My Honest Experience Using MPC Live 2 After 2 Years

[@TannerByTheSea]

Since the 2000 XL- my 2500 to the absolute Legend- The King of all MPC The MPC live 2… i’ve been banging on these things for 30 years! I don’t think there’s a machine that will ever outdo the MPC live 2. That’s on everything I love! ~ The MPC live 2 will always be King in my studio! And I have all three of them sitting together! Pray for North Carolina, and everybody affected in the hurricanes- God bless

[@thenappyheadskater5235]

Get the live 2 second hand, get fabric xl and subfactory vst. Get the cord to sample from your phone and a pair of headphones that’s really all u need.

[@MADCAPS101]

subfactory is ace. not tried fabric but guess i'll trial that when my strings trial expires :)

[@InsideOutBeats]

Yeah that gives you plenty to work with plus the never ending possibilities of sampling. Still rocking the original Mpc Live simply because it hasn’t failed me yet but for those just diving in Mpc Live 2 all the way with that convenient built in speaker!

[@thenappyheadskater5235]

@@InsideOutBeats I bought a Live 1 2 weeks ago. I didn’t know it had a battery I would have bought it over the live to for the price. But yes even a live 1 will do the job. Both are great honestly

[@InsideOutBeats]

@@MADCAPS101with the Fabric XL your getting a huge package full with Pianos, electric, keyboards, strings, Perc, bells, pads, plucks, synths, leads, oscillators, guitars, choirs, brass, fx… enough to create a shite load of tracks!

[@_thevaporz]

@@MADCAPS101 Akai slipped up when the Key61 and all the new plugins dropped they did a black friday 50% off code that worked on everything for a couple days til they fixed it. I missed out but held off til guitarcenter did a black friday 15% off 48mo zero interest plus 10% cash back bonus and got Key61 for $1,275 with all the new plugin suite instruments. Hope to score Flavor Pro, Subfactory, Flex Beat, Mini D, and Jura next month.

[@gradybeats83]

The absolute best machine Akai has ever made in my opinion. I have the original MpcX and the MpcXSE. Got rid of my Mpc one to get the Live 2 and I'm glad I did! great vid bro salute!🫡

[@mohayes9215]

Good info...I was using the original MPC Studio controlling the software for years...I bought a Key 37 as my 1st standalone MPC and I love it. Bought a Live 2 a few months back and I think I love it more...yeah and I removed the screen protector on both...I just make sure to wipe it and my whole MPC down after each use..

[@maximusrecord8672]

All those Mpc are great I’m a fl studio user and I love it , I am a Mpc user ( learning) and I love it

[@femz6438]

Are you me LOOOL, Can't put it down in STANDALONE. Can't wait to integrate it with FL but my God is this fun. Had min for 2/3 weeks (time's flown :D)

[@minh-hieu0]

thanks for all the videos you make, really inspire me to learn how to make beats on mpc 🔥

[@MiKEYFRESHBEATZ_MGMPrintz]

Much love bro for all your videos and input

[@JaeFreshmen]

thanks for watching bro

[@damyouboy]

I stored every single drum sample and drum loop I own to the SD. Out of all of the equipment I have this is all I need to make beats. Also because of the mobility, it’s allowed me to see just how important inspiration and mood is when making music. The Live 2 is hands down the best Mpc I’ve ever had (1000, 2500, 5000). Top back off the beach with a drink….. there is nothing better.

[@tireewatson6737]

Appreciate that Jae Fresh. You always come thru on your platform. Thank you my guy. The video's really help me

[@Drrolfski]

I actually use my Live 2 quite often outside and I can recommend the Magma Ctrl case. Not only gives it good protection but it als doubles as a sun protection screen.

[@PreciseSense85]

I’ve had my magma case for two years, definitely recommended over a backpack

[@abelchristian951]

I LOVE IT ! for the sample fact that we can use it as a VST and drag midi from Session to ableton or fl

[@Schemez-16vhiphopbeatz]

if your making boombap trap or even drill its right for you its a fast workflow and is capital or all styles of music I only use the 8 free synth plug ins as I have 5 hardwear synths and 3 romper keyboards so plenty of sounds and thats before any samples and drum kits and if u want u can buy plug ins but with the limited cpu u can only use two or 3 at a time until this streaming from disc thing is sorted but the free plugs ins are not a problem you can use 8 at a time but think about the old mpcs they didn't have no plug ins it was all sample based but hype tube synth mellotrone solina electric odyssey bassline and drumsynth are enough to keep u going as each sound on each synth can be modulated to sound different I'm a boombap guy so synths are just a bonus sampling is the real feature for me

[@thomson01]

I’m a MPC Live 2 user for a year, and I absolutely love it. Before that I was moving between Ableton live, and FL Studio, but since I bought a Live 2 and MPK mini plus, I completely stopped making music on a PC. The dawless production is much more immersive and fun. Would I recommend buying MPC Live 2? Absolutely.

[@tx3851]

You have a fantastic attitude towards beat-making....Your thoughts are a great insight into your ethos and process....I clicked to watch a video about a piece of hardware and was treated to a beautiful insight into you as a person....Brilliant, absolutely brilliant 👍❤

[@joserivera1054]

I have mine for about the same time. I have to admit I like it. Love your content brother.

[@JaeFreshmen]

much love bro

[@JaeFreshmen]

man there's so much more i wanted to say after 2 yrs of being on the mpc but try my best to sum it up

[@Henry-to6yz]

also consider an original MPC one... i grabbed one in like new condition for £300 and recently got a battery for £30 ( which lasts me 4-5 hours) For £330 I got the smaller form factor, more buttons and can still use it anywhere I go minus the built in speaker (which is cool but personally probably wouldn't use much anyway). Love the channel Jae, leaned a lot from you

[@joshuagardner894]

The three biggest issues that I have heard about on MPC is MSB and LSB being broken (this is the ability to pick a MIDI SOUND Bank and using external hardware, specify what sound will play without having to change the entire track, you just change the MSB and LSB values with the same notation and the MPC will tell your external hardware what sound to play). This issue, Im sure will be addressed in a near future update. The second issue I hear about is the 8 instrument VST limit. This is a limitation Akai has placed to reduce processor issues that many people will run across on other standalone platforms like the Maschine+. The workaround is to simply edit your sound with the VST and either bounce the sound out to an audio sample and use 16 levels to write, or, write the entire track with the VST, put your FX plugins in the chain, get it how you want it to sound, then bounce the whole track out to an audio file. Personally, I prefer the first method. I can do sound shaping, create my own sound, then bounce it out as a sampled instrument, use 16 levels to pitch shift, then use whatever FX plugins I want. The final complaint I hear about is the four FX plugins per track, which can be increased to 8 if you send a track to a sub bus. This is also not a big deal in my mind, you can use FX plugins and bounce the whole track out to an audio track running those FX plugins, then use a whole new set of plugins, continuing to bounce out to new audio files, so if you need 20 plugins, sure, youll need to bounce it out four or five times, but I might argue, if you need that many audio plugins, you arent being very efficient with your audio samples. For what it is, the MPC is a great piece of kit, and the MPC Live 2 is the best value in my view. What you didnt mention is, the internal HDD addition that is not available on the MPC One. Having a 5 TB drive in here is wonderful. Yea, its not an SSD, you dont need an SSD. SSD's are overrated for the amount of data being loaded from the drive. It would be one thing if we were loading gigabytes of data, we are not. Most projects are a few hundred MB or less, so what if the project takes 2 more seconds to load. This is the least of my concerns, having all of my samples available on the machine, that is a big deal to me. This is an amazing piece of hardware that really lacks in one major department, the quality of FX and sounds. MPC has the better hardware and firmware, Maschine+ has the better sounds and plugins. Maschine+ has far better sounding reverb, more cutting edge sounds, more quality FX, and the problem with both devices is, you just cant finalize a radio ready track on either of these devices. They will get you 90% of the way there, but you're gonna need a PC for the last 10%. That's fine, just know that going in, in standalone mode, these devices are great for sketching ideas, and if you spend the time, can get you almost there, but not quite that last mile.

[@darrygswa]

You can also use a Roland or Yamaha synthesizers with 16 midi channels for sounds too.

[@yvesdropBeats]

The MPC live 2 is the best sampler currently in use! I only wish for 3 things…a save button and the ability to use it without using the touchscreen. Thanks for sharing. Your videos are always educational and inspiring.

[@Doni-cd7vo]

Great video man!

[@theobgshow]

You are amazing Jae. YOu always give an informative presentation, and you also dig deep into the method.

[@JaeFreshmen]

I appreciate that! thanks for watching

[@jaypkock]

Ive personaly used the MPC mostly in software mode for vsts but now i do everything in standalone just to use 3.0 and yeah Fabric Collection is dope AF

[@supacept]

I been on Mpc since 2000. You give great info for new users . Big up mi Don‼️🎖️

[@JaeFreshmen]

much love g thanks for watching

[@philippebackprotips]

Keeping my Studio Black so I can use a light one in the bag w the software. Powers up on the laptop USB power.

[@Lee-ue5bd]

🙏🏾Thanks!

[@JaeFreshmen]

much love for the support bro

[@knomee121]

Good video bro I appreciate it you sharing this

[@mystertom100]

You make a lot of good points bro

[@JaeFreshmen]

thanks for watching

[@88keyz]

Mpc live 2 + FL studio 24❤💙🔥💪🏾 salute

[@88keyz]

Mpc live 2 connected with midi 5 pin into USB port to control fl studio 24 transport controls and play midi from mpc live 2 to control vst inside of fl studio 24 .fl studio 24 volt 276 using the outs from the volt 276 into the mpc live 2 . Basically no mpc plugin used inside of fl studio 24. My favorite setup for mpc live 2 +fl studio 24🔥

[@JaeFreshmen]

@@88keyz yea was going to mention that but cut that part out ,but definitely want to pick up that interface

[@stevo608trucker2]

Thats what i have ,YOU RIGHT!!!

[@_thevaporz]

Akai is king. Live2, Key61 and Force gang.

[@gattearthrid]

Not to dive to hard into gear discussions, but your comments lead me to believe you would enjoy the KOii for what it is

[@MADCAPS101]

i know this ain't the mission, but when whtever you're doing in the box gets fatiguing, you can even use this kit as a set of drum pads to knock MIDI into any DAW. i love the MPC live2 speakers [but the way i use reverb and panning seems to hurt my tinnitus after 3-4 hrs hehe]

[@richardbrown8619]

Great mindset mi Gee.

[@JaeFreshmen]

thanks g

[@KayezTP]

I got one and I came from fl studio daw. I enjoy the hands of feel with the mpc. It can get tedious to do things such as arranging a beat, my fl studio brain kicks in and says " I would have done this by now on FL!!!!"😂😂😂 Its a cool tool to have along side my fl studio daw but one could never replace the other.

[@Might-Be-Ai]

MPC 3 workflow isn't new though, it is very similar to DAW workflow. The reason some of us like MPC 2 software is because we don't like DAW linear arranger or was looking for something new to begin with MPC 2 offered that, now they are giving us the old DAW workflow, that I personally left behind for something new. I also bought a MPC because it's more like an instrument, it's more hands on with those pads, a DAW is not.

[@BoomDocs14K]

Great insight my dude! I'm an old-school DJ that's leaning hard toward buying the MPC Live II. I still have the MPC 2000 I got in 1999. Then I bought a Roland MV-8000 back in 2005. So I'm well overdue for an upgrade. I mostly use computer software these days for beats and remixes, but want to get back into MPC flow. The MPC Live II seems to be the perfect unit I can take on the go or to my office. I'm just wondering if I should wait for a newer model since it's been out for several years.

[@_thevaporz]

Maybe June 2025

[@PreciseSense85]

I’ve been making beats for minute now and I started in that era too (2008) and I’ll tell now you’ll love the Live 2, it’s a beast

[@shawndiggz8904]

Just subscribed to your channel. Very informative. Great value tips provided by you! I’m really loving MPC 3 workflow all thanks to your videos. Keep up the good work!

[@JaeFreshmen]

much love for showing support , glad you like the videos

[@Shervin8181]

I love my MPC Live 2❤

[@spick85]

I Love my mpc live 2.

[@All_Ent]

We need a video on export options for Mpc beta I was pro tools dumping with 2.15 software I coped a live 2 again and haven’t been touching fl except to structure & arrange

[@Mexi-Loc956]

I went from fl studio to Mpc beats and now making hits

[@GeorgioLetsGooo]

Well put

[@JaeFreshmen]

much love so much i wanted to say but had to be concise lol

[@Mr12time]

I love the MPC

[@hotepking4822]

FRESH. 🔥✨✔️👑🎯INFO

[@MrMrtsmith72]

Give dope tutorials

[@JaeFreshmen]

thanks bro

[@Lee-ue5bd]

Thank you for youre work is there any way we can get a video on how to autotune vocals on the mpc havent seen it done.

[@pianoyan]

Good video - but losing the ability to change time signature is not upgrading or adapting. I love MPC3, but I can't write songs on it if I can't choose any other time signatures than 4/4, or even put a 2/4 bar at the end of a chorus. Really, really hope they fix this.

[@solomonnorthup2168]

Great work young fella. Does ver.3.0 also import/export 1000/2500 program files like 2.0. Also do you have any videos on how you settled in Thailand and your experiences? Peace

[@samuelmccann3008]

What do you think Akai will do next? I think a Mini akai will come out to compete with the 404 and ableton move. But, I really think they will come out with an upgraded Live 2 and MPC 1+ with 4gb of Ram and a tilted screen. Maybe they will be called Live 3 and MPC two.

[@JaeFreshmen]

no idea im not in the mix of all of that , i just hope its more slim n better brightness

[@errliest]

Mpc live in a more 404 form would be godly!

[@FAAJR1]

Josh do you think Akai would build a new MPC live 3 . I like the Mpc live 2, but I have been hearing that a new one is in the pipeline

[@_thevaporz]

For sure, they're building a new one. I bet June 2025; they always drop new hardware in the summer.

[@keetharris2010]

I love my Mpc X but im at the point were I feel like I should just choose one lane and im leaning towards just creating in a daw.

[@JaeFreshmen]

thats always a good idea , most producer pride themselves on being good on so many things but dont have a real goal set in mind

[@RGLion2]

Once that battery goes dead so does the portability. Or hit up MPC stuff and pay $200+ to get your portability back.

[@nickw22689]

$240 for that thing is like 20% of the price of the unit all over again. Really hope that day doesn’t come for a long time.

[@JaeFreshmen]

haven't had that happen

[@JaeFreshmen]

@@nickw22689 just take care of your mpc , don't leave it charge overnight or at anytime for long periods of time

[@_thevaporz]

After 4 years and prob thousands of recharges mine works flawlessly. I only charge when necessary or when updating firmware (has to be plugged in). I'm sure Ali express will have a much cheaper battery pack than mpcstuff when the time comes.

[@mariusovidiu5602]

For a guy that doesn't know nothing about music and wants to start making, will you recommend this device? I love that u didn't take off the cover , me im the same :)

[@JaeFreshmen]

it just depends on the workflow you want to have but a daw would always be more superior in my eyes

[@HRB-1221]

This guy is good

[@JaeFreshmen]

i appreciate you bro

[@jaxhulme]

I really am stuck between MPC Live II or the maschine+ I watched hours of reviews yesterday. What would you say is best for me if I want to make house music where I can play live and it's easy to edit and take a kick or chord out for example live like the DJs 1000 pioneer standalone sampler, the workflow that's easy to use and access and not too complicated to look at. I want something that helps with chord progressions that automatically tell me what's in key and the right scale. I had the Aki midi keyboard and I found it hard to link up channels and buttons etc from that the MPC software to pads etc and it scared me away from using it. Would really appreciate the help thanks

[@incaroads001]

Every now and again I get the urge to peel that screen protector... But... I....RESIST !!!

[@JaeFreshmen]

lol

[@Envy4pressi]

bro im still using the live 1 so i understand perfectly and i sold my mk3 lol

[@lastymclastly6093]

Love your content bro keep it coming 🙏

[@JaeFreshmen]

thanks alot bro

[@djrek521]

MPC Gang!

[@Troystreetzproduction]

The only thing I dislike about Mpc 3 is that they took away my stored presets that I added to my favorites list

[@paulopalacin3337]

I really want to buy a mpc live 2 but is around 3 years old, and akai put it to the end of the list of mpc they sell, also in Amazon they don’t even show it, I think they will release the live 3 next year, I will wait

[@powderedtoastman3093]

I think the reason the new MPC’s have plastic buttons is because of the wear on the silicone on the live 2 I hope the replacement has four gigs of RAM and a faster processor No way you were in Thailand my wife is Thai. You livin there or just on holiday.

[@_thevaporz]

The rubber housing compound breaks down bad to a sticky mess that collects more grime. Mine is 4 years old and starting to break down plus the paint on the bottom is flaking off. Denatured alcohol works best to restore the plastic/rubber as regular alcohol will remove any text graphics.

[@mannyreviera]

Which Plug ins did you buy ?

[@kingchron1798]

Once you pick up your old MPC Live 1 again you realise how light it is compared to the Live 2. But the speaker is so worth it.

[@MaN0STiJ3raS]

I still have my Mpc one+. And I mostly don’t go outside besides going to studio sessions. But I still think about the supreme live 2 all the time🤌🏽. Either or you can’t go wrong…

[@_thevaporz]

could always find a cheap used one+ and slap a styleflip supreme skin or whatever you want on it for $60 just sayin

[@MaN0STiJ3raS]

@@_thevaporz 🤷🏽‍♂️😂😂😂. Tru but the portability is what sells me other than that I’d I’m just sticking to my MpC fuck paying that scalper money lmao

[@FlatWHDF]

Why you move there?

[@DanielIvan707]

Key 37 or used Live 2?

[@PRODBYGIOURBAN]

Both

[@philippebackprotips]

I am willing to pay up for a much brighter screen. That's a real pain when outside indeed.

[@JaeFreshmen]

facts n 3.0 definitely doesn't do it any justice with the darker theme

[@_thevaporz]

It's to protect your eyes. I always use 'dark mode' without any issues.

[@elMaxx5]

Ex-so-lent content and advice

[@JaeFreshmen]

thanks alot bro

[@TRaddcliff]

I put a skin on mine and it's actually a game changer. I wanna use it, cuz it's not all sticky. get a skin dude....it's werf it.

[@kson566]

Where did you get your skin.. I see some on eBay, but they are expensive

[@TRaddcliff]

@@kson566 I’ve tried replying three times with where I got it and it’s not showing up

[@88keyz]

🫡👍🏾🫡

[@hailnaryproductionz3661]

You mean to tell me that a beat machine better than your craft and creativity. H3ll yeah it’s worth it 😂just depends all on you.

[@MELSELECTA101]

Mpc Live 1_ 3.0 Beta Not a game.

[@devindavis5842]

Off subject rite off the bat … it doesn’t come with software gotta buy that internal hard you gotta buy that same with cords nd everything install drivers for controller mode ….. download updates seperate to be able just to update the mpc …..

[@FlatWHDF]

Maschine sounds are GREAT. MK3 ASS

[@teashea1]

The speakers are a joke - They cannot produce any lower frequencies - It is simple audio physics -

[@KayezTP]

I wouldn't say they're a joke, if you're in a relatively isolated area I.e. corner of a room there pretty decent. But as soon as you go into a wide open room with alot of nature reverb then they loss alot of low end.

[@chris287]

I took my protector off and put on a tablet screen protector

[@brenvela]

Where did you find yours to be the right size? Does it affect the sensitivity at all?

[@chris287]

@@brenvela Amazon, it was just a 7 inch tablet screen protector. It doesn't affect anything the sensitivity is still the same. I just got it because the screen cover they have on there was curling and not sticking good anymore. Definitely worth the purchase to keep my screen good, I have the original live and kept the screen in perfect condition since 2018

[@brenvela]

@@chris287 thank you for the quick response. Will be getting that immediately. The original one for me had issues from a scratch that occurred on day 1. 🫣 so I took it off right away. This is helpful. Thank you 🙏

[@supacept]

Good idea‼️