I have been listening back to various episodes of the series on the MPC and I find new nuggets of gold each time. What a nice gift you gave us. I know my tools quite well but a recap based on the MPC is really cool.
I've returned to this video many times now , and the explanation is superb. Am really struggling with finishing a track in the mpc that I'm really happy with and then not destroying it in the process of trying to get it anywhere near commercial volume. Hopefully practice makes .....not perfect, but better at least !
Another great detailed review which no one does like you. I enjoy getting your expert opinion giving insight instead of just instructing. I run to grab my notebook when watching your videos. Please keep going with these types of videos. It’s great to know what and how to effectively use the tools inside the MPC in comparison with hardware and plugins as a reference. Like you said about other reviewers saying some of the MPC tools are trash, you spin it explaining how to use them subtly to maximize (pun intended) 😅results. Thank you.
Thank You so much. Just grabbed an MPC Live 2 and You (with your videos) helped me make the decision to Purchase this unit. I can do so much with it based on what and how you explain the functions of this unit. I have also gained a better understanding of how to use other equipment I purchased prior to the MPC. Thanks again. I have also subscribed to Your channel with all notifications turned on.
Thank you for watching and subscribing. I really appreciate it. Happy to help. If you are on Facebook feel free to join our Akai MPC Tutorials group. It's a healthy group with no crap or egos. Just people helping each other out. Cheers.
Excellent video. I use the AIR Maximizer on single channels but it's really difficult to tame at times, it distorts really easy (and not in a pleasant way). I'd love to have a Dry/Wet adjustment on it, that's the one thing missing.
Yes you definitely have to watch the input levels and be very subtle. I think they’ve made it a little too sensitive to be honest. It breaks up at very low settings and I think that’s what puts people off using it. I think because I’m a mastering engineer I’m used to dealing with quarter db differences, but any normal person mixing their beat is going to find it way too sensitive, and like you said, not in a good way. Thanks for watching.
One of the problems with Maximizer in EDM is that you tend to have very quiet breaks, and relatively quiet intros/outros. So making A/B comparison for several section is needed. Otherwise suddenly your nice quiet break sounds terrible and you go into the next section already loud. I use maximizer in individual tracks and only activate at certain parts. I use Oxford Inflator but for those wondering there are several AIR plugins that you can get similar effects. Inflator is really good that it has a very simple interface and control output gain right there because it's visual.
To be honest, a ton of genres have quiet and loud sections. This is why when I master for clients I set up market points I can jump to quickly to a/b those sections easily. I also use a lot of automation. Inflator is not something I’d use in mastering. As for maximizing, I use the Weiss Mastering Maximizer when I’m mastering. The Air Maximizer is pretty decent though, it gets the job done in the box if you know what you’re doing, but it’s limited in its function and definitely needs to be used subtly.
@@TheCratesMotel Yeah I use inflator on individual tracks usually, kick, bass and depending on how it responds other tracks too. Oh yes automation. One of the most challenging and least straightforward things in MPC. I and others requested something similar to in Ableton (drag smooth lines, easy to remove, add, edit etc.) and I hope in later MPC Software versions, we will get it. I don't know about standalones but I guess it will make their lives easy too. If I spend X amount of time on one track, I spend 3X on automation just because I have to delete/redo it many times every time I make a small change.
Nice details on it. In the DAW, I am using Mv2 and Ultramaximizer from Waves. Or bx_limiter true peak. Or Ozone... so many. Well, MPC removes that choice lol.
The Air series of plugins were originally coded for DAWs. I’m not sure if they’re coded exactly the same though. There is a lot less processing power and RAM in standalone than your DAW will have, but I trust my ears, and my ears say that you can get the job done in standalone with these plugins.
again, very cool! Oxford Inflator, i love that processor! actually i never associated the Air Maximizer with Inflator, but it kinda make sense. I used to use inflator on busses or even single tracks, rarely as a mastering tool tho. Have to try that again. Ok now i'm really curious about your opinion on Air Transient and how it can compare with the also great Oxford Transmod :)
I will definitely be looking at the Air Transient in more detail at some point and making a video. To be honest, I don't tend to use the Inflator in mastering, it's more of a mixing tool for me. Maybe a little tickle on the mix buss.
Hey thanks for watching. I keep asking Akai for a clipper and I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one. There is not really what I would consider a true clipper in the Akai. Drum FX has a soft clipper and a hard clipper but they’re not particularly reliable and distort very easily. The thing is with digital clippers, they tend to need decent Oversampling algorithms and I’m not convinced Akai are there yet.
@@TheCratesMotel Fair point. I’m desperate for an RMS or LUFS meter. It’s a damn shame, they also haven’t thrown in their old quad comp multiband vst Thanks for responding 🙌🏽
How does the mpc handle the look ahead? Does it introduce some latency? Could it cause issues if I have look ahead engaged in one of my programs in relation to the timing of others?
That’s a very good question. I’ve not noticed any latency when using two limiters on the master buss. I have not used more than two. I’m honestly not sure how Akai handles plugin latency but I can’t say I’ve ever noticed any so far unlike the Cassette MFX in the SP404 MKII which is virtually unusable if you’re playing live.
Loving your channel this week, it's accelerating my understanding of my MPC Live, that took me 2 years to truly get a feel for the workflow. The main thing I'm trying to solve now, is a master bus chain / settings, with the purpose of live performance. I finally have a live show underway, with loads of gigs ahead in the next year. But many of these gigs will be before and/or after DJs, typically in compact club / booth setups. What sort out of master bus settings would you recommend so that my MPC output is consistent in loudness and dynamics, alongside DJs playing on CDJs (most likely) and their laptops/sound cards? Any key differences from similar chains you've demonstrated for general mixes / pre-masters?
Hey buddy, thank you for watching. Great news on the gigs. Without actually hearing your music I can't really answer this definitively. I have made a video on a master buss chain, but again, it is not going to work exactly for every situation. Getting maximum loudness and making your tracks sound "radio ready" is a process that starts right from the original source, through programming and arranging the track, to mixing the individual instruments, to applying a mastering chain to finish off. I wish there was, but there is no single "one size fits all" that I can tell you that will work for all your music. If somebody tells you there is, they are basically lyign to you lol. Limiters play a big part in getting maximum loudness, I have also made a video on that and there is a ton of information online that can help you with that. Sorry I can't be more help mate. Thanks again for watching and I hope there is something on my channel somewhere that can help you reach your goal.
@@TheCratesMotel Hey mate, thanks for that. Let me clarify. First, I'm probably intermediate level - I've been studying and practicing audio production daily for 4+ years now, and have been in the biz for 29 years, producing since I was a teenager, Portastudio multitracks, producing events & festivals, often the sound guy at events, etc. Lately I've been recording/arranging into the MPC, bouncing the stems into Reason for my mixdown, and then sending it off to mastering. Your Radio Ready Mix video was the first I watched, which is how I discovered your excellent channel. I suppose my question is more specifically what differences in a chain I should explore, between "radio ready" and consideration for live performances in club. My music is very diverse - eventually orchestra-minded - but let's say it's essentially instrumental hip-hop / electronica, largely in the 75-100bpm range. Are there any factors to consider between "radio ready mixes" and ensuring the output of the MPC is hot and balanced enough to hold up on club systems, bigger subwoofers, bigger stages, etc? Maybe there is no real difference. Thank you very much!
@@seansley I think running your MPC into a mixing desk when you are performing is definitely going to help, although you’ve probably already considered that.
@@TheCratesMotel Definitely. I love the MPC Live's 6 outputs for that, because I can separate my stems into multiple mixer channels. It's also flexible in case my only option is the Line or RCA in of a DJ console, and I can change all the MPC outputs to 1/2. I've thought about outboard gear from the mixer, but then we get into considerable extra weight and volume. I'll try your Radio Ready Mix chain suggestions on the next decent soundsystem I play on, and see how it goes
The lack of output volume control is a big flaw with these plugins. It's all in your honor that you can manage without it but I definitely can't do anything remotely precise with that A/B testing volume gap. Bummer because I'd love to use them more.
Yes it’s quite a major flaw and something that really should be standard on all plugins now. There doesn’t even need to be autogain, just an output to enable some compensation. I think decades as a mastering engineer and using hardware compressors, EQ, etc has helped me as they often had no way of adjusting for accurate a/bing, but it’s still a struggle even for me sometimes. Thank you for watching.
These are the most comprehensive detailed explanations of these mpc stand-alone tools on the web . Thank you
Thanks dude and thank you for watching.
Nice video, I now know more about what the maximiser and Oxford Inflator does!
Cheers mate
That was the best description of a Maximizer ever!
Ah thanks dude, it's a tough one to describe to be honest. I tried to pick my words very carefully haha. Thank you for watching.
@The Crates Motel You have a Good way with words.
I have been listening back to various episodes of the series on the MPC and I find new nuggets of gold each time. What a nice gift you gave us. I know my tools quite well but a recap based on the MPC is really cool.
Im loving the MPC mixing / mastering content!
Thanks man and thank you for watching.
Facts!
Fantastic as always! Thanks so much!
You are more than welcome. Thank you for watching.
I've returned to this video many times now , and the explanation is superb. Am really struggling with finishing a track in the mpc that I'm really happy with and then not destroying it in the process of trying to get it anywhere near commercial volume. Hopefully practice makes .....not perfect, but better at least !
I’m really glad to be of help dude. Thank you for watching. I hope you get it finished.
Another great detailed review which no one does like you. I enjoy getting your expert opinion giving insight instead of just instructing. I run to grab my notebook when watching your videos. Please keep going with these types of videos. It’s great to know what and how to effectively use the tools inside the MPC in comparison with hardware and plugins as a reference. Like you said about other reviewers saying some of the MPC tools are trash, you spin it explaining how to use them subtly to maximize (pun intended) 😅results. Thank you.
Thanks for your kind words dude and thank you for watching. I am glad there is some help and inspiration there for you.
Been waiting for this.
Thanks for watching dude
Great video again. Thank you also for the detailed explanation between the maximizer and the limiter👍
You’re welcome dude, thanks for watching.
Thank You so much. Just grabbed an MPC Live 2 and You (with your videos) helped me make the decision to Purchase this unit. I can do so much with it based on what and how you explain the functions of this unit. I have also gained a better understanding of how to use other equipment I purchased prior to the MPC. Thanks again. I have also subscribed to Your channel with all notifications turned on.
Thank you for watching and subscribing. I really appreciate it. Happy to help. If you are on Facebook feel free to join our Akai MPC Tutorials group. It's a healthy group with no crap or egos. Just people helping each other out. Cheers.
Yo this track is fire! For some reason it reminds me of some music I’d hear in the Contra video game!
It’s actually a commissioned piece of music I wrote for an Audi Car advert but they didn’t use it, so it’s never been released.
Excellent video. I use the AIR Maximizer on single channels but it's really difficult to tame at times, it distorts really easy (and not in a pleasant way). I'd love to have a Dry/Wet adjustment on it, that's the one thing missing.
Yes you definitely have to watch the input levels and be very subtle. I think they’ve made it a little too sensitive to be honest. It breaks up at very low settings and I think that’s what puts people off using it. I think because I’m a mastering engineer I’m used to dealing with quarter db differences, but any normal person mixing their beat is going to find it way too sensitive, and like you said, not in a good way. Thanks for watching.
One of the problems with Maximizer in EDM is that you tend to have very quiet breaks, and relatively quiet intros/outros. So making A/B comparison for several section is needed. Otherwise suddenly your nice quiet break sounds terrible and you go into the next section already loud. I use maximizer in individual tracks and only activate at certain parts. I use Oxford Inflator but for those wondering there are several AIR plugins that you can get similar effects. Inflator is really good that it has a very simple interface and control output gain right there because it's visual.
To be honest, a ton of genres have quiet and loud sections. This is why when I master for clients I set up market points I can jump to quickly to a/b those sections easily. I also use a lot of automation. Inflator is not something I’d use in mastering. As for maximizing, I use the Weiss Mastering Maximizer when I’m mastering. The Air Maximizer is pretty decent though, it gets the job done in the box if you know what you’re doing, but it’s limited in its function and definitely needs to be used subtly.
@@TheCratesMotel Yeah I use inflator on individual tracks usually, kick, bass and depending on how it responds other tracks too. Oh yes automation. One of the most challenging and least straightforward things in MPC. I and others requested something similar to in Ableton (drag smooth lines, easy to remove, add, edit etc.) and I hope in later MPC Software versions, we will get it. I don't know about standalones but I guess it will make their lives easy too. If I spend X amount of time on one track, I spend 3X on automation just because I have to delete/redo it many times every time I make a small change.
Nice details on it. In the DAW, I am using Mv2 and Ultramaximizer from Waves. Or bx_limiter true peak. Or Ozone... so many. Well, MPC removes that choice lol.
MV2 has been one of my favourite plugins since release. It’s soooo useful.
Are those plugins as quality as plugins found in a DAW? Thanks for the knowledge on limiters/maximizer.
The Air series of plugins were originally coded for DAWs. I’m not sure if they’re coded exactly the same though. There is a lot less processing power and RAM in standalone than your DAW will have, but I trust my ears, and my ears say that you can get the job done in standalone with these plugins.
again, very cool! Oxford Inflator, i love that processor! actually i never associated the Air Maximizer with Inflator, but it kinda make sense. I used to use inflator on busses or even single tracks, rarely as a mastering tool tho. Have to try that again. Ok now i'm really curious about your opinion on Air Transient and how it can compare with the also great Oxford Transmod :)
I will definitely be looking at the Air Transient in more detail at some point and making a video. To be honest, I don't tend to use the Inflator in mastering, it's more of a mixing tool for me. Maybe a little tickle on the mix buss.
Hi, really enjoying these videos.
Is there a way the create a soft clipper like T Racks using the stock plugins?
Hey thanks for watching. I keep asking Akai for a clipper and I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one. There is not really what I would consider a true clipper in the Akai. Drum FX has a soft clipper and a hard clipper but they’re not particularly reliable and distort very easily. The thing is with digital clippers, they tend to need decent Oversampling algorithms and I’m not convinced Akai are there yet.
@@TheCratesMotel Fair point. I’m desperate for an RMS or LUFS meter.
It’s a damn shame, they also haven’t thrown in their old quad comp multiband vst
Thanks for responding 🙌🏽
How does the mpc handle the look ahead? Does it introduce some latency? Could it cause issues if I have look ahead engaged in one of my programs in relation to the timing of others?
That’s a very good question. I’ve not noticed any latency when using two limiters on the master buss. I have not used more than two. I’m honestly not sure how Akai handles plugin latency but I can’t say I’ve ever noticed any so far unlike the Cassette MFX in the SP404 MKII which is virtually unusable if you’re playing live.
Hey, I wonder can you do a comprehensive tutorial on the program edit from sample thru to modulation?
Hey man, thank you for watching. I will add that to the list.
Awesome! Your getting buzz over at the MPC forum
@@BreckLatneyOnAir If it helps people out then my work is done.
Loving your channel this week, it's accelerating my understanding of my MPC Live, that took me 2 years to truly get a feel for the workflow. The main thing I'm trying to solve now, is a master bus chain / settings, with the purpose of live performance. I finally have a live show underway, with loads of gigs ahead in the next year. But many of these gigs will be before and/or after DJs, typically in compact club / booth setups. What sort out of master bus settings would you recommend so that my MPC output is consistent in loudness and dynamics, alongside DJs playing on CDJs (most likely) and their laptops/sound cards? Any key differences from similar chains you've demonstrated for general mixes / pre-masters?
Hey buddy, thank you for watching. Great news on the gigs. Without actually hearing your music I can't really answer this definitively. I have made a video on a master buss chain, but again, it is not going to work exactly for every situation. Getting maximum loudness and making your tracks sound "radio ready" is a process that starts right from the original source, through programming and arranging the track, to mixing the individual instruments, to applying a mastering chain to finish off. I wish there was, but there is no single "one size fits all" that I can tell you that will work for all your music. If somebody tells you there is, they are basically lyign to you lol. Limiters play a big part in getting maximum loudness, I have also made a video on that and there is a ton of information online that can help you with that. Sorry I can't be more help mate. Thanks again for watching and I hope there is something on my channel somewhere that can help you reach your goal.
@@TheCratesMotel Hey mate, thanks for that. Let me clarify. First, I'm probably intermediate level - I've been studying and practicing audio production daily for 4+ years now, and have been in the biz for 29 years, producing since I was a teenager, Portastudio multitracks, producing events & festivals, often the sound guy at events, etc. Lately I've been recording/arranging into the MPC, bouncing the stems into Reason for my mixdown, and then sending it off to mastering. Your Radio Ready Mix video was the first I watched, which is how I discovered your excellent channel. I suppose my question is more specifically what differences in a chain I should explore, between "radio ready" and consideration for live performances in club. My music is very diverse - eventually orchestra-minded - but let's say it's essentially instrumental hip-hop / electronica, largely in the 75-100bpm range. Are there any factors to consider between "radio ready mixes" and ensuring the output of the MPC is hot and balanced enough to hold up on club systems, bigger subwoofers, bigger stages, etc? Maybe there is no real difference. Thank you very much!
@@seansley I think running your MPC into a mixing desk when you are performing is definitely going to help, although you’ve probably already considered that.
@@TheCratesMotel Definitely. I love the MPC Live's 6 outputs for that, because I can separate my stems into multiple mixer channels. It's also flexible in case my only option is the Line or RCA in of a DJ console, and I can change all the MPC outputs to 1/2. I've thought about outboard gear from the mixer, but then we get into considerable extra weight and volume. I'll try your Radio Ready Mix chain suggestions on the next decent soundsystem I play on, and see how it goes
compressor vintage is the best limiter inside mpc. specially when you come hot in the master Chanel. its glue everything without nothing
Thanks for watching.
Woo, you are on a roll!
Have been rewatching lots of the MPC videos, awesome!
AIR FilterGate a cool.thing worth a future look if at all possible.
Yeh man I will definitely be taking a proper look at that. There are some great things that can be done with creative gating.
The lack of output volume control is a big flaw with these plugins. It's all in your honor that you can manage without it but I definitely can't do anything remotely precise with that A/B testing volume gap. Bummer because I'd love to use them more.
Yes it’s quite a major flaw and something that really should be standard on all plugins now. There doesn’t even need to be autogain, just an output to enable some compensation. I think decades as a mastering engineer and using hardware compressors, EQ, etc has helped me as they often had no way of adjusting for accurate a/bing, but it’s still a struggle even for me sometimes. Thank you for watching.
@@TheCratesMotel thx for your videos, very relevant stuff.