Thank you. I really appreciate it.
I can easily get by with the internal memory of the Live for even my longer clips. Streaming is cool but not essential with all that Live RAM in place.
If Clips on the Live is more flexible than I’ve been led to believe, then that might be something. Never explored Clips when I had the Live and I seem to remember it could only handle four at a time, back in the days.
Just pulled up the MPC for a refresher. You’re certainly not limited to four clips, though that is the default setup - four columns of four samples, each its own mute group, like a mini-Force. But you can assign higher mute groups to pads to go beyond four samples at a time.
The first job is to turn off warping on the samples, as it wants to fit them to the grid. That’s easy enough. You might also want to turn off launch quantisation, so you can start a loop at any time - again, not a problem, though both these features are on by default and I think you need to change them per-pad.
Once that’s done you can set independent lengths for the samples, so as with my Force reply it’s easy to have Reich-style phasing loops.
The next issue is that the Clip program needs a length, after which it resets all samples to the start. So if the length is four bars (the default), your phased loops reset after that. Maybe there’s a setting to disable this, but I couldn’t find it (the heat isn’t helping me focus really). But you can simply set the clip length to a much longer bar count to work around this, and the clips will follow their own loop lengths throughout the bars.
So it sounds like Clips might be more flexible than you thought originally, though they do need a bit more preparation on the MPC than on the Force.
Hope that helps! Happy to try out any scenarios, just let me know.
I’ll give this some thought. Many thanks for your replies 
TIL: shift + play start = metronome on/off 
Are some of you using a Novation LaunchPad in connection with the MPC just for firing clips while in a different mode?
just starting to dive into the MPC One’s workflow and quickly realizing that Clips apparently can only sync to the MPC’s internal clock? is there any way to sync them to an external clock signal from my Pyramid? if not, assume i’m stuck then just triggering the loops/clips as normal samples and earballing the BPM to match Pyramid’s tempo?
Of course! MPC is a MIDI beast (it used to stand for MIDI production center 
)
From Akais FAQ:
On the X, does anyone know if the strip displays above the Qlinks have protectors over them?
Looking at mine and I’m not quite sure. I don’t want to start poking around unless I’m certain.
Cheers!
Yeah they do mate
Thank you!
Still enjoying the X?
I’m fairly certain I’m going to be either buying the Keys or an X… or neither and an Iridium and keeping my Force.
I have a live mkii in addition to the Force, but I’ve found I really like working with mutes and song mode versus the Force’s arranger.
Don’t…many posts you made about your distain for the MPC…I hasn’t changed enough to make you love it. Let it go. 
I agree, the synths and fx are ok at best, where the MPC shines is where it always has, pad based workflow, a lot of the new stuff feels shoehorned in IMHO. Before anyone gets upset, I’d have equivalent but different criticisms about any other groovebox/sampler from Deluge, MC-707, Octatrack or anything else. I’m certainly not singling out the MPC.
Still waiting for a proper computer DAW alternative, none exist, yet the technology has been capable for at least 10 years now.
Thanks, man. I need a little reminder to set me straight.
Yes i am.
I’m sat in front of a proper workstation with a really decent UI, connectivity, larger screen, better overall feel & sound quality. I was never a massive fan of the Fx & Synths, but the X gives me more incentive to work at & with them. If the X gains some of the Force’s features it’ll be hands down the best workstation ever, for my purposes at least.
I almost hit buy about an hour ago, but I’m holding off until I see more on the keys.
Having 16 Qlinks is a big deal. It’s a game changer in some ways, for me at least, as It enables me to contemplate live sets, which i’ve never done before in a Techno/Electronic music capacity. And right off the bat enables me to play, move around & try things creatively i didn’t attempt with the Live, or One. The Force was also great for that & i was torn between getting another Force or the X.
I suspect i’ll get another Force someday, if those features i liked don’t end up in the X.
Also I don’t think the Keys ergonomically is ideal, as others have mentioned.
To me, it’s one or the other. Pad based or Keys. I’m happy to have my Keystep angled somewhere next to my X, but with the Keys having pads to the side just seems a bit awkward.
That said, i do not like playing melodic/musical phrases on Pads, regardless of the Modes setup for this. So i do get the desire for the Keys, but i’m not sure i’d like it in reality.
And the Panels either side of the Screen.
It’s now very Shiny.
yeah man looks so much better off. I always take everything straight off. I don’t get people who keep them on to be honest. It reminds me of people in the 80s who’d keep their sofas wrapped in plastic
as long as your new model series mpc is capable of doing this, then your unit is entirely intact and working correctly.