Easy to use power
Power is one thing. Being able to use it, is another. If it’s hidden behind vast menus, it’s not that useful. That’s why the MPC Live II has added five more hardware controls, because ultimately twisting a knob and feeling the immediate impact, is more intuitive way to create. The commitment to tactile, high-quality hardware can be seen all over the MPC Live II.
From the satisfying RGB back-lit pads to reactive touch-sensitive screen. Akai Professional want your gear to be a creative extension of you. That extends to the built-in monitor speakers. Which Akai Professional have taken a long time to get right, so they can give you an accurate representation of how your kick, snares, and samples will fit into your creation.
All this instantaneous feedback (you might say analog in its feel), is powered by the processor you’d find on the MPC X. Which is a powerful engine, one that means the MPC Live II will be going strong for years, update after update.
Most incredibly, all of that is wrapped up in a portable, premium body. It easily fits in a backpack.
Production power you can carry
It’s an unfortunate truth. The kit you already know how to use is immediately useful. Whereas kit that might be ‘more advanced’ on paper, is essentially an obstacle without the hours of practice. Which is why Akai Professional made the MPC Live II so gloriously versatile.
The types of connections available to you are vast. We’re not kidding, with MPC Live II you give you three stereo ¼-inch TRS outputs (6 mono), phono/line level inputs, USB, MIDI, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth – and most interestingly four TRS CV/Gate outputs.
That means, a whole world of modular gear can now be combined with he MPC Live II. So in a studio setting, you can arrive and make your own setup the lynchpin of production. Hugely capable tools you know and love, right there when you need them. Less hiccups, less manuals, more music.
That production potential is backed up by practicality too. A long lasting Lithium Ion battery to keep you going on the road. Compatibility with USB drives, SD cards, and external hard drives (including SSDs), in addition to 16GB of on-board storage, means you never have to be caught without the space you need.
Supreme Software
The MPC Live II comes pre-loaded with MPC 2.8 software. Which gives you even more outstanding tools. For example, your MPC Live II will always be recording a buffer. So if you play something you like but have no idea what it was. You press one button and that great lead you just played? It’s saved. No one likes losing ideas, with the MPC Live II, you won’t.
You’ll also be able to use MIDI multi. Essentially letting you attach up to 32 MIDI devices using a USB hub (sold separately). Even better you can send all that MIDI information into Tracks so you can organise and layer up your sound, on the MPC Live II interface.
Should you have the gear and inclination, these updates make the MPC Live II akin to a transportable studio brain. Or in standalone mode, a supremely capable creative tool that you can take anywhere.
Highlights
- 7-inch full-colour multi-touch display
- 16 velocity sensitive RGB pads
- Internal, rechargeable lithium-ion battery
- Also acts as a control surface for MPC 2 software
- Ableton Link for Cross-Platform collaboration
- Includes 3-months Free Access to Splice
- 2GB RAM
- 16GB onboard storage
- Full-size SD Card Slot
- User-expandable 2.5-inch SATA drive connector (SSD or HDD)
- (2) USB-A 3.0 slots for thumb drives or MIDI controllers
- Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Enabled
Technical Specifications
- Pads:
- (16) velocity- and pressure-sensitive pads, RGB-backlit
- (8) banks accessible via Pad Bank buttons
- Knobs:
- (4) 360° touch-sensitive Q-Link Knobs
- (4) Q-Link Knob columns accessible via Q-Link button
- (1) 360° encoder for display navigation and selection via push
- Buttons: (27) dedicated function buttons; red-, amber-, or green-backlit
- Display:
- 6.9” / 176mm (diagonal)
- 5.9” x 3.7” / 151 x 93mm (width x height)
- Full-colour LED-backlit display with touch interface
- CPU:
- Processor: Quad-core ARM® processor
- RAM: 2GB
- Storage: 16GB, expandable via SATA connections
- Connections:
- (2) ¼” (6.35mm) TRS inputs (1 stereo pair)
- (6) ¼” (6.35mm) TRS outputs (3 stereo pair)
- (1) ¼” (6.35mm) stereo headphone output
- RCA inputs (1 stereo pair)
- (1) 5-pin MIDI inputs
- (1) 5-pin MIDI outputs
- (4) CV/Gate outputs
- (2) USB Type-A port
- (1) USB Type-B port
- (1) SD card slot
- (1) power adapter input
- Power
- via power adaptor: 19V, 3.42A, centre-positive, included
- via battery: lithium-ion, rechargeable, up to 5 hours of battery life
- Dimensions (width x depth x height): 411.5 x 243.8 x 45.7 mm
- Weight: 3.38 kg
