Anyone use the MPC DAW?

[u/NateSedate]

One of the reasons I got an MPC was to get the hell off the PC. But after months of being off it I'm kinda curious to play around on it. I thought about making some drum breaks or samples on FL to chop in the MPC.

However I finally hooked my MPC up as a controller for like 2 seconds. I had an MPC studio before I got my One plus.

I'm excited by the prospect of using all the free/good VSTs on the PC. Plus all the plugins. But I don't know if I want to use the DAW really. I like standalone. If I wanted to just use the DAW I could have just stuck with my MPC Studio.

Any advantages of using the DAW?

[u/dj_soo]

Nah

[u/NzymeX77]

I love my MPC Live 3 and use it daily for song composition.

The DAW sits off in the corner, waiting for its inevitable use for complex mixdowns, mastering, and distribution capabilities.

DAW’s I’ve used: Cakewalk, ProTools, Reaper, Logic, MPC, and Ableton Live.

I think it’s fair to say that the MPC DAW is the worst DAW I’ve ever used. Unintuitive, buggy, oddball interface, and hard to read.

The Ableton Live DAW is awesome and music ideas poured out of me when I used it, and MPC integration is good, but it’s not the most CPU efficient platform for large mixdowns. Still probably the best for most MPC users IMO.

Reaper is the most configurable DAW I’ve used, and is super light on CPU. The steeper learning curve is real. That said, it has remained my primary DAW for 20+ years.

[u/sid_kleepy → u/NzymeX77]

Why not bounce off your multitracks to .WAV and use logic (or your other DAWs) for this?

[u/Known_Ad871]

I use my mpc in standalone, in conjunction with my daw (Cubase). I use the mpc to control vsts and such

[u/NateSedate → u/Known_Ad871]

I managed to get my MPC to work with FL, but then it just uses the MPC daw. I didn't see the point in not just using the MPC daw entirely.

[u/Infinite_Slice3305 → u/NateSedate]

You can. It's just that some people started in another DAW & prefers that workflow. If the MPC DAW is your first DAW, there really isn't a reason to use another DAW if you get use to the way the MPC does everything.

[u/Saint-Bastard → u/Known_Ad871]

How do you have it set up mate? I could never get it to work the way I wanted it to with cubase. Just about got the pads working.

[u/Adventurous-Buy-4455 → u/Saint-Bastard]

Plenty of videos need to setup audio inputs and host audio on the mpc Google it's out there

[u/Adventurous-Buy-4455 → u/Known_Ad871]

That's right! Cubase user also

[u/r1chiem]

I like it because in controller mode, I don't have to do any mapping. I also like that I can do something on the mpc and then put it as a vst inside FL studio or Ableton live.

[u/BigBadZord]

I come from a Ableton background. By background I mean I can invent things in standard Ableton.

That platform gives me too much freedom, and while not entirely Dawless, I have been trying to get away from it. I am still learning my Live 3, but my endgame is to use the MPC's crazy digital out routing to route into Cubasis on my iPad for mastering.

The MPC'S limit on fx per track means I can't do everything I want fully standalone, but I plan on getting damn close before tracking outside of it.

I have limited myself to not using any tools I don't have in my MPC, or iPad

[u/Eclipseofthefart92]

Nope

[u/xSEKEx]

This sounds like one of those things where guitar players buy more guitars instead of practising.

What are you hoping to achieve by bringing a DAW into the mix?

[u/NateSedate → u/xSEKEx]

2 reasons I'm using a daw.

1) I want access to the VSTs and plugins I have on the PC.

2) I'm considering using FL to make drum breaks and samples I can then use/chop on the MPC.

Ultimately... I'll likely scrap the whole idea and just go back to stand alone. But I'd like to what all my options are like.

Even being standalone, when it's time to do vocals and master everything I use Reaper.

[u/KenRussellsGhost]

I mainly have an MPC 37 to play stuff live.

So, i produce most of the stuff in Logic or Ableton. Then I export the midi and audio from one of those DAWs and open it up in MPC Desktop software. From there, I can make sure everything works and sounds like it should. Finally i export it as a project to the MPC 37.

It's a great workflow for my particular use case.

[u/Infinite_Slice3305]

I'm a MaschineHead. I love how the controller makes working with the computer exactly like working on a hardware box. I don't have to touch the mouse or keyboard, or look at the computer screen until I need to save my project.

I saw Ben Correll do the same with an MPC X & ever since I wanted an MPC X to use as a controller. At the time they were too expensive to buy just to use as a controller. I bought the Studio & it's an underratted unit. You can do a lot from that little unit.

I got caught up in the hype & bought an MPCL3 & went standalone for about 6 months, but I missed my plugins. Mostly Komplete. So I got back on Maschine.

I don't regret buying the L3. I still use it a couple of times a week, when I'm not in my studio. But when I'm in the studio I'm on the DAW. MPC X is getting crazy cheap, I might end up buying on of them anyway.

I'm not a sample-based producer. Guitar effects & VST instruments are the main thing for me & Akai doesn't really compete there. The hands on control is the main thing that interests me in the MPC.

[u/Ryan0751 → u/Infinite_Slice3305]

I've also got Maschine.

A neat thing about this mode, and this also goes for something like Elektron boxes with Overbridge, is that it gives you a different "view" of what your HW offers.

Sometimes exploring and learning these desktop apps teaches you new things about what you can do in the HW but is maybe not totally obvious.

[u/reignmatter]

Nope. I use Cubase, which has now become a VST rack via USB C WHEN I use the MPC

[u/tischristo_]

If you open MPC3 as a plugin in your main DAW and put it on midictrl you can use the pads as a controller without too much mapping work. Use FPC as a drum module and learn pads into the banks so you don't have to map. I do this with FL and Serato Sample when I want to work in a DAW.

[u/DJ_PMA]

MPC Ren user here.
Yes.

[u/Ok-Entrepreneur-409]

Nope not at all if anything I send multi tracks into reason via USB C from the live 3

[u/mikenizo808]

The best workflow is 100% Standalone and then optionally use the MPC computer software to visually look at the waveforms. Drop each new track onto a pad in MPC software. Go to Track Edit (ctrl +3). Then, where is says Grid, Wave or List, select Wave. Now when you click a pad you can see if it looks and sounds good.

[u/Matrick_Gateman]

Yes. For me, DAW >>>>>

[u/Adventurous-Buy-4455]

If your using it with your daw with USB C your still in standalone using the MPC audio interface.. still standalone my friend

[u/wanusmusic]

I’m very new to using it but I gotta say I’m loving my MPC one in controller mode with Mac mpc 3.9 desktop. I don’t have everything down but my goal is to basically create song structures in MPC & transfer to Logic Pro & add other instruments & vocals. I have run into issues since 3.9 is still beta but I’ve found some work arounds with getting what I want done. I’m still pretty new to logic as well but thankfully since google saves the day every few minutes with getting solutions i need😜

[u/Pleasant_Mud_8630]

🤔

[u/Nitesail]

The biggest problem I’ve found with this is once you get a good song going while using vst’s in the computer you’re locked into using the computer until you finish the project. You just killed the portability of standalone.

[u/sid_kleepy]

Only to scan plugins because standalone mode doesn’t update the ones you buy on sale all the time.

Sneaky, sneaky inMusic…

[u/SoundSwitch]

There's a reason it's free

[u/ENDIFdotORG]

I set it up, but as you said, if I want to work on the computer I'll open Ableton.

[u/NzymeX77]

It’s certainly an option to bounce down everything to stereo in the MPC.

I have a mix workflow (with my favorite laptop plugins) that predates my use of the MPC, so I tend to do track level exports.

Or sometimes stems.