Perfect.

Workflow fits my needs exactly. Just plug in and play. Whether that’s sampling vinyls from my turntable, from my phone, or live instruments, it really is as simple as plug in and go.

Preferred Settings + Usage:

Great instrument at a great price but... some workflow issues in a hybrid setup.

Don't get me wrong, the MPC Live 2 is a great instrument at a great price but...

The good: It's extremely sturdy and stable. Never broke down on me, never crashed. Build like a thank. Roadworthy. It's extremely good in what an MPC is expected to do: Sampling, sample editing/processing, assigning them to pads and sequence them. And with the big screen you can really see what you are doing. Even the plug-ins are quite good and definitely get the job done. If you can't it's not the box but you ;-) This generation of the MPC also has an extensive sequencer. And the MPC Live 2 is the most portable one as it has batteries and speakers build-in.

The less good: There's still quite some menu diving and navigating on the large LCD screen. The large screen is good in the sense that you can properly edit samples without a computer but still it does not really feel like a DAW-less setup. They should consider some kind of "performance" mode where they simplify the UI by hiding all the features you wouldn't typically need during a performance and keep the UI lean and clean. I actually like the low-res, no-touch, LCD on my Push 3 better... It just gives the right level of feedback you need without distracting you. What is also a bit annoying is that the Q knobs are positioned vertically while on the screen they often control a row of vertical parameters/knobs. I never really got used to that. The MPC X doesn't have this issue as it has 16 Q knobs to control the 16 parameters. The "next sequence" workflow: It's not possible to fire some individual "clips" or improvise by combining various clips live (like you'd do in Ableton/Bitwig sessions). You have to predefine these tracks/clips in fixed "sequences" and then hop from one sequence to the next. Obviously you can still mute individual tracks in a sequence but it's more difficult to improvise live by bringing in tracks/clips earlier or to make new combinations on the fly. Difficult to seamlessly integrate into a hybrid setup. It's hard to move from DAW to hardware and back. I like to noodle around on hardware, then move to the DAW (Ableton) to refine it and migrate the set back to the hardware set to perform. And finally back to Logic to record/mix/master. This is extremely difficult to achieve here. This workflow works much more smoothly with Push 3.

In a nutshell: if you're a finger drummer, have a sample based workflow, like to work without a computer and also want to MIDI sequence or even use CV to drive your MIDI synths and Eurorack. And even use some internal synths. The MPC is as good as it gets! Consider the One if you need something smaller/cheaper. Or the X if you want less menu diving or less confusing Q-knobs (and you have the space and money). The keys series are a bit confusing to me... why not hook it up to your Master keyboard if/when needed but keep the MPC portable?

But if you have a hybrid setup and are used to the Ableton/Bitwig workflow, I'd seriously consider a Push 3...

very cool go-to piece of kit!

I've owned MPC Live 2 for about 6 months. Before buying it I was relatively unskilled with this type of device. I use it together with an AKAI MPK mini mk3 four to five times a week in 'standalone mode' primarily as a sequencer, to compose songs & loops, and make backing tracks for use in band settings or solo performances.

I use it mostly when I can't be bothered with Ableton Live, or carrying around lots of additional hardware items, e.g. Ableton Push2, a large keyboard/synth, audio interface, laptop, drum machine, cables, etc. I have many situations where the gear quantity and weight must be minimal.

Likes: - In Standalone mode, there are NO POP-UP DISTRACTIONS e.g. the news, internet, email, Facebook, Youtube, whatever. You can concentrate exclusively on using the device! - Easy to transport in a backpack. - Battery-powered; you can take this anywhere e.g., around the house, park, cafe, etc. I take mine all over the place to sketch out ideas using the internal instruments and audio. - If I want to pimp sounds later it's easy enough to connect it to another device and let the recorded MIDI use external sounds. (The included sounds are ok, however, my Yamaha Montage is much better.) - The internal speakers are very convenient. The touch-sensitive drum pads are a good size.

Not for everyone: - MPC Live 2 is massively capable. If you are new to this type of device expect it to take a while (maybe a few weeks/months) to learn how to drive it. MPC Live 2 is not a tool for people with short concentration spans or for folks who don't want to invest time learning how's, what's, where's, and why's about it, PLUS, all the other devices that they might connect to it. - While it works with Audio, for my applications I'm more impressed with its other features.

Summary: By comparison, it would seem that the MPC Live 2 is easier to achieve results with than a DAW (Ableton) over the same learning period. This arises perhaps as the MPC Live 2 can function as a completely standalone instrument. In standalone mode using internal instruments and the built-in connections & speakers/headphones, you can bypass much of the set-up & system option selection guesswork that a DAW requires to get started and just move on with making music. The portability of the unit and the multiple applications that it fulfils make it a go-to piece of kit!

Excellent!

This box has solved nearly every issue I have had with sequencing. Sampling is a breeze. It's intuitive to use. People find me more attractive since I added it to my studio. My grandmother will now listen to at least 30 seconds of my music without screaming at me (great improvement!). I think my legs have actually grown longer since buying this but I might be wrong. Anyways, I like it.

Complex Groovebox

Saving individual samples is illogically done. You can't save samples right from the sampling screen. You have to menu dive before you end up saving your samples. The machine itself is just complex and its a lot of switching around with screens, luckily its a touch screen. I always have to keep the manual in reach somewhere when I play with it. There is always something that I dont know, dont understand or its somewhere three screens over before I can do it. Too complex to get the 5 star rating.

From Gear Setup

Love this damn thing

I ordered one the month it came out a year ago and Guitar Center ran out of it, I still returned to this product a year later. This is my favorite product ever because it does everything and anything imaginable and I see why people are addicted to the MPC lineup now especially this version in recent years, it really is like having a studio in your backpack, highly recommended

I love this device

I have owned the Live 2 for nearly 2 years, I use it as the brain of my set-up when using external synths, but quite often on it's own if i am vacationing

The new plugins offer a fair amount of sound possibilities and it is seemingly quite a rugged piece of gear