AKAI MPC X Firmware 2.0.5 Review and Tutorial
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MPC X 2.0.5 Firmware update features
The MPC X is just now showing up to the Canadian market but already has a firmware update that introduces new features. Up until now the Bluetooth chip and the WiFi were dormant. The MPC X and the MPC Live now allow you to connect a Bluetooth MIDI controller for wireless performance control. You can also connect a QWRTY keyboard for quick labelling.
The previous MPC firmware allowed for audio warping while using either Clip mode or Audio Track playback. The 2.0.5 firmware update now allows for individual pads in a program to have audio warp control, allowing you to increase the speed or pitch of playback independently of other pads – a truly deep way to blend elements of your music together.
In this video I show how to assign warp control onto a program pad, using content that was recorded with Ian George Light. To hear music that Ian and I made many years ago in a basement apartment in Toronto click here.
MPC firmware 2.0.5 Ableton Link with stand-alone MPC
The WiFi chips inside the MPC X and the MPC Live have been activated to run Ableton Link, which is a system that connects BPM and track playback information to many different devices simultaneously. When all the devices are connected the playback speed or BPM can be adjusted and all devices remain synced together. To make this work you will need Ableton Live and a wireless network. All devices connect to the wireless network, so everything works together without wires. Serato also currently supports Ableton Link, so you can lock your DJ set into this multi-musician-friendly environment.
In this video I show how to connect the MPC Live, the MPC X and a laptop to a wireless network. All devices have a history of being connected. I do not show the password entry part of the process in this video, but when you are confronted with a wireless password prompt the operation is self-explanatory. Once you have it entered in it will automatically connect every time you use that network.
If there is no wireless network available, set up a hotspot with your phone. So far I have had three musicians play simultaneously using this method, without issue. I hope to push this and will update the blog accordingly.
MPC 2.0.5 – Chop and Warp Vinyl samples
Up until making this video, I have only used original content in my video series. I run a studio out of my home and am very lucky to have talented artists around me. However, I know there are a bunch of MPC users who are full-on crate diggers. I dig a lot on my own, but have never shown it on video until now. In this video I decided to see if using others’ content can work for the purpose of demonstration. So check it out while you can, and if it is deemed to be breaking laws then I will take it down and show these features another way.
The Warp option in the MPC 2.0.5 can now be applied to program samples, which opens up control of playback never before available. In this video I take a couple of samples and show how to turn them into a loop, then how to have them play back with each other at the same speed or bpm.
If you are trying to learn your MPC quickly let’s set up a SKYPE lesson. My email address is fiercemule@gmail.com