WOW…. just WOW Not sure what to even say. If NI is working on a new version of Maschine, its got it work cut out for it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1XbD59wDeM
Since this is a thread about MPC Live 3 I’d like to clarify that L3 MPCe Pads and associated Pad Matrix is very different than Push 3 MPE pads. Worlds different. There seems to be a lot of confusion and misinformation about it. Akai is very familiar with Ableton SW/HW as they made the first 2 Push models. If they wanted to make L3 with MPE pads—they would have. Name the genre of music so greatly impacted by MPE. Where is the evidence of its impact on music or how people create in more than a decade that it’s been available? In fact, the evidence supports the opposite. Roli went all in on MPE. Nobody cares about Roli today. They even went bankrupt twice. Fail. Despite being a great keyboard, no one gaf about Osmose either. The MPE rings, wands, Morph tablet…all failed. The evidence says MPE is not the killer features forum users, particularly those that paid a lot for Push 3 would have you believe. Why isn’t Roland, Korg, Nord rushing to make a bunch of flagship MPE devices if it’s in such high demand by pros or those impacting culture? Exactly. Conversely, MPCe has been an immediate and universal hit for a reason. Akai used many decades of experience and research into how hitmakers have used their devices (including Ableton push 1/2) to come up with a new pad tech specifically for its modern devices that is tailor made for sample based workflows rather than just supporting a standard that hasn’t even been that impactful and doesn’t really made a big difference re: drums, finger drumming, rhythmically playing wide ranging samples/layers. Try not to listen to misinformation. Demo these great devices for yourself and find what makes cent$ for you.
I had Push 3, have MPC Live 3 and Maschine Plus. All are great devices in their own right but as far as pads…MPCe smokes the field and it ain’t close imo.
@GoKeez
While I think it is early to say MPCe is a universal hit, I am still picking my jaw off the floor after seeing the SS demo, I obviously see what you saw.
How is it IRL? Have you been on the MPC workflow for a while? How many hours until you got the hang of it?
***Live 3 is simply the best standalone available in 2025 by a very large margin.
I can tell you 100% of Turntablists would use a standalone device if it was Rane 12 style or Phase compatible, other sync button DJs are all using standalones (Pioneer) and most other live performers from mid size up will be either playing to a multi with tracks turned off and double redundancy on standalones and two track, smaller performers are much more of a shit show, but that's how you learn and have stories to tell haha.
Same experience here.
Wait what? The flaw in your reasoning is you are looking at what musicians use on stage and assuming that since they are not DAWless than "DAWless is just a hype" while giving examples of bands using a ton of real instruments and hw synths on stage… This makes no sense.
Could you be confusing backing track laptop systems with 'DAWless' ?? Very different things.
Also, just because a guitar player brings 2 guitars to play live, it doesn't mean it's all they have and/use in the studio, most likely people who are successful will have 20 guitars at home but… it's just not practical to carry around all that, same goes for pedals — This to say: what you see on stage and the studio are different things, assuming instrument players dont have DAWless stuff is kind of crazy bro… Musicians own all sorts of Music gadgets, especially if they got money…
With that said, sure… many people use laptop on stage (too actually perform too), sure, they're practical and multi-purpose devices.
I’m a 61 year old retired man who plays purely for pleasure now.
I remember seeing the Juno 106 on release, had to buy it, to me for the price it was groundbreaking.
I remember, seeing the Roland D50, to me it was groundbreaking I had to buy it.
I remember seeing the Kronos and again I had to have it (although sold it a few months later as to me, it had too many niggles)
It’s not often I feel like that, watching the various demos, I really do feel like the Live 3 fits into my “want want want” category.
That said, I simply don’t need it at all, and unless I see one in a few years second hand, I doubt I’ll get one. I’m very happy with my current setup using my MacBook, Maschine 3, Cubase pro etc etc etc but I do think the Live 3 is one of those pieces of hardware that will go down in the history books as a groundbreaking device.
I ran through the Akai L3 for almost 24hrs straight. It's dope don't get me wrong. But... for me, it was a pain just to do simple tasks that I do could easier, and faster on the Machine+. I'll give credit to the speaker, touch screen and battery. But in my experience, the M+ is simply smoother, faster, less task'ish. Not gonna lie, it would nice for NI to incorporate a battery, and touch screen (like on the new keyboard models). And for the Akai L3, the $1700usd just to have menu buttons on top vs. inside the file system and a step sequencer, to me, isn't worth it. So yeah, I'm sticking to my M+. Still loving Maschine.
No salt on the rim????
The complexity of the unfamiliar MPC workflow is the largest barrier for me. It always seemed like allot of work to learn when I am pretty happy with Maschine, or Bitwig. I acknowledge that those pads are pretty damn ground breaking though!
I’ll be sticking with my beloved M+ too, but I do find myself using it with Bitwig more and more due to the silly Maschine limitations.
The MPC Live 3 is a game changer. I started off with Maschine +, moved to a Push 3 due to Maschine limitations/lack of progress, and have since moved to the MPC live 3. I’ll always keep Ableton as my DAW but this Live 3 is the ultimate groovebox/daw in a box. It’s everything that maschine users wanted Maschine to be.
Just bought a secondhand MPC Key 37, to experience MPC3 OS firsthand. I like it, it's really powerful and flexible. Workflow is challenging though, imho Maschine has a much smoother and streamlined workflow. There are just too many ways to do the same thing on MPC, i'd like it to be more "opinionated". Feature- and maturity-wise, MPC OS feels like a more mature, stable, and well-developed OS/software, compared to the Maschine sw. Personally, Maschine 3 sw feels like some brand new developers tried to reverse-engineer Maschine 2 sw and add new features and modernise the GUI. In the end to me, M3 feels like a step back from M2, UX, design, and stability/performance wise. So, i'll keep using all of them (including the trusty old Push 1 LOL), because they all have their unique advantages and usecases, and luckily analog audio, MIDI and USB are standards to integrate devices with :)
Workflow is challenging though
It's a lot better than the workflow pre MPC3 OS. That was dreadful, and I can easily understand why Akai felt it necessary to change it so drastically. The OG MPC users though have grown so accustomed to the old system that they're up in arms about the changes and demanding that Akai change it back!
I still have an MPC-1000 I bought around 20 years ago, but rarely use because the workflow baffles me.
Live 3 is super impressive! They really went for Ableton's jugular with this one. I have a Push 3 and think it has a lot going for it. But feel it misses the mark in certain areas. The hardware is a bit cold with the super stiff pads that have your fingers sore and I hate the spongy buttons. Jog and knobs are slipery. Sometimes the navigation is a bit complicated for no reason. A few basic missing features compared to MPC and Maschine. Still, I feel it was the best solution overall.. Until now.
Akai knocked it out the park with the implementation and improved on some of the workflow issues with MPC 2.0. Seems with 3.6 and Live 3 they improved everything I hoped for and then some. My only reservation is the desktop app is not finished and there is no plugin version. Also, there are some bugs that need to be squashed. My GAS is running in overdrive for this though.
it is not even the same categorie anymore in many regards. Would not compare this anymore
I went aahead & bought L3. It's a beast, but honestly I'm thinking of sending it back getting a 1st gen device & installing the ProPack. Setting up the MPCe pads kills my workflow/creativity, I've got no use for stem separation & I'll never use that mic. & it doesn't work well in controller mode for me.
chances are I'm going to keep iit & see how it develops.
Right now Maschine in Ableton with the Ableton script works best for me. I'm looking for something to simplify or replace that. Right now, L3 does not do that. It may very well replace my Kronos
Something makes me feel that 16 stereo outs from M+ software were made not only for external audio interfaces. It would be great if NI implement sending multichannel audio to DAW via USB (if USB-B connection is not a restriction for this).
