The Perfect MPC is the One Yiu Have?
Every musician I know is like this.
And by “this,” I mean things are going really well for me with the MPC right now. I’m cranking out tracks. They sound the way I want them to sound. It’s honestly glorious.
More than that, 37 full-size keys is literally perfect for me, so the Akai MPC Key 37 is kind of a dream scenario. It sounds amazing. At this point, I really cannot tell the difference between the digital emulations and analog. Couple it with the Moog Grandmother and it looks awesome from stage, sounds incredible, and is completely inspiring to use.
I absolutely love it.
So why on earth am I on Marketplace looking at smaller MPCs?
It’s ridiculous.
Especially when they literally give away the computer-based software version for free, and you can use basically any MIDI controller with it except for those awful old full-size controllers they used to make that were somehow giant and annoying to program at the same time.
Why is it like this?
Why do I always want what I can’t have, even when it’s clearly the less-than solution?
I keep looking at the Akai MPC Live II, which I sold to get the Key 37 in the first place. But the reality is the screen is on the wrong side for the way my brain works. It just doesn’t work for me. I like keys better than pads, but I also like having the pads there. Having both is literally the perfect setup.
So why am I looking at this stuff?
It’s crazy.
I want to know the science behind it. There’s obviously some thing happening. Some “maybe this next box fixes everything forever” fantasy that musicians seem especially vulnerable to.
And these products are honestly insidious now. At least the newer ones are. Endless buttons. Endless revisions. Endless versions of the same idea. I have zero interest in half of it. I don’t want more complexity. I want to know my instrument deeply and make music quickly.
That’s the thing that’s actually happening right now.
I’m making music quickly.
The tracks sound good. I’m inspired. The setup is portable. It’s light. It’s easy to move around. The red looks amazing. It feels like an instrument instead of a computer project.
And still the brain goes: “Yeah, but what about…”
Every musician does this. You finally find the thing that works and immediately start fantasizing about ruining it.
Today’s post for myself is simple: Stay away from every other MPC except the one you already have and love.
You already found it. Go make music.