Akai MPC LIVE overview walkthrough

Our MPC guru, Chris finally gets his hands on the MPC live. We made this Akai MPC Live Walkthrough for your viewing pleasure. The MPC returns, armed with reimagined functionality and retaining the core workflow ethos that defined its iconic reputation. So, what’s new in MPC? Standalone functionality, audio track recording, clip launching, real-time time-stretching and pitch-shifting MPC Software 2.0 and much more.
check out the improvised Live performance with the MPC LIVE here: • MPC LIVE performance w...
MPC doesn’t just complement your workflow, it enhances it. With MPC Live the convenience of touch-screen control, full-featured functionality and standalone capability fuses with Akai Professional’s iconic velocity-and pressure-sensitive RGB 16-pad format. The result? Immersive, self-contained production and performance solutions meticulously designed for unprecedented creative expression without limitation.

[@chadmuskaa2806]

The MPC Live is AMAZING!! I highly recommend getting one after 2 months with mine. Absolutely stunning machine

[@D...Charger]

How you getting on with it one year on ?

[@Diddddu]

@@D...Charger I 'll say it's a slept on little.It does alot

[@TheCanadianDreamEvergreen]

can you record line instruments into it? like a guitar or a synthesizer? I saw some one hook up a synth and use it as a midi pad. though I'm more interested in recording my analog sounds into the machine?

[@jcedwar115]

The Crazy Canadian any interface can record into it at the line level

[@chadmuskaa2806]

@@TheCanadianDreamEvergreen YES

[@LukeLine]

So happy this was in my recommended... best musical purchase ever!!! 3years who and the Live still is crazy!

[@hojdog]

This is what I dreamed of having 5 years ago!!! I’ve been out of the loop and only just learned about this!

[@anthonyscott16]

This was certainly helpful. Thanks for putting it together Chris!

[@janemachine181]

Great intro and video // definitely see the possibilities with this beautiful machine. Thanks for going into it so thoroughly!

[@reneschier663]

You did the best conclusion imo! Thx for that!

[@billyfreeze1893]

the best demo I have seen , thank you , I owned and was overwhelmed , and returned it , now I'm thinking about it again thank s to your walkthrough , Thank you

[@palestboyatschool]

Thanks for that Billy!

[@elmortobeats5919]

Billy Freeze why tf Would you return a LIVE??? Changing it for a X i could understand..

[@aidanvinum]

Billy Freeze same here! :/

[@bboymac84]

Billy Freeze def get it back bro. You can create so much!!

[@symphonicclown]

More user friendly than all the other drum machines

[@CORNERSTOW]

this really helped me with my mpc touch thanks Chris you rock mate

[@palestboyatschool]

Great to hear that helped- thanks!

[@neptunesgold1216]

ZZounds $170 a month no credit check😉

[@FreddieShreddieTV]

i totally agree with diving in to just one bit of kit. i used to use a korg ecelctribe es1 which is the old green sampler. i used to make chord progressions on it, choppy beats and all sort of stuff. i now have a studio full of gear and really struggle at times to come out with any ideas. usually the bass needs work, the beats etc. this is because i would fine tune and make solid sounds with just one bit of kit and they would sound great with the limited sample time and gear. only the best will do on limited gear

[@alexandough]

Dope video. Very easy to follow, lots of good info! Thanks bro

[@paultimothycuthbert7290]

Spot on Chris! Cheers mate!

[@dissociatesound]

I think I'm aaaaaallllllmost ready to move on from my 2500 to the Live. Thanks for excellent demo!

[@BritoWorx]

Thank you for this really informative video. Hope you’ll be making videos for the upcoming 2.4 update coming in the next 2 weeks.

[@soupforare]

lovely to see the old 2k :3

[@trevormalcolm4328]

I’ve got fond memories of my MPC 1000. All or any limitations only enhanced my creativity and workflow.

[@mpclive5693]

AMAZING piece of gear!!!

[@pierredean7530]

YOUR VIDEO WAS VERY HELPFUL!!

[@ForSynthsSake]

A superb video. Well constructed and a great help with my new MPC live. Thank you for taking the time to make it.

[@palestboyatschool]

Thanks for saying! Good to know my rambling on has helped a bit!

[@ForSynthsSake]

bleikiofficial now i am fighting with mine i made a nice pattern of a couple of notes but cant see how to copy them and move to another bar in grid view, although i on y had it for a day now.

[@biggrime]

Great video that helped me out a lot

[@PaulWoida]

Thank you so much Chris! So helpful!

[@bveracka]

This thing = 🤯 I'm a traditional musician, and lately I've been taking my dabbling in electronic music more seriously. I really like the Caustic app. This functions similarly, except of course it's pro-grade, and far more capable. Seems like a great choice for an intermediate like myself. I may just buy one 😈. Thanks for the in-depth explanation-it was my favorite of all the ones on YT. Great review 👍

[@chadmuskaa2806]

GET ONE!!

[@nullvoid5866]

thanks for this video!

[@jasoncoffey7093]

Great video...thank you.

[@BabyFacedAssassin301]

Great review Just got one last week but haven't gotten around to starting on it

[@palestboyatschool]

Cheers there! Have a good time learning it, well worth the time!

[@GloPhase]

Hey excellent walkthrough. Quick question: Is there a way to choke a longer one shot sample when using "next bar" in next sequence mode? I'd like the option to jump around sequences with that function but when I do so the sample from the previous sequence continues to play. Mute groups only seem to effect pads choking within the same sequence. Any ideas? Many thanks

[@CharlieZelenoff]

Its amazing. GET ONE!

[@TheRmLifestyle]

Long live the Mpc line!

[@FuZZbaLLbee]

Two meg’s of memory, that’s a lot more then my Amiga with pro tracker 😋

[@DM-lz6iw]

right i buying one been loking at em for ages they are too good!

[@familyibrahim4662]

i have wanted this : just need the $ .. thanks for the info. This would really help my workflow . separate tools all in one.

[@bossmans_offie]

Just sold my Mpc1000 so I can get the live Absolutely loved the 1000 but very keen on the upgrade

[@BEAT_NEAG]

Considering doing the same, although I might miss my 1k. Did you get one in the end, if so how are you finding it, Dalia Lama?

[@blaczomby3045]

Best investment i made in my life !

[@CatLover-g7j]

Still??

[@treyvonsmith2349]

I am also curious if you’re still enjoying this machine

[@CatLover-g7j]

Treyvon Smith I LOVE it. It's truly unbelievable. Get one

[@symphonicclown]

BLAC ZOMBY I agree!!! People that are complaining either don’t have one or don’t know anything about music! Very user friendly!

[@CharlieZelenoff]

AMAZING!!

[@MinimalWave1982]

Underrated machine!

[@PHeMoX]

Call me weird, but I kind of would have liked the MPC Live a whole lot better had the touchscreen stuff been on the LEFT side, not on the right of the pads.

[@DumboSanchez]

PHeMoX you're weird

[@PHeMoX]

Hahah I guess so :)

[@klownaround5464]

PHeMoX just turn it upside down presto problem solved 😎🤓😆

[@aidanvinum]

PHeMoX Call meee crazy, but the interface looks fucking cheap. Like an android phone or something. Yuk.

[@FrancisXu0420]

AdrianVino but it's better than my otmk2

[@robelghiorghis3610]

thank you so much.

[@johnpaullovetek1809]

Fantastik chanel🙏masterclass 🎛️!!!

[@menefkhalife9820]

nice video thank you! can you import long 24bit wav, let say 80-90 min long and record into it additional layers ?

[@Dougie-]

You mentioned you got a lot more work done with the old MPC. So how about now? Has your productions increased again with Live or is the tech still standing in your way?

[@FlippDurch]

Nice machine. I just miss some integrated instruments, just the basics like a va synth and fm and drum instruments. Second the crossfader. And third: I would like to have the number of encoders with displays like on the x.

[@attentionlabel]

Can anyone tell me if you could use this live by just playing a backing track from it and sequencing drums over the top of the backing track?

[@livcela]

If you have an MPC touch and you plan on transfering to a MPC live, will all your files (beats) be saved during the transition? I assume it will but I have a lot of memory saved and want to make sure if I need to save them to a flash drive / hard drive before updating to the MPC live.

[@Avslappnandeljud]

How would you guys compare the pads of the MPC Live to NI Maschine (MK1)? I feel I have to bang the pads super hard sometimes so it's missing hits. Nothing wrong with the controller it's just not as sensitive as I want it to be. Same issues with the Live? Only answer if you've actually tried both, Thanks!

[@garyusinger]

I am trying to figure out how best to my Montage and my Korg Pa3x with the AKAI live? I am still trying yo understand how to use this equipment and if the Live is the way to go or should I look into going with the Maschine route. Any opinion? I asked the tech at Akai if I had a Live and a MPK 249, could I split up the controls using the MPC live pads along with the pads on the MPK keyboard and he said that I could use each one independent of each other as opposed to just duplicating the same sounds on the pads that are on the MPC live. Same with the knobs and sliders on the keyboard being you can set them to different controls and not the same, so that you can expand the control over the MPC live.

[@flotteur]

Nice tutorial ! Do you know if, in Song Mode, we can still run the song while doing other stuff (use the pads to finger drum, use the X/Y effect on the master). Because each time I launch a song in song mode, if I go to the X/Y, it exits the sequence ordering of the song and loops the current sequence, impossible to catchup the song order.... Thanks again !

[@nephildevil]

Using the MPC essentials plugin, and looks like I could just jump right in, wonder if it has the same filters and EQ though, which are great when transferring to daw

[@nephildevil]

but why would you need this if you have the plugin at all lol xcept to make beats on the train, but Caustic does all this shit too and costs €8

[@quantumeseboy]

Can you have velocity zones per pad?

[@smak8224]

Hello! My name is Michael. I want to know if the product Akai Mpc Live is good at triggering multitracks on the stage. I'm a keyboard player and I'm using a MacBook pro and Ableton for that. But, for some reason I want something more stable for my work on the stage. I had many unpleasant situations, and I found this controler a very interesting solution. Can you relate me if I am right, and if it's worth it for multitrack playback?

[@rhampton1914]

Very nice Demo. I just bought one @ Sweetwaters-com. Sounds like this would keep my Motivation going for a while..i love to create Video Game Old School Music

[@SteezyHop]

Do you need a mixer to sample from records like you did in the video?

[@THEBOOTLEGSERIES]

Thank You

[@liljons6753]

Does the mpc live have reverse play...?

[@RedVelvetOverAll]

Is the software easy to get? Thinking about buying a used one, is there license for the software or something like that?

[@DominoChild]

For anyone whose had this since it came out, any complaints? I know there's been some heat with some features not being included during launch.

[@liamhebden8857]

The only thing missing for me is a digital in and out so I can use my desired converters... I would very much like to use a apollo x8p to record in live samples, like vocals ect without having to down grade the quality of the audio to the level of the akai converters and then maybe the same with at least one of the outputs to make this a all in one device. The MPC 2000 had digital in and out, why not this or the MPC X?

[@neptunesgold1216]

Because the designers at these companies don't want your music to sound as hi fi as theirs.

[@johnnyparker2128]

I'm struggling with the MPC Live so I'll cross my fingers that this video will help me.

[@chadmuskaa2806]

Get the MPC BIBLE and YT " Tubedigga"

[@symphonicclown]

Johnny Parker this is the most user friendly drum machine I’ve ever used and I’m 45 years old and I’m new to the MPC!! I don’t have any problems with it! Everything isn’t for everybody!

[@youtubenatan]

Does anybody know what you would do if you had one of these for a long time and something happens to one of the buttons or the screen? Is there a warranty or would you have to get it fixed, and by who would that be? That's what scares me because I will be using this thing day in and day out when I get one.

[@teabagNBG]

the 10 inch screen doens teall y look biger comared to the 7inc htouch

[@tragicbeatzs8183]

Going to get the system 8 and the akai mpc live. Ahh my studio is near complete for now hehehe

[@anthonypowell7427]

music is. like. medicine

[@Anonymous-KB]

This may be a dumb question but... If I play an instrument into garageband, can I use this to add drums and other effects that garageBand cant? Im a beginner and Don’t wanna bomb 600 bucks on something That I don’t need.

[@svetrijmovlak1]

is it possible to record sounds from line-in signal while playing live?

[@evildead2002]

Is there a knob or button that changes the pitch of the sample your currently using like on the electribe samplers? Cheers

[@symphonicclown]

evildead2002 hell yeah!!! Why wouldn’t it!!

[@EBMZEQUENZER]

How many voices on this box ?

[@aidanvinum]

Cool video. Helped a lot. Does anybody know if the MPC Live supports Roli Seaboard controller and Expressive Touché controller?

[@symphonicclown]

AdrianVino yes! Via usb

[@Claudbar121]

Most of the drums and beats are directed to make rap or R and B or hip hop . What about New Age music or ambient ? For example

[@MinimalWave1982]

The live is superior in ever aspect compared to the 2000Xl But the 2000Xl has this natural compression if you record in the machine. Thats what i miss on my live.

[@kingcosmobeatstriceratops4499]

I want both

[@bigdap100]

I ordered one of these and I really hope that it's not a dud. I like the concept but my thoughts on Akai is that these days that they'll hit you with a gimmick that's not fully ready for the market. I've read the specs and checked out the testimonies and it seems like it's glitchy and weak on effects and instruments, I bet they skimped on the processors, the CPU and the graphics processing; which is unfortunate b/c the loyalty to the MPC is huge, Akai has super loyal users more so than any other hardware production machine. People would've gladly paid $2,000 for the MPC Live, they didn't have to make the MPC X. They could've taken this product and made it the most amazing thing on the market with good converters, rock solid CPU and graphics, great software (probably should've let the Cockos Reaper guys create the software) etc and the people would've flocked to it b/c the people are loyal to the product.

[@chadmuskaa2806]

Do u like it???

[@symphonicclown]

Chad Muskaa he doesn’t have one! But I love mine! I’m not sure how this guy ☝🏾 can make judgment on something he doesn’t have!!! Best investment I made in years!!! Don’t listen to this guy ☝🏾!!

[@ginociancio1]

Hi can you play hardware on it and record like a computer thanks

[@TheCanadianDreamEvergreen]

can you record line instruments into it? like a guitar or a synthesizer?

[@paulallen8777]

Yes you can using an audio track

[@OGStoneVegas]

I do not miss scsi ports at all

[@iamdesimone]

MPC live? Or machine mk3? I’m trying to Dj with just the unit. Not imply produce but mix songs if possible. I’m tired of Dj controllers and want more creativity in my sets. What do you recommend?

[@CatLover-g7j]

Listen to LEYKIS!!

[@JohnSAitken]

Just got one of this. Been playing with it trying to sample and loop. First I got the Phono plugs working inserting audio via ma Astell & Kern Kann. Signal was difficult to work with. Before this I tried standard guitar jacks and could not get audio out of them till I flipped the switch on the back (line phono). Not seen many people pointing this out like you should have.

[@RaveyStabs]

When arranging a song on the MPC Live does it use the traditional "chain sequences together" approach, or is it like a modern DAW with tracks and parts that can be moved around (linear)?

[@palestboyatschool]

Hi! Yeah they use the traditional MPC way. You'd go to Song Mode in the Main Menu and put the sequences together like on the older MPCs. You'd press insert to select which sequence you want, then how many times you want it looping for and then insert then next sequence and so forth. For a bit more info...Once you've created the song you have the option to export it to WAV, AIFF or MP3. You can adjust Sample Rate/Bit Depth here too

[@PaulMabley]

I have a Push 2, a Maschine Mk2 and a Maschine Jam. I like the look of this but I'm afraid I'm turning into a gear magpie who's just collecting nice shiny things. Doe this Live offer anything else I can't already do with my existing gear?

[@palestboyatschool]

Same! I own a Push 2 as well and it's one of the most handy parts of my set up. The things that really stand out for the MPC over Push/Maschine is having the standalone mode, not only away from a computer but battery powered- I've never been able to just casually sit on my sofa/bed/bathroom/coach journey etc and create beats using a Push or Maschine. The screen is also touch sensitive and you can zoom in and out using your fingers, which is great on the grid mode where you can see where your midi notes are nice and quickly. Though I'd say you can go far deeper using Ableton than the MPC Live, in terms of editing/effects- but having a portable sampler/recording studio device with so much on board is really attractive for people on the go. I can't really think of anything else that stands out different that you couldn't already do, but that doesn't stop this being very tempting.

[@williamocosby]

You can record audio which is a big deal for some.

[@mikehydropneumatic2583]

Does it come with samples or do you have to sample your own from the get go?

[@symphonicclown]

Mike Hydropneumatic it has sounds already in it! 10 gigs!

[@oldneab7854]

I thought that scratch on the 2000 was on m screen!

[@djjas764]

Very detailed and professional video. How is the sound? MPC LIVE vs MPC 2000

[@palestboyatschool]

Cheers Jas! The MPC Live comes with 10gb of sounds so there plenty to get started with. It ranges from Drum n Bass to Trap to Hip Hop and all else in between. We've done a separate live performance video with some of the sounds being played. My MPC2000XL didn't come with any samples on board, just the hardware. As they're both samplers you can sample the same sounds into the machine but the connectivity of the new MPC Live will give you far more options for importing sounds via the usb, sd card, usb inputs. The sample rate (audio quality) will also be higher with the new Live. The MPC2000xl only had jack inputs and a floppy disc drive as standard. It is a classic of the MPC world but the Live is far superior!

[@djjas764]

bleikiofficial thanks, but no I mean sound quality. The output quality if you compare both the machine together.

[@palestboyatschool]

I personally didn't notice a difference between the two. I never had any sound issues with the 2000xl. As the sample rate goes higher on the Live, it means for all of the samples you personally record in you'd get better audio sound, which in turn will sound better through the outputs :)

[@djjas764]

bleikiofficial thanks again

[@bveracka]

DJ Jas - One year later, how do/did you like it? I've got a lot of experience with this type of equipment-especially with synthesizers-so the learning curve isn't an issue. I was jw what your _overall_ opinion of it was.

[@planbtomaeckes6410]

what drumbreak is he playing?

[@quiksandd9949]

i bought the MPC live, had it for about 3 weeks and am so overwhelemed. keep in mind i am literally JUST getting into beat making so all this terminolgy used is confusing. however i would like to know if it is possible to do a sort of beginners guide for the MPC Live, someone like me who only knows a thing or two about producing. it would be GREATLY appreciated.

[@palestboyatschool]

Quiksandd9 There is a lot to it indeed! We only had a loan unit for a few days so we tried to squeeze in learning it as well as doing a walk through and live performance. When we get more stock it would be nice if we could possible do a video on beat /melody making basics. See what we can do. If there's any term in the video you want me to clear up let me know. I'm on holiday right now but can reply when I can. Hope you make some good progress with it. Well worth the hours learning. Cheers!

[@Mikepepp2]

Quiksandd9 stick with it I literally own pretty much every sampling work station and now that I have the live I'm going to sell off the other gear. Watching mpc touch videos can help you learn the live also if your new to music production concentrate on using standalone mode for a while sampling , making your own kits ,programs ,sample editing. It's not easy but it's worth it.

[@CatLover-g7j]

Do you still enjoy the Live? How does it compare to using a DAW?

[@CatLover-g7j]

Download the MPC BIBLE

[@marsoblivi0n945]

Don’t give up if it’s in you. My first sampler was an octatrack. I love it. But mpc is better for beginners. Gonna get one myself for quicker idea sketching octa for destruction.

[@andrewtclr3686]

Is this just like a better, more pricey Korg Electribe?

[@palestboyatschool]

Exactly yeh! The Electribes are/were great. I've had some of the earlier models and they cover a wide range of music, the price is pretty good and it's got some decent effects. If it was more sampling that you're interested in then definitely save the extra and go for the Live.

[@gowithgroove]

That is fantastic to hear - I just bought one to replace my ailing old skool Electribe. So far the Live is far less intuitive, but seems to have great potential. A "better, more pricey Korg Electribe" is exactly what I'm after. I am hoping the LIVE will facilitate more improve in live performance, but I'm pretty distant from live performance so far....

[@tosstownend]

using a 500 and seeing this workflow makes me cry

[@juliandesoto3102]

I sold my 500 just cause I didnt like the work flow lol

[@BrancoArgenta]

It would be nice if they made a version with a simpler OS (JJ os Style) without touch screen , no sounds in it,no Vst, basically without that Daw Interface Kind of like on the Elektron machines

[@neptunesgold1216]

Akai murdered it out. Looks like it was in a fire. They shoild have made it grey or white with red or blue trim.

[@vatodiablo2355]

Can you plug in a mic and sample vocals or maybe record vocals in standalone mode?

[@symphonicclown]

Gary Dalais yes! But the live doesn’t have phantom power or xlr... you must use a 1/4 trs cable! But the MPC X has phantom power and xlr

[@tjs6025]

Best to go Mic>Mixer>MPC

[@ME-ru4hv]

To your point.. of course! the MPCs are instruments.. instruments that play whole songs!

[@tobybrundin3135]

I've got my home screen here, and I've got my grid screen there

[@symbiat0]

The Zip Disk! 🤣

[@spencerlayne7453]

Will it sink and play to daw

[@symphonicclown]

Spencer Layne it has it’s own daw! But yes!

[@MinimalWave1982]

How is the time timing? Tight as on the 2000xl ??

[@tychopoupeye7730]

MinimalWave1982 probably more ppq on mpc live cause its a newer sampler

[@palestboyatschool]

Timing was spot on yeah! The pads felt amazing, responded exactly how you'd want them and the back lit colour changes depending on how hard you hit them. There was no latency when I tried hooking up the MPC Live to my mac either- I rigged it up to some NI plug ins and very smooth.

[@MinimalWave1982]

Tycho Poupeye what u mean with ppq sir?

[@tychopoupeye7730]

its how precise the notes are recorded in your beat for example the mpc 1000 has 96 ppq the mpc 3000 has 96 ppq the mpc 4000 has 960 ppq that means if you play something without quantize on the mpc 1000 it will be less precise and loose then on the 4000 , thats the reason why people double the bpm and put the drum in scale so it sounds the same but actually you have a double amount of places to put notes so more chance on a good swing and loose feel to it but only if you dont quantize tho look it up theres info on it online i myself use it on the mpc 1000 and its dope trust

[@yogeshwagh53]

Can we watch movies on this?

[@CatLover-g7j]

Only plays The Breakfast Club.

[@foggydrifty]

How many tracks can you record with the looper? Time restraints? Good video sir!

[@palestboyatschool]

Hi- Thanks very much! The looper can either record a mono or stereo track from the inputs on the back or by resampling internally. You can set how ever many bars you want to record for and then overdub as much as you want on top. So you could plug in a synth to the inputs and record a loop, then plug in a guitar and overdub that over the top and so forth. Hope that helps a bit!

[@jason3534]

Are you guys going to buy the live 2??? Lol!

[@GuitarsAndSynths]

How does it compare to the Ableton Push 2? I have a laptop with Ableton software already so is it worth the premium over the Push 2?

[@GuitarsAndSynths]

True. I have my laptops and computer with me all the time so the Live would be a nice addition if I had to cash to burn.

[@twiggidy]

that's a good point. nice to have a stand alone and no distractions (email, internet, etc)

[@acperak]

Im really thinking of buying one, i already own a mac and i make all my music on logic pro, mainly specalise in hip hop/rap, but i wanna start performing as im thinking of combining my guitar skill with hip hop etc, not sure what to do, its like £900 which is quite a lot

[@donkeykong5414]

I'm a beginner where could I go to learn how to use this?

[@CatLover-g7j]

Listen to TOM LEYKIS!

[@intelcom4964]

UBF BELT HOLDER Hahahahaha The father good one

[@pauloyoshizaki2103]

AKAI : MPC - X : Touch : Painel : Tela : de Touch ; Ótimo ; Controller ; Mudanças : Tons ; Ritmos ; Effectos ; Ótimo ; Controller : Equalizador - Gráficos ; Visual : Manuseio ; Parabéns !!! AKAI : MPC - X : Touch ; 😃😄😃😲😃💡💡💡💡👍👍👍👍👏👏👏👏

[@navidasadi34]

I love how he says like 500 kick drums are a lot 😂💜

[@yvess3010]

LOL same, I have like 5000 at least lol

[@ogcontraband]

OMG a zip drive over there and parallel port?? LOL what is that thing?

[@reginaldlinnettesr.5496]

I‘very had the MPC Live for two years , overwhelmed after the first 4 months, it’s been in the box since. I’ve been thinking about selling it,but not sure. I come from sequencing from a keyboard, I just want to use it along with the keyboard, and have access to more sound out of the MPC Live. I need help big time.

[@dustymoon1]

These MPCs have a big learning curve, no doubt! Definitely why I've waited so long to get one. But once you get a grasp on the workflow, the rest comes pretty naturally. It's just a matter of getting comfortable.