AKAI MPC Live First Impressions

In this video, sound designer Aiyn Zahev shares his first impression of the new AKAI MPC Live.

Topics covered in the video include:

1:27 Stability
2:49 Routing
4:29 Filters
8:14 Legacy Emulation
9:40 Effects
14:15 Touch Screen Response
15:40 Battery Life
15:58 Grid View
17:13 Automation
18:58 Modulation
22:34 Chop Mode
23:24 MPC Software

The MPC Live expands on the production workflow of the MPC Touch by adding standalone functionality. It offers a full-color 7-inch multi-touch screen, 16 velocity- and pressure-sensitive RGB pads, and a large, clickable master encoder knob.

The MPC Live is designed to be both portable and powerful, with 2GB of RAM, 16GB of on-board storage, and a rechargeable lithium-ion battery.

Pricing and Availability

The MPC Live is available now with a street price of US $1,199.

14 thoughts on “AKAI MPC Live First Impressions

  1. Excellent overview vid – thanks for sharing! I’m looking forward to getting this unit, particularly if they implement Ableton link support. That will be as far as I see the best way to sync Ableton with my hardware world.

  2. In specs and concept this could be the ultimate dedicated hardware solution for composition, production and performance. Everything i want from a sequencer/sampler and then some. Great UI, solid construction, expressive pads, sleek design, portability, lots of connectivity options…

    But Akai being Akai, it seems they’re once again rolling out a product that’s not nearly finished. I’ve read reports of firmware crashes, UI inconsistencies, erratic behavior, …

    Is this the MPC1000 all over again? Ridden with bugs Akai never cared to resolve, the only reason they are still in use is because a (presumably) disgruntled Akai firmware developer created a proper elegant firmware that made it do what it was supposed to.

    Perhaps they should just release the OS source code straight away.

  3. 24:20 -> “The MPC live really feels like the old MPCs”

    Question:
    What is the oldest MPC you have tried? Akai mpc renaissance? :S

    1. MPC 2000XL is the oldest, then the 2500 and 5000. Sequences, tracks, programs, song modes. This is an Akai workflow that’s shared on all of them. That’s what I meant.

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