REQ: Akai MPC 2.8.1

Excellent software. Far more usable and creative than Maschine. Since recently I've been using free MPC Beats which is not so different, except you can have only 8 MIDI tracks, 2 audio tracks, and 32 outputs. However, I use it as VST drum machine for making patterns and editing samples. There can be 128*8 patterns, more than enough... You only need more MIDI and audio channels if you use the Application/DAW, still it is usable even in standalone, for writing down quick ideas. It's weird that to update to full MPC you have to pay 100 dollars, and you have to cope with iLok-that's a no-go for me. Hopefully R2R, or someone else, will release an update of this wonderful software! And the MPC expansions sound excellent!

It's at version 2.8.3-3 now. They're actively polishing it.

I'm starting to drop everything Native Instruments... even Kontakt and Battery. There's no need for them when I'm using MPC, TAL Sampler, and outboard samplers and synths. I just use some libraries from Kontakt and Battery in WAV format or converted to SFZ. No NI, Arturia, Waves, IKM, Rob Papen and other bloated, not really that good sounding and unstable shit = way to go for me.