So I’ve upgraded from a MPC One to a MPC Live 2. The Live 2 is a lot better to use than the MPC One. It doesn’t have quite as many shortcut keys on the face of it, but the drum pads on it are the same size as the ones on the MPC X. They are the full size Akai MPC pads and I find them much better to use than the smaller pads on the MPC One.
The MPC Live also has more inputs and outputs than the MPC One. I’m able to plug both my MPK Mini PLUS and Roland GAIA 1 into the MPC Live 2 with no issues. Also, it has a RCA phono level input because it has a phono preamp inside the device. Right now I have my turntable plugged directly into the unit with the ground cable attached and it works great. Before I had to use my Tascam Model 12 and have the turntable connected to my DJ mixer, then from the mixer to the Tascam and work with it like that.
The MPC Live 2 can truly be the center of your studio and it has the inputs and outputs to do so. It has 3 stereo or 6 mono outputs onboard the unit which is pretty sick! The screen is the same size as the MPC One, but because it’s to the right of the pads and sits on an elongated device, it gives the optical illusion of being bigger. It also is closer to you than it was on the MPC One when working on the unit. I’m very happy with it and I would recommend to anyone to get this over the MPC One.
The MPC One is a cool unit, but I’m able to put my Live 2 into a carrying case and take it to work to use on my breaks. I’ve worked on songs during lunch and that’s a lot of fun and really gives me a slice of home when I’m at work. The battery inside it lasts a good long while and you’re able to get busy with it with no problem and no need for extra equipment. I have a Decksaver coming for it soon, and I’ll be able to protect it and keep dust off it better.
Lastly, the unit has a slot in the bottom internally where you can put a 2.5inch sata drive to use with the unit. I have a 512GB SSD inside it now and it works out great. I copied all my music and sound data onto the drive from my 512GB SD card and it loads the information a lot faster than it did from the SD Card on the MPC One. The sata drive is secure and has a screwed in cover over it to protect the drive. There’s no chance of it falling open, and it’s just a great way to have your music data with the device.
I got the black version, but I wish I could have gotten the MPC Live 2 Retro. Not a lot of places carry that anymore, so it’s harder to come by. I love the look of the retro unit and the gray topped pads on it. Maybe if I can find it somewhere, I can return this unit to where I bought it and get the Retro joint.
I’m hoping the fact that I love to use this unit so much will help me in creating more music on it. I’ve already made like 3 or 4 basic beats on it that sound good and I feel like I could flesh out when recording them and maybe add some lyrics to go along with them. I need to focus more if I’m going to write lyrics and not spend so much time watching people on Youtube and Twitch. It’s just a distraction and keeps me from doing my own thing and the things I love…
Hopefully, this year I’ll go live on Twitch more often and share my beatmaking process with the followers I have so far and I can start to build a community of people who are like-minded as I am. We can learn from each other and help each other get better with this music thing. A lot of us are only in it for the love of the process and the craft, and we’re not necessarily trying to get rich or famous from it. I wouldn’t want to be famous ever, because there’s a lot of nonsense that comes along with that. I could use some extra money though, so if some of my music garnered me more ends I’d be cool with that.
Have a great rest of the month and I’ll come back with some more posts soon. Peace, love, light, and blessings to you reader!