Question for Akai MPC users...

[thisDude]

What makes these things so great? It seems like everywhere I read, well-respected artists are using the MPC. Are there any specific features which make it so useable or can a great drum programmer make the same thing with any sequencer? I've seen older models go for around $500. Worth it?

[copacapripacbell.net]

If older models you mean MPC60,MPC60II,or MPC3000 for $500.00 buy two and sale the other one on ebay for $1500

[aliengroover]

I've been doing programming of one sort or the other since '87, and started using software (MOTU's Performer) in '91. In all of this time, I have never used anything as intuitive as an MPC. You can literally walk up to an MPC and immediately get a track going. In less than five to ten minutes (took me two, but I got a little knack for figuring gear out) you can have a keyboard and/or module hooked up, sequencing MIDI parts. Everyone talks about the internal timing, how it's tighter than MIDI. Well, I can't show you any scientific evidence, but doing your drums inside versus from a module...yeah. Heck yeah. Also, the MPC is the one sequencer where (and this is that "intuitive" statement) you operate it without realizing you're operating it. It's setup to be fast. One knock that people have is that the sequencer isn't that powerful 'cause it doesn't have extensive editing features. Well...for years I've been trying to figure out what that means. I look at any sequencer as a glorified tape recorder. I play my parts in, and if I mess up I undo and play it again. If there's a couple of flubbed notes, I just press erase and hold those notes down. So if you want the editing for some cutting edge, experimental tracks, well...the MPC may not be for you. The 4000 is the most complex MPC to date. At it's price, only the MPC Faithful will likely buy it. I like the 2000 I have (I've used them all), but I'd consider the 4K. The MPCs are great pieces, great traditions, but they're not for everybody. Oh, and the pads...THE Pads! The best and most responsive out there. That little MPD16 Akai has is cool, but not exactly the same. Buy a Z4 or Z8 and the pads, and use it with your favorite Mac or PC program. You'll have 80% of what makes an MPC4K, but you still won't have the experience of an MPC. Peace

[T.H.]

What makes the MPC so great, it's basically the TIMING that's it, as aliengroover put it, "you can flub hit erase, hold down a key to strike it perfect" It's a no brainer piece of hardware, but you could just as well get that same "TIGHTNESS" in DP3, CUBASE or whatever (but with more flexibility to arrange,erase,add,mix etc..) --- just the same. I have all three, that is how I can make these claims, so I rarely use my MPC, only for hip hop, the simple 1-2, 4/4, sample loop, non interesting stuff. but that MPC4000 is a joke, for real, I agree only die hard MP users will get it, but it isnt better than a DAW, (which is what there pitching it up against)

[Nawledge]

T.H. you call DJ Shadow, Cutchemist, Prefuse 73, and Dan the Automator among a miriad of others, non-interesting??? damn! I don't even have an MPC, I use an RS7000 on the hardware side and love it, but that statement you made doesn't sound very well grounded. peace

[aliengroover]

The MPC4K isn't being "pitched against" DAWs. It's not a recorder, or is it billed to be. Nawledge, I don't think that's what T.H. was talking about...well, I hope that's not what he was saying. Some of the stuff I've heard people do with ONLY an MPC (even some with an SP) blows away what I hear coming out of some program. It's so easy to get too "specific" with what's going on working with software. Again, that's not to say it can't be done, but there's something to be said about the "limitations" of these machines. Peace