I figured I’d publish my conclusion at least here, which I consider to be a safe place. Not always calm, but always safe 
CONCLUSION
The MPC One is a bit of an enigma to review, because your opinion on it will depend on your relationship with its legacy. That’s not to say you need to be familiar with the MPC line, to appreciate the One. Even if it’s your first MPC, you might very well love it. Maybe. We’ll get to that as I prepare to close.
If you’ve been on the MPC workflow for some time, and you’re okay with what Akai is doing with the line-up, then there isn’t much to say. The MPC One is the compact and agile option of the lot. The hardware design and layout sets it apart from the Live MKII as far as workflow goes (and most definitely from the MKI). It’s defined and contains only the bare minimum as far as ins and outs are concerned. It’s made for those of us who want to believe that Dilla made Donuts on an SP-303 (I don’t believe it, but I want to) and that if we had the right gear, we could be Dilla, too (we know we can’t, but we want to believe). If you’re serious about this, the One is your choice. Just plug in a cable from Ripcord, get a power source and you’re as mobile as any Live user.
If you’re new to the MPC line, though … I don’t know. There’s this gap between what the MPC does well and what it just barely gets away with. The core flow, of creating beats and music, the way you play it and work it, that is a joy and remains genius. To just get shit done and play some music. Everything around it, though? Not quite on the same level. Browsing, setting things up, leaping between sections, and don’t even get me started on the file system, it’s all a bit awkward compared to the ninja motion that’s just working the goddam thing. The rest is a functional and polite something, designed by committee and user testing, as opposed to the downright primal experience of the jam. If you’re new to Akai’s sampler, though, and you believe in the stand alone hardware concept, and the MPC legacy is still an idea and not an experience, you might be scratching your head and wonder what all the fuss was ever about.
Our want to be unchained from a computer isn’t about mobility and cramming it all into a box with a screen. That’s just one of many outputs that it could be. It’s about the connection you make when playing an instrument, and extending that connection into the process of writing and producing as well. Doesn’t hurt if it’s mobile, but it’s not essential. In this context, Elektron’s instruments are a more intimate and direct experience. Their endearing pixel screens might seem archaic in comparison to the MPC lineup’s lovely color monsters, but maybe that’s because attention shouldn’t be on a screen. It should be on the instrument. With the MPC, your attention shifts with context. That’s not always a good thing.
But if you’re on board with this, the One is a great choice if you’re into the most compact and fluent MPC experience. It remains equally great if you’re new to the show and want to dip your feet. Solid price combined with just mentioned flow, makes it attractive no matter where you’re coming from. If the MPC is central to your rig and you’re gearing up, then the Live MKII or the X is more likely for you, with its flexibility on ins, outs and everything that goes with it. But then again, if you’re that kind of user, you already knew that and probably didn’t read this far. And if you did, you’re most likely pissed I just don’t seem to get it anyway.