MPC ONE: my three reasons + jam

Finally MPC - it took me some time to make the decision, but now it's done.
Sometimes you feel that a new device is not just another piece of gear but may really change the way you make music. Here are the reasons why the Akai MPC ONE is my new studio centerpiece:
00:00 Intro
00:36 Sound Engine
01:27 User Interface
03:02 Connectivity
03:56 DAW?
05:20 Jam

[@jonathansoko1085]

I'd argue against any other machine, that the Mpc One if bought at msrp or cheaper is by far the best value all in one box in the history of samplers/sequencers/synths. I guess a daw in a box is the best way to describe it. The fact that i can mix, master, do all my sampling and beat making and even record my vocals right into it and never touch a computer, is incredible

[@lundsweden]

From Korg Volca to Elektron Samples and now the king MPC! 👑

[@PabloDeModeOfficial]

One word: amazing stuff! Maybe you could make a tutorial explaining how you set all this up and which sounds/parameters you used. I loved the vibe and the retro 80’s feel of the music :)

[@PeteMidi]

Many thanks for the nice feedback! 😊

[@tomahawknikola]

Yes agree with MR Pablo, maybie the next one could be connectivity with bass machine uno one or volca keys 16 step sequence is matching with any set up of MPC one and any analog drum machine...

[@RosssRoyce]

Beautiful music! Reminds me of the Norway fjords overflown in a dream!

[@PeteMidi]

Thanks a lot! 😊

[@Portekberm]

“More in the next future” I hope so ☺️☺️☺️ Should be your signature sign off 👍👍

[@PeteMidi]

Thanks for the feedback! 😊

[@inspector-tech]

The MPC ONE is absolutely excellent. I was soooo late to the game on this one and wasn’t even looking for an MPC but for some reason I started looking into them as I was fed up with waiting for a Push 3. Everyone was raving about the 2.10 update. I started watching the KZbin videos on this & within two weeks had an MPC ONE. Its gonna be the centre of my studio setup and I absolutely love it. It’s probably one of the best music hardware purchases I’ve made in the past few decades (alongside my modular synth!)...

[@Raaf_81]

It is a very very nice brain for any synth setup. I sometimes take it with me from my studio to play it completely standalone.

[@jerzboybeats9555]

The Force is a bridge between the Push and MPC. Akai made the first Push with Ableton. If you flip the Push1 pads it’ll be the same layout as the Force. I have a Push2. Through WiFi the MPC and the Force can launch clips in a Ableton.

[@MediaMusik777]

I got mine after learning the software with my mpc studio mk2 ...now I am trying to get akai to make the studio mk2 work like its connected to software so i can use it as a external controller hopefully they headed my warnings because I think all the same os should be interchangeable in a true eco system

[@ToyKeeper]

Akai is really killing it lately. They make _both_ of the top 2 studio centerpieces on the market -- MPC and Force. MPC for people who like building songs from pattern chains, or Force for people who prefer a more Ableton-like clips+scenes+timeline workflow. They're both DAWs, basically, but without most of the downsides of a traditional DAW.

[@PHeMoX]

Except.. the user interface is completely horrible though... the MPC One scrolling cursor doesn't even properly follow the piano roll view, zooming in and out is a pain (mostly, when using multi touch), playing a pad doesn't zoom to any notes played in that range, having the selection rectangle active selects all notes of a certain key, which makes no sense ever so you end up deselecting or not using that selection mode, the song mode is not a real song mode unless you bounce to a single sequence. Only then all patterns end up stitched together in a real linear song mode way. The touch screen is also very hit & miss when it comes to simple stuff like deleting a single note from the sequence. And then there's stuff like no dedicated 'save' button for stuff, no pressing the main dial button as a true 'enter' / 'do it' short cut. Nah, sorry, but the user interface is not even close to great. I don't hate the MPC One for what it is, I've already made music with it after only having owned it for a few days. But I really wouldn't say it's at the top. And nope, it's not a learning curve; it's just the location of stuff you need within the user interface, the work flow, that stinks. It has a few points over something like Maschine MK3 for how it's standalone and not that expensive (especially compared to Maschine+), but in reality the MPC One is much less a DAW-in-a-box than something like the Roland MV8800... At the same time, the MPC One _can_ do lots of stuff. It does support a whole range of more modern things and it can be a good centrepiece. But given enough I/O connections. midi and a smart use of a mixer console, any device with a sequencer can be that.

[@ToyKeeper]

@@PHeMoX Sounds like you'd probably be happier with a Force instead of MPC. It fixes a bunch of that stuff, and I find it has a nicer workflow. I've only had mine a couple weeks, but even without being familiar with it yet, it's by far the best experience I've had with music production. Straight out of the box, I was able to hook it up, update its firmware, configure it, explore a bit, load some samples, and start and finish a song in just a few hours. If you're curious how it turned out, click "The Falafel Song" on my channel. It was just a quick, silly sort of thing... but it was easy to make even when I had zero experience.

[@parkerbobby808]

I tend to use the MPC ONE as a linear recording device.. I rarely use loops except to get started.. then, I build up the song with punch ins and use it more like a traditional audio recorder can on the midi tracks.. .. manually recording of parts and using the erase button makes me feel like I'm playing a machine, rather than dealing with grids and waveforms all the time and assembling the song with my eyes.. I just use my ears more now.. and that s a good thing.

[@footmarshian8295]

Great I just got my new MPC one in November the 1st great machine I love it 🥰

[@PeteMidi]

👍

[@fabricemontal4783]

I spent all the morning watching many reviews and tutorials about this machine on KZbin. I just wanted to say that you have the spirit of a real teacher. Your presentation is clear and limpid. Shall I have to add that I enjoyed it ?

[@PeteMidi]

Thanks a lot for the great feedback! 😊

[@krudler406]

brilliant Pete, thank you for sharing!

[@PeteMidi]

Thank you for the nice feedback! 😊

[@jerzboybeats9555]

Awesome video. Love the jam session.

[@PeteMidi]

Thanks a lot! 😊

[@johnpaullovetek1809]

Excelente explicação sobre a máquina e espetacular Jam session!!!!

[@TH3_FURY]

Nice review and great jam Pete !

[@PeteMidi]

Many thanks! 😊

[@Emontop1]

Thank you so much for the review 👍👍👍👍👍😀

[@PeteMidi]

Thanks for the nice feedback! 😊

[@scottfarrell1906]

Great stuff Pete, looking forward to the next video. Top channel.

[@PeteMidi]

Thanks a lot! 😊

[@angelovdweerden6585]

I *love* your video's and bought last week a MPC live 😊

[@PeteMidi]

Thanks for the great feedback! 😊

[@The5thVolt]

Lovely demo jam! Looking forward to more info on your journey with this unit.

[@PeteMidi]

Thanks for the nice feedback! 😊

[@hovermotion]

The best way to end a week...Great vids as always...jim

[@PeteMidi]

Thanks a lot! 😊

[@nycimagery]

Terrific jam!

[@PeteMidi]

Thanks! 😊

[@BrotherLuke2008]

Looks like a great price of hardware! Thanks for the info, and as usual.... Great wee jam at the end! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@PeteMidi]

Thanks a lot! 😊

[@sinewaymusic]

I agree, it's an amazingly versatile and fun device to use. Also agree with you about the shortcomings of the sequencer.

[@PeteMidi]

Thanks for the feedback!

[@josephlepkowski2383]

Excellent addition to your set up.! Always glad to see people appreciate what people can do with a mpc vs what a mpc can do for you! Yes that Hype synth is dope glad they added it from the force. Akai is pretty good with updates though not always quick always good!

[@PeteMidi]

Thanks for the great feedback!

[@NickLewis]

Great demo and I pulled the trigger on a plus this week and learning the workflow at the moment. Will hook mine up either Oxi One I own and or Keystep Pro

[@PeteMidi]

Many thanks for the feedback! 😊

[@_-Marcel-_]

Hi Pete! Found your channel because of your video with the comparison of Elektron Model:Cycles and the Korg Volca Drums. Now I am surprised and happy to see your brand-new video with your brand-new MPC ONE! I want to join your journey with this amazing device!Subscribed! :) Great first jam! 👍🏻

[@PeteMidi]

Many thanks for the great feedback! 😊

[@lpsc_zzz]

entertaining commentary and solid performance; im new to using MPCs so I love having that touch screen for easier navigation 💯

[@PeteMidi]

Many thanks, yes, the touch screen is great!

[@Mr__Fogg]

Awesome choooooon. I just zoned right out. My kind of toy and my kind of music!🙏

[@PeteMidi]

Thanks a lot! 😊

[@joshbarnes8977]

Great vid!

[@PeteMidi]

Many thanks! 😊

[@TropDeco]

Cool jam!

[@PeteMidi]

Thanks!

[@danielzicsi-liess5932]

Great Jam on a great device :)

[@PeteMidi]

Thanks a lot! 😊

[@dietervoser4425]

Wieder grosse Klasse !

[@PeteMidi]

Vielen Dank! 😊

[@chriswareham]

Great jam! I think I've said it before in a comment on one of your other videos, but I'd love to hear a track like this one with vocals - particularly female ones - and then played live. It has a spaciousness that I think would sound pretty epic in a concert setting.

[@PeteMidi]

Great that you like it, many thanks!

[@Pheonix0114]

Yeah, Akai is kinda killing it. For the same reasons I have my eyes set on a Force myself. Great jam as always

[@PeteMidi]

Great, thanks a lot! 😊

[@ToyKeeper]

I got a Force, and can definitely recommend it. It's the best music gear I've ever had. It's what I've been wanting for like two decades, ever since I first saw the two-dimensional clip arranger in Jeskola Buzz and realized how much I dislike the old one-dimensional pattern-chain song structure. Ableton later upgraded the concept to clips, scenes, and a timeline... and then Akai produced the original Push to make Ableton's workflow more hands-on. I'm not sure what happened to make the two companies stop working together, but at some point Ableton ditched Akai's hardware, and Akai ditched Ableton's software. So we ended up with the Force, which is basically a "Push 3" but with a different name and standalone Linux-based software. As a Linux geek, that makes me happy. It inherits Linux's great support for usb audio and midi devices, and with a couple small modifications I can even ssh into it to sync and manage files over the network. It's really the only gear I need to make songs... though I'd recommend at least adding a midi keyboard like a Keystep, some storage (big SD card or a hard drive), and a cheap mic to hum song ideas into audio clips before actually producing them. And, like, speakers or headphones. And something slanted to prop up the Force at a useful angle. It's surprisingly big and heavy.

[@DJ-Lazy-Lodger]

was looking for you.

[@brave7033]

I'm a Hiphop head to the death but damn this is real good music I feel it in my bones keep it up shout out from France🇫🇷

[@PeteMidi]

😄Many thanks!

[@DominicJacksonFilm]

song is dope mate

[@PeteMidi]

😊

[@realzneo]

Hi Pete! Congrats with the MPC! Always nice to hear your opinions! Not sure I can trust you on usability, since you make music with Python.. But you make great music, so I might as well..

[@PeteMidi]

😄Many thanks!

[@jammingpositivevibration]

Nice

[@PeteMidi]

😊

[@skylerdarkavelifinesseflow7115]

Mpc one got me making TONS of beats

[@ildafons]

I hope Akai will add more plugin synths and plugin affects.

[@PeteMidi]

Yes, an fm synth would be nice...

[@brendodorset3720]

hi, is there a way to use pitch bend on the MPC one in standalone mode? let's say, I want to apply pitch bend on a bass note recorded on the sequencer.

[@PeteMidi]

You can record pitch bend from external keyboard to control an internal sound. Or you program the sound to be pitch modulated by pressure from the touch pads.

[@jenniferw8963]

Have you played around with the Tascam Model 12? I heard it goes well with MPC One. All the audio gets sent ot the Tascam 12 via USB so you can mix and record all on the Model 12. I see you like Tascam for your master recording. Or do you like to keep your work minimal with one other device in addition to MPC? I like how it all takes such little space on your desk.

[@PeteMidi]

Yes, at the moment I like to keep it minimal

[@groovylohi]

They should clearly say that basically only Tascam Model 12 and Behringer UMC1820 work as audio interfaces. And apparently the X Air XR18 as well? I'm only talking about interfaces that have 8+ channels of i/o.

[@PeteMidi]

Xr18 in principle works, but I do not use it as often as expected with the MPC due to the 5 minutes recording limit

[@groovylohi]

@@PeteMidi For me the interesting thing was to do outboard mixing with e.g. Alesis 3630 etc. I eventually got a Force, which has 4 outputs built-in, and basically all of the MPC dumbness is fixed, like the whole sequence/song structure.

[@jenniferw8963]

I like the idea of your little keyboard compard to say keystep. Seems like since you already have a sequencer and CV built into the MPC, maybe the keystep is n't needed? Maybe I should grab a smaller keyboard and sell off this keystep I just ordered form Amazn :)

[@PeteMidi]

Sometimes I'm glad to have the third octave on my keystep 37 😉

[@magnuseriksson8081]

Great track and I guess you used some over your other gear for some of the sounds? It’s not only the MPC sounds?

[@PeteMidi]

Many thanks! The bass melody sound is dreadbox typhon, anything else pure MPC.

[@dpalaoro]

Great explanation and commentary on your decision making. But one question, what part of the sound mix is Python providing?

[@MediaMusik777]

I got the mpc studio mk2 and connected it via usb to my akai 1 and it see it as a device in midi setup but the pads on mpc studio mk2 don't register any midi information...granted this is usb i am gonna try midi din next to one but having the second pad setup wil bring old mpcs into one .. I called akai and reported the issue. also I hit c on my keyboard and pad 2 registers not pad 1 so basically your kicks are triggering backwards in real time and its every pad akai device i use has this issue

[@PeteMidi]

I've no experience with the mpc studio software so far...

[@jenniferw8963]

is it possible to use your midi fighter twister with mpc one to control all 16 qlinks of active page? I really dislike the 4 qlink rotary encoders with the button you have to press up to 4 times to access different banks.

[@PeteMidi]

Not without some major effort - it seems that there is some hack available for this ...

[@jenniferw8963]

@@PeteMidi If you get the hack for it maybe you can make a video? :) That would be awesome :) Maybe it'd work with any 16 knob rotary controller ? Thinking about making mhy own for like $50. Usign 3D pritner etc.

[@TheCuri]

Have you also thought about akai force? If so why decided on one?

[@PeteMidi]

Yes, it was the question: clip-based vs linear workflow - the latter was my personal preference.

[@flamegrylls8965]

Can I ask how you've found connecting instruments via your interface/mixer? Do you get much latency?

[@PeteMidi]

Did not measure latency with external interfaces so far, but it's on my to-do list...

[@johndean5860]

Can it load sounds from the s3000xl? Can it read the old akai discs like kontakt?

[@PeteMidi]

I guess direct Import is not possible

[@johndean5860]

@@PeteMidi thank you so much

[@lundsweden]

Volca to Model Samples to MPC One... next chapter Octatrack?

[@PeteMidi]

Definitely not 😉

[@lundsweden]

Ah, not into the Octatrak? The only thing I have against it is its price!

[@magnuseriksson8081]

Did you look inte the Maschine too?

[@PeteMidi]

Yes, ni maschine, akai force and mc 707 were all under consideration, the mpc had the most convincing overall package.

[@trevordale1038]

.....Anything is possible T:D

[@PeteMidi]

😉

[@LUImusic856]

I personally prefer the One over the live🤷‍♂️

[@PeteMidi]

The extended I/O of the live 2 is nice but I like the compact format of the one, leaves some space on the desktop for additional gear 😉