Mpc sequencer and swing is what it's most popular for why get away from it . Controller mode you have the best of both worlds . But that just my 2cent.😂
When you talk about developing, I think a great danger with DAWs is thinking that you’re better than you actually when you’re starting out. It’s so easy these days to browse some loops in a DAW, click on ones that sound good together and without any editing, press play and go “I did that!” Well, no you didn’t. As someone who’s done this for 37 years and had 14 or more MPCs, the one thing I can say for sure is you’ll edit and chop your samples more to find your sound than you will on any DAW. I’ve just recently got my first new MPC in a while - an MPCKey 37 - and I’m so happy to be back in a place that feels more creative, especially with the fourth coming MPC 3 features. Great video. Really enjoyed it!
Look forward to listening! My two cents: I am on computers ALL DAY in the day job. And I play real instruments with real musicians, so I can't ignore the fact that muscle memory is a real thing. That's why I like working with MPC. And that's why I loathe any software glitches or super-obscure UI stuff. I want to relax and play and record.
Computers are definitely more powerful and flexible, but I prefer tactile and I don’t want to get home from staring at a screen only to stare at one more. TBH I prefer my acoustic guitar and banjo more than anything. Pick it up and it makes noise immediately
Couldn't agree with you more. Love, love my computer for work, I've just never figured out how to play it like an instrument. I wish I could do it! Would be so much cheaper and more efficient, but I love being able to make sound with my hands. So much respect to the DAW users. I'm probably listening to your music rn! But Ave always brings such a balanced perspective I admire.
Stick to where you’re comfortable at and keep on creating what you love to create that’s what matters😊 because at the end of it, they both do the same thing they both put out some good music either way😊
Im in IT business and sit in front of a PC all day, I'm glad to come home and dont have too use a mouse and keyboard anymore but can hit the Pads on MPC1
I remember when FL dropped and we started using that along with ACID. We got so much hate from the old heads. At that time we were strictly using the MC-505 MPC 2000 and the Rm1x. We couldn’t have imagined how far the DAWs would advanced to. FL didn’t even have a playlist or mixer when it dropped. I just remember how I was able to make so many more beats in a shorter time and how my sampling went to a whole other level.
Both are useful, in my opinion but you don't need a DAW to make music it's just cheaper overall. Most MPC users, including myself also tend to have more external gear and a few instruments.....dealers choice I guess. I prefer my x se and external gear but I will mix down in Ableton
I only been thinking about getting an MPC because I watch too much TH-cam lol. I love Logic Pro but it may be interesting to add something different to my setup.
"HIS" computer was utter dogsh*t, my producer used to make beats on cakewalk that were amazing, he produced for many rappers including joe budden etc. WMS The Sultan, look him up sometime.
Excellent work product on this channel. I am in the market for a groove box. I dabbled in the 90s and now I’m interested in returning to beat-making as a hobby. Your channel and videos like this are incredibly helpful for newcomers. I greatly appreciate your work. Thank you!
There is no better but what is better for you personally. Ask 100 people what is better and you’ll get 100 unique answers. People who ask “which is better” largely don’t really understand their needs and wants, thus ask non-specific questions. When you understand your goals and needs, you ask better questions.
Roger Linn designed the MPC to be played as an instrument and if you’re following finger drummers performing with it, you’d appreciate their musicianship w/o noticing just how good this instrument is. The human touch will always add value t😢o and personalize your production faster than a mouse click or drawing automation ever could. Without an instrument you’re limited to editing all time signatures/velocities in a piano roll. Of course you can always utilize a midi drum pad/keyboard to compensate. Main thing for me in production is leaving my markings on the project. My feels, my time and my weight within every precious millisecond.
I started using a mixer, it killed the latency issue. When you use a desktop or laptop, you gotta optimize it for music. That means buying whatever improves your studio.
I recently started trying to use controller mode and the performance was so stuttery and poor. Don’t know if it was my laptop or what, but it ruined the entire process. I switched to my mixer for the first time (was previously using it as a glorified audio interface for a mic) and it’s been a way more fun process overall.
The main reason I bought then sold the MPC Live, then bought a Live II is because I've used DAWs forever. I've got over 400 paid for plugins in my VST folder and my home setup is a monster, and the editing on the Mac with Digital Performer is insane. The thing that drew me back is my eternal search for a decent integrated drum machine, Maschine sucks for odd timing. Arturia killed Spark, Beatstep Pro with Battery or some other plugin is alright, but in the end what I wrote with the MPC was just better. Plus stand alone is appealing, being that you use the workflow the MPC was designed for. I have a solid workflow with my DAW and a computer, but things break it, it requires maintenance.
I, personally, use the MPC as my DAW. Also, I would never fully understand the critic about the 2 GB of RAM. I record alot of presets in the MPC. Pads, Chords that have an lenght about 8 Bars or longer, SFX and other samples. Even then I didn't even come close to pushing them to their limits. The RAM was at 45 percent capacity, no more. I make Techno and experimental stuff with the MPC
Absolutely true on all points. I’d add the tenth. MPC teaches to make music by ear. In the DAW I’m pretty much flying by numbers. On MPC if it sounds good, it’s good. Though limitations of MPC also make some genres much harder to produce. If it is a soulful jam, then MPC all the way. But if I want to make a techno or electronica music, with ton of modulation and polyrhythms, then I’d go with a DAW.
Working with FLSTUDIO for over 20 years , I got my first MPC ONE last year , you can cook up quick with both of them and obviously FLSTUDIO is more powerfull , however making music on the MPC it lit , it's lots of fun chopping up samples and making loops with the pads , and it's super quick , also , whaaaa gwarn with the stems ? When we getting stems man
Im the same been on FL since 3.0 Ive had all kinds of gear over the years I always go back to FL. The work flow just works from me. I copped the MPC one last year and returned it. Wasnt for me.
@ntrinidad716 would be super lit 🕯 if FLSTUDIO brought out a Groove Box like the MPC , Akai would definitely be in trouble, FLSTUDIO big touch screen with 16 pads and keys , bluetooth , wifi , and can Charge up
Being able to go DAWless on my MPC ONE+ has changed my life. Back in the day I had a MPC 2500, 2000xl etc but I took a few years off music organically, When I came back to the MPC ONE+ has been the key to falling in love with creating music again.
Hi Ave, very good and important points you have made. Especially thumbs up for mentioning MIDI latency. And there is also the problem of MIDI jitter, which is latency's best friend 😏. And there is another point: yes, we can talk about power, memory, number of plug-ins, does the Minimoog in that VST sound 1% better than the MPC plugin and so on.... But the most important point is: What instrument inspires you? And I got a lot out of your statement that this point is also there for you. Hm, I can also plug a controller into my laptop, I can have a controller like Push or Maschine and trigger my sequences, I can plug a controller for my synths into my laptop.....yes, you can. But the "feel" of the direct access of a Groovebox (I had an MC-707 for example) is so much more "direct" and configuration free and hands on. Even these Grooveboxes are just computers. But all this "slightly" better timing, accessibility, no configuration and of course the focus on the music is inspiring. And that is what music is all about. I have Logic Pro and look forward to getting an MPC Key 37 as my inspirational tool. Thumbs up for the video!
You've made some valid points. Latency being 1. Adjusting buffer sizes between mixing and recording is a headache. Also the point on finger drumming. I have a MPC Studio MKII and although it's good for finger drumming, it's not the most aesthetically pleasing to look at like an MPC stand alone unit. Great video.
On my smartphone I can record any sound from everything on internet and turn it into music. That's powerful. We didn't have that just few years ago. I don't know what people are looking for.
@arkimwilliamson4429 I honestly can't give you a good advise sinse I haven't stayed current with other programs for years. I personally use FL Studio and Mixcraft. Are they the best? Probably not. Many people use Ableton, Studio One, Logic... I'm pretty sure any of those have something to offer. The guy who made this video probably has tried more programs and can tell you what he likes and dislikes about each of them. I can mostly talk about how I got to use FL Studio but that's not going to be very helpful.
@arkimwilliamson4429 I am using FL Studio. I can't make comparison with other programs because I don't use them. I am simply not the right person to give advice.
Have the Rossum SP 1200, Mpc 3000 LE, 4000 Studio Maxxed, Mpc Live, Maschine Studio, MK3 (x2), Maschine+, Isla S2400, 404 MKII, TE KO II (x2) I recently pulled out my push 2 controller, connected it to a 5 year old laptop (i7 2.8 quad, 1TB M2 Nvme, 16 gigs ram, win 10, opened live suite 11 with Serato sample 2.0 and it absolutely blew my mind. I suddenly look at all the aforementioned units and ask myself why I’m keeping them? If I had to choose one standalone to keep it would be the mpc 4000. If you know, you know. How or why the 3000 LE and the SP1200 sell for more baffles me. They do not knock more or sound or feel better to me. I’ll be using push 2 w live 12 suite (just bought the upgrade) and Serato sample 2.0 (man is it sweet) until for whatever reason I get bored and jump back to the 4000. What a fantastic sounding standalone; OS 1.71 holds up well and I have internal/external ssd hooked up to it. Using translateor 7 pro I can easily batch export mpc expansions, kontakt libraries , etc to mpc 4000/3000; route the 4000 into Live/Pro Tools Ultimate via analog out, or Adat to arturia 16 rig, RME UCX I honestly can’t say one is necessarily better than the other. What I can say is that we all have a problem worshipping akai mpc’s. And being a gear head with adhd makes it worse because anything with buttons or pads that comes out and sounds halfway decent we instantly purchase. Akai will eventually fail because it chose to go the consumer route over the pro studio route. And many of us turned into consumer/customers and abandoned the producer/pro studio for do nothing home studios to post music for free on social media (Saturday morning cook ups and look at how pretty my mpc is). 🤷🏽♂️
You pretty much hit the nail on the head. I've been into music production as a hobby since I was a kid in the 80s. Midi recording has always been a tricky one for me, nothing was ever compatible with anything. And synthesizers recording functions were so cumbersome that I basically gave up. I fared no better with Cubase or the likes, too overcomplicated and youtube tutorials were never up to par with the current or whatever version I had. No to mention the ASIO driver adventure, and the sound interface lag adventures you're mentioning. Then I bought an MPC key 61 on a whim 2 years ago when it launched, basically because it kinda ticked all my boxes. Oh boy did it change everything in my musical life. For the first time in my life I could just press record, pick the next sound, press record or dub again, and everything was logical - didn't even have to read a manual, now THIS thing is intuitive. In fact - I'm not very spoiled for success stories, so to me - sitting there 5 minutes later with an actual beat, an actual song, an actual production... in 5 minutes was to me something I'd never ever think I'd see or experience in my lifetime, and I'm old now. I wish I had discovered MPC's years ago, but I always thought they were for beatmaking only since so many beatmakers used them, and I'm a traditional synth slash piano player self taught with all the bad habits you can imagine, so it's a special sauce for sure. But that's were I was so wrong, the MPC is an entire music studio, and it hooks up to whatever I throw at it. In fact, I could hook up ALL of my sound gear to it, and it wouldn't bat an eye. The fact that I can sample on the spot, play music with synths on the spot, barely any setup-time AT ALL, just hit record and play, to me.. yeah, It was one of those Holy moments people talk about when they see the light. I've never looked back since.
IF YOU DIDN'T COME UP IN THE ERA OF THE MPC ASR-X SP1200 YOU WON'T UNDERSTAND. ANYTHING A DAW CAN DO I CAN DO ON AN MPC OR ASR-X I had to do a lot with a little. Too many people are too comfortable going along to get along. I use the MPC and the ASR-X I also use REASON 12 and MASCHINE 2 I love Reason & Maschine I JUST LOVE The MPC and ASR-X BETTER 💯👌🏾❗
I came up during that era…. It’s just I could never afford any of those devices. That stuff was inaccessible to a lot of people because of the price point.
@@ant1198 I'm from NYC so the prices probably were a lot cheaper than elsewhere. Some reasons were that there were hundreds of recording studios around so after a while you could always catch a really good condition ASR-X or MPC for a deep discount at Sam Ash , Manny's or Crocodile Computers and later on Guitar Center. However that SP1200 never really came down in price. I started working with DAWs back in the late 90s with ProTools ... I hated it then and I hate it now. I just find it way too expensive to be so freaking complicated. Reason for me is a lot better on the stress level. But check this out I've done many projects everybody knows on the radio some time ago with an MPC 2000XL and an Ensoniq ASR-10. Nobody cared how I did it They just knew I got them the sound they were looking for.
100%. Been playing instruments and using DAWs for 30 years. Got a Live 2 last year and I've never been so productive. Limitations. Muscle memory. Then it's just you
I agree with this! I need a little of both to keep the momentum going. Sometimes I need to slow it down, sometimes I need as little friction as possible. Each environment offers different avenues for inspiration for me.
💯% true. A DAW and one groove box at least. I usually say: If you want to figure something out, go two routes at the same time, and you can't miss the target.
Reasonable points indeed. I have both so I suite my emotional flex. My MPCx is cool but Bitwig has me so gripped with hardware synths at hand to join in
I came from the mpc 1000, and korg triton LE before that (and 4 track tascam tape before that lol). And i recorded everything on a 16 track Fostex digital recorder. When computer production & recording first started becoming a big thing, i just couldn't get with it. Computers just weren't up to the task yet. Too many glitches, crashes, and waiting around for them to "think" lol. It just broke my creative flow. I liked how my harware just did what you asked it to do. Everytime and without big headaches. I finally broke down tho and made the switch about 6 or 7 years ago. Nowadays it doesnt make much sense to do it any other way. And its not practical trying to finish a whole track with vocals on just a grovebox. But i still love the grovebox workflow. I use Maschine to do the bulk of my beatmaking, then transfer the stems over to the DAW for final arrangement/production/mixing and recording. I've just never been able to really get into doing the whole production process in the box (daw). And in the end Maschine ended up being a better choice for me than the MPC was because of the NI vst integration, because i dont do very much record sampling anyways. I will from time to time...but i mostly sample the instruments i play and flip those samples. Maschine makes it easy to do that, and gives me a ton of sound options to build a musical production around my samples. And yeah, im that guy that only owns one computer (mackbook m1 pro)...but ONLY use it for music production lol. Nothing else. I dont like to take risks infecting or bogging down my computer with garbage thats gonna slow it down. Only time it ever goes online is when i need to upload or update my vst's or DAWs.😮
I used an MPC 2000 in the 90s with a Roland xp50 and Kurzweil k2vxs. I found that it was much faster to get a song started and you focused more getting parts right than tweaking sounds/effects. When I transitioned to a DAW and mainly softsynths, it was a bit slower to get a good foundation going.
Thank you for some great points! I'm considering getting my first MPC on my tax refund for many of the reasons you mention: higher audio quality, dedicated audio solution, less distractions. I hadn't considered the issue of latency, but with all the work I do syncing samples to line up directly when I hit a pad on my 404, hitting a key on my laptop and hearing a synthesizer note half a second later would be so annoying! The one other big reason I'm considering a dedicated hardware DAW is, I make stuff on a laptop ALL DAY for work. When I clock out and make some music, I don't want to feel like I'm still at work. I want to feel like I'm really playing an instrument and making sounds to groove to before I ever cut the track.
At the end of it is, shouldn’t matter what you use the MPC, or a audio doll. They both do the same thing basically create music. What matters is your ear 😊
Truth is the mpc architecture is ancient and modern daw far surpass it and easily too. The workflow of the mpc and the all in one box appeals to loyal users which is preference and totally understandable
As a song writer, MPC is slower and less precise, but it's an actual instrument and production center. DAWs just don't feel right. Souless. Most songs I write with the MPC just come out better. If course, all post is best in DAWs. But for actual composing, DAWs are terrible for most musicians
@@s.gharavi1614 agree on some points but when it comes to cutting edge sound design and modern digital synthesis for electronic productions an mpc isn’t quite there.
Just got the mpc one + last month it's better imo I been using fl since 07 🤲🏿💎 it's better to arrange and really get immersed into the music imo I prefer to make all my beats in the mpc now I use fl for a my daw 💯🤲🏿💎
I used to love making beats on my MPC 2000, great sound, great workflow as a producer. But when it comes to tracking and sending the beat to a daw to record and mix…what a pain…! I remember being with an artist, setting up the beat to the song, arrangements and stuff, then sending it to the computer, record the artist, then he was like, I’d like to change that part of the beat, then you do it, then there’s another one…hours of refining stuff. I switched to daw around 2003 for that reason
this may be good or bad but i have been making music on my MPC ONE for a year and have not used my computer for music the whole time. I'm also a full time musician playing gigs and what not. The MPC ONE is a musical instrument that happens to also be similar to a DAW.
I use all different ways to create music. I have a mpc one, mpc live 2, mpc 2000xl, mpc blk, ni maschine studio, fl studio, cubase pro, reason 10, studio one artist, roland fa06, and korg Nautilus. Enjoy them all. Make em knock.
Was thinking about MPC, but I've already spent on an audio interface, hardware synths and a midi controller with pressure sensitive pads & 16 control knobs plus a keyboard. I've decided to push the limits of what I already have. Little difference if I use a touchscreen or a touchpad to switch tracks & hardware synths are knob per function. MPC requires mapping 4 knobs to software synth params & clustering them as pages. MPC might have been a great value proposition back when computers were slow, but things have changed.
Weak arguments tbh. Not only are they overlapping, but they're up for discussion as well. And for every MPC argument out there you can bring up at least 3 arguments why to choose for a DAW. In fact, I wouldn't even recommend an MPC to newcomers. Get the basics of how music production works first by learning a DAW, which is a cheaper, a more intuitive, and a more fundamental solution. And only then, consider an MPC. The MPC gives you more of a tactile, hands-on instrument experience (an important argument you didn't mention) but for arranging, mixing, mastering and finishing your tracks a DAW is really where it's at. So it's generally best to start your music production journey there IMO and get the fundamentals right.
I hate DAWs so much that I stopped making music because of them and only came back to music when the new MPC software advanced in 2016-18 time period. I'd never tell any actual musician to use a DAW. But you're absolutely right that DAWs are unbeatable for mixing and mastering.
@@Jdj28373 I'm not a MPC loyalist and I don't make sample based songs. I'm a song writer and I've been blown away at how easy Akai makes basic song writing. It's not going to teach theory, but there's a ton of scaling and note tools (EG. Pad Performance let's you set the specific scale!), so theory can be applied rather easily. And I don't use any loops. The biggest issue for MPC is that it's slow, limited and imprecise in many ways compared to a DAW. Like having 100 track songs spread over 50+ sequences, which I often do, is challenging to manage. MPC also has a sound and character that might need to be adjusted for. But I used to use an EMU E4XT Ultra and that thing was so complicated that even Depeche Mode couldn't figure it out and had to get an EMU engineer to fly out and help them with it. 24 years later and the MPC is a dream. I do miss EMU's beatmungler tho 😆 And quite honestly, I trust that MPC for formats will outlast PC ones. I hate redoing songs. I'm so glad I ditched Cubase. But sometimes I miss the speed and precision of it. The good news is that most DAWs are so good for post production now and even if the post production files are gone, the MPC files will still be ok.
@@Jdj28373 but yeah, the PC allows for a lot more. But I push the MPC to the limits and that's fun in it's own way. I really hate not having certain tools, like a visual EQ tho or certain controls that a DAW gives. But overall, I'm pretty happy using an MPC and avoiding the PC.
I use my MPC2 and with my MPC Key 61 in FLStudio 21. I find that I have more control of my plugins. It’s like using 2 programs in 1, only thing is that it’s hard to get it out of slave mode but I still love both FL Studio and MPC 2
How many tracks in the Spotify top 1000 were made on a MPC and how many were made on a Daw? Even DJ shadow uses Ableton these days. The newer MPC is a computer daw. It’s a fun box for sure but if you want to get serious with no limitations then a push 3 and a laptop is far superior imho.
I own both a mpc and a MacBook air m1, I would say it's easier to make a simple track on mpc. A full song with intros, outros, choruses and effects can be done on the mpc. However this is where the computer takes over imo, it's just easier to work on the sequencer grid with a mouse and keyboard vs a wonky touchscreen. Both are amazing tools that compliment each other's strengths and weaknesses.
I started off in the 90s with the built in sequencer on my Yamaha SY55. I have honestly been trying to make the DAW thing work for 20 years and the temptation to open up browser or do other stuff is just too great on the computer. Ableton Live is probably the app that keeps me most engaged. I picked up a Fantom 6 a year ago and the sequencer is OK - such a pain to use Fantom with external gear though. I just bought the MPC One+ a few weeks ago and it feels like I'm back in the zone and just focus on music and being creative. I wish I had figured out how great MPCs are sooner. I'm finally getting into sampling which always seemed like too much work before the MPC.
I utilize both! I create the skeleton of a song with the MPCX as a controller for the MPC Software. I then bounce all my MIDI files to audio. When I'm ready to lay vocals, arrange, mix, and master, I import those MPC audio files into my Studio One DAW for completion. In my opinion, MPCX & Software limits creativity, because so much more can be accomplished by adding a DAW to the process.
I like the workflow of the Mpc. Some of my best music has been made on it. I personally enjoy it more than using my daw. There is no right or wrong how you produce your music just use what inspires your creation. For me that's the MPC.
My prediction is that one day Akai will come out with a laptop style MPC functioning like an MPC but with pads and mini keys dedicated just for making music 🤔
Great Video! I have a Live 2 and X, and also FL studio. I agree especially with what youre saying in point 5 - as I use my PC for work, gaming and music its extremely easy for me to become distracted from making music with FL however with the MPCs its like your in your own little bubble just you and the MPC (in standalone I mean of course). I also find with so many plugins in FL its easy (for me) to get a little overwhelmed with choice.
These are all great points. One other one. The drum/sample programs, each program can have 128 samples and you can have 128 tracks of programs. As where, with a DAW if you want each drum separate you can only have one per track .
I'm mpc over daw all day but I gotta admit the mpc alone wasn't enough for me. I'd say the average person would greatly benefit from getting a general purpose type synth like a phantom or a modx or something like that. Not necessarily a must, but an extremely welcome plus if you plan on shyting out beat after beat.
As much as I love fl and use it to this day… I say this all the time. When I turn my mpc on it makes fl sound flat and mpc sounds full out the box. And the work flow is actually faster because it’s more focused on creating and doesn’t have a million things they get you off track like fl does. Last thing mpc forces you to learn music theory and playing etc if your not a sample based producer. I can’t say one is better than the other but they just have their differences
As someone who's favorite MPC was the 2500, my MPC Uno is everything I ever wanted from Akai. Me and my crew started with the 60mkII, that got stolen. It would be many years until I got the MPC1000, only to have my pads die. I switched to FLStudio and Reason cuz Toomp used to go on about how that was all he ever needed. Nope. Not me. I did use Sony Acid to make my own loops, but I dropped them to the Compact Flash with BPM data. I have always lived in the Akai Workflow, and none of these "improvements" will ever replace it.
I came from the days of all hardware but after use DAW Software I couldn't go back I have everything under one roof and I find the Software so flexible for me...
Hello from france and peace i love your video and your work and you are in the mpc familly and for me the mpc user is a life style and all the mpc user have want to have the power of the mpc but there need some limitation in the workflow for have a maximum possibilty to create music me i have mpc softwar with mp232 and i have my mpc 5000 beacause it's a powflull music production center and it's realy easy to use and for the hip-hop /dancehall It's powerfull tools !!!! Akai mpc for ever😉🖖
Honestly i use both...i start my beats on mpc one +...i cannot live without it...i do drums hats bass and melody...then i switch to logic where i add things if i need to...like strings (with native instruments plugins) 😊😊😊
As a longtime user of both and a owner of a Live mk1 I prefer Ableton Live over all. I’m just faster and have way more options in the DAW but I still get busy on my MP as well. Glad to have both but if I had to choose one it would be Ableton.
Ya, The workflow on mpc can not be beat im sorry. Ive seen people say MPC is slower you have to go though 100 different things and its mostly people that doesn't know how to work one as ive seen videos of people flying though the mpc faster then they would in FL studio or DAW
Hopefully Image-Line will come out with a MPC. They I-L has their mobile version, they came out with the Fire and a keyboard. Hell they could come out with a Switch/Steam Deck version. That way I can go from the pc to the bathroom without stopping along with being able to use it as a add on for when I'm on pc.
One thing I really like about MPC over my desktop based setup is having the q-links already pre-mapped to everything.....much easier than having to go in and figure out which controls I want to midi learn....I'll also shout a warning that if you want to produce on laptop stick to 1080p resolution because a good number of plugins are not updated for higher resolutions yet and on a smaller screen that basically makes them unusable (learned that the hard way lol)
Great video as always. I've gone back and forth on this. Never owned an MPC, but wanted one for like 20 years, lol. I think once stems is fully out, I'm going to cop a MPC ONE. Just for the fact that it's only for beat making and it does that 100%, no latency, no plugin problems, etc..., and not writing emails etc. Can you fully master a track out of the MPC? I always thought that it still had to go through a DAW at some point?
Yeah you can master and export a song out on MPC, but I still prefer exporting to my DAW for final mastering. I use multi and compression slot, and better reverbs.
Been ableton gang since 09 but recently added an sp 404mk2 to my set up and enjoy the fact that if it sounds good on the headphones it sounds amazing when I play it in the car or on cellphone speakers
MPCs make my mixing process a little bit easier, so do analog synthesizers. The sound is just better warmer, sometimes perfectly saturated. I don‘t have to do that much processing on 1 sound, when I‘m working with analog
After using a variety of PCs for years, I haven't really ran into latency issues for playing/recording synths. Main thing is understanding buffer sizes, ASIO/ASIO4ALL drivers. As long as you ain't using something ancient you should be fine.
I am one of the minimalists who are trying to do more with less. If I can get everything done on a smart phone I will. You can get more sounds on the computer at the moment but that may change some day in not too far future. After using FL Mobile for few years I know it's almost there. For now you have to figure the work arounds around the limitations but it's almost there. For what I am trying to do there is almost no limitations if you figure out how to maximize what you have.
I have used Apple computers and Ableton Live and Logic Pro…and then I got my own MPC, and I would never go back to production exclusively on a computer in a DAW. I 100% prefer MPC and hardware synths. I have many pluggins: Falcon, Deva, Serum, Zebra, Brazille, Pigments, and many more; and yes they are great in their own way. For me I’ll take my MOOG Matriarch and Waldorf Iridium; it is just better for what I want to do with it sound and workflow. I love working with samplers: MPC, SP 404 mk2, Polyend Tracker mini, CHOMPI, Teenage Engineering KO2 they are just fun, musical, inspiring and sound great. Also an honorable mention, having a record player has me listening to so much music I would not have listened to or relistened to, I don’t stream music (other than some you tube. But I do buy vinyl at real record stores and in goodwill and any and every place I travel to. So essentially my MPCs and my record player(s) have changed my life.
Ave..Thanksfor opening the floo rto this subject.....It's not about RAM,per say, it's about the CPU, and Akai's ARMS CHIP IS OUTDATED(10YRS old), let's keep it a 100 ,if the computing and processor is powerful then this will help the more to come Plugins that are CPU intense, Akai is depriving the community when TOP TIER PLUGIN COMPANIES could/can provide the latest and greatest, but the Units(MPCs) can not provide the compatibility to compliment the software, but there's a solution....AKAI NEEDS TO CREATE A MODULAR UNIT(S) ,WHICH IS EXPANDABLE AS THE PUSH3...if Akai is worried about sales ,then simply make OEM PRODUCTS.....CARE TO AGREE or Disagree Ave????...My Legacy MPC 2000xl is a TRUE STANDALONE, NO COMPUTER DEPENDENCE ..AVE do you agree or disagree????THANKS for a reply
Man the MPC Live 2 made me realize how many hoops I have to jump thru to do the same things that I never thought about before getting it. Latency all day no matter what I get. Midi controllers that need drivers for each daw that don't support all of the features. Licenses always running a check, free plugins missing when they update to the next generation. I just turn on the MPC, plug in a cable to sample and keep it moving. I rarely have this experience on my gaming desktop in the 20 years I've been doing this as a hobby/eventual business. PC is fun but MPC is mostly painless
I'm definitely gonna get an MPC Live 1. Been practising on my boys Live 1. Love the drum sounds. I'm a heavy logic Pro user. One things for sure tho, AKAI HAS TERRIBLE SUPPORT. I have homies that have a few MPC's each (which is why I'm gonna get one cuz I can get all my questions answered). I recently started using the MPC Beats software, LOL what a mess, 2.13 is full of bugs and crashed my MacBook Pro. Very frustrating if you're coming from any other DAW where you don't have to align multiple screens to make sure your pad plays the sound you loaded and doesn't disappear, LOL. I Think Akai has great sounds but the lack of customer support and poorly laid out software has turned a lot of people against the idea of buying into that. Most producers who own an MPC also have to buy a record player, including the cords, buy records, buy crates etc. It can get expensive. Not to mention storage space for all those crates. I agree with the performance aspect but most music producers I know aren't showing their process on TH-cam, so I don't think that applies to most music makers necessarily, MPC performance fans, 100%. Good video as usual tho.
Spoken with Facts. The MPC 2500 holds up till this day in my setup 🫡🫡🫡
1000/2500 are great. The XL was the pinnacle in terms of ease of use & vintage sound.
JJOS all day
2500 is a beast!
Legendary machine 🙏🔥
JJOS go hard AF. LEAN & MEAN. The program page has everything there, no fuckery.
Why not both? I use my MPC for preproduction, Ableton for post production. Works for me
Ableton for difficult samples for me.. 😇
I really want to try Ableton
I'm about to buy it in a little while.
What you mean by preproduction and/vs post production? Real question asking for a friend 😊
@@donuzoka8858 pre is preparing sounds and post is for automation/effects, mixing, and mastering.
I haven't post produced anything yet, but I plan to use Ableton for it. How difficult is it to transfer?
I start on standalone MPC, export to DAW, add sauce. Job done!
Saaaame
Exactly
Mpc sequencer and swing is what it's most popular for why get away from it . Controller mode you have the best of both worlds . But that just my 2cent.😂
@@ramsey4630 I almost exclusively use the mpc x in controller mode, so I can use my monitor with the built in screen together
@@s.gharavi1614 dope!
You are so spot on . I hope people out there realize how important this clip really is
I like your background music. Seems appropriate for the theme you’re talking about.
Your right Ave, and i absolutely love the freedom the MPC and Maschine gives me to work❤️👍🏿
When you talk about developing, I think a great danger with DAWs is thinking that you’re better than you actually when you’re starting out. It’s so easy these days to browse some loops in a DAW, click on ones that sound good together and without any editing, press play and go “I did that!” Well, no you didn’t. As someone who’s done this for 37 years and had 14 or more MPCs, the one thing I can say for sure is you’ll edit and chop your samples more to find your sound than you will on any DAW. I’ve just recently got my first new MPC in a while - an MPCKey 37 - and I’m so happy to be back in a place that feels more creative, especially with the fourth coming MPC 3 features. Great video. Really enjoyed it!
Look forward to listening! My two cents: I am on computers ALL DAY in the day job. And I play real instruments with real musicians, so I can't ignore the fact that muscle memory is a real thing. That's why I like working with MPC. And that's why I loathe any software glitches or super-obscure UI stuff. I want to relax and play and record.
Computers are definitely more powerful and flexible, but I prefer tactile and I don’t want to get home from staring at a screen only to stare at one more. TBH I prefer my acoustic guitar and banjo more than anything. Pick it up and it makes noise immediately
Couldn't agree with you more. Love, love my computer for work, I've just never figured out how to play it like an instrument. I wish I could do it! Would be so much cheaper and more efficient, but I love being able to make sound with my hands. So much respect to the DAW users. I'm probably listening to your music rn! But Ave always brings such a balanced perspective I admire.
Stick to where you’re comfortable at and keep on creating what you love to create that’s what matters😊 because at the end of it, they both do the same thing they both put out some good music either way😊
Im in IT business and sit in front of a PC all day, I'm glad to come home and dont have too use a mouse and keyboard anymore but can hit the Pads on MPC1
Honestly the best comment. I stare at charts and data all day and thinking of getting the one +
@@femz6438 you should bro, total worth it
Amen to the points on tech setup and configuration. I can hop on MPC 61 very quickly and don’t think at all about this stuff.
I remember when FL dropped and we started using that along with ACID. We got so much hate from the old heads. At that time we were strictly using the MC-505 MPC 2000 and the Rm1x. We couldn’t have imagined how far the DAWs would advanced to. FL didn’t even have a playlist or mixer when it dropped. I just remember how I was able to make so many more beats in a shorter time and how my sampling went to a whole other level.
Both are useful, in my opinion but you don't need a DAW to make music it's just cheaper overall. Most MPC users, including myself also tend to have more external gear and a few instruments.....dealers choice I guess. I prefer my x se and external gear but I will mix down in Ableton
Best daw for my laptop?? Sampling?. Beats?
Appreciate you a lot brother. I watched a lot of your videos the last weeks and you literally teached me how to use a MPC. Bless you 🙏🏽
I just got my first MPC after using Logic Pro for years. I must admit it’s pretty awkward for me right now. But I’m gonna stick with it.
Fam stick with it you going to thank your future self later lol.
I only been thinking about getting an MPC because I watch too much TH-cam lol. I love Logic Pro but it may be interesting to add something different to my setup.
same situation here.. I wish the MPC workflow was more intuitive as Logic Pro
@@KAUTIOUZBEATZ4Im not giving up myself. Ive watched a million videos and still learning. 😅. It's tough but i sense a light at the end of the tunnel
Just use both🤷🏾♂️
"When I first started out, computers were absolute, utter dog shit" - holy shit that cracked me up........... 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Windows 98 has entered the chat
Needed that Pentium MMX upgrade
just telling truth lol
"HIS" computer was utter dogsh*t, my producer used to make beats on cakewalk that were amazing, he produced for many rappers including joe budden etc. WMS The Sultan, look him up sometime.
Commodore Amiga with Protracker 2 and an external parallel port sampler module! 1993
Excellent work product on this channel. I am in the market for a groove box. I dabbled in the 90s and now I’m interested in returning to beat-making as a hobby. Your channel and videos like this are incredibly helpful for newcomers. I greatly appreciate your work. Thank you!
There is no better but what is better for you personally. Ask 100 people what is better and you’ll get 100 unique answers.
People who ask “which is better” largely don’t really understand their needs and wants, thus ask non-specific questions. When you understand your goals and needs, you ask better questions.
you have to realize what you want to do and when you do it doesn't matter the platform you just...DO
Right! Is like asking what is the best speakers.
Roger Linn designed the MPC to be played as an instrument and if you’re following finger drummers performing with it, you’d appreciate their musicianship w/o noticing just how good this instrument is. The human touch will always add value t😢o and personalize your production faster than a mouse click or drawing automation ever could. Without an instrument you’re limited to editing all time signatures/velocities in a piano roll. Of course you can always utilize a midi drum pad/keyboard to compensate. Main thing for me in production is leaving my markings on the project. My feels, my time and my weight within every precious millisecond.
Great comment, very well put, I agree. Salute to Mr. Roger Linn for giving us such a great instrument.
I started using a mixer, it killed the latency issue. When you use a desktop or laptop, you gotta optimize it for music. That means buying whatever improves your studio.
I recently started trying to use controller mode and the performance was so stuttery and poor. Don’t know if it was my laptop or what, but it ruined the entire process. I switched to my mixer for the first time (was previously using it as a glorified audio interface for a mic) and it’s been a way more fun process overall.
Underrated comment. Everyone should use a mixer when producing (if they can afford one).
Which mixer do you have?
The main reason I bought then sold the MPC Live, then bought a Live II is because I've used DAWs forever. I've got over 400 paid for plugins in my VST folder and my home setup is a monster, and the editing on the Mac with Digital Performer is insane. The thing that drew me back is my eternal search for a decent integrated drum machine, Maschine sucks for odd timing. Arturia killed Spark, Beatstep Pro with Battery or some other plugin is alright, but in the end what I wrote with the MPC was just better. Plus stand alone is appealing, being that you use the workflow the MPC was designed for. I have a solid workflow with my DAW and a computer, but things break it, it requires maintenance.
I, personally, use the MPC as my DAW. Also, I would never fully understand the critic about the 2 GB of RAM. I record alot of presets in the MPC. Pads, Chords that have an lenght about 8 Bars or longer, SFX and other samples. Even then I didn't even come close to pushing them to their limits. The RAM was at 45 percent capacity, no more. I make Techno and experimental stuff with the MPC
I don't know. For me its so easy to fill ram if I use bought plugins from akai. Studio strings alone eat 45% of ram.
@@esterix101 i dont often use the internal Synth of the MPC. Mostly I use external Synth and record the sounds straight into the MPC. Works fine.
@@thecreepysilence4290 yes, that's best. That's how MPC should be used honestly.
@@esterix101 when I use the internal Synth, then only the synth which are on the MPC for free. That are also great Synth
Absolutely true on all points. I’d add the tenth. MPC teaches to make music by ear. In the DAW I’m pretty much flying by numbers. On MPC if it sounds good, it’s good.
Though limitations of MPC also make some genres much harder to produce. If it is a soulful jam, then MPC all the way. But if I want to make a techno or electronica music, with ton of modulation and polyrhythms, then I’d go with a DAW.
Working with FLSTUDIO for over 20 years , I got my first MPC ONE last year , you can cook up quick with both of them and obviously FLSTUDIO is more powerfull , however making music on the MPC it lit , it's lots of fun chopping up samples and making loops with the pads , and it's super quick , also , whaaaa gwarn with the stems ? When we getting stems man
Same 🤲🏿💎
Im the same been on FL since 3.0 Ive had all kinds of gear over the years I always go back to FL. The work flow just works from me. I copped the MPC one last year and returned it. Wasnt for me.
@ntrinidad716 would be super lit 🕯 if FLSTUDIO brought out a Groove Box like the MPC , Akai would definitely be in trouble, FLSTUDIO big touch screen with 16 pads and keys , bluetooth , wifi , and can Charge up
FL already has stems too
Being able to go DAWless on my MPC ONE+ has changed my life. Back in the day I had a MPC 2500, 2000xl etc but I took a few years off music organically, When I came back to the MPC ONE+ has been the key to falling in love with creating music again.
Hi Ave, very good and important points you have made. Especially thumbs up for mentioning MIDI latency. And there is also the problem of MIDI jitter, which is latency's best friend 😏. And there is another point: yes, we can talk about power, memory, number of plug-ins, does the Minimoog in that VST sound 1% better than the MPC plugin and so on.... But the most important point is: What instrument inspires you? And I got a lot out of your statement that this point is also there for you. Hm, I can also plug a controller into my laptop, I can have a controller like Push or Maschine and trigger my sequences, I can plug a controller for my synths into my laptop.....yes, you can. But the "feel" of the direct access of a Groovebox (I had an MC-707 for example) is so much more "direct" and configuration free and hands on. Even these Grooveboxes are just computers. But all this "slightly" better timing, accessibility, no configuration and of course the focus on the music is inspiring. And that is what music is all about. I have Logic Pro and look forward to getting an MPC Key 37 as my inspirational tool. Thumbs up for the video!
And whatever you make music on just enjoy the process and have fun 😂
True.
Thankya!!! 🙌🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
You've made some valid points. Latency being 1. Adjusting buffer sizes between mixing and recording is a headache. Also the point on finger drumming. I have a MPC Studio MKII and although it's good for finger drumming, it's not the most aesthetically pleasing to look at like an MPC stand alone unit. Great video.
On my smartphone I can record any sound from everything on internet and turn it into music. That's powerful. We didn't have that just few years ago. I don't know what people are looking for.
Hmm. What u recommend. For my laptop. Sampling. N beat making
@arkimwilliamson4429 I honestly can't give you a good advise sinse I haven't stayed current with other programs for years. I personally use FL Studio and Mixcraft. Are they the best? Probably not. Many people use Ableton, Studio One, Logic... I'm pretty sure any of those have something to offer. The guy who made this video probably has tried more programs and can tell you what he likes and dislikes about each of them. I can mostly talk about how I got to use FL Studio but that's not going to be very helpful.
@arkimwilliamson4429 I am using FL Studio. I can't make comparison with other programs because I don't use them. I am simply not the right person to give advice.
Been using a DAW for about 3 years now, and honestly Ave made these lil machines look real tempting
Have the Rossum SP 1200, Mpc 3000 LE, 4000 Studio Maxxed, Mpc Live, Maschine Studio, MK3 (x2), Maschine+, Isla S2400, 404 MKII, TE KO II (x2)
I recently pulled out my push 2 controller, connected it to a 5 year old laptop (i7 2.8 quad, 1TB M2 Nvme, 16 gigs ram, win 10, opened live suite 11 with Serato sample 2.0 and it absolutely blew my mind. I suddenly look at all the aforementioned units and ask myself why I’m keeping them? If I had to choose one standalone to keep it would be the mpc 4000. If you know, you know. How or why the 3000 LE and the SP1200 sell for more baffles me. They do not knock more or sound or feel better to me.
I’ll be using push 2 w live 12 suite (just bought the upgrade) and Serato sample 2.0 (man is it sweet) until for whatever reason I get bored and jump back to the 4000.
What a fantastic sounding standalone; OS 1.71 holds up well and I have internal/external ssd hooked up to it.
Using translateor 7 pro I can easily batch export mpc expansions, kontakt libraries , etc to mpc 4000/3000; route the 4000 into Live/Pro Tools Ultimate via analog out, or Adat to arturia 16 rig, RME UCX
I honestly can’t say one is necessarily better than the other. What I can say is that we all have a problem worshipping akai mpc’s. And being a gear head with adhd makes it worse because anything with buttons or pads that comes out and sounds halfway decent we instantly purchase.
Akai will eventually fail because it chose to go the consumer route over the pro studio route. And many of us turned into consumer/customers and abandoned the producer/pro studio for do nothing home studios to post music for free on social media (Saturday morning cook ups and look at how pretty my mpc is).
🤷🏽♂️
You pretty much hit the nail on the head. I've been into music production as a hobby since I was a kid in the 80s. Midi recording has always been a tricky one for me, nothing was ever compatible with anything. And synthesizers recording functions were so cumbersome that I basically gave up. I fared no better with Cubase or the likes, too overcomplicated and youtube tutorials were never up to par with the current or whatever version I had. No to mention the ASIO driver adventure, and the sound interface lag adventures you're mentioning.
Then I bought an MPC key 61 on a whim 2 years ago when it launched, basically because it kinda ticked all my boxes. Oh boy did it change everything in my musical life. For the first time in my life I could just press record, pick the next sound, press record or dub again, and everything was logical - didn't even have to read a manual, now THIS thing is intuitive.
In fact - I'm not very spoiled for success stories, so to me - sitting there 5 minutes later with an actual beat, an actual song, an actual production... in 5 minutes was to me something I'd never ever think I'd see or experience in my lifetime, and I'm old now. I wish I had discovered MPC's years ago, but I always thought they were for beatmaking only since so many beatmakers used them, and I'm a traditional synth slash piano player self taught with all the bad habits you can imagine, so it's a special sauce for sure.
But that's were I was so wrong, the MPC is an entire music studio, and it hooks up to whatever I throw at it. In fact, I could hook up ALL of my sound gear to it, and it wouldn't bat an eye.
The fact that I can sample on the spot, play music with synths on the spot, barely any setup-time AT ALL, just hit record and play, to me.. yeah, It was one of those Holy moments people talk about when they see the light. I've never looked back since.
IF YOU DIDN'T COME UP IN THE ERA OF THE
MPC
ASR-X
SP1200
YOU WON'T UNDERSTAND.
ANYTHING A DAW CAN DO
I CAN DO ON AN MPC OR ASR-X
I had to do a lot with a little.
Too many people are too comfortable going along to get along.
I use the MPC and the ASR-X
I also use
REASON 12 and MASCHINE 2
I love Reason & Maschine
I JUST LOVE The MPC and ASR-X
BETTER 💯👌🏾❗
I came up during that era…. It’s just I could never afford any of those devices. That stuff was inaccessible to a lot of people because of the price point.
@@ant1198 I'm from NYC so the prices probably were a lot cheaper than elsewhere.
Some reasons were that there were hundreds of recording studios around so after a while you could always catch a really good condition ASR-X or MPC
for a deep discount at Sam Ash , Manny's or Crocodile Computers and later on Guitar Center.
However that SP1200 never really came down in price.
I started working with DAWs back in the late 90s with ProTools ...
I hated it then and I hate it now.
I just find it way too expensive to be so freaking complicated.
Reason for me is a lot better on the stress level. But check this out I've done many projects everybody knows on the radio some time ago with an MPC 2000XL and an Ensoniq ASR-10.
Nobody cared how I did it They just knew I got them the sound they were looking for.
100%. Been playing instruments and using DAWs for 30 years. Got a Live 2 last year and I've never been so productive. Limitations. Muscle memory. Then it's just you
Man I could not agree more I’ve been going through it with my computer 🖥️ not my MPC turn on and go make beats 🎧
Hybrid is the way. Get hardware that offers something unique regarding sound or workflow. Save money & do the rest with plugins.
I agree with this! I need a little of both to keep the momentum going. Sometimes I need to slow it down, sometimes I need as little friction as possible. Each environment offers different avenues for inspiration for me.
💯% true. A DAW and one groove box at least. I usually say: If you want to figure something out, go two routes at the same time, and you can't miss the target.
Reasonable points indeed.
I have both so I suite my emotional flex. My MPCx is cool but Bitwig has me so gripped with hardware synths at hand to join in
Bitwig?
@@arkimwilliamson4429I mentioned Bitwig in my post
I came from the mpc 1000, and korg triton LE before that (and 4 track tascam tape before that lol). And i recorded everything on a 16 track Fostex digital recorder. When computer production & recording first started becoming a big thing, i just couldn't get with it. Computers just weren't up to the task yet. Too many glitches, crashes, and waiting around for them to "think" lol. It just broke my creative flow. I liked how my harware just did what you asked it to do. Everytime and without big headaches.
I finally broke down tho and made the switch about 6 or 7 years ago. Nowadays it doesnt make much sense to do it any other way. And its not practical trying to finish a whole track with vocals on just a grovebox. But i still love the grovebox workflow. I use Maschine to do the bulk of my beatmaking, then transfer the stems over to the DAW for final arrangement/production/mixing and recording. I've just never been able to really get into doing the whole production process in the box (daw). And in the end Maschine ended up being a better choice for me than the MPC was because of the NI vst integration, because i dont do very much record sampling anyways. I will from time to time...but i mostly sample the instruments i play and flip those samples. Maschine makes it easy to do that, and gives me a ton of sound options to build a musical production around my samples.
And yeah, im that guy that only owns one computer (mackbook m1 pro)...but ONLY use it for music production lol. Nothing else.
I dont like to take risks infecting or bogging down my computer with garbage thats gonna slow it down. Only time it ever goes online is when i need to upload or update my vst's or DAWs.😮
I used an MPC 2000 in the 90s with a Roland xp50 and Kurzweil k2vxs.
I found that it was much faster to get a song started and you focused more getting parts right than tweaking sounds/effects.
When I transitioned to a DAW and mainly softsynths, it was a bit slower to get a good foundation going.
Thank you for some great points! I'm considering getting my first MPC on my tax refund for many of the reasons you mention: higher audio quality, dedicated audio solution, less distractions.
I hadn't considered the issue of latency, but with all the work I do syncing samples to line up directly when I hit a pad on my 404, hitting a key on my laptop and hearing a synthesizer note half a second later would be so annoying!
The one other big reason I'm considering a dedicated hardware DAW is, I make stuff on a laptop ALL DAY for work. When I clock out and make some music, I don't want to feel like I'm still at work. I want to feel like I'm really playing an instrument and making sounds to groove to before I ever cut the track.
At the end of it is, shouldn’t matter what you use the MPC, or a audio doll. They both do the same thing basically create music. What matters is your ear 😊
Truth is the mpc architecture is ancient and modern daw far surpass it and easily too. The workflow of the mpc and the all in one box appeals to loyal users which is preference and totally understandable
As a song writer, MPC is slower and less precise, but it's an actual instrument and production center. DAWs just don't feel right. Souless. Most songs I write with the MPC just come out better. If course, all post is best in DAWs. But for actual composing, DAWs are terrible for most musicians
@@s.gharavi1614 agree on some points but when it comes to cutting edge sound design and modern digital synthesis for electronic productions an mpc isn’t quite there.
I use both I should say, But for very different purpose
Just got the mpc one + last month it's better imo I been using fl since 07 🤲🏿💎 it's better to arrange and really get immersed into the music imo I prefer to make all my beats in the mpc now I use fl for a my daw 💯🤲🏿💎
I used to love making beats on my MPC 2000, great sound, great workflow as a producer. But when it comes to tracking and sending the beat to a daw to record and mix…what a pain…! I remember being with an artist, setting up the beat to the song, arrangements and stuff, then sending it to the computer, record the artist, then he was like, I’d like to change that part of the beat, then you do it, then there’s another one…hours of refining stuff. I switched to daw around 2003 for that reason
I play instruments. I like to play my drum tracks and melodies. I'm not a mouse arranger. No disrespect to those who are, but nah.😂
this may be good or bad but i have been making music on my MPC ONE for a year and have not used my computer for music the whole time. I'm also a full time musician playing gigs and what not. The MPC ONE is a musical instrument that happens to also be similar to a DAW.
Cognizable is the word you were looking for. Had to look it up myself, didn’t even know that was a word tbh
I like this,...everything this guy say's is always factual!!! Big up my G!!!!
I use all different ways to create music. I have a mpc one, mpc live 2, mpc 2000xl, mpc blk, ni maschine studio, fl studio, cubase pro, reason 10, studio one artist, roland fa06, and korg Nautilus. Enjoy them all. Make em knock.
Which one for my laptop???. I5
Was thinking about MPC, but I've already spent on an audio interface, hardware synths and a midi controller with pressure sensitive pads & 16 control knobs plus a keyboard. I've decided to push the limits of what I already have. Little difference if I use a touchscreen or a touchpad to switch tracks & hardware synths are knob per function. MPC requires mapping 4 knobs to software synth params & clustering them as pages. MPC might have been a great value proposition back when computers were slow, but things have changed.
I just make stuff for fun, starts in my office, ends in my office. I work completely on my MPC and I love it. A DAW looks intimidating and exhausting.
Weak arguments tbh. Not only are they overlapping, but they're up for discussion as well. And for every MPC argument out there you can bring up at least 3 arguments why to choose for a DAW. In fact, I wouldn't even recommend an MPC to newcomers. Get the basics of how music production works first by learning a DAW, which is a cheaper, a more intuitive, and a more fundamental solution. And only then, consider an MPC. The MPC gives you more of a tactile, hands-on instrument experience (an important argument you didn't mention) but for arranging, mixing, mastering and finishing your tracks a DAW is really where it's at. So it's generally best to start your music production journey there IMO and get the fundamentals right.
I hate DAWs so much that I stopped making music because of them and only came back to music when the new MPC software advanced in 2016-18 time period. I'd never tell any actual musician to use a DAW. But you're absolutely right that DAWs are unbeatable for mixing and mastering.
What’s the chance a newcomer to production learns anything about music theory using a mpc.
The danger of the mpc is getting stuck in loops, to limit yourself to just a mpc when we’re in the digital age of computers and daws is just silly.
@@Jdj28373 I'm not a MPC loyalist and I don't make sample based songs. I'm a song writer and I've been blown away at how easy Akai makes basic song writing. It's not going to teach theory, but there's a ton of scaling and note tools (EG. Pad Performance let's you set the specific scale!), so theory can be applied rather easily.
And I don't use any loops. The biggest issue for MPC is that it's slow, limited and imprecise in many ways compared to a DAW. Like having 100 track songs spread over 50+ sequences, which I often do, is challenging to manage.
MPC also has a sound and character that might need to be adjusted for.
But I used to use an EMU E4XT Ultra and that thing was so complicated that even Depeche Mode couldn't figure it out and had to get an EMU engineer to fly out and help them with it.
24 years later and the MPC is a dream. I do miss EMU's beatmungler tho 😆
And quite honestly, I trust that MPC for formats will outlast PC ones. I hate redoing songs.
I'm so glad I ditched Cubase. But sometimes I miss the speed and precision of it.
The good news is that most DAWs are so good for post production now and even if the post production files are gone, the MPC files will still be ok.
@@Jdj28373 but yeah, the PC allows for a lot more. But I push the MPC to the limits and that's fun in it's own way.
I really hate not having certain tools, like a visual EQ tho or certain controls that a DAW gives.
But overall, I'm pretty happy using an MPC and avoiding the PC.
I use my MPC2 and with my MPC Key 61 in FLStudio 21. I find that I have more control of my plugins. It’s like using 2 programs in 1, only thing is that it’s hard to get it out of slave mode but I still love both FL Studio and MPC 2
You hit the nail on the head 👊🏾💪🏾💪🏾
How many tracks in the Spotify top 1000 were made on a MPC and how many were made on a Daw? Even DJ shadow uses Ableton these days. The newer MPC is a computer daw. It’s a fun box for sure but if you want to get serious with no limitations then a push 3 and a laptop is far superior imho.
Number 10 , the MPC is very portable live music performances! And just simple to take anywhere!
And a laptop isnt?
@@hip360hopit sure is but no one wants to make music with keyboard and mouse and painting midi expect trap producers
@@wm1573 tons of producers of many different genres use their laptop. 9th wonder for example came up using FL - think outside the box my guy
I own both a mpc and a MacBook air m1, I would say it's easier to make a simple track on mpc. A full song with intros, outros, choruses and effects can be done on the mpc. However this is where the computer takes over imo, it's just easier to work on the sequencer grid with a mouse and keyboard vs a wonky touchscreen. Both are amazing tools that compliment each other's strengths and weaknesses.
I started off in the 90s with the built in sequencer on my Yamaha SY55. I have honestly been trying to make the DAW thing work for 20 years and the temptation to open up browser or do other stuff is just too great on the computer. Ableton Live is probably the app that keeps me most engaged. I picked up a Fantom 6 a year ago and the sequencer is OK - such a pain to use Fantom with external gear though. I just bought the MPC One+ a few weeks ago and it feels like I'm back in the zone and just focus on music and being creative. I wish I had figured out how great MPCs are sooner. I'm finally getting into sampling which always seemed like too much work before the MPC.
Great video. I used both it's good to have options with your creativity .
that beat 🔥you taking over👊🏾
I utilize both! I create the skeleton of a song with the MPCX as a controller for the MPC Software. I then bounce all my MIDI files to audio. When I'm ready to lay vocals, arrange, mix, and master, I import those MPC audio files into my Studio One DAW for completion. In my opinion, MPCX & Software limits creativity, because so much more can be accomplished by adding a DAW to the process.
I like the workflow of the Mpc. Some of my best music has been made on it. I personally enjoy it more than using my daw. There is no right or wrong how you produce your music just use what inspires your creation. For me that's the MPC.
My prediction is that one day Akai will come out with a laptop style MPC functioning like an MPC but with pads and mini keys dedicated just for making music 🤔
Great Video! I have a Live 2 and X, and also FL studio. I agree especially with what youre saying in point 5 - as I use my PC for work, gaming and music its extremely easy for me to become distracted from making music with FL however with the MPCs its like your in your own little bubble just you and the MPC (in standalone I mean of course). I also find with so many plugins in FL its easy (for me) to get a little overwhelmed with choice.
Fl studio is literally running the game right now
Hmm which one.. How much?
These are all great points. One other one. The drum/sample programs, each program can have 128 samples and you can have 128 tracks of programs. As where, with a DAW if you want each drum separate you can only have one per track .
I'm mpc over daw all day but I gotta admit the mpc alone wasn't enough for me. I'd say the average person would greatly benefit from getting a general purpose type synth like a phantom or a modx or something like that. Not necessarily a must, but an extremely welcome plus if you plan on shyting out beat after beat.
Making beats on mpc is just plain more fun. 🎉
As much as I love fl and use it to this day… I say this all the time. When I turn my mpc on it makes fl sound flat and mpc sounds full out the box.
And the work flow is actually faster because it’s more focused on creating and doesn’t have a million things they get you off track like fl does.
Last thing mpc forces you to learn music theory and playing etc if your not a sample based producer.
I can’t say one is better than the other but they just have their differences
As someone who's favorite MPC was the 2500, my MPC Uno is everything I ever wanted from Akai. Me and my crew started with the 60mkII, that got stolen. It would be many years until I got the MPC1000, only to have my pads die. I switched to FLStudio and Reason cuz Toomp used to go on about how that was all he ever needed. Nope. Not me. I did use Sony Acid to make my own loops, but I dropped them to the Compact Flash with BPM data. I have always lived in the Akai Workflow, and none of these "improvements" will ever replace it.
I’m running a Core i9-13900K with 64 GB of memory. I have Reason 12 and I’m using a MPC One and a Maschine Mikro Mk3 as sound modules.
I came from the days of all hardware but after use DAW Software I couldn't go back I have everything under one roof and I find the Software so flexible for me...
Hello from france and peace i love your video and your work and you are in the mpc familly and for me the mpc user is a life style and all the mpc user have want to have the power of the mpc but there need some limitation in the workflow for have a maximum possibilty to create music me i have mpc softwar with mp232 and i have my mpc 5000 beacause it's a powflull music production center and it's realy easy to use and for the hip-hop /dancehall It's powerfull tools !!!!
Akai mpc for ever😉🖖
I use both...an MPC and a Mac, here is the thing they're both great but no computer sounds like the MPC.
Honestly i use both...i start my beats on mpc one +...i cannot live without it...i do drums hats bass and melody...then i switch to logic where i add things if i need to...like strings (with native instruments plugins) 😊😊😊
Fantastic video. I appreciate your thoughts.
As a longtime user of both and a owner of a Live mk1 I prefer Ableton Live over all. I’m just faster and have way more options in the DAW but I still get busy on my MP as well. Glad to have both but if I had to choose one it would be Ableton.
Mpc1 and Yamaha montage 🔥 never going back to daw
Ya, The workflow on mpc can not be beat im sorry. Ive seen people say MPC is slower you have to go though 100 different things and its mostly people that doesn't know how to work one as ive seen videos of people flying though the mpc faster then they would in FL studio or DAW
Hopefully Image-Line will come out with a MPC. They I-L has their mobile version, they came out with the Fire and a keyboard.
Hell they could come out with a Switch/Steam Deck version.
That way I can go from the pc to the bathroom without stopping along with being able to use it as a add on for when I'm on pc.
Respect Ave MCree, first comment highlight of mine to make a video. Momma I made it 😂
One thing I really like about MPC over my desktop based setup is having the q-links already pre-mapped to everything.....much easier than having to go in and figure out which controls I want to midi learn....I'll also shout a warning that if you want to produce on laptop stick to 1080p resolution because a good number of plugins are not updated for higher resolutions yet and on a smaller screen that basically makes them unusable (learned that the hard way lol)
Great video as always. I've gone back and forth on this. Never owned an MPC, but wanted one for like 20 years, lol. I think once stems is fully out, I'm going to cop a MPC ONE. Just for the fact that it's only for beat making and it does that 100%, no latency, no plugin problems, etc..., and not writing emails etc. Can you fully master a track out of the MPC? I always thought that it still had to go through a DAW at some point?
Yeah you can master and export a song out on MPC, but I still prefer exporting to my DAW for final mastering. I use multi and compression slot, and better reverbs.
@@muzikman2008 nice. Can you export the tracks out individually to master them?
@@saskatchewandave yes you can... "explode tracks" is your friend 😎👌
Been ableton gang since 09 but recently added an sp 404mk2 to my set up and enjoy the fact that if it sounds good on the headphones it sounds amazing when I play it in the car or on cellphone speakers
MPCs make my mixing process a little bit easier, so do analog synthesizers. The sound is just better warmer, sometimes perfectly saturated. I don‘t have to do that much processing on 1 sound, when I‘m working with analog
Still have to put it in a computer, mpc just adding steps, let me here a record from just mpc.. mixed mastering and vocals
After using a variety of PCs for years, I haven't really ran into latency issues for playing/recording synths.
Main thing is understanding buffer sizes, ASIO/ASIO4ALL drivers. As long as you ain't using something ancient you should be fine.
MPC with an updated 2TB or 4TB SSD hard drive all day.
i own the key37 the live2 and MPC one plus happy with all 3 the mpc software is my daw of choice for now
I am one of the minimalists who are trying to do more with less. If I can get everything done on a smart phone I will. You can get more sounds on the computer at the moment but that may change some day in not too far future. After using FL Mobile for few years I know it's almost there. For now you have to figure the work arounds around the limitations but it's almost there. For what I am trying to do there is almost no limitations if you figure out how to maximize what you have.
I have used Apple computers and Ableton Live and Logic Pro…and then I got my own MPC, and I would never go back to production exclusively on a computer in a DAW. I 100% prefer MPC and hardware synths. I have many pluggins: Falcon, Deva, Serum, Zebra, Brazille, Pigments, and many more; and yes they are great in their own way. For me I’ll take my MOOG Matriarch and Waldorf Iridium; it is just better for what I want to do with it sound and workflow. I love working with samplers: MPC, SP 404 mk2, Polyend Tracker mini, CHOMPI, Teenage Engineering KO2 they are just fun, musical, inspiring and sound great. Also an honorable mention, having a record player has me listening to so much music I would not have listened to or relistened to, I don’t stream music (other than some you tube. But I do buy vinyl at real record stores and in goodwill and any and every place I travel to. So essentially my MPCs and my record player(s) have changed my life.
I love to use my MPCX in controller mode with 3 screens 😁
Ave..Thanksfor opening the floo rto this subject.....It's not about RAM,per say, it's about the CPU, and Akai's ARMS CHIP IS OUTDATED(10YRS old), let's keep it a 100 ,if the computing and processor is powerful then this will help the more to come Plugins that are CPU intense, Akai is depriving the community when TOP TIER PLUGIN COMPANIES could/can provide the latest and greatest, but the Units(MPCs) can not provide the compatibility to compliment the software, but there's a solution....AKAI NEEDS TO CREATE A MODULAR UNIT(S) ,WHICH IS EXPANDABLE AS THE PUSH3...if Akai is worried about sales ,then simply make OEM PRODUCTS.....CARE TO AGREE or Disagree Ave????...My Legacy MPC 2000xl is a TRUE STANDALONE, NO COMPUTER DEPENDENCE ..AVE do you agree or disagree????THANKS for a reply
I like both for different purposes...
Dope vid Ave! we all ghosted that pirates of the Caribbean producer at some point in our lives lol.
Man the MPC Live 2 made me realize how many hoops I have to jump thru to do the same things that I never thought about before getting it. Latency all day no matter what I get. Midi controllers that need drivers for each daw that don't support all of the features. Licenses always running a check, free plugins missing when they update to the next generation. I just turn on the MPC, plug in a cable to sample and keep it moving. I rarely have this experience on my gaming desktop in the 20 years I've been doing this as a hobby/eventual business. PC is fun but MPC is mostly painless
Using the UAD Volt inputs to PRINT your tracks from the current MPCs into a DAW…Do you hit the ‘vintage’ button on the Volt or not?
💎💎💎 thanks for the clear insight on this... what about CPU issues because Kontakt is a killer of that!?
I dig what your saying I want a mpc but don't know which one to get😊
I'm definitely gonna get an MPC Live 1. Been practising on my boys Live 1. Love the drum sounds. I'm a heavy logic Pro user. One things for sure tho, AKAI HAS TERRIBLE SUPPORT. I have homies that have a few MPC's each (which is why I'm gonna get one cuz I can get all my questions answered). I recently started using the MPC Beats software, LOL what a mess, 2.13 is full of bugs and crashed my MacBook Pro. Very frustrating if you're coming from any other DAW where you don't have to align multiple screens to make sure your pad plays the sound you loaded and doesn't disappear, LOL. I Think Akai has great sounds but the lack of customer support and poorly laid out software has turned a lot of people against the idea of buying into that. Most producers who own an MPC also have to buy a record player, including the cords, buy records, buy crates etc. It can get expensive. Not to mention storage space for all those crates. I agree with the performance aspect but most music producers I know aren't showing their process on TH-cam, so I don't think that applies to most music makers necessarily, MPC performance fans, 100%. Good video as usual tho.