Head-to-head comparison: Akai MPC One vs. MPC Live mkII

Features

MPC One & Live mkII

Sequencer and sampler

Standalone and controller mode

8 CV ports

2 GB RAM, 16 GB hard disk

16 light pads

4 Q-Link controller

Touchscreen

USB ports for sticks and MIDI controllers

2,5” SATA ports (SSD/HDD)

SD card slot

Ethernet connection

3 internal synths in standalone mode

VST/AU support (with MPC software 2.0)

as VST/AU/RTAS plug-in usable (with MPC software 2.0)

WAV-, MP3-, AIFF-, REX-, SND-, OGG- & FLACsupport

MPC One

1 MIDI in and out

MPC Live mkII

2 MIDI ins and outs each

WiFi support

Phono input

Onboard boombox

Although MPC's have always been full-fledged music production workstations and theoretically capable of replacing a DAW in the studio, they have definitely earned their reputation as intuitive samplers for finger drummers. The Live and X models hit the market about three years ago, offering a standalone mode with internal synthesizers, massive effects and a touchscreen with integrated mini-DAW for the first time.While the older models were mainly popular in Hip-Hop, the newer ones established themselves as genuine alternatives for Techno, House and Electro.

With the MPC One, a more compact and lighter version is now coming onto the market, which is seeking the attention of users with many control elements and the classic MPC layout. But Akai doesn't stop there, because with the MPC Live mkII another new model will be released almost simultaneously. What else could be better at this point than a direct comparison test?

Features

As previously, the focus is on 16 drum pads, which are used to play samples, mute tracks, select patterns or trigger MIDI notes. The pads are surrounded by 16 Q-Link controllers, lots of buttons, the obligatory transport buttons and volume controls for the audio inputs. The Q-Link controllers perform different tasks depending on the section. For sampling, for example, they determine the start and end points of samples and loops. For effects, they adjust the settings of the respective parameters, or even global settings such as tempo, quantization or volume of the metronome. The MPC-typical data wheel is also present and is used to adjust parameters or scroll through lists and directories.

Like their previous models, the One and Live mkII each offer two USB 3.0 ports for removable hard drives,