The best MPC, which is it? // Most common question finally answered.
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I finally tackle the age old question of which is the best MPC? This goes for a Dawless MPC, Performance MPC, best beginner MPC, whatever you want i'll hopefully shed some light on it.
At one point in my life i owned 6 MPCs! Yes i have issues, but that's besides the point. TL:DR
Any of the new ones are great. The old ones sound instantly good without FX required, and the middle ones are a fun view into the "old-school" way of making music...
Any of These Make a Great Choice- bit.ly/3nS5vBw
This One is WAY too Expensive - reverb.grsm.io/mpc3000
This One Sounds the Best - reverb.grsm.io/mpc60ii
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00:00 The Formula to figuring it out
01:00 Sound to Features Ratio
04:40 SkillShare
06:15 Which MPC Should You Buy?
08:29 Which I've Been Using Lately
09:50 Final Thoughts
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#BestMPC #DawlessSetup #MPC60II
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“If something isn’t fun to use, it’s gotta go”. 100%. So many people overlook this somehow. If you’re not having fun why are you doing it?
That's why me Live mkI had to be swapped for a Rytm mkII.
Nice
My roland MC-101 is the most annoying thing i ever used, and is the opposite of fun. However it sounds amazing so I hook a midi keyboard to it and sample it in something that is fun to use, like my circuit rhythm.
I read this comment today after a frustrating session with a piece of gear. It’s gone today. Thank you!
I am adhering to that for many years now and my friends that I make music with make fun of me for selling or sending back loads of stuff that I just bought. Well, I watch tutorials, read manuals and everything but sometimes you gotta "feel" the device. And if it does not resonate with me it goes back or is sold. I even do that for devices that I like but find no real use for. It not only de-clutters my studio but also my brain. I would feel bad to keep a device I never really use just for the sake of having the device.
So now we want a 2500 video :-D
def. would also love one on the 3000 (if you haven’t yet? could’ve missed it Ricky,)
@@ecthroi He has several ;)
“Its time we have that father son talk”
Dad why are they called male ends and female ends
One end of the cable cheats on you and the other takes the synths in the divorce
I personally use the 2000XL for A LOT of stuff for the following reasons: 1) sampling and sound quality- while not necessarily having been designed as a dedicated sampler there is a FANTASTIC workflow when it comes to working with samples- I find myself making very quite complicated layered tracks out of very finely chopped sampled. It just works, but takes some getting used to if you're a child of the modern era. The sound is just vintage enough to sound "interesting" but also just modern enough to be easy to work with. You can also re-sample files to 12 bit if you so wish (even though it will take a while). The filter is just very lovely; 2) It plays well with other gear. You'd be surprised, but this 20+ year old machine plays very well with even modern external gear through midi (it is first and foremost a SEQUENCER after all). I control multiple synths, and even have it plugged into the midi in my interface to control VSTs in my DAW.
Now there are A LOT of drawbacks- compared to a modern piece of equipment it is very limited- no fx, only the filter (unless you have the highly sought after effects board) etc. I don't find myself struggling with memory but I have the max upgrade. Perhaps in tandem with the new sp404mkii it will shine even more- this is something I'm planning to try out.
2KXL is the best MPC
Hey just a friendly update. I decided to downsize HEAVILY and got rid of my 2000, 1000, and 2500. I still have the 60ii, 3000, and 4000! They had the most character. The reason was they got replaced by my MPC Live ii!! who woulda thunk!? (everyone)
I Appreciate you as always, thanks for tuning in.
MPC Live II replaced my MPCs as well 😂 I mean I kept all of them of course, duh.. But I'm only producing on the Live now haha
@@hotwax761 Purchasing older MPC models for their sound isn't that stupid, the 3000 sounds great! Now days I just use it as an in between for my monitoring set up. It taught me a lot about sampling, truncating & looping. Also please keep in mind when I use the word "sound" here I'm encompassing everything that influences it, not just it's audible qualities.
My first MPC was the 3000, the year they came out. I still regret selling it sometimes. I wouldn’t mind having another 3000 for nostalgia, and some of the things that made it special, but if I could only have one it would be the Live2.
How are you feeling about the Live II these days? Currently chewing modded 1000 versus the Live II and others. Currently a frustrated Maschine MK3 user as NI haven't even implemented recording mutes.
You’re always keeping it real🙏🏻. MPC Live II was and is my first MPC and I’ve loved it for being my main brain for my work flow and initially got it with the hope of starting live sets. Just wish it had more Q-links
I could listen to you talk about these units all day long. It NEVER gets old. Your not the only one. I even have couple videos on my SBN music talk playlists section, where I talk about gear and different units. I would do it way more, but the people subscribed to my channel don't watch those type of videos too much, but that's cool. I'm still going to make them...SBN RESONATE
Mpc60 mk1 with the bruce forat output boost on all 10 channels and merion scsi was my favorite! Warm 12-bit sound! Remember, JDILLA (jay dee) used SP1200 and sampled a lot of his drums into sp1200 first then into mpc3000, using the resonant filters for a lot of that dynamic sound!
Great discussion and knowledge to share. I am an avid 2000xl user and have made the lack of effects and modern technology an advantage to keep the sound vintage. After adding the SD card reader, it made life simpler for sure. The workflow is what keeps me there as working to chop, layer, and flip samples manually is just priceless!!
Oh shit, the mpc comparison video we were waiting for! Thanks for the best content Ricky.
Super down to earth vid, love this feel Ricky
Never knew I was expecting this video. Thanks, man!
Great vid Ricky! Just got myself the X because I’m looking for new ways of working outside of Ableton (which I will continue to use) but after getting some outboard gear. I was finding it difficult to accomplish what I was wanting to achieve. Now it’s the learning curve!
Thanks for another video, Ricky. As always it's fun to watch and no click-bait stuff inside.
Looking forward to the second review of LIve 2, you mentioned in the end the video. And maybe even a huge comparison of all new generation of MPCs :)
Cheers for this video! I am completely n00b to MPC and never touched one, but wanted to get into it, to have something more standalone than maschine and DAWs etc. I find sitting on the floor and noodling with boxes or playing traditional instruments much more freeing than keeping my face in a computer all day :)
To Me the MPC X and others with big screens kinda defeat the idea of going Dawless, or getting away from using a computer Screen.
Just copped an MPC One Retro and this thing looks 🔥🔥🔥
ive got an mpc 2kxl and it's the only one i ever worked with but honestly love it. once you get into the workflow it's super smooth and sound really good to me. i guess it comes down to preference and whatever you're used to
Mpc 60 ftw !! I use it as my midi hub for all my hardware and 16 instruments with Logic. The fact it bare bone made me learn every aspect of it. Read the manual front to back several times. Dead simple to sequence any stole I can think of. I use it all the time for film scoring. It works seamlessly with my random gear. I run guitar pedals in it's aux send which is amazingly versatile. I've been using a little modular case with filter,clouds spring reverb. Priceless!
I come to watch your videos to gain some knowledge about music production and for inspiration. I think the most valuable thing to me is that you put history context on it all. This video is a good example. I’d love to see more videos where you could talk about how certain styles emerged, how equipment influenced it (and likely vice versa). Also, your setups look great video production wise, both from the technical standpoint but also as a formula. Any chance you could talk about your setup?
2500?? NIIIIIIICE! Can't wait too see what you can do with that one!
Also, the video you mentioned; why not go for it, must be a lot of enthousiasts wanting to see that content! :)
Really well put, as always, Ricky. I love my MPC 3000. Is it quick & easy, no, but its musical, and you can't replicate that.
Well to me it's quick and easy. Just likr you, I love mine. I suppose quick is subjective to work flow and if you are used to having the sounds already in the machine. 3000 and 2000XL are my usual weapons of choice.
Always looked at MPCs and few months ago finally bought a LIVEII.
Basicly a DAW in a box, it is great!
I have an MPC2000XL, I would love to see you do a video on the MPC2000XL or the MPC2000!!!
The hipsters hate on the 2000XL, it's also the grease MPC ever made.
I’d love to see you give another go at the live with the MPC live II
Just got rid of the Live 2 for a JJOS MPC1000. No regrets
Smart move, the build quality on the new units is awful, anything from the 60 to the 4k is built even better than the 1000 and just feels nicer, forget features, people made amazing music in the 60 amd sp1200, quality is what matters.
Saving some money to get JJOS. MPC1000 is souljah
Man you took me back! I started out on the 2000XL! Loved this take on the MPCs!
Music production but make it a therapeutic conversation 😍😌
My dudeeeee my MPC is coming home from the hosptial tomorrow! I am so excited!
My pops got the 3000 ever since it came out, for me, the sound is unmatched. I got the 1000 when it came out and i've used it till now. I love the fact that it's portable. A few months ago i got a sp404mk2. I love them together. Great workflow when i use them together, but i shy away from the new ones cos idk. Maybe it's my ears, but i can't get used to the sound...
I picked up a Force last year. After about a month I had moved completely to it. Now they have had a few updates and it never leaves the desk. Nostalgia is cool but the Force is just so far beyond everything else I can’t go back.
I was in love with my 2000 floppy still :p and my 5000 2.0 was a proper beast after some tweeks. And then i had a chance to do some beats on the X. ..i got hooked . They collecting dust now
Thank's for your perspective. Completly makes sense to me.
I always check and love your vids Ricky. My only MPC experience was a brief time with the 1000, but it just didn't click for me. These days, its either my modular for drums, ios for weird and or Ableton for everything else. One thing you forgot to touch on is maintenance, scarcity/rarity and high price status of some of the boxes.
Well dude you know I have the mpc1000 and like you said it’s a beast for live and just a daily driver but I finally just got another 2000xlmcd. Spent over $700 on it to replace all the parts that weren’t working. New pads, rotary encoder, fader. Then put all back together and the main power board started smelling electrical burning so replaced aswell. Keep in mind this was sold as fully working but every step working on the sampler I would find something else not working I didn’t get upset cause I had to remind my self thes things are now vintage and time starts breaking down thing. Very happy to finally have a 2000xl again after selling mine 15 years back. That’s my story dude. The 2000xl will be with me for life now though.
2000XL is they most easily fixable sampler ever made, congrats! It is my personal favourite too.
I want to heat specific comparisons of them.
Same sample at same vol level on each one of them:
- breakbeat loop (can be something classic like impeach the pres or funky drummer)
- piano / rhodes sample
- simple bassline (can be from analog synth)
- short simple seq of all the above together + solo each track
I know it can be a lot of work but it can be one of the most awesome MPC reviews EVERRRRR
Live II and Force are the best samplers out right now.
I have the XL beside the Maschine Mk2. The MK2’s features blow the XL out of the water, but the sound doesn’t come close. I find myself sampling NI plugs into the XL all the time.
I bought a MPC2000XL right when they came out, and upgraded the memory to 32mb I think it was. This thing was the coolest piece of gear in the world at the time. I kept it through many of the future releases by AKAI always waiting for them to make something that was worth the upgrade. Then came the Maschine and I was converted and haven't went back. I might buy a fully loaded MPC2000XL and the Rackmount filter one day, it just has the vibes for me and a ton of memories of friends who are no longer with us.
I just sold mine, it was mint and fully loaded with exception of FX which supposedly suck. The problem is just the archaic workflow compared to my Live. It DOES have a sound though, it was punchy, no doubt about that, but I can achieve punchiness through other means.. Mixers, compressor, preamps. The workflow just wasn't worth it to me, although I didnt have one back in the day, it was new to me and seemed much harder to learn than the Live.
@@_EightySix that workflow, terrible for whole songs, amazing for chopping and loops. Crazy to think what i can do in a DAW, but it brings up writing block so fast due to too many options, but put some seeds in from the mpc and I can actually finish stuff.
@@brianaaland5263 I hear that. I can relate with option anxiety, I have a ton of synths and drum machines and I get stuck often. Not gonna lie, I couldn't even wrap my mind around the sampling process on the 2kXL. It seemed almost counterintuitive, and that tiny screen. Starting with Live 9 and then an MPC Ren, the 2kXL just didn't even make sense to me. Having to go back through the different folders.. i think part of the problem was the way my mind works. Anyway, I've since thought of getting like a S950 and just recording samples in and out of it just for the converters.
@eightysix Whatever brings inspiration. If you make beats everyday it won't matter what you use, just get cookin
I swapped my S2000 sampler to get a 2000XL from my friend who is no longer here. It makes it even more special to me now, and I actually love using it. I make whole songs fast using the old school MPCs and I prefer the sound of the old MPCs compared to Maschine, which is gathering dust in my studio.
Hey Ricky! This vid is great. Thanks for the breakdown. I have a 60mk ii and I love the sound! What’s the floppy emulator @1:26 you have installed on yours? Does it allow you to import from a computer or only a thumb drive?
I was looking to buy 1k after watching compact creations with the 1k, but i've stumbled upon a bargain price for used One and i don't regret it a bit
Great explanation. I wonder if you'd like an MPC Live if you got one without software issues. For me, its everything I want, high build quality, tons of sounds, tons of effects, and battery powered. I realize this is not everyones criteria though.
MPC One all the way!🙂 Especially when Akai update it to allow usb sound cards to be seen as audio outputs…👀
MPC One is the BEST MPC workstation.
yes, the best layout...a lot of buttons/shortcuts like old MPCs....with the last update is a super machine right now...
Great video. If you were to choose to do a live set up and had to choose between the Elektron and MPC as the main hub running a couple of synths which one would you choose and why?
Thank you for this really thoughtful video. Very much appreciated.
Ricky you are the man. Thank you for all of your good vids and help in sifting through a lot of the products and methods for moving away from DAWs.
I've been on a quest over the last couple of weeks to read and watch as many groovebox/brain/sequencer product reviews as I can in order to find the absolute best modern central "brain" in a more dawless setup. I'm just tired of fighting with computers and using Maschine w/ Maschine Studio to get patterns...then, exporting and mixing in Reaper etc. I'm also not willing to spend so much $ for Maschine+ to go totally standalone. It seems like the MPC One is the or at least one of the best options for what I want. I want to be able to sequence several hardware synthesizers (2600, Neutron, modules etc.), but I also want the capability to flesh out/arrange/mix full songs from several patterns. The ability to record my live instruments (vocals, synths, guitars, bass) is paramount and needs to be relatively intuitive to accomplish. With Maschine Studio, recording guitar live is somewhat of a pain.
I've looked at: Deluge, Digitakt, Roland MC707, Toraiz, Polyend Tracker, Op1, and of course the MPC One. It seems like MPC One offers the absolute most functionality, capability in a box...it does border on the line of just being a computer with a small screen, but at least it's a dedicated computer without the ability for distraction (browsing web...watching videos etc). You turn it on...you hook up everything to it, sequence everything you need from it...internal drum sounds and samples...ability to arrange...mix...internal effects and utilities...etc. What are your thoughts?
Dope video. It doesn’t matter what mpc you use all are dope, it’s the beats that counts 👊
Thank you for the video, Ricky.
Very good video....
I feel as if you were talking to me
Since the early 2000s I was able to secure the MPC 2kclassic, 1000, 2500, 3000, 4000, Ren and touch. The 4k was a huge shock but I tell you the sound it carries and workflow is by far my favorite period. As far as crunchy to me my 2k classic just did it since it is the first MPC I bought and taught myself. So I don't know man. Hahah these new plastic MPCs and software just take some of the fun out of it for me. Not only that pawnshops are my friend I have an EPS16+, ASR10, ASRx, and MV8800. They have lots of dust on them. Lol
Good video. I've always been curious about how MPCs with similar sampling bitrates can sound different? I can't compare as I only have one, an MPC LiveII. Would love to see/hear a comparison? isn't a sample a sample? Thx!
I wish I had the money back in the day for the MPC 4000. Today I love my MPC X and it is my brain of my home studio.
Missed rhyme title opportunity - What MPC is best for me? :-). Funny I just fired up the 1K before I got notification of this video. Still don't regret the purchase. Such a fun piece of gear! The 2500 does look like an awesome upgrade to the 1000, glad to see you rocking it! Expecting beat making on the 2500 next week :-D
I've used a 2000XL, regular 2000, MPC 60 MkI and now using a combination of 2500 (home) and 1000 (live). Was considering switching to an MPC Live II but then I wouldn't be able to use those programs with the 1000 when performing live. Whereas everything I create is interchangeable between 2500 & 1000.
Literally - went on a epic adventure throughout my music hobby/career and it was not fun and very expensive - and literally went through all of them - (that I could afford and get my grubby hands on) - from korg esx-1(the red/pink fruity loops box with tubes) - to mc - 707 Sp 606 / and many many many more - eventually I found the mpc 1000 - and at the time my buddie had a 2000xl (and my whole journey was always telling me to get a mpc as he seen what I was trying to do - I didn't lol) - and I was almost there - it was really close but when I got the 2500 - that's my maschine - and agree if somthing isn't fun / toss it - always consider what you want to do or what your trying to do - when getting new gear or resting on one sampler! -
I just picked up the live 2. Thing is a beast!
Heh , I knew that you have JJOS in such a high regard. I won't leave my mpc1000 for anything in the world, Pattern building and live features are just too well thought and powerful
Bought new buttons, encoder, fat pads, and XL screen for mine. Can't wait to try JJOS (I only have free version)
I went with the Live 2 and I love it for it portability and flexibility. Also the great thing is that with the new X, One, Live, and Live 2 you can emulate the old gear by changing the sample rate and bit rate to match whatever old machine you want. You can just Google the specs and match it up.
Its pretty hard to tell the difference unless you are like a sound engineer with an amazing ear. I doubt any normal person can tell.
With my Live 2 I have just been messing around with dialing in the specs as close as I can to emulate the old machines when making Lo fi or 90s style boom bap and it works great. For me that was even more of a reason as a beginner to get the Live 2. Its almost as if the old machines all live in the new gear if you know how to dial in the sound.
It's really just false to suggest it's just a matter of changing the sample rate and bit rate to match a machine's sound. We're talking analogue audio converters versus digital converters and modelled sounds in software DAWs pretty much. Sample rate has always been pretty much 44.1K at least, in order to cover the range of frequencies for human hearing. Higher sample rate just means a smoother or rounder sound overall (ie. not 44,000 samples per second, but 96,000 or even 192,000 samples per second for very high end sound quality), but it doesn't mean all old samplers were like a 'bit crusher' effect over everything. A lot of modern samplers or DAWs also do not even allow you to truly change the bit rate of the audio you are recording either, think MPC One / Live / X that just always convert to 32-bit audio no matter what you do. They might have effects that seem to change the sample rate, but it can never be 1:1 the same. Does that ultimately matter? Probably not. But there's a reason why old generation samplers are still used all the time for modern music.
@@PHeMoX Yea obviously its not exactly the same but you can get pretty close to that sound and the new gear has a much better and more approachable workflow for beginners which is the trade off. I never said it was exactly the same but can get close. According to multiple MPC heads and producers who have made vids about this, it is pretty hard to tell the difference for any average person just listening. Effects are effects, they will never emulate anything 100% perfectly.
@@PHeMoX
Wow, so much misinformation....
Analogue audio converters versus digital converters? All MPC's are digital, every single one from the MPC 60 to the MPC X. All MPC's use analog to digital audio converters and they all use these converts in the EXACT same way, from the vinyl that's spinning on the turntable which runs into the ADC where the sample is CONVERTED to a digital audio file. There is no analogue vs digital audio converters, there is no competition between one and the other, ADC and DAC are ran in series.
All modern DAWS allow you to render at different sample rates and bit rates. What in the world are you babbling on about "A lot of modern samplers or DAWs also do not even allow you to truly change the bit rate of the audio you are recording either"
I can change the sample rate in Reaper from 44.1Khz to 44.8Khz or 32Khz AND I can change the bit depth and bit rate all the way down to 8-bit. Also the MPC X software runs at 64 bit and renders at 24 bit. not 32-bit. The conversion is set to whatever you want to set it to.
@@Michael-xp1fq The difference in sound indeed comes from both the ADC/DAC chips, but also mainly from the output stages... (the analog side of things) This is also why something like the Deluge sounds mwah... It just doesn't use a good output stage (mainly a size/portability/batterylife choice I suspect)These were really good in the MPC60 and are not that great in like a MPC one. I'm talking good analoge big transformers etc... If you want the best sounding sample player (not a sampler unfortunately) check out the Radikal Technologies Spectralis.. That thing is and sounds HUGEEEE... Was also like 2500 euro new in the mid 2000's.
Also there is a huge difference in hearing a comparison over TH-cam (with a bunch of extra layers of conversion) or in real life over headphones or even better a big system. My Spectralis actually made me upgrade my speakers, since it ratteled the house.. While the Deluge sounded kinda thinnish
Would BTW love to find someone who could upgrade the sound of my MPC one
@@fluim0102 I don't think it can be done because it doesn't function as an audio interface and lacks the circuitry to be modded. I think.
Great video! It's great for me to see that it was a great choice to spend another €100 from a 1K on a maxed 2500 (although with only JJOS Free)... It's a beast of a machine!
Although I'm having a bit of a problem with it, as when I'm recording on analog mode, the input sound is always fixed on a specific level, and it doesn't matter if I lower or raise the Rec Gain knob, as the volume does not suffer any change. Is this a faulty knob? Is this an option that I should activate on the OS? I've looked everywhere for an answer to no avail...
Thanks so much for sharing ... very helpful
i've got the mpc studio silver for around a half year now and every day im blown away by this crazy litte thing
GREAT CONVERSATION. I HAVE THE 3000 AND THE MPC X.
Hey Ricky, lover this video, and I'm really interested in what you think about the S2400, the new retro sampler with 12-bit cronch on it. I'm using a tracker and I enjoy its sampling capabilities well enough, but for doing something with richer stereo vocals and more tactile-feeling breakbeats, old school 90s jungle let's say, I was kinda shying away from an mpc. Any thoughts? feelings? profound emotional responses?
Your collection is beautiful!🤩🤩.
I’ve had (2) MPC 1000’s and (1) MPC 500. I miss my 1000, great workflow, super intuitive, and a very capable machine.
My favorite: MPC 2500
These vintage machines build quality is a thing of the past. Compare an MPC 1000 to an MPC One. One word: plastic🤨🤔
Thanks for the insight Rick. Would you consider doing an mpc60II sound comparison against the onboard MPC live or one emulation ? Maybe even include the MPC 3000 and 4000. Just run a bunch of samples and drum loops in both to get an idea of character and boosts. Thanks
Still working my original mpc 2000 with an s3000xl and s6000 and yes totes fun
Akai MPC X, hands down the best of the best. It can run your modular, samplers, synths, editing samples with ease, great sounding efx...its one and done.
Great video! My go to is my MPC 2000XL
Love my 2500 with jjos so many workflow improvements plus when paired with the sp404 you can get the vintage sound easy
I've wanted to get a 3000 for sometime now, theres just something about it that stands out from the rest to me, maybe its the sound, hard to explain lol.
You're one of the few knowledgeable, articulate and competent people on TH-cam posting useful information about gear. I've been an MPC owner for over 20 years and some of the info these young boys kick about the MPC series and gear in general is so terrible! They literally know nothing about the gear and don't seem to have learned how to properly utilize it. Keep making these vids, bro! Very helpful and insightful.
Lol you mean like” ohhh the XL. Such a waarmmm and fat sound”.
@@BeefyTime1 Exactly. They also refer to the XL as "old school" or "classic" even though they're available everywhere.
Hey Man nice job as always. Big fan of MPC's here, i've own 2 2000XL's and now a 2500. Quick Question, which OS do you use on the 2500? And yes wouldn't mind a video on the 2500 ;) Peace!
My first and favourite Mpc is the 2000xl. The first time I sampled a record and just made a simple 2 bar loop. It just instantly sounded like hip hop. My friend and I must have listened to that loop for 10 hours straight, just beat matching different breaks over it and scratching every acapella we had. The good old days.
Now, I personally own a mpc 500, a 2500 and 2x 2000xls I love them all for different reasons.
The mpc500 is basically a rack sampler with pads with a similar work flow to the mpc3000 but more features.
The mpc2000xl is the simplest to use and has great sound and swing.
The mpc2500 is a beast. Ideal center of your studio. Amazing features and perfect for midi. It takes a little more work to get the warm sound of the older MPCS but its very achievable. I recently purchased a Roland MC 909 to switch up my work flow and do a little step sequencing. Its a wonderful machine but it really shows how great the older Akai samplers sounds. Using the 909 sampler just doesn't have the same feeling. So I presample into a mpc then into the 909.
These are just my opinion of course.
man you hit the spot on some of my questions here - been thinking long about getting the mc909 as well for sampling, since it has so many controls and options for sample manipulation, but always heard ppl saying the sound aint the best. I have an mc505 and love it and might get an mpc2500 today but was wondering if it will bring any flava to my samples or if the MC909 would be just as fine since theyre both 16 bit samplers?? Or maybe ill just get both in the end like you :)
"The mpc500 is basically a rack sampler with pads with a similar work flow to the mpc3000 but more features.
The mpc2000xl is the simplest to use and has great sound and swing."
Hits it right on the money. I prefer the wing of the 3K to the XL but it does have a great swing on it too. The 500 is my portable MPC to this day. The only drawback with it is only having stereo outputs as it's so small.
mpc60 + S3200 rly are the best of both worlds. Classic Linn swing w punchy 12 bit sound + the features of an S series rack sampler (8bit - 16bit range, nearly identical AD converters to the mpc3000, & onboard effects/filters)
*sadly the prices aren't what they were 2 years ago
MPC One vs Live 2 is pretty straightforward... same software but different cost, size, speakers, and battery. The tricky question is MPC One/Live vs Akai Force. Pretty big differences there, and it's not simple to grasp it all, especially since both have had so many things added or changed since release.
Thanks great video I I can’t wait to buy the MPC LIVE
Interesting that you use mostly the 2500, I have one and I love it even when everybody says it has the least character of all of them. I have tried to love the new ones but too much computery/DAW vibes from them. the thing that makes MPC's so special is the muscle memory you can form with them, and that is what makes them very musical instruments, very creative and inspiring. My Octatrack blows any MPC out of the water feature-wise, but it is not nearly as musical. With the 2500 i feel like I just can focus on the music and not in the menu shortcuts and the waveform editor etc. Everything is crude and fast. Love it.
5000 has the least "character" imo.
@@Salaam71 I dare say 'no character' lol. It's no surprise it is often left out of any comparisons.
does the 2500 have a bit of sound carachter? or is it just as good as any 16 bit sampler with no carachter? getting one today i think.
got my 4000k about 8-10 yrs ago..cant be touched in terms of features and the sounds are beastly!!..and the expansion options makes a breeze with any hybrid or dawless setup!
The obvious game changer between the 5000 and the slightly lesser 4000 is the ability to burn a disc.
I coming at the MPC One from an electric violin and modular direction. So far it's been a slog to sit down long enough to learn anything.
Question, is a MPC500 a MPC? It only has 12 pads, tiny lil screen BUT it has decent memory, compactflash storage and uniquely, can be run on 6x AA batteries!
Love this dude.
God I love the way you explain things
Bro, no homo, but I honestly watch your channel (and it's my favorite) because you enjoy what I enjoy (MPC talk) and your voice is soothing; in a calming, comforting way.
Appreciate you Richard, thanks for the kind words!
Rick, can you link to the vid where you’re clear about your issues with the Live? I know you borrowed one that was glitching...
i still have Roger linn,s ASQ-10 build an usb in it and i love the sequensing working mode.
Dude, you're a good man; take care of your health!
Aside from this - as always - interesting and informative video ... there's one question which itches us the same amount as the question which MPC to buy ... if not even more:
How is Frida doing?
Great video..! What about the MPC 5000 ?
Need to see MPC Live 2 video!!
The Legendary Mpc Live2 is the most hated but Is truly loved by those who own it. It my first Mpc ever. The 2.9.1 update is very good. You get great plug-ins to use,(which I sample from to make my key group and drum programs) and the 10 gb of sounds that come with it are great as well. I also find sound designing on the Mpc Live2 very easy and you have a lot of effects so you can color your sounds anyway you like. I would advise that you use it in standalone mode and learn it that way before using it in a hybrid set up with a daw. The speaker sounds great to do a rough mix on. I LOVE MY MPC LIVE2 AND I HOPE YOU GET ONE AND ENJOY IT TOO!! I’ll like to see some more about the Mpc 2500.
Dude, You have to do a video comparing the sound of beatmaker on the iPad vs ableton/logic or live. It’s the mp on an iPad if you ask me. Deserves a comparison, sound is the only thing people say is the draw back. I hear a difference but no more than a typical computer sound. Would be interested to see how it stacks up. Love your vids.
I prefer old but i do not have much room so the mpc one made sense $ and feature wise. I loathe tracking, this solves that since i can quite easily go from standalone and get my stuff into the computer without much effort. When i used the eps 16 and old mp's in the 90s, 99% of my beats never left the floppy or zip disks because i am lazy when it comes to that. So its really a no brainer for me. I can dirty up samples quite easily just using on board things so i honestly dont miss anything personally. I only miss the eps because that thing is impossible to really mimick but it weighs as much as a car and i have no room.
I heard jjos causes the mpc 2500 to have an unstable clock with external midi devices, as opposed to running stock akai firmware. Any truth to this?
If you're a 1000 user, I can tell you that the transition to the ONE will be the most seamless thing you do
If you have the mpc 500 you can. Work them all rack mount too
When I had my MPC 1000 it was easily my most creative period! With my MPC One, not so much.
Mpc 1000 is my baby id never trade it for a one
Mind explaining what you mean specifically? Curious if you just mean its not that different or if its just easier to learn!?
@@martti7363 what I mean is, its easy to go from one to the other. I was on a 1000 for a long time. When it died I got a One and within a few days, i was right back to a comfortable work flow
I was waiting for a video Like this vor a year
Ricky when will Akai hire you in their MPC R&D team 😀🤘
Can you drop the bitrate to 12bit on the newer ones so you get the old style crunchy sounds?
The 2000xl with 8 outs and the internal effects board is the best (a compressor, and some way to lofi the sound better then the internal down sampling is a must though).
Of all the old MPCs the 2000xl is the only one that’s super interesting to me.
What about the 4000
@@Hakim.X The 4000 is great, imho its the last "real" MPC. For the price of a 4000 you can fully upgrade a 2000xl, the eb16 effects card for the 2000xl is an underrated hidden gem imho, it's like having multiple old zoom multi effects pedals and a mixer combined, just like on those zoom pedals you can build tape machine simulations with the modulation effects (running the distortion into flange or chorus into the rotarty vibe effect both at different rates so they cross frequencies at seemingly random rates infinitely creating the random distortions of tape), the eb16 sounds inherently old and "lofi" by nature. The 4000 is great to but using that particular trick on the 2000xl makes it sound more "lofi" then almost any sampler because what the hipsters really want and what the new pretensions genre of lofi is really based around is not so much bit reduction but more not actually faithful digital over exaggerations of tape and vinyl degradation and the eb16 effects board nails that because it's one of they most low fidelity effects boards out there, to the point that before this current lofi craze it was deemed unusable by many.
@@CC-fi3pp I appreciate you responding,I'm ordering The 2000 XL from eBay and is coming from Japan it has a lot of upgrades to it but it don't have the 8 output so I will have to install that which is OK. If it's OK I will be sending you questions because you really are in depth of the drum machine a lot more than I can say. I respect how you injected yourself into it which is really amazing that you have the knowledge and the science down to it. I appreciate you again and thank you for your time.
My favourite MPC is the MPC 1000. Just the right size and great sound and low end. I’m totally fine with lack of features. In fact, lack of features is the best feature I like about it! 😁. I do like the MPC ONE but it doesn’t sound too good unless hooked up to an analog mixer.
I own a 2000 classic. Have worked on music in the past with sampling only. Now after adding synths and wanting to move more towards straight up techno tracks, it’s too limiting. Have been eyeing a 2500 for so long. Would love to sell off the 2000 to pick up the 2500.
I’ve got a 2500 up for sale 128 mb of ram and an 80 gig hard drive
Did you get it in the end? How is it for techno/house??
the only reason I kept my 1K JJOS2XL is that newer MPC's (one, live, x) have one "little" bug (which according to developers in beta testing forum is not really a bug) at that is : if you're using mpc with midi out din ports, the note off messages from any particular midi channel are carried across all channels, across all midi out ports. Now imagine my frustration when I've connected two synths via midi - played long sustained drone note on one of them and it immediately been cut off by 8th or 16th "note off message of the other synth which data is recorded on completely different track and on completetely different midi channel aaaand... is being sent to completetely different midi port. Useless for live gigs, useless for multi hardware setups (unless usb). Don't try it....yet :/
actually... maybe borrow one, make a video about it and then maybe....just maybe, someone at akai will realise that its not a "feature" but a serious bug that renders those units only good for ppl that won't connect anything to those units exept audio out jacks lol
But Ricky, what about the 5k? Love your stuff man