Akai MPC

[LPF83]

If I had known how perfect the MPC would be for my musical vision, I might have opted for the Live II instead of the One+. The battery, speaker, form factor, and second internal drive aren't compelling to be individually, but in aggregate, I'd find them useful.

Theoretically, it's not too late to take advantage of Guitar Center's 14-day no-questions-asked return policy. But seriously, I'm happy enough with the One+. Also the very thought of going through all that retail rigamarole fills me with a profound sense of boredom that I can't quite explain. Anyway, I've grown fond of this panic-button-red thing, and my view is that an MPC One+ is probably the biggest bang-for-the-buck in music production.

Once I was satisfied that it would do what I bought it for, I started playing around with things I never thought I'd appreciate, like the XY pad, resampling, the Looper, Clip programs. This weekend, I'm going to spend some time with CV.

Right now I'm at the point where I think all I need is Finale, my Prophet 5, and an MPC.

For me the auto-sampling was a big wow, not because I'd never done it before, it's just that somehow it was more satisfying on the MPC.  You might try auto-sampling some of your favorite sounds from your Prophet 5, then work them into a track on the MPC along side the P5 live playing.  If you have a field recorder (I have a Zoom H5), try bringing in samples made from arbitrary household noises and related clangy sound sources for a creative diversion.

I originally bought the Live II mostly as a travel companion for a lengthy trip that I didn't want to be without music making ability on, and did not want to use a laptop for, so between the factors you mention like battery and form factor, there was no other viable choice for me.  I discovered lots of other uses for it beyond the original purchase reason, and then of course, started wishing I had some of the features of the other models.... for example sometimes I wish I had all of the QLink knobs as they exist on the MPC X and a slightly larger screen...  but, I don't want the bulk of that unit and I don't like the fact that the larger screen bounces when tapping pads.   Sometimes more dedicated buttons would be nice, but the Live II has most of the ones I really need, and shortcuts (like double tap and shift) for additional non-visible functions.  But the reason I've mentioned this is that I've noticed that some MPC users grow fond of the form factor and workflow of the model they start with.  MPC One users get used to the buttons and screen on top and switching after they've gotten used to it feels wrong... meanwhile Live II users get used to bigger pads and the screen on the right, and prefer that form factor and portability.  I'm sure MPC X users can't imagine life without the extra inputs and knobs.   

I've pondered the idea of getting a One+ in addition to the live, where the One+ would become part of my studio room (where there is less of a need for portability) instead of my separate live setup, because the price of the One+ is so tempting.  So far, however, I have rejected the idea only because I like the separation I have between my compact setup and studio rig, and I am increasingly trying to fend off gear lust and spend more time going deeper with the instruments I already have rather than add more gear.  My recent acquisition of the OB-X8 module has pulled my attention in that direction at the moment, so I have not been doing as much with MPC in the last few weeks, but that will shift again after the honeymoon phase with the OB-X8 is over.  I like the fact I can bring the Obie module into my compact setup room and hook it to my MPC easily. 

I must admit though, I have pondered the purchase of a Tascam Model 12 to use as an audio interface connected to the MPC.  Apparently not all audio interfaces work well with it (because USB on Linux is a different thing than the officially supported OS of most audio interfaces), but I believe that one is known to work well.  But then I find myself looking at the small table my compact setup exists on, and putting the brakes on that purchase, once again falling back to the idea that my compact setup should be only an idea springboard and not grow into a second studio rig.

[chysn]

For me the auto-sampling was a big wow, not because I'd never done it before, it's just that somehow it was more satisfying on the MPC.  You might try auto-sampling some of your favorite sounds from your Prophet 5, then work them into a track on the MPC along side the P5 live playing.

Thank you for calling my attention to auto-sampling. I had no idea it could do that! I made a P5 key group, as you suggested, and I can see this being a pretty useful feature. For example, I could start with a P5 patch, but edit each key to be radically different, resulting in sort of a "prepared synthesizer."

If you have a field recorder (I have a Zoom H5), try bringing in samples made from arbitrary household noises and related clangy sound sources for a creative diversion.

I have a Tascam DR-05X, and file transfer works exactly as I'd expect. So I'll play around with that, too.

But I think tonight, I'll focus on CV!

I have rejected the idea only because I like the separation I have between my compact setup and studio rig, and I am increasingly trying to fend off gear lust and spend more time going deeper with the instruments I already have rather than add more gear.

Yeah, I get that. It seems like having two different MPCs would just be whiplash, seeing all of the inconsistencies between the button layouts.

[LPF83]

Yeah, I get that. It seems like having two different MPCs would just be whiplash, seeing all of the inconsistencies between the button layouts.

This and also I'm either dealing with constantly moving an SD card between the two, or some tweaked sound I did on one is not on the other, etc.  Honestly if I found out they release some sort of wi-fi "sync  everything" feature for cloned MPC setups, that would probably put me closer to a purchase scenario.

[chysn]

I bought OPx4. I just had to have it. It’s amazing.

[Manbird]

Have to say, the conversations between you two always make me wanna buy whatever it is you're going on about! Had to really dig in deep to remind myself the MPC isn't really something I'd have use/need for. But... thing! Want thing!

[LPF83]

I bought OPx4. I just had to have it. It’s amazing.

Agree, the thing with FM synthesis on dedicated hardware (at least from memory thinking back to my DX7 days) was that the editing surface rarely unlocked the potential underneath.  FM is a weird beast, and the user interface into it sort of dictates the types of sounds that will likely be created by it as well as the limitations and possibilities.  So in that regard, the touch screen of the MPC controlling OPx4 is amazing.  At one time I was considering buying a Kodoma Essence FM as a touch screen solution to FM synthesis... but this plugin for the MPC kind of scratched that itch, and if I ever want a 6 operator true DX7 algorithm clone, I already have that in other plugins.

[LPF83]

Have to say, the conversations between you two always make me wanna buy whatever it is you're going on about! Had to really dig in deep to remind myself the MPC isn't really something I'd have use/need for. But... thing! Want thing!

It's one of those devices that I never justified until I had a specific travel use case, but it's been kind of eye opening.  In the past I always thought of this as hiphop/trap production oriented which isn't really my genre, but they've become so much more than that.

[chysn]

Have to say, the conversations between you two always make me wanna buy whatever it is you're going on about! Had to really dig in deep to remind myself the MPC isn't really something I'd have use/need for. But... thing! Want thing!

To echo LPF83's thoughts, I've always understood MPCs to belong to hip hop and related genres, and so never really dug in. But it turns out that modern MPC is really more of a return to the most productive practice of electronic music making I engaged in, when I used an Alesis MMT-8 as the heart of my compositions in the early 90s.

I never gelled with computer-based recording. I tried for years. I engaged in the sunk-cost fallacy of, "This cost a lot of money, I should learn to enjoy it." The MPC is me putting an end to that kind of thinking.

I get the limitations. It's not for everyone. Eight audio tracks is plenty for me, as I usually compose in three parts. So it does what I need, and more, and it brings me back to how I used to compose electronic music, when I really enjoyed it.

[plausibly]

I had an MPC One+ but returned it. I got it thinking I could use it in a portable way but I got tired of unplugging my headphones from PC + getting the power brick and connecting each of them to even do anything before I sit down on my couch/bed (and can't take it outside without an extension cord). I also disliked the buttons because the lights on them are so bright and direct that if you use it while laying in bed, it beams the lights directly into your eyeballs - not fun even with the annoying blinking metronome light disabled. Also, it's super hard to see any of the button labels in the dark despite the blinding LEDs. Anyways, I quickly returned it.

Bought a used Live II and hmmm yes, this is what I've been seeking. Actually portable, great speakers. I don't need to do a whole cable ceremony to do anything, I hit the power button and sit on my couch/bed and it's a dream. The labels are built into the button itself so you can actually read what it does and they're not super bright for no reason so I can use it in darker environments.

Also, the layout of the Live II is so much better. It's easier to use the screen since it's closer to you. One+, I had to reach further. Same with the knobs. And Live II makes it easier to play pads and use touchscreen/knobs since it allows my shoulders to be more apart and keep my hands at the same level (no hunching my right arm forward a little more to reach One+ screen/knobs). This also makes the MPC Live II screen appear slightly bigger since it's closer. Just more ergonomic overall.

And those speakers... having your music pound against your body/chest is a way different vibe than headphones. And when I'm out using headphones and people wanna listen, I just disconnect and bam everyone can instantly hear what I've been working on and other people can try finger drumming on the pads... lots of "ooh ahhs" haha. I like making a beat/song with my cousins... definitely would not be as remotely interesting to do in a DAW. Wish it had a built in microphone, but I know I am asking for too much. Wish it did have bluetooth audio support though... that would let you sample wirelessly and do A/B testing in enviroments where you can't connect wires like in some cars today. Workaround is a simple headphone-output-to-bluetooth-adapter but ugh, I don't wanna carry that.

And yea, I'm in agreement about all the plugins. AIR Music Tech did a great job designing the plugins to work on the touchscreen and integration with the knobs, the layout, tabs, etc. I really love how each plugin has its own vibe and visual character. Ableton Push 2/3 feels so visually soulless to me whenever I use it. Jura has that awesome vintage look and just feels so welcoming like a fireplace in a cabin by the woods. Opx4 reminds me of an OP-Z just saying "hey come play with me, I'm a fun toy!" which makes sound design easy - you can even do full on generative patches in it. The Fabric plugins make me feel fancy - I load up the piano plugin and pretend I'm on a stage about to play "Flight of the Bumblebees". Don't care if it's just samples, I'm gonna be adding effects, resampling, mangling, and more. I used to only do non-destructive stuff in the DAW and MPC really mellowed me out and made me take much more satisfying risks with my hands.

Also, the official MPC expansions are high quality. Don't sleep on them, especially the newer ones. They're not just one shot samples, but entire MPC kits/groups with all the effects applied, multiple layers, etc which let you see how the pros put together the sounds and lets you swap things out. Mixing is already good too. Really great starting points too.

When I'm feeling more experimental, I load up single cycle waveforms and create my own synths basically. And you can load four of them per keygroup combined with a bunch of FX, envelopes, LFOs, etc... it's a Digitakt on steroids. Or I try my hand at wave sequencing which is dumb easy on the MPC since I just resample a few plugin instrument sounds to a keygroup instrument. Korg Wavestate anyone? Another easy one is having two sample layers with the same length but shorten the length of one just a tiny bit and loop them - different sounds will fade in and out over time. MPC also has randomization and probability.

AIR Delay Pro is nice - especially that auto-clear which lets me have the longest delays in the world that get instantly tamed when the next note/sounds come in. Playing around with very high feedback lets you "trap" sounds almost forever coming up with sonically weird things that can be tamed with the built in limiter so they don't blow your ears out.

I also love all the sound shaping/mixing plugins (limiters, compressors, etc). Only two wishes: auto-gain and a spectrum analyzer. I am getting better at mixing by ear slowly though.

Don't sleep on the MPC List view. It shows all events in the sequence and you can set it up to be a super powerful step sequencer by using the Timing Correct as the step size and auto move to move time forward after each key/chord.

I don't own any hardware synths anymore. I almost bought a used Virus TI2 but thankfully stopped myself because there is just so much sonic variety in the MPC that I don't find myself wanting anything for a long time. Also, SSD prices have crashed like crazy... 2 TB for $60. 4 TB for $140. Grab one, throw it in the MPC Live II and never find yourself out of storage ever again. Samples for years and years. Make all your hardware synths into an auto-sampled keygroup and play them polyphonically, with crazy effects, mangle their samples, zoom in and cut out a tiny waveform and use it as a single cycle waveform to create a whole nother synth out of thin air.

MPC community is a bit cancerous though. Too many tough guys turning every comment into a fight. MPC Facebook Groups are definitely the worst. Or old school peeps swearing the sound of the old MPCs are better... there exists multiple plugins to modify character in much more noticable manner. Air Flavor Pro is quite nice and gives you everything you need to get the sound you want. Akai Force communities are notably better. I only signed up on this forum today because the conversation on this thread is civil as hell and wanted to drop my opinions.

Here is my most favorite MPC/Force Youtube channel. Joe makes amazing sound design videos walking you through the plugins, showing you techniques you never thought of, and doesn't waste your time. I recommend watching ALL his MPC/Force videos (everything is applicible to both except the envelope follower + pad scene video). He is super inspiring, down-to-earth, and has good taste when it comes to applying effects to his patches that he designs: https://www.youtube.com/@joefilbrun/videos

Happy musicmaking to everyone!!

[chysn]

Hey, plausibly, welcome to the forum!

You make a great case for the Live II. I went with One+ as a way to hedge against uncertainty, but I can see myself trading up at some point.

And I’m interested in a lot of the techniques you mentioned, single-cycle waveforms and layers. It’s clear I’ve only scratched the surface and have tons to learn.

[LPF83]

I had an MPC One+ but returned it. I got it thinking I could use it in a portable way but I got tired of unplugging my headphones from PC + getting the power brick and connecting each of them to even do anything before I sit down on my couch/bed (and can't take it outside without an extension cord). I also disliked the buttons because the lights on them are so bright and direct that if you use it while laying in bed, it beams the lights directly into your eyeballs - not fun even with the annoying blinking metronome light disabled. Also, it's super hard to see any of the button labels in the dark despite the blinding LEDs. Anyways, I quickly returned it.

Bought a used Live II and hmmm yes, this is what I've been seeking. Actually portable, great speakers. I don't need to do a whole cable ceremony to do anything, I hit the power button and sit on my couch/bed and it's a dream. The labels are built into the button itself so you can actually read what it does and they're not super bright for no reason so I can use it in darker environments.

Also, the layout of the Live II is so much better. It's easier to use the screen since it's closer to you. One+, I had to reach further. Same with the knobs. And Live II makes it easier to play pads and use touchscreen/knobs since it allows my shoulders to be more apart and keep my hands at the same level (no hunching my right arm forward a little more to reach One+ screen/knobs). This also makes the MPC Live II screen appear slightly bigger since it's closer. Just more ergonomic overall.

And those speakers... having your music pound against your body/chest is a way different vibe than headphones. And when I'm out using headphones and people wanna listen, I just disconnect and bam everyone can instantly hear what I've been working on and other people can try finger drumming on the pads... lots of "ooh ahhs" haha. I like making a beat/song with my cousins... definitely would not be as remotely interesting to do in a DAW. Wish it had a built in microphone, but I know I am asking for too much. Wish it did have bluetooth audio support though... that would let you sample wirelessly and do A/B testing in enviroments where you can't connect wires like in some cars today. Workaround is a simple headphone-output-to-bluetooth-adapter but ugh, I don't wanna carry that.

And yea, I'm in agreement about all the plugins. AIR Music Tech did a great job designing the plugins to work on the touchscreen and integration with the knobs, the layout, tabs, etc. I really love how each plugin has its own vibe and visual character. Ableton Push 2/3 feels so visually soulless to me whenever I use it. Jura has that awesome vintage look and just feels so welcoming like a fireplace in a cabin by the woods. Opx4 reminds me of an OP-Z just saying "hey come play with me, I'm a fun toy!" which makes sound design easy - you can even do full on generative patches in it. The Fabric plugins make me feel fancy - I load up the piano plugin and pretend I'm on a stage about to play "Flight of the Bumblebees". Don't care if it's just samples, I'm gonna be adding effects, resampling, mangling, and more. I used to only do non-destructive stuff in the DAW and MPC really mellowed me out and made me take much more satisfying risks with my hands.

Also, the official MPC expansions are high quality. Don't sleep on them, especially the newer ones. They're not just one shot samples, but entire MPC kits/groups with all the effects applied, multiple layers, etc which let you see how the pros put together the sounds and lets you swap things out. Mixing is already good too. Really great starting points too.

When I'm feeling more experimental, I load up single cycle waveforms and create my own synths basically. And you can load four of them per keygroup combined with a bunch of FX, envelopes, LFOs, etc... it's a Digitakt on steroids. Or I try my hand at wave sequencing which is dumb easy on the MPC since I just resample a few plugin instrument sounds to a keygroup instrument. Korg Wavestate anyone? Another easy one is having two sample layers with the same length but shorten the length of one just a tiny bit and loop them - different sounds will fade in and out over time. MPC also has randomization and probability.

AIR Delay Pro is nice - especially that auto-clear which lets me have the longest delays in the world that get instantly tamed when the next note/sounds come in. Playing around with very high feedback lets you "trap" sounds almost forever coming up with sonically weird things that can be tamed with the built in limiter so they don't blow your ears out.

I also love all the sound shaping/mixing plugins (limiters, compressors, etc). Only two wishes: auto-gain and a spectrum analyzer. I am getting better at mixing by ear slowly though.

Don't sleep on the MPC List view. It shows all events in the sequence and you can set it up to be a super powerful step sequencer by using the Timing Correct as the step size and auto move to move time forward after each key/chord.

I don't own any hardware synths anymore. I almost bought a used Virus TI2 but thankfully stopped myself because there is just so much sonic variety in the MPC that I don't find myself wanting anything for a long time. Also, SSD prices have crashed like crazy... 2 TB for $60. 4 TB for $140. Grab one, throw it in the MPC Live II and never find yourself out of storage ever again. Samples for years and years. Make all your hardware synths into an auto-sampled keygroup and play them polyphonically, with crazy effects, mangle their samples, zoom in and cut out a tiny waveform and use it as a single cycle waveform to create a whole nother synth out of thin air.

MPC community is a bit cancerous though. Too many tough guys turning every comment into a fight. MPC Facebook Groups are definitely the worst. Or old school peeps swearing the sound of the old MPCs are better... there exists multiple plugins to modify character in much more noticable manner. Air Flavor Pro is quite nice and gives you everything you need to get the sound you want. Akai Force communities are notably better. I only signed up on this forum today because the conversation on this thread is civil as hell and wanted to drop my opinions.

Here is my most favorite MPC/Force Youtube channel. Joe makes amazing sound design videos walking you through the plugins, showing you techniques you never thought of, and doesn't waste your time. I recommend watching ALL his MPC/Force videos (everything is applicible to both except the envelope follower + pad scene video). He is super inspiring, down-to-earth, and has good taste when it comes to applying effects to his patches that he designs: https://www.youtube.com/@joefilbrun/videos

Happy musicmaking to everyone!!

Hi, welcome, and lots of good comments here that I wanted to quote and comment on individually, but as this is my "morning tea before I go to work" time, I won't have time to go into everything... but, very quickly:

- I too like the form factor of the Live II, partially because distance to the screen.  On my compact setup desk, I usually have a desktop synth and a mini keyboard (right now the Akai MPK mini plus) in between me and the Live II, so the ergonomics of the horizontal layout work well for that.
- AIR Delay Pro.. I only recently bought this one but looking forward to digging into it more. Auto-clear is something more delays should offer. 
- I've bookmarked Joe Filbruns channel and will definitely check it out
- I really should take a look at some of the expansions.  I bought Kitmaker and got a bit sidetracked with the process of making my own kits out of my existing sample library, and soon I want to convert all of my Maschine kits to Akai format (the main reason I got Kitmaker).. I have more music related things I want to do than I have free time to do them all!
- Air Flavor Pro is amazing

[plausibly]

single-cycle waveforms

If you want a bunch of free waveforms: https://www.adventurekid.se/akrt/waveforms/adventure-kid-waveforms/
You can visualize them all before downloading: https://www.adventurekid.se/AKRTfiles/AKWF/view/waveforms_index.html

If you want something more professional and much more exhaustive ("25,724 distinct single-cycle waveforms, logically organized into 102 folder classes. 58 out of the 102 folders are new classes of waveforms."): https://www.galbanum.com/products/architecturewaveforms2010
Check the reference manual, which categorizes them visually with a description,  and example waveforms under "Links & Downloads"

Here is a rough guide on how to get started with single cycle waveforms on MPC (ignore video title). Basically, just take a small cut of any sample (or just load a single cycle waveform) and turn on pad looping. That's it. Then you can mess with the envelopes, LFOs, filters, random, etc: https://youtu.be/1Vx6dsbR5vU?t=284

layers

Btw, if four insert effects per pad aren't enough, you have eight drum fx inserts as well (less control, but common effects). A bit hidden (you must double tap effects tab): https://youtu.be/ALRKj8yslCw?t=32 . You can also use sends/returns to have a share effects. Default & replaceable first two sends are reverb/delay. MPC can also do submixes.

I really should take a look at some of the expansions

Check them all out here: https://www.thempcstore.com/mpc-expansions/
It's not just trap music drums haha. The code `MPCKEY61` (might not work) should give you 50% off on first purchase of non-new releases. I think there is a general sale for expansions every once in a while. If you register your device, you might get a code. The plugins also go on sale sometime too, so don't pay full price if you don't have to. Sometimes they also pop up on ebay once in a while like this one with the entire MPC Instrument Collection: https://www.ebay.com/itm/295811185003

[chysn]

If any of you MPC people want the Evolver digital waveforms, I uploaded the set here: https://forum.sequential.com/index.php/topic,5126.msg65339.html#msg65339

I originally used these for making Pro 3 wave tables, but realized that they'd be useful for MPC. For more authentic Evolver aliasing, use the WAV files in Evolver-128.zip!

After work today, I spent a couple hours playing with Key Group. Even without plug-ins, the Key Group makes MPC a super-powerful synthesizer! I had no idea how flexible this feature is. I made a two-oscillator Program with Evolver waveforms, had a ton of fun with that.

[LoboLives]

I bought OPx4. I just had to have it. It’s amazing.

Agree, the thing with FM synthesis on dedicated hardware (at least from memory thinking back to my DX7 days) was that the editing surface rarely unlocked the potential underneath.  FM is a weird beast, and the user interface into it sort of dictates the types of sounds that will likely be created by it as well as the limitations and possibilities.  So in that regard, the touch screen of the MPC controlling OPx4 is amazing.  At one time I was considering buying a Kodoma Essence FM as a touch screen solution to FM synthesis... but this plugin for the MPC kind of scratched that itch, and if I ever want a 6 operator true DX7 algorithm clone, I already have that in other plugins.

I believe the Korg Kronos And Korg Nautilus Both have a dedicated FM engine with a touch screen as well.

[LPF83]

If any of you MPC people want the Evolver digital waveforms, I uploaded the set here: https://forum.sequential.com/index.php/topic,5126.msg65339.html#msg65339

Thanks!  I've got a bunch of things I want to circle back and try with the MPC once I get past the honeymoon phase with the OBX-8, and will put this on the list!

[chysn]

My decision per MPC is this: I'm going to keep the One+ until there's an updated Live (perhaps Live III?). I will want battery power and internal speakers, and I want whatever upgrades the next generation will have (more RAM? Faster processor?). But for now, I'm perfectly satisfied with the ergonomics and functionality of the One+.

I did try the wave sequencing tutorials, and that was fun. But more importantly, I learned a ton about Key Groups in the process. The one type of MIDI Program I haven't tried yet is the Clip Program, and over the next couple days I'm going to have some time to learn about those.

I've created quite a few tracks with MPC, but it's all been finger painting, so to speak. You know how little kids do finger painting to learn how to mix colors and make shapes, that's what I'm doing with the MPC. So, like one-minute segments of things that sound cool, some of which I can go back and turn into actual musical pieces in the future. Some are nice and melodic, some are crazy and experimental.

[LPF83]

My decision per MPC is this: I'm going to keep the One+ until there's an updated Live (perhaps Live III?). I will want battery power and internal speakers, and I want whatever upgrades the next generation will have (more RAM? Faster processor?). But for now, I'm perfectly satisfied with the ergonomics and functionality of the One+.

Faster processor would be what might spark my interest in upgrading if they come out with a Live III, but after seeing how many instances of JURA I can comfortably run, I wonder if maybe increasingly better optimized plug-ins might be the answer (in which case it won't need a faster CPU).   For how I use mine, I can't say that I see upgrading any time soon. 

I did try the wave sequencing tutorials, and that was fun. But more importantly, I learned a ton about Key Groups in the process. The one type of MIDI Program I haven't tried yet is the Clip Program, and over the next couple days I'm going to have some time to learn about those.

 

I'll have to come back around and give wave sequencing a try sometime.

I've created quite a few tracks with MPC, but it's all been finger painting, so to speak. You know how little kids do finger painting to learn how to mix colors and make shapes, that's what I'm doing with the MPC. So, like one-minute segments of things that sound cool, some of which I can go back and turn into actual musical pieces in the future. Some are nice and melodic, some are crazy and experimental.

This is a lot of what I do with mine -- just sketch out ideas.  If you ever take it traveling on a trip of any length, you'll really wonder how you lived without it.

One of these days I'm just going to hook it up in the studio as a regular desktop synth and leave it there for a few weeks, and just use it like any other dedicated piece of hardware going through my audio interface..  Taking advantage of all the plugins, samples, drum synth etc.

[chysn]

I bought the MPC Orchestral Professional Edition expansion from MPC-Samples (https://www.mpc-samples.com/product.php/287/mpc-orchestral-pro-edition/).

It's pretty impressive. A real orchestra playing real classical music always has little articulation details from individual players that you can notice, whereas samples and synthetic orchestral sounds are homogenous. But these are clearly painstakingly-made samples. They mitigate that usual homogeneity by assigning slightly different samples randomly to each keypress.

It's my first third-party MPC expansion, and I wanted to get some experience working with them. I'm glad I picked this one, because I'll be able to use it.

I'm sort of getting good with the MPC. I made a starting template that lets me get right into things when I power it up. Specifically, I wanted my Prophet 5 to be active and come through both audio channels without having to set that up every damn time.

A minor annoyance: MPC ignores sysex data from non-MPCs. It would be the perfect device to use as a backup system for Prophet 5 programs, but nope. I have to use my iPhone for that purpose.

[LPF83]

I bought the MPC Orchestral Professional Edition expansion from MPC-Samples (https://www.mpc-samples.com/product.php/287/mpc-orchestral-pro-edition/).

It's pretty impressive. A real orchestra playing real classical music always has little articulation details from individual players that you can notice, whereas samples and synthetic orchestral sounds are homogenous. But these are clearly painstakingly-made samples. They mitigate that usual homogeneity by assigning slightly different samples randomly to each keypress.

It's my first third-party MPC expansion, and I wanted to get some experience working with them. I'm glad I picked this one, because I'll be able to use it.

I'm sort of getting good with the MPC. I made a starting template that lets me get right into things when I power it up. Specifically, I wanted my Prophet 5 to be active and come through both audio channels without having to set that up every damn time.

A minor annoyance: MPC ignores sysex data from non-MPCs. It would be the perfect device to use as a backup system for Prophet 5 programs, but nope. I have to use my iPhone for that purpose.

Thanks for reminding me of that site, I had stumbled on it when I first got my MPC, but never circled back.. the demos of the orchestral samples do sound great!

Right now I am in this phase where there is an unbalanced ratio between the number of things I would like to do with the MPC (and other gear for that matter) and the amount of free time I have in a given week.  Part of this is my own fault, I spend way too much time watching YT videos, and epic sized episodes (like the recent 2 hour Anthony Marinelli / Rob Rosen video where Rob picks apart a Yamaha CS-80) is endlessly fascinating and hard to pull myself away from.

But, back to the MPC -- the other day I was playing around with my Pro 2 and it dawned on me that this is synth absolutely must get auto-sampled into my MPC at some point.  Adding that one to the ever-growing todo list as well.

[chysn]

Today I bought the The Piano Suite* expansion from MPC Samples. I was interested in comparing it to the Stage Piano** plug-in. I know that a lot can be done with key groups, and I'm generally interested in piano sounds, so it was worth a try.

While Piano Suite is better than, say, the acoustic piano sounds in Hype, Stage Piano is the gold standard for MPC piano sounds, in my opinion. However, if you want to spend $30 instead of $100, Piano Suite is a solid choice.

One advantage of key groups like Piano Suite's is that they load up immediately. Stage Piano can take some time to process, and it can take 10 seconds or more from the time you select a Stage Piano sound to the time you're playing it. For the live and/or impatient musician, this can be a crippling deficit.

Piano Suite offers more than simply straight-up pianos, too. There are some cool atmospheric and experimental piano sounds, including the "dusty" piano, which comes with its own crackly-record background.

One of the areas in which Stage Piano shines over Piano Suite is sustain pedal response. Stage Piano's hold is very realistic, while Piano Suite's is truncated a bit too soon. It just doesn't ring true, no pun intended.

I'm happy to have both. But if I was going to have one piano for MPC, I'd easily splurge for Stage Piano again.

* https://www.mpc-samples.com/product.php/325/piano-suite-2-mpc-expansion/
** https://www.thempcstore.com/mpc-plugin-instruments/stage-piano.html