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It's a cool rig but all time best is a bit of a big call. Most famous yeah but best...eh matter of opinion. I really wish akai would open up the software on th

It's a cool rig but all time best is a bit of a big call. Most famous yeah but best...eh matter of opinion. I really wish akai would open up the software on the latest MPCs a bit more.My 100% biggest gripe with 90% of music hardware and software companies is their lack of openness and through this their lack of connectivity. It's like every man and their dog wants to be a mini apple with their own closed ecosystem. So very far from the ethos of music is for all imho. MPCs could actually be the best rigs on the market today if they were a bit more open!

throw_m239339 4y ago
Open how? The MPC Line does support class compliant external USB Audio interface AND MIDI interfaces. In my opinion, stability and low latency should be the focus of that kind of product. If opening the hardware incurs a performance hit for everybody then it is a net negative.
323 4y ago
Most musical hardware being closed is a feature. It's what gives the "it just works" quality. Computer software can be open, and why it's difficult relying on a computer during a live performance, you never know when some weird incompatibility might occur. If musical hardware were open, people would install random stuff from GitHub on them, and then complain to the hardware maker that it crashed during a performance. Also, you can buy MIDI controllers if you are into open, you are not locked into anything.
- rektide 4y ago
  This thesis would be more interesting if it had some actual examples & evidence of being true.
  - midislack 4y ago
    AFAIK there is no "open" synth or DAW or sequencer made to fit particular hardware. Linux has been used as the basis for some equipment but it's always left out of date, and the actual application layer which presents the UI and interfaces with hardware has ALWAYS been closed.
- gtvwill 4y ago
  Yeah nah that's a a bit of a lie. I generally put a fair bit of effort into buying open and not locked down hardware. Saying my gear is gonna lock up during a 8 hour session because it's not all from some locked down ecosystem is porky pies. Your spreading fud. It generally winds up being if you think computers are unreliable for music production your probably just doing it wrong re. setup and config of your computer. Also just for anyone reading this into DJing but wants to avoid closed apps. Ditch serato and Pioneer, virtualDj is way more advanced software wise, way more polished and way more open. Give it a burl the AI stems are a game changer.
  - 323 4y ago
    > virtualDj is way more advanced software wise Funny quote from their homepage: "There’s a reason why everybody starts with VirtualDJ." So, they start with VirtualDJ, but what do they end with?
    - gtvwill 4y ago
      Started on VDJ about a decade ago because it was the most pirated easy to get run entirely on your PC DJ software. Got serato pro with a bit of hardware and it's incredibly underwhelming piece of software. Legit it actually sucks compared to VDJ. Half of seratos features are a paid upgrade, it sucks for supporting hardware, they basically ruined their DVS support. Not to mention like ultra basic aspects of programs arent even implemented. Serato...zero touch support, zero capacity to re arrange the UI, lol it doesn't even handle scaling well, can't read text on half the menus because they get pushed off screen by scaling, can't even resize them to fit. Lol serato is a joke so is the industries support of it.
poisonarena 4y ago
I dont think it was the most famous
- kalupa 4y ago
  I’d agree. The 909 or 808 is probably more well known.
comboy 4y ago
Most music related hardware is in fact software nowadays. They won't give away the thing that they are selling. And regarding connectivity most have DAW integrations (MPC plays nice with ableton I think) and from there you can script whatever you want. FWIW I prefer if the industry goes more apple than linux way (and I'm saying that as a linux user). I'd rather create music than configs.
midislack 4y ago
Developing this kind of instrument is a significant undertaking and it's about hardware software fusion, it's an APPLIANCE after all and it's meant to just work. It's not meant for tinkering in the internals.

throw_m239339 4y ago

Open how? The MPC Line does support class compliant external USB Audio interface AND MIDI interfaces. In my opinion, stability and low latency should be the focus of that kind of product. If opening the hardware incurs a performance hit for everybody then it is a net negative.

323 4y ago

Most musical hardware being closed is a feature. It's what gives the "it just works" quality. Computer software can be open, and why it's difficult relying on a computer during a live performance, you never know when some weird incompatibility might occur. If musical hardware were open, people would install random stuff from GitHub on them, and then complain to the hardware maker that it crashed during a performance. Also, you can buy MIDI controllers if you are into open, you are not locked into anything.

rektide 4y ago
This thesis would be more interesting if it had some actual examples & evidence of being true.
- midislack 4y ago
  AFAIK there is no "open" synth or DAW or sequencer made to fit particular hardware. Linux has been used as the basis for some equipment but it's always left out of date, and the actual application layer which presents the UI and interfaces with hardware has ALWAYS been closed.
gtvwill 4y ago
Yeah nah that's a a bit of a lie. I generally put a fair bit of effort into buying open and not locked down hardware. Saying my gear is gonna lock up during a 8 hour session because it's not all from some locked down ecosystem is porky pies. Your spreading fud. It generally winds up being if you think computers are unreliable for music production your probably just doing it wrong re. setup and config of your computer. Also just for anyone reading this into DJing but wants to avoid closed apps. Ditch serato and Pioneer, virtualDj is way more advanced software wise, way more polished and way more open. Give it a burl the AI stems are a game changer.
- 323 4y ago
  > virtualDj is way more advanced software wise Funny quote from their homepage: "There’s a reason why everybody starts with VirtualDJ." So, they start with VirtualDJ, but what do they end with?
  - gtvwill 4y ago
    Started on VDJ about a decade ago because it was the most pirated easy to get run entirely on your PC DJ software. Got serato pro with a bit of hardware and it's incredibly underwhelming piece of software. Legit it actually sucks compared to VDJ. Half of seratos features are a paid upgrade, it sucks for supporting hardware, they basically ruined their DVS support. Not to mention like ultra basic aspects of programs arent even implemented. Serato...zero touch support, zero capacity to re arrange the UI, lol it doesn't even handle scaling well, can't read text on half the menus because they get pushed off screen by scaling, can't even resize them to fit. Lol serato is a joke so is the industries support of it.

poisonarena 4y ago

I dont think it was the most famous

kalupa 4y ago
I’d agree. The 909 or 808 is probably more well known.

comboy 4y ago

Most music related hardware is in fact software nowadays. They won't give away the thing that they are selling. And regarding connectivity most have DAW integrations (MPC plays nice with ableton I think) and from there you can script whatever you want. FWIW I prefer if the industry goes more apple than linux way (and I'm saying that as a linux user). I'd rather create music than configs.

midislack 4y ago

Developing this kind of instrument is a significant undertaking and it's about hardware software fusion, it's an APPLIANCE after all and it's meant to just work. It's not meant for tinkering in the internals.