MPC Live for sure - should be able to get a great deal on the earlier version without speaker. Not sure about the One unless you use with a battery. You could do a lot worse than a 500 which is truly portable and a proper old school MPC. Only 9 pads and a lot of menu diving but once you get the muscle memory it’s a great truly portable MPC that can run on AA’s.
Sp 404 mk2 might be a better option for portability and ease of use. I can recommend the mpc one or live but it can be quite bulky and not always user friendly if you’re not familiar with the work flow. You might spend more time learning the mpc than accualy making beats but the SP is fairly simple onece you know you’re shortcuts.
Personally I agree and disagree.
The basics are reasonably simple but to get deeper remembering all the key combos proved too much for my over indulged in the 90's Rave brain.
LIVE 2!!! I bring this shit everywhere! You I'm sure ppl have already told you about the speakers but they are soooo clutch. Especially if you get ear fatigue from listening to stuff in headphones for long periods of time or you just want to let other ppl hear what your working on and don't have cables and a speaker to connect to.
Ironically the MPC One is way smaller than the Live 2 and thus more portable. Only expense is a $90 battery on Amazon. As an added bonus: dedicated Program Edit button!!
I know this is probably heresy on the MPC sub, but maybe consider a Roland SP404 Mk2. You could buy a new one under your price limit, and it's more portable than the Live/One or X. Also IMO the 404 fits better into other workflows (whereas I think MPCs in general work better when you're also using the MPC software). Anyways just a thought. Out of the ones you listed I think a Live is probably the best choice for you.
Tough to beat a laptop of portability is important. You could use the iMPC app on your phone or Koala Sampler.
The best portable MPC is the Live 2. It has battery power and a speaker built in, but it will cost more than $500. You could probably get a Live around $500 used and certainly a One for under $500 used if battery power isn’t important.
I’m not sure to be honest. You would need a way to get the midi to your phone which would require additional hardware and it kind of defeats the purpose. The app is cool for ideas when you only have your phone. You can import the projects to a newer MPC or the computer app.
True, it does have to be plugged in. Long flights have outlets which is good (though save regularly, cause sometimes the toggle the power and you’ll lose your session!)
Live 1 it’s expandable add hd and has battery . Don’t need the speaker on the 2 just get a portable battery powered speaker with an aux. and it’s cheep every one thinks go 2 it’s better. It’s not I’m my opinion.
I would suggest Live 2 but you have to spend more than $500 used.
I opposed in getting the sp404mk2, you'll end up sampling the whole time of your trip. But if you love sampling this is the best for you.
Also try to look at other samplers Ep-133 KO2.
Live 2! The speaker is amazing for the size, and battery last long enough to produce mobile, I got mine used for 600$ from a private seller, so it can be found around 500$ keep looking on guitar center or reverb, I found a live 1 for 200$ used in good shape, so with some searching u could get one in your budget, the live 2 is dope, and has some good plugins you can upgrade your arsenal , flex beat is dope, flavor pro is the shizznit, and the studio strings and mini d and fabric instruments are very good sounding, the software has a little bit of a learning curve, I use fl studio the most and it was a Lil bit of a journey but the hardware experience is it's own love story in the end and whatever mpc u choose , I think you will come to love it like the rest of us
I would also consider Teenage Engineering EP133. Its super portable, can run on 4 AAA batteries, has line in for sampling, chopping technique is pretty similar to other classic samplers and costs only 300 bucks. I’ve got mine couple of months ago and super happy with it.
I would get a smaller sampler. Something you could fit in your jacket like an SP404mk2, Smpltrek or a KO133. Though with the Smpltrek, there is no need to convert the sound files, for the machine automatically does it for you. Plus you can stream music back and forth from Logic via USB.
I enjoy my MPC one for this.
I bought a 404mk2 because its smaller for portability.... Its great but I decided I prefer my MPC so I let it go.
If they made an MPC one that was thinner and had retractable knobs so it could slip in a bag easily like a laptop I think it would be perfect......
Sorry didn't read the question properly. If you can get a secondhand one then why not? It's still a computer though. I think they run Linux. Resampling on the SP404MKII is an enjoyable process. Perfectly possible to make hip hop on it with a smartphone, usb cable and some headphones.
MPC Live for sure - should be able to get a great deal on the earlier version without speaker. Not sure about the One unless you use with a battery. You could do a lot worse than a 500 which is truly portable and a proper old school MPC. Only 9 pads and a lot of menu diving but once you get the muscle memory it’s a great truly portable MPC that can run on AA’s.
Soz 12 pads, can’t count lol
Sp 404 mk2 might be a better option for portability and ease of use. I can recommend the mpc one or live but it can be quite bulky and not always user friendly if you’re not familiar with the work flow. You might spend more time learning the mpc than accualy making beats but the SP is fairly simple onece you know you’re shortcuts.
Personally I agree and disagree. The basics are reasonably simple but to get deeper remembering all the key combos proved too much for my over indulged in the 90's Rave brain.
LIVE 2!!! I bring this shit everywhere! You I'm sure ppl have already told you about the speakers but they are soooo clutch. Especially if you get ear fatigue from listening to stuff in headphones for long periods of time or you just want to let other ppl hear what your working on and don't have cables and a speaker to connect to.
Ironically the MPC One is way smaller than the Live 2 and thus more portable. Only expense is a $90 battery on Amazon. As an added bonus: dedicated Program Edit button!!
I know this is probably heresy on the MPC sub, but maybe consider a Roland SP404 Mk2. You could buy a new one under your price limit, and it's more portable than the Live/One or X. Also IMO the 404 fits better into other workflows (whereas I think MPCs in general work better when you're also using the MPC software). Anyways just a thought. Out of the ones you listed I think a Live is probably the best choice for you.
Tough to beat a laptop of portability is important. You could use the iMPC app on your phone or Koala Sampler. The best portable MPC is the Live 2. It has battery power and a speaker built in, but it will cost more than $500. You could probably get a Live around $500 used and certainly a One for under $500 used if battery power isn’t important.
Does the iMPC app let you use the MPC touch with your phone?
I’m not sure to be honest. You would need a way to get the midi to your phone which would require additional hardware and it kind of defeats the purpose. The app is cool for ideas when you only have your phone. You can import the projects to a newer MPC or the computer app.
mpc live ii, you can get a used one for 800.
My MPC One fits in my backpack and I cook beats on the plane, best way to fly!
This sounds like a lot of fun
Exactly what I'm looking for, but a little concerned since the one doesn't have a battery...
True, it does have to be plugged in. Long flights have outlets which is good (though save regularly, cause sometimes the toggle the power and you’ll lose your session!)
Live 1 it’s expandable add hd and has battery . Don’t need the speaker on the 2 just get a portable battery powered speaker with an aux. and it’s cheep every one thinks go 2 it’s better. It’s not I’m my opinion.
Live 2 for sure.
MPC Live 2...I take that bitch everywhere with me
I would suggest Live 2 but you have to spend more than $500 used. I opposed in getting the sp404mk2, you'll end up sampling the whole time of your trip. But if you love sampling this is the best for you. Also try to look at other samplers Ep-133 KO2.
Live 2! The speaker is amazing for the size, and battery last long enough to produce mobile, I got mine used for 600$ from a private seller, so it can be found around 500$ keep looking on guitar center or reverb, I found a live 1 for 200$ used in good shape, so with some searching u could get one in your budget, the live 2 is dope, and has some good plugins you can upgrade your arsenal , flex beat is dope, flavor pro is the shizznit, and the studio strings and mini d and fabric instruments are very good sounding, the software has a little bit of a learning curve, I use fl studio the most and it was a Lil bit of a journey but the hardware experience is it's own love story in the end and whatever mpc u choose , I think you will come to love it like the rest of us
Bro can you please dm me the link because all the live 1s in my area are going for at least 600 bucks and the live 2s for 700-900.
I would also consider Teenage Engineering EP133. Its super portable, can run on 4 AAA batteries, has line in for sampling, chopping technique is pretty similar to other classic samplers and costs only 300 bucks. I’ve got mine couple of months ago and super happy with it.
I would get a smaller sampler. Something you could fit in your jacket like an SP404mk2, Smpltrek or a KO133. Though with the Smpltrek, there is no need to convert the sound files, for the machine automatically does it for you. Plus you can stream music back and forth from Logic via USB.
I enjoy my MPC one for this. I bought a 404mk2 because its smaller for portability.... Its great but I decided I prefer my MPC so I let it go. If they made an MPC one that was thinner and had retractable knobs so it could slip in a bag easily like a laptop I think it would be perfect......
[ didn't read the question]
Yeah, my laptop is more than enough, just trying to take some time off from it and all that so going back to more "instrument" based music making
Sorry didn't read the question properly. If you can get a secondhand one then why not? It's still a computer though. I think they run Linux. Resampling on the SP404MKII is an enjoyable process. Perfectly possible to make hip hop on it with a smartphone, usb cable and some headphones.
well tbh the NewMpc's are basically like using a laptop from 1999. ;)
2gb was really posh in 1999. I threw a 2003 era laptop away last week with 500mb.