 and know I need to update but was going to get Digitakt, judging from your video MPC Live should be the next purchase. Thank you
🍻 I encourage you to use the affiliate links in my description if / when you end up purchasing!
great detailed video, wish I had started my music journey with that video , would have done things differently
That’s exactly why I put it out - glad to help!!
Super deep dive .. so deep i needed an extra oxygen tank ! Thanks for all the tips ..details .. expertise .. cheers to your always thorough explanations!
Lol thanks for watching
The MPC is bad in being controlled externally but the best brain of a setup...
My thoughts exactly
I would love for you to make a comparison video on sequencers for dawless jams next. I’ve tried a handful and like the MPC one the best so far. It gives me a lot of tracks
Good suggestion! I’ll def consider it
I've had or used most of these and I think Maschine+ is my favorite that it looks like you don't have. Outside of Elektron's sequencing features, I think it beats all the other samplers in ease of use and power.
Yeah i haven't messed with it yet.
Hello! Great vid, thanks for that!
I was wondering if you could shed some light on where to find a Visual Sampler like the old discontinued Roland P-10. I can't find any option for Visual Sampling online these days. Do you know anything about that, Liam? Cheers.
Thanks for watching !
That is uncharted territory for me !
Someone in my Discord might be able to point you in the right direction though: discord.gg/xj8J2xJuBP
Just came for samplers review and this was excellent....... subbed..... liked....... 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻 now where are those other videos.... 😊
Thank you! I've got tons of them! :-)
Interesting list. You didn't show my 2 favorite sampler/grooveboxes - the Octatrack and the Maschine+.
Octatrack is an honourable mention :-)
got the DIGITAKT when i first started producing, no DAW, im a programmer i didn't want to be on pc for this hobby. i eventually sold it and got the mpc live 2. Digitakt is amazing, however for me it left me uninspired and too limited. with my MPC Live 2 iv enjoyed everything about it, its taken what i learned with Digitakt with the fundamentals to a new level. if your tossing up between the MPC ONE and live id ask you if you care about the speaker and battery and storage which i think are the three major things that make it stand out from the one. personally for me being able to throw in a 1TB hard drive, unplug from power and take it to another room easily is incredible.
Thank you for this addition: :-)
The lick!
😏
Such a great informative video. Love your content.
I have the MPC One, Digitakt, Octatrack, Analog Rytm, along with a few vintage boxes like the Korg Electribe ESX1 and Yamaha RS7000. And my favourite is... the Pioneer Toraiz SP16!
It sounds the most "club ready" out of the box, with a stupidly simple workflow (it's biggest disadvantage as well), but man is it immediate and fun. It has the best build quality of all my boxes. Do try and get hold of a used unit. From watching your content and the kind of music you make, you will have a blast with it. I think they marketed the product as a "studio in a box" which it is NOT! And that really hurt it's sales and acceptability. It has basic parameter locking and the simplest arrangement mode possible. Sampling is very direct and easy, and it's time stretching capabilities is quite decent.
I know you will love it.
Very interesting I’ll make sure to take a look
So what one is the best one and club ready Akia MPC one
Feel like most people don't understand how powerful the MPC One is. I have mine connected to a 4 track audio interface with a USB hub, sequencing and applying effects to all my external synths, making it the ultimate performance tool.
yeah maybe I need to dig a lil deeper into the thing eh?
Beautiful Made Video. Thank you for this ;-)
Always a pleasure
Yup. MPC buggy has hell on external midi control. Terrible after 2.10. Sold it. My iPad running BM3 rock solid.
Unfortunately this has been my experience, yeah-
Your microphone on your desk picks up every tap rather than just hearing the instructions audio output. I’m not sure if that is your intention. Just thought to let you know.
Thanks for sharing that tip bro!!!! Very much appreciated
It's a pleasure.
The newly released Digitakt V2 is the way to go... I'm so glad that I didn't buy into the V1 because it is mono...and now it's worthless with everyone scrambling to sell their V1s now to get the V2... It won't be long before the V1s are selling for dirt cheap when owners realize that no one is going to pay that kind of money for a used V1 when they can spend a little more and get a brand new V2...
The v1 is still a killer unit IMO but you’re right v2 is way better
Great in-depth comparison Liam, solid points. I had an MPC Live Mk2 but found it too big and bulky to carry anywhere. Software wise, it was kind of a custom DAW but simpler, so I was missing certain conveniences that I’m used to. Also, the sequence structure is just weird, you could make full tracks but there wasn’t really a way to create transitions between sequences, such as build-ups, it was missing an arrangement view. The Live Mk2 had a very unstable, jittery midi clock btw, it randomly drifted by like one bpm so was unusable for me as the master. I’m thinking of getting a digitakt or maybe the newly released smpltrek next, just want something super portable and fun to use as a standalone device. To be honest, using a laptop with a DAW is by far easier but I just can’t help myself when I see that a new music box with shiny lights is coming out.
P.S. Even though batteries are bad for the environment I think that every portable music device should come with a rechargeable battery for portability’s sake. And maybe a speaker as well.
Re the battery thing- I think you’re right- TE’s got it right on that one
definitely like. thanks for great job
Thanks for watching :-)
Ok, so.. I got a launch key and launch pad and microfreak for the wife. Set it all up with logic on a mac air M1, and set up some 8” Kali monitors I had sitting around.. She is not a musician, does not know theory or anything, and would be overwhelmed with all of this. I think if I were to buy her ONE stand alone she can make stuff up and I can play guitar along with. It would be the MPC because of the screen. Its more noob friendly. As of now a launch pad, and working with loops, writing songs, making scenes to launch live. Very very basic stuff is where we are at. Hope someday to be at your level. But for now, I think this helped me decide to stick with our set up we have now and save our money. For now.
Yes! Save your money and make more music 😏
Throw that part away if you want to make music professionally without
midi problems. You can forget about the new MPC updates.
Tip: 1010 black box!
I've heard nothing but good things.
@@LiamKillen 1010 Music is a small company. The founders come from large companies
such as NI. Have now specialized etc.
The support is ultra massive!
The firmware wishes of the consumer are taken seriously.. Much better than Big Player Co. !! I have both..
blue and black box. still impeccable in every situation. touchscreen is faster and sharper than all MPC s have!
technology.. very pro, portable
..fuck my ass ..,)
It is the New Way..
@liamkillen Do you still have and use the Octatrack? Even after the Oxi one was added to your collection?
Honestly ... I haven't used it in a loooong time at this point.
@@LiamKillen Ok, thanks for your perspective.
Darn… I kinda wished you got to try the Smpltrek in this video… But maybe you could review one day (despite not needing anymore gear)!😆
Ah ! Yeah i'm not too familiar with those yet.
great video, after using push/push2 and ableton for years i wanted some external samplers, got a MPC one, hated the workflow, couldnt understand their language of what they called things, sold it after a week. got a digitakt, LOVED IT but since i play guitar and the live sampling on the digi isnt that great i bought a octatrack and a morningstar mc6, best guitar looper, haha albeit overpriced.
i make sample based music with guitar layers and like a lot of people budget is a big factor, the OP1 is almost $3000 here in australia and yeah the octatrack is about $2500 but you get SOOO much more.
i really want to give the sp404mk2 a run but not sure how i could fit it in with primarily playing guitar stuff.
again, fantastic video
Thank you for this addition and I appreciate you watching! :-)
Well that was a nice look through a fair number of options...though i was hoping to see the Blackbox make an appearance to see how it might stack up. I'm now deeply attached to it. I could easily go crazy collecting samplers but just keep returning to that little beast.
Would love to try out the black box!
What all can the black box do, friend?
I love my Field, but the drumsampler needs an ADSR envelope and "lazy chop" function. Hope TE will implement this in a future upgrade!
Yeah that WOULD be a nice addition.
I'm only finding variety knobs for pioneer mixers but you got cool knobz
I got em from 3dwaves
Great vid, thanks Liam. 😎👍🏼🙏🏼
I like the staining on that table - what can you tell me about it?! 🙃🙏🏼😄
The table? I bought a nice high quality table that I knew i'd use forever, that's about all i can tell you about it lol.
I hope the mpc adds different warp modes and a true granular engine. Also I would recommend spending time with the synths. They’re pretty capable. I’ve been able to build extremely complex basses without resampling especially with the opx4
Yeah everything's sort of been done at this point so now the market is about workflow / mixing things together for like "the ultimate dawless unit" type of deal.
I'm disappointed you only went to three significant digits with your score. We demand precision.
Going into the mills next time
I have a hapax and I'm having a rough time picking a sampler because I already have a sequencer so good.
I would buy a synth and not a sampler if I was in your shoes.
I have been using the Play (original version) as my dawless centerpiece and midi controller 35:12 in conjunction with a Roland MC-707, and Aeros loop studio for guitar. It’s been working pretty well with very few hitches. It’s good as a sample player, great as a midi sequencer.
Beast set up!
Octatrack is king & worth the learning curve. If your wanting to mangle and make original sounds that aren’t bland and boring.
Amen
2.14 seems to work really well on my MPC One Plus.
Thanks for this addition ! :-)
@@LiamKillen no problem. I know the lineup can be a little funky and I definitely had issues with the MPC Software in the past with the MPC Touch, but this new one works really well. I still can't believe it's $699 brand new
Two questions for you Liam:
#1 Where did you purchase the covers/skins for your MPC One and SP404 mk2?
#2 What it the device at 13:41 that appears to be connected to the Digitakt via MIDI?
1- styleflip + mpc stuff
2- that’s a midi controller- the pc-12
maybe soon Maschine plus? ill be watching, great vid! thank for your work
It’s a pleasure
So, you're saying we should get a bunch of MPC One's controlled by midi by a bunch of digitakts, in turn controlled by 404s and so on, in the end having them feed cacophony into a PO-33 , out through a metalmaster pedal outputting via a transformer to a tattoo gun?
Exactly!!
The digitakt’s 64mb per project limit is a deal breaker for me, I need more. Unfortunately the Octatrack seems to be only alternative that will allow me to replace what Ableton is doing (looping samples and using fx for a performance) but it’s like buying a Swiss Army knife when you need a tooth pick!
Great analogy - I totally understand where you're coming from lol.
Have you seen JonMakesBeats? He rocks the Octatrack and makes me "almost" want one!
I’ll check him out!
Hope there will be an OP-1 field deep dive coming soon🤞🏻
It’s in the 📚
I have the Digitakt and had an OP-1.. i also have the SP 404 Mk2. But my most favorite sampler is the SP 202. It's all about the Filter and the Pitch fucntion. Can't do as much with it as the those other examples but, it's the most fun i've ever had using a sampler!!
Yeah that filter is insane…wow the 202- interesting!
Waiting with hope Exporting Audio with the next update!
With the 404!? Me too!!
@@LiamKillen Yes! if they did that
I would almost considering sell the MPC 1000 ,no I'm kidding
I found it interesting that you cited environmental impact for your reason to not want batteries in the MPC One. I was thinking about the same thing earlier this year, about how wasteful it is for every single device to have it's own internal battery. I feel like it's best to have a powerful external battery that can be used across many devices, or making products that are powered by AA batteries or other standardized interchangeable batteries so that people can invest in rechargeable batteries that they can swap between devices as needed instead of every device having it's own internal battery and needing it's own special charger and power supply just because
Exactly! I use one of those Jackery batteries which can power a full synth set up for hours upon hours.
You can pan instruments in the Digitakt … I thought it was a mono sampler … ?
Yeah it downgrades the samples that you're using to mono, but the output is stereo.
I would love to see you with MC-707 and comparing with the MPC
I’ll be exploring the Mc 707 in the new year for sure
S2400 is the king, baby!
😲
I've been using the sp 606 but in a couple years I'm going become a nomad lol I'm looking to streamline my whole studio into a van the MPC looks like a great choice to replace the SP. and my DAW
If you can fit it- get the MPC X 😏
@@LiamKillen I love the way the one is set up
9:30 Again....the greatest "let down" of all these cases is : Where do I leave my POWERSUPPLY.....Almost everytime you're gonna need ANOTHER bag to carry that stuff around. Portability Analog Cases : 5/10
It's true but it depends which case you pick up - some of them do have that extra room for power supplies.
Good video. My favorite sampler isn't listed here, it's the 1010 Music Blackbox. It gets high scores for portability and features, and the new beta firmware is making the sequencer and song mode far better. So I think it's probably an 8/10 overall type thing. It does depend on a midi controller if you want drum pads or more controls though, so it's less self-contained than the ones listed here.
You’re like the 10th person to mention this lol- I might just have to pick it up
@@LiamKillen You definitely don't need it with all those other options, but its a good one!
Maschine for the winnn
Haven't used it much yet! :-)
Interesting comparison! I would like you to try Deluge.
You’re the third person to mention deluge!
@@LiamKillen make that four :-)
Five!
It’s possible to track out projects onto Ableton with the 404. Kinda time consuming considering something like overbridge but it’s possible and easy.
I wasn’t aware you could do this- on individual tracks do you mean?
Yeah. On individual audio tracks.
1.Plug up the 404 via usb (set 404 as input device)
2.Match bpms
3.hit the link button on Ableton. (At this point you basically record each pad onto different audio tracks)
4. Playing from the 404s sequencer, just mute pads you aren’t recording.
5. Hit record on Ableton and it’ll trigger the 404.
MPC has the worst pads. They are very stiff and double trigger a lot while cutting all the effects, it sound awful then. But I love the mpc because I can take it anywhere. Btw you didn’t consider Maschine+. It is beast of a Maschine 😅.
Don’t have that one in my collection! I love the MPC pads!!
The crazy thing about the MPC platform is that if all it gave you was 1 track (which can hold 128 samples which could be up to 4 layers) it would far outpace the competition.
Truth be told.
Damn was hoping you’d get into the octotrack vs Mpc one more
Maybe in a future video 😏
really I think kit like the AKAI MPC range should be relabeled as a "DAWbox" since they are a DAW in a box and a sampler is only one of the many things the MPC range can do just as proficiently as a DAW and wont crash randomly or shutdown randomly to "update" you with more bloatware like a laptop. Anyways my belief that musicians need to start moving away from PC/Laptop DAWS unless you're a settings addict and love playing football manager!
lol, before you all reply with "they're called Grooveboxes!" most grooveboxes dont have the depth of DAW like control that the MPC range has!
I actually agree with you here for sure.
😅
Holy fuck that click on MPC One Pads is fucking hilarious. How you wan to create music. If you always hear that click when recording pads?
I actually like these pads!
Where is your Deluge? Aka the best sequencer in hardware
Never used it yet!
I’ve never tried a Deluge (as didn’t have a proper screen until recently) but I’m in love with Elektron sequencing.
Parameter locking anything you want quicker than it takes to type this. Really creative imho, best sequencer since Cubase on the Atari 😉
Where did you get the yellow versions?
Custom skins ! :-)
Bro beans you need to get the Blackbox in your setup. It is really awesome for the price.
I’ll consider it!!
Hi! Great video as always! My MPC One just arrived and I began to mess around with it. I noticed that when turning Q-Links, a slight noise appears in the audio outputs (headphones and main out). It is specially noticeable for the third Q-Link. It sounds a bit like an old pot. It is not very obvious and I can live with it but I wanted to know if you experienced this same issue. It happens no matter what parameter you control with the Q-Link. I think it might be some sort of digital interference bleeding into the audio path… however I’m not sure.
Exciting! Hmm could be a lot of things!
Great video!
Thank you! :-)
I want to mod a professional broadcast vhs unit into an effects unit and sampler. Those things have so many options and controls that I’m thinking it wouldn’t be too hard.
Perhaps!!
YOoOo you really hit us with "The Lick" on the OP-1 field haha.
Hit you so hard lol.
I found that creation music on MPC 1 is not inspiring at all 🙁 It looks like I using a computer with cutted functionality. Also Akai added so much functions to it, that just confusing. I can’t using it immediately cause they buried under bunches of menus. Originally MPCs are drum machine+sampler. I think Akai forget about it. As a result - it can do anything in a inconvenient way 😕
Looks like it just doesn’t fit with you
Any ideas which of these would play nicely slaved to an Oxi One? I had the Digitakt but just didn't like it, the FX were kind of limiting. Love the look of the FX on the SPmk2 though, plus it looks like a lot of fun to play with. Thoughts?
My go to would def be Elektron gear - the OP-1 I think could also be really cool for that sort of approach - but then you're just limited to one melodic voice. Still though - could be fun !
Great video!
Hey I’m curious. Are the yellow skins for the MPC and SP 404 special edition skins? Or they’re cases you can buy separately
I got them from Style Flip! :-)
Hi Liam, does the MPC One make a 'CLACKING' sound every time you hit a pad? - or is it just your video?
That's the sound it makes! The pads are harder than let's say the Maschine.
Did you never have a problem with the OP-Z regarding double trigs and bending? I’m just about to buy it but see many stories.
Yeah the double trigs is a thing with the OP-Z and the SP-404 mk2 actually.
Did u customize that MPC 1 or it came like that Thats funky I have the retro color version.
I customized it :-)
@@LiamKillen