MPC ONE vs MPC LIVE 2 | Which one is right for you? 

Portability and speaker sold me on the MPC Live 2!!! Thanks for sharing!!!

I finally made my decision and placed the order today! I really appreciate your videos. They definitely helped reach an informed decision. Thank you.

Geat video! Just what I was looking for. Thank you!

Legit solid perspective on two amazing products providing a good foundation for music production. Good content as always👌🏽

The fact you can cop the MPC One for $699 again is amazing. That's the price I bought it at a couple years ago, and it was disappointing when it went up in price. It's back down and to have an MPC with this many features for that price of $699 is nothing short of amazing.

This was very informative, thanks for the well put together video.

The best MPC is always the one you currently own. Such amazing instruments. I've had my One a few months now, and I had the option to by any unit when I did. I went with the One primarily due to layout and form factor. The screen on the One is in perfect position, and the overall size just seems more efficient.

Have & love all 3 MPC’s Live2Retro, OneRetro & X. For traveling around the Live2 & One are A thang of Beauty. Luv working with these machines.

thank you for this great comparison, for my part I use in Dawless mode a Digitakt + Model Cycles with one or two synthesizers but the MPC ONE with the Song Mode, the latest update which allows it to be connected to an external sound card is really a chance to finalize and mix our productions and a very long time ago I owned an MPC 60 it will make me go back in time my much more efficient :)

Mr. Malo you're a gift to us MPC-curious folks and learners. Thank you for what you do!

This is the best video I’ve seen you hit some of the key things I wanted to hear

Thank you brotha! I always listen to your videos and switch in between designing while learning from your videos. I plan to get the MPC live 2 next year ....I started off with the MPC studio ( the controller ) I love it so far, but I cant wait for the mobility from the MK2

Great video man and even better beats

Great video, both machines are dope & produce kick ass beats 👊

Great ! Thank you, it really helped me know what I was looking for. I've made my mind. 👍👏

Great review. Helped me a lot taking my decision. The Live 2 will be my choice

AMAZING... HAVE A LOT OF THANKS 🙏

Great comparison video! 👏🏻👍🏻

Im halfway thru and leaving this video, i can tell im like this dude. Just get em both, theyre bith great in their own ways

Quality content as usual.

Head says MPC One, its such great value for money, has lots of button ect. Heart says MPC Live II, inbuilt battery makes it more portable/lap friendly, inbuilt speakers is so cool and useful too for portable jamming!

Great video and dope beats!

I honestly just like that the MPC One looks like the classic MPC1000 which I've always wanted. I just like the simplicity and a dude like me doesn't need portability. Great vid.

Phat beats in the background man!!!!

Spot on review. I had the one and then moved on to the MPC Live 2. I miss the workflow of the One everything made sense, the layout was perfect. The live 2 not having a dedicated program edit button is just annoying. The larger pads double trigger more than the one. You’re right about the pad functions being at the top, your arm gets in the way. It’s also a lot of glancing from left to right. The rubber buttons are just well rubbery - prefer the One buttons. Whats with that horrible rubber finish on the live2 as well - it’s a proper dust and finger print magnet. Those plus and minus buttons are just a waste - I never use them. There is a lot of room for dedicated buttons but it’s just wasted. I’ve even asked akai to allow access to the plus and minus buttons so we can assign our own short cuts such as program edit. I also don’t like the menu button and the the main button. Prefer this to be the same layout as the One so you can jump from one machine to another and it’s the same. But that’s where my gripes about the live 2 end. I love the battery - totally liberating. The built in SSD drive (1TB in mine) is awesome, nice and tidy with no extra cables. The speaker is really handy when I’ve had enough of headphones or just want to quietly map and edit the song or play out some drums. Bluetooth is so handy for my iPhone . I can just hook up Bluetooth midi in AUM and play all my softsynths. Wifi is super useful not only for splice but also for ableton link. The usb 3.0 on the back can charge my phone too. I like the extra ins and outs. Also the sd card slot is neat in the back. The headphone jack is a proper sized 6.3mm. Having the screen closer to the right means it’s easier to use without a stand. It can be laid flat. The larger pads are a pleasure. Having a volume knob on the front is better. The size being more horizontal means it sits on my desk better and allows for more ports on the back. My MPC One started to look like an intensive care ward. Cables everywhere, dongles, usb hubs that also need more power, external usb drives, mixing desks etc etc. When you unplug the live 2 and just sit on the couch, no cables , no headphones, only then do you really appreciate how cool this thing is. Problem is it isn’t perfect and it should have been, especially as it was a second attempt following the original live. No program edit button was unforgivable but it could be saved with a software upgrade to allow access to those plus and minus buttons. Workflow wise - I still miss my One. If Akai have any sense then they will be working on a MPC One XL (retro edition from the start to honour the 2000xl) with battery, usb 3.0, Bluetooth and wifi. Volume and record knobs on the front, maybe a slider and a tilted screen. Dedicated arranger button, shift button moved to the left of the pads and disk streaming. V3.0 os. I would then sell my live 2 in a heartbeat. Note: I bought my live 2 second hand for a good price. I wouldn’t have bought it new at full rrp when the MPC One came to market. Budget wise the One wins hands down.

I just wanna say man, your beats are FIRE

Great job of conveying the differences and your subjective preferences, Malo. I feel like some peeps get too hung up on getting defensive about their specific machine, and wind up missing the trees for the forest, so to speak. Workflow and layout is everything, otherwise, we limit our ability to maximize creative output. Once we land on the tool which begins to merge with us in an organic fashion, everything just flows. All the best to you and the fam, bro. 👊🏾 P.S. You never sound like a salesmen, always a genuine homie.

This was a great video. I couldn’t decide between the one or live 2 but now I think I know which one I’m gonna get. Also, I hope your RU-vid channel eventually earns you enough revenue to move out of that two car garage. You deserve it

Great video for someone stuck in between! You gave a really unbiased opinion and highlighted the things that really matter. I got a One bc I watched tonnnns of videos beforehand and I liked the more symmetrical setup, the clicky buttons reminiscent of the OG MPCs, and I have a dedicated room so no need to go portable. Always love your videos much love 🙋🏽‍♀️ 🎧

I have the mpc 2000, 2000xl, 5000, 2 mpc one's , 2 mpc live , I love them all ... but recently I've been working on the mpc one alot more now. Salute

Great video, man. I can see a One in my future.

great rundown

The compact size of the Mpc One reminds me a bit of the classic Mpcs. There are also more buttons, which speeds up the workflow enormously. The speakers and the built-in battery speak for the Live. I chose the Mpc one.BUT Both are fabulous devices👌

I found that this video did more for me than I though it would! Even diving into the overall volume of the buttons for a lot of us who do a lot of night owl production. I'm a composer and I was really leaning towards getting an MPC X but seeing as that they both just do 8 audio tracks I started looking at something more portable. You really went over a lot of characteristics of both machines with simplicity!! Kudos for demonstrating the speaker as well! Great Video!

My brother professor thanks for this perfect vídeo 💣🔥😍😍damn my homie !!!

Great video fam

Thanks 4 video. Great compare. I love my MpCone. And with a powerbank for 80€ and a speaker it works great 4 me. 300€ more is a lot. And i love the buttons and layout of the one. And with a 8 port soundcard it has so much in and outputs.

All my songs are made with the MPC One

Great video. Thanks. I hope you can do well with your music and move into a place where you can play through the night without fear of waking your family. Keep at it. Best of luck to you.

Muchas gracia por tu trabajo; Estoy en la disyuntiva de cual de ambos comprar. El problema siempre es la cantidad de dinero; Conseguirlos en Chile, implica una diferencia importante de dinero entre MPC One y MPC Live 2; Tengo MPC Studio desde 2015 y creo que fue una excelente introducción al mundo Sampler de AKAI, pero tambien pienso ya queme mis primeros cartuchos y es necesario avanzar, lo cual he estado pensando desde hace bastante tiempo y conseguir un hardware StandAlone a un precio razonable; Tuve por un tiempo AKAI Force, pero concluí que no era lo mas apropiado para mi; Existen muchos otros Samplers, pero el flujo de trabajo de MPC es lo que aprendí y me acostumbre en cierta forma. Espero decidirme pronto segun lo que realmente se ajusta mas a mi escenario.

Think I’m gonna have the live 2 for the portability and to learn the mpc then the x in my home studio later down the line 👍🏻

Quality content, thumps up to you.

Love the video! After some research I've found that you can actually power the mpc one with a portable battery pack. The speaker is cool but 400 for a speaker and a battery is a bit much for me. And I also like that the mpc one has more of an ease of use. Nice feature especially if ur medicated ahahahahah.

GRACIAS AMIGO POR TODA LA INFORMACION. 👌🧑🏻‍⚕🇲🇽

You did a great job putting this video together and you keep coming out with great content. I’m currently using the MPC One and you can connect an SSD drive via usb such as the Samsung T5/T7. Love the portability of the Live though, maybe will get it in the future.

This was an incredibly well done comparison video. Congrats man, you have a great screen presence and are a great host.

Great comparison

Great video, Malo. I’m in a funny position right now where I have an MPC X and two Live 2’s (one black, one retro)… and if I could only have one it would be the black Live 2 (I love the retro look but the black on grey labelling text bugs me). MPC X is obviously the ultimate in hands on functionality, but I way prefer the compactness and feel of the Live 2 to work with. I just wanted to give my personal experience to show that expensive doesn’t mean better… the Live 2 is the best all rounder IMO. 👍

I wish they could do another portable Mpc with the One buttons , pads to the right and a speaker!

I started on the Live 1, then MpC One, then MPC X, then back to MPC One w/external battery. I think your assessment was accurate and thorough. ✌️

I really dig my mpc one happy with my choice i really dig that the live 2 as speakers tho

Good looking out

For those extra outputs unless you're playing live. You could just separate the tracks/sound in to ableton and add your plug-ins.

Just ordered a used black MPC Live 2 for a decent price (hope I made the right choice), unfortunately I didnt see this video before comparing the Live-2 with MPC One. Either way, I appreciate your breakdown of both units. I guess I could always swap the Live 2 for the One if it comes to that. Peace.

Awesome breakdown bro, official. #MPCONE

I have the mpc one. But slowly pushing more towards the live 2 for the internal battery, wifi, and wifi. I do love the form factor of my One, but the two offers more probability to me

Here's my opinion. Which ever device you choose I believe you will be happy with. If you are brand new into making music and you want a top of the line (live 2), you will enjoy the speaker. Learning the MPC was super convenient with the speaker. I would take it to my kitchen table, to my couch, and the home studio. I actually spilt coffee all over my live2 and very much considered getting the "One" to replace the live 2. If you already have monitors and maybe you like midi keyboard then the One is the way to go!

New sub here bro.. I love the breakdown of this video it made my decision alot easier. Great great work.

Another point to make about storage, you can use an external hard drive with the One. So, the internal option isn't really a dealbreaker.

Good video. Being able to hook up an interface was a game changer using the One for me. Have all the inputs and outputs I could ever need now.

Great vid! Thank you. HQ content takes a lot of work, and it shows with your channel. Are all the background tracks in the video yours? Great stuff!

Great work. My view: All are correct, main thing mpc ❤

Absolutely loved the content, as usual, Malo. I think being in a small space and working late at night on your music, the MPC Live II makes most sense for you. Quick question and a comment: Do you think Akai will drop an MPC One MKII? And I noticed that you removed the skin from your MPC One. Que paso? Thank you for the amazing content. Blessings!

Yeahhh man new MPC are great.. I had the Live 1 but upgraded to the X because I don't need to take it out.. Plus the 4 midi outs is important to me and the extra Q links.. What a sampler these new MPCs.

The only MPC that I ever bought was the MPC500, which has no waveform to view. I had to chop them all by ear, which took a while. I enjoyed the portability, but never viewed it as important. As a complete amateur, this video made me want to get back into music production after several years of not doing it. Thanks for the breakdown, and you have a new subscriber. I'll hopefully pick one of these up soon

Great Vid! i like the suggestion on simplifying the amount of Kicks and Snares. I think i have too many and it does feel like it takes too much time from just enjoying the process. Keep it up bro! But it sounds to me that your ready to ship that MPC One out to me 😂. Cold Beat!

the three of them are the best for me

Good video :) thank you sir

you're cool man. thank you!

Good video and I agree with the points you made. As much as I like the Live 2, I can’t justify having one. I don’t take my MPC One outside the house. I have Bluetooth speakers, receivers, and/or sound bars in every room I want to work in. I keep a Bluetooth dongle with my MPC One so I connect with a speaker of some sort and be headphone free if I choose. I can also run the audio into a digital piano and use it’s speakers if I want. I keep a 256 GB SD card in the One and it does the job. I occasionally back it up to a USB SSD. If I need more onboard storage, getting a larger SD card will be my plan. I like using Bluetooth MIDI connections and all my digital pianos, synthesizers, and MPC One have their own WIDI Master dongle attached. I can form a group with the one on the MPC One being a master and that allows me 4 wireless MIDI connections. Lastly, I have been using a MPC Studio MK2 and computer for starting some projects and moving to standalone on the One when I want to. The Studio MK 2 is a decent tool for some things when I don’t need standalone. The Live 2 is awesome but I can get everything I need to get done on the One and/or Studio MK2. I keep thinking about the Live 2 occasionally but it would be nothing more than a guilty pleasure and not a need. It’s not to say I won’t buy one eventually in a weak moment. I just don’t need it. It would be a want. If I did, I probably wouldn’t use it that much.

With the MPC Live, I wish they would have flipped the layout and had the pads on the right. Most people are right handed which means when you play the pads your arms/hands cover portions of the screen while playing. It seems more ergonomic to have the pads on the other side IMO. I went with the One Plus.

Sick Foo 🔥🔥🔥

Mpc live 1, best of the one and live 2

Still on my OG Live. Best music related purchase I've ever made. Completely changed how I make music with the portability and the workflow.

Gonna go with mpc live because of the outputs

Went with the MPC Live II (found a retro one; the OG one attracts a lot of dust.). Still looking at the One...but that sounds mostliy like G.A.S. Thanks for this video.

Cool video!

Great review. I can identify with the budget aspect….I like the MPC One…it’s simple, fast and efficient for beatmaking. I cannot wait to integrate my MPC One & the SP 404 MKII. I look forward to your posts. Keep up the great work.

Thank you very much for your time and this important information. I think i will looking for a ONE cause of the budget. You can get in Germany some of these for 350-500€ (used).

The One is the sweet spot. It’s perfect

Bro pleeeeeeez continue to drop more of your dope MPC information vids…Akai should really be paying you for your content… you are also a fire beat maker/ producer so please keep that going too.. I do have a request… could you please do a video on Audio Interface connections and onboard plug-ins such as maybe UAD Apollo and it’s plug-ins such as Neve 1073 for example in full stand alone mode… like if there is no computer connected just the audio interface to the MPC, how would u be able to use the plug-ins and record directly off stand alone ( well meaning without a PC or Mac)?? Thanks bro

We appreciate you bro 🫶🏻💯 I went for the live 2 coz that sounds like every kids dream toy just whip it out and off you gooooo 😂

Nice one Malo. Btw are those focals i see in the background?

I tried both and the Mascine+, then landed on the Force for the all the functionslity that I needed... The Force is the biggest bang for the buck, IMO...

Ok I feel confident enough to put my input in since I just SOLD a Mpc X bought a One then returned that for the Live 2 I found myself looking at external batteries and speakers to rig the One to do what the Live 2 does out the box and I stopped playing with myself and got the Live 2 only thing I missed from the One was the dedicated Locate and Event Buttons to skip around the timeline other than that the Live 2 is the way 2 go plus I just started downloading synth apps for my IPad which u can connect the IPad to the live over Bluetooth and use the IPad or phone as a sound module this machine keeps impressing me

MALO, very GOOD bro!

I like both of these but needed a pair up with my apollo x6 and the mpc x is the one i got for the studio.

Great video! I have the MPC Live MK1 and was about to switch it for the MPC One, since I agree with you on the layout. It just seems more natural and it looks dope as hell, especially the Retro Edition. BUT why the hell didn't they make the MPC One portable? Why leave out a battery? I love the portability of the MPC Live and I will stay with it for that reason. Huge downside regarding the One, in my opinion. If they make a portable version of the One I'll pick it up though. Love the design and layout.

I’m stationary ..so I don’t need the live but I’ve considered it. Just found out today that the live had a speaker ! I’m team mpc one tho 💪🏾

I bought the One on a whim as a drum machine. You can buy them new on reverb $100 cheaper than anywhere else. It's amazing what it can do.

@malo beats thanks for the video brother! I'm picking up the Live 2 soon, hope they don't drop the 3 after lol. How long does the battery last you? Also, you don't like the X?

I got the one for workflow layout like ya mentioned and price but if they made the one same layout with live2 pads and a battery and speaker I’d get it lol but the live 2 I’m good on the cross cross hands and layout

They’re both dope. After having and SELLING the One and ordering the Live 2 having a battery being truly portable truly capable of being ANYWHERE with the Live is a dealbreaker. Wifi all that good stuff. Now the MPC One mk2 is coming. Pretty much confirmed by Bolo and ZZounds. But I grabbed the retro live man. After seeing the MK2 of the MPC One maybe I’ll regret it LOL

I'm so glad I bought the One Plus. The Live 2 or Keys 37 would've been great but I gotta be realistic. I'm probably not buying a mixer anytime soon and I'll be using my MPC in controller mode with very few exceptions. It's replacing my Touch and fit the role perfectly.

New sub here.. live 1 on deck... Baby crying in the background I go out to the car and record vocals.. hungry ? I'm on the back porch banging out while I BBQ. Going to the beach? Dry off and pull out the Live for some quick ideas.. The live goes wherever I go..

Great video! Which one would be the best option for playing samples back through a dj mixer in a performance setting?

I spent the cost of an MPC One waiting on the SP404MK2...went with the 1010music blackbox instead. Portability was the final selling point. Thanks for the video. I am still deciding between these two units for my studio.

That's one clean 2 car garage

Ok. Got a great deal on an moc live 2. And my mpc one is having pad issues. So im thinking on selling the one. N getting the live2

I am on the fence at the moment but both are currently the same price at $1300 US That speaker is cool and I''m using and AKAI mini KK3 with a MAC running the MPC Beats DAW.