MPC Live II : This can be your studio centerpiece

The MPC Live 2 is a fantastic piece of studio gear! As an absolute beginner, I so appreciate its options, handling and build quality. The Live 2 being my very first foray into music creation and production was an excellent decision for me, and one which took awhile to make. For me; one of the biggest pros of the MPC Live 2 is the overall ease of use. Its a groove box, so obviously sounds can be performed immediately. There is a learning curve, simply because of the many options the Live 2 offers. However, even being brand new to all of this; I felt that with little practice and a few errors, understanding how to make music becomes much easier in a short amount of time. MPC Live 2 comes with a great library of sounds, and although not all of them are To my liking; the feeling of what you can do with these sounds with a little work and patience, is very rewarding. I am also looking forward to the release of the new advanced sample chopping technique, coming in March or April. Having the option to operate the MPC Live 2 with batteries, and having a built in speaker really do make this a portable standalone groove box. Although I have not yet used the MPC with batteries, I do find that the built in speaker is excellent for casual playback monitoring. I appreciate that the headphone socket is located in the back of the MPC Live 2, as apposed to the front socket location of the MPC One. The pads are very playable, although I prefer to use full level every time, as half level playing pads leave me with a feeling of inconsistent sound. Overall, a fantastic piece of equipment, and a very capable groove box!