For discussion about setting up your studio and advice on the gear and equipment within it.
By Heavie Sun Feb 03, 2013 5:23 am
I owned 4 mpc. I owned the 2000, 4000, 5000 and the ren. Each model was purchase on launch release date. The 2000 was good sounding and my introduction to the mpc format. But the floppy technology was limited and a dead format for backup storage. Once I got my hands on the 4000 with a 60gigs hard drive and the feature to autoload on startup from a autoload folder on the hard drive.

Compare to the 2000, the 4000 was a real learning curve in a good way because it introduce new features that expanded the mpc format and total controls of the qlinks. Using the filters with qlinks open new creative doors for me. But, what I didn't like about the 4000 was the higher bitrate made 4000 sound sterile compare to the 2000. Using filters and some effect made sample sound distorted very easy. Everyone praise the 4000 today, but I remember it when it was buggy as hell and update was very, very , very slow.

The came along the 5000. Which was right on time, because after hearing how warm and beefy the 2500 sounded playing around with it at guitar center. I was just about to break down and get the 2500. The 5000 os simplified the mpc program like the older mpc2000, but still kept the keygroup feature without all that multi bull crap that was on the 4000. Right away, I like the way the 5000 sounded warm and punchy with kick and bass samples. The filters didn't sound sterile and distorted and the effects was more life like or natural. The best effects of all mpc until the ren. There is certain feature or settings I wish the 5000 had from the 4000. But, the feature that 5000 had over 4000 was a deal breaker for me. So I sold the 4000 and the 2000. I would've kept them all, But work was slow for me at the time. I sold the 2000, the 4000, mv8000, the fantom x6, mc303, mc505 and some collecting dust dj gear. I kept the 5000, mc909.

I have the ren with my 5000 now and I feel the ren concept can be best mpc to date. I never had a crash with the ren, but I have had a few glitches that threw me off from what I was trying to accomplish. I still love the ren now and what it's capable to do in the future.

I purchase the maschine three weeks before the ren release, when NI drop the price on the mk1. I started to return it after getting the ren. But, I got into maschine and yes it's not a mpc. But, once I got past the learning curve, the machine became my go to unit if I get the mood to drop something quickly.
I Have some crashes with maschine on my windows machine, not on my mac and I still love the mpc. The plugins puts a hurt on the cpu with the maschine software and I don't like that at all. So Right now my 5000 and the ren is collecting dust, until the ren gets updates.
By sadzik Sun Feb 03, 2013 8:55 pm
I owned 2500, and now I own 60 mk I. My brother owns 4k so i messed a lil bit with it.

First one is mpc 3000 basically for sound and sequencer.
I've built my own lol(mpc 60 + akai s3000) because it was cheaper for me and available in my country. Sound of 3k is everything I looked for in mpcs. Hifi but gritty. Chopping takes some time but who cares, you get used to. At least you don't have to layer like 10 snares to get enough fatness.

Second one:
MPC 2500 with JJOS XL - sound(it's rather clean, but a lil bit warm if you drive input well) , very fast chopping and easieness of use, Also the pads were the most comfortable(never did doubled sound). I sold it because it had so many functions i haven't ever used and I won't use. Also I felt in love with 3k/60.
Also I didn't like quality of the parts. I broke down 3 buttons, q link which was used rarely and encoder.
User avatar
By Ibunshi Sat Feb 09, 2013 6:56 pm
used to be the 2kxl.. for drum programming, it had all i could ever need as well as for getting ideas down fast.

now it is the 4k, which is very much the same, but it has so many more useful tools for drum tweaking... And it is the heart of my studio, if a track has drums in it, it always starts on the mpc.
User avatar
By Blue Haze Mon Feb 18, 2013 12:02 pm
I had the 2xl first, 1k, 3k, and the 4k. I was able to borrow a 5k and 25k. But of them all the 4k is still the best.
User avatar
By berlin Tue Feb 19, 2013 6:22 am
I'd go with 2500/1000 with jjosxl.

It's the sampler i've ever dreamed of. Although the built quality is kinda :hmmm: it might be the best piece of gear i've ever owned...

Think about the ins and outs , midi , usb , large LCD screen , waveform in trim mode , grid edit , inst program.....etc , etc , etc .

Filters are pretty lame though :(
User avatar
By MPCWeapon1 Tue Feb 19, 2013 11:49 pm
Coz wrote:I've loved working with all my MPC's so it's tough picking an outright winner. With a gun to my head I would say...


Joint second: 2KXL

Sometimes simplicity is king. My first foray into the MPC way of working and many thousands of hours under my belt with it. Great machine.


Joint second: 2500 with JJOS

The Swiss Army knife of Nukai MPCs. There's not enough superlatives to describe how refined and fluid the JJOS is. Bags of control, unfortunately shoehorned into a machine with questionable build quality and fairly basic underlying specs. Still great though.


Winner: MPC 4000

The stuff you can't do with the 4K ain't worth doing. The fundamentals are all solid - 24/96 sound quality, 64 note polyphony, 512MB ram, high resolution sequencer, loads of filters, computer integration, keygroups etc. I enjoy working with it which is the most important aspect for me though. :smoker:


Well said.
By SP1200 Mon Feb 25, 2013 9:18 pm
After switching from 2XL to 4000 and never used any other MPs around:

my favourite ist the 4000 - it seems like its the end, the last model of the old legacy MPC era which started with the 60.. the housing, the display and of course all the steps that were made to improve from 60 to 2000XL - are here. In a good way it is not perfect but it is very near it - in meaning to stay true to the MPC concept. I have never used the new models and i am not even interested. After i jumped from soft to hw on the loving 2XL i find what i was looking for, the intuitive simple and inspiring way to use this instrument not only for drums. It let me loving it more i was discovering it and all the posibilities. As i making more EDM kind of music then straight Hip-hop - i found the slider variation very useful and wanted to make more advantage of it. As i have right after purchaing switch the 2XL to CF reader - all the zipp floppy storage problems hasnt strike me. So i could stuck with the 2XL happily but the Qlink slider and knobs and the USB, HD options were the main advantages that brought me to the 4000 as the workflow and actual using of the MPC didnt change so much more like increasing all the power and adding things. Now i am lloking to change the drive to an SSD disk witch in my eyes will made the 4000 my definetly favourite MPC - and one time when i will be old and rich i will love to have back the 2XL too. Regarding the sound / 24/96 to 16/44 / of 2xl vs 4k - it really depends on what you put in it, how you process your sound, eq, and finaly how are your Ears and Creative ideas. Both MPs are very loud and pumping and are both on the profesional side of sound devices/instruments compare to some ´ toys ´ groovmaschines.
I would love to hear the crispines and pump of the 12bit 60 or the 3000 but really
will defenitly not benefit from their dull display, floppys, not having track mute window (3000) ..as mentioned if i were a rich i would defenitly would have them just for use them as options - now the 4000 is my center and i am happy..

And for the 12 bit crispump heaven - i have an SP1200 laying here on the desk for a couple of days now and i will defenitly satisfy all my vintage lust to it after years of beiing horny as a churchboy :P ..only if i could keep it as mine :roll:

1. 4000
2. 2000 XL
3. 60/3000

i am a person from the past it seems :smoker: