MPC Live III vs Live II // What's in the Pro Pack? // Using MPCe and its Matrix
Hi!
Sure, it's the worst-kept secret in music tech, but do you know all the details? In this video, I actually manage to cover a few things that weren't leaked:
Exactly how to use the MPCe pads and what they can and can't do as of this version
Clip launching secrets!
A look at what's in the Pro Pack - in case you were considering upgrading an existing MPC
How's the new time stretch and stem separation?
... and more
I'll leave you to it :)
All my best,
Ziv (filling in the unleaked good bits, on a youtube channel called "Loopop"...)
Comments (4)
I didn't notice it in your video (apologies if I missed it) but one feature I think will appeal to many is the built in phono/RIAA preamp. From the videos on Akai's website it looks like this allows fairly painless sampling from vinyl (without any separate phono preamp with RIAA equalisation). Coupled with the stem separation feature this could be a quick way of importing old vocals/basslines/drum beats from vinyl and mashing it up in various ways. You might use other tools (eg. iZotope) if you wanted better stem separation or more comprehensive audio cleanup but as a quick and dirty way to put some ideas together it looks pretty impressive. Also you briefly mentioned Ableton Link support over Wifi (9:02) but I feel this is a big plus and it would have been nice to see it in action (eg. synchronised to something like LoopyPro on an iPad). It's barely mentioned on the Akai website - I found it in the manual but no mention on the product page that I could see. All in all, the feature set is pretty comprehensive : MPCe pads, touch strip, step sequencer with easy ratcheting (pretty popular nowadays), multi-touch display, clip launcher, audio/MIDI/CV I/O, USB Audio/MIDI interface, Ableton Link support, standalone operation with claimed 4 hr battery life, built in mic and speakers, Wifi/Bluetooth, SATA drive bay, reasonable selection of sounds, phono input, stem separation, looks like it has an interface that appears fairly responsive, seems to have good selection of FX and tools to chop up samples. It's hard to see any other competitor that packs so much into such a portable unit. I've already sent an email to my local audio shop asking for price and availability:-) As always, really appreciate your videos.
Thanks for the kind words (and for being here!) - I tested Link a while back in version 2 of the OS and it worked great but noted to test again in the next video opportunity for their products (or earlier if possible, but as you'll see October is going to be somewhat crazy in terms of the number of videos planned...). And indeed I show the phono inputs but don't really discuss it much since it's not in my sampling workflow
Great review, as usual. One concern with Akai is the licensing of plugins. I have a Force and the plugins often require re-activation, which in turn requires re-authentication of my Akai account (via wi-fi on the Force). If this fails for any reason, or I have not used the Force for a while, then the plugins stop working on existing projects. It can be very annoying, time consuming, and a serious problem if it happens in a live situation. Compare this with Korg's Kronos, for example, where expansions are activated once and continue working. What happens when Akai stop supporting the Force? I like the Force, and I prefer the 64 pad layout, which I have been very creative with in both percussive and ambient instrument setups. If Akai do not bring out a new Force, and do not change their plugin licensing method, then I am more likely to go with Push 3 standalone, even with its arrangement limitations.
Thanks! I agree with you 100% that it's a risk in a live situation (or if a company goes bust!), so it's a good practice to connect to wifi and "refresh" the license before. I'll try and get an understanding from Akai on what their policy is there and share in the next video. I have no idea what their plans are for Force (even if I did, I couldn't say, though...), but I think even what they've done so far in terms of updates is pretty rare compared to the competition.