Saving for 3000 or 4000?

Hi,

I'm a young ass 19 year old and I want to get into music production but I hate using DAWs. I've spent time watching youtube videos and turning digital knobs and dragging shit around on screens. Hate it, can't do it, but I love arranging and playing music, J Dilla is one of my biggest inspirations among many others.

So I want to get an MPC 4000 or 3000, 2000xl is also dope but i heard the sound is kind of "thin" and i want that thick ass meaty sound. I'm gonna be working all spring break for this so I want to make sure I get the right one, which brings me to my questions:

1. What kind of storage options do I have with the 3000? I know 2000xl is base floppy disks but I see plenty of ebay listings for those with CF readers. The 4000 I know can use USB (huge for convenience). What about the 3000? I don't want to have to gut it if I have to install anything inside for fear of **** the machine up. I also don't want to have to deal with floppy disks.

2. How big is the difference of the "sound" of the Akai Mpc 3000 vs 4000? I could not find a good comparison online so if anyone has heard both please share. I know the 3000 has that iconic sound but how much does the 4000 differ from it?

3. Durability / Longevity: which is the most reliable overall? I'd prefer not to have a unit that craps itself often or requires a lot of maintenance, but if it's something like changing screens / knobs thats fine. I am more worried about a unit that doesn't power on or where the buttons / functions stop working.

Just a note: While Dilla is one of my biggest inspirations, I primarily chose to discuss the 3000 and 4000 because those are the only "workstations" I know of that are older and have a warmer sound. I've read and watched plenty of YouTube videos but I am not knowledgeable about similar devices. If there even exists another standalone workstation with that kind of older meaty sound I'd like to know about those as well.

thank you for any guidance you can provide me

As Lamp says... the One/X/Live are all dope, do not have aging concerns, and are holding their value on the used market pretty well so you can flip them if you want to try something else later.

It sounds cool to start on the 3k, but it is old, has limited memory, and is a big time investment to learn. While the 4K is dope, it is also aging at this point. Either could be fine, but will have some maintenance burden. You won’t have his problem with a warranty... and no disrespect, but if you are scrounging pennies for the 3k or 4K... will you have the dough for upkeep?

Good luck making a decision, and no matter where you go we will be here!

Exactly, don't waste your time with the old machines. I just sold an MPC2500 I had. I have the MPC4000 and I'm on the fence about selling it. I have 2 MPC X's. Love 'em. Workflow is fast. Get the MPC One. You'll never look at the older machines.

The only reason one would have to waste their time with old machines is if they are trying to flex on instagram for that hashtag love. Since you're 19 years old, you're better off using one of the newer MPC's as you may get a panic attack having to use a device that has no internet connectivity.

If you are someone that has feminine hands, the MPC One may be of interest to you as the pads are smaller than regular MPC's. Or you could opt to get the MPC X which can fit fine on top of your cube fridge.

If you have your heart set on a 3000 or 4000 and they haven't had documented, yearly maintenance and upgrades.

Prepare for the following.

0. SD card reader (Mod)
1. New Screen
2. All New TacT switches
3. New Potentiometers (Knobs and Faders)
4. New Pad Sensors and Pads
5. Front USB port replacement. (MPC 4000)
6. New Hard Drive
7. New Buttons (Just in case.)
8. New replacement RAM.
9. Rubber Feet (MPC 3000)
10. Locate Buttons (MPC 3000)
11. Rotary Jog Wheel Encoder
12. CD Rom replacement. (MPC 4000)
13. Floppy replacement (MPC 3000)

NearTao wrote:As Lamp says... the One/X/Live are all dope, do not have aging concerns, and are holding their value on the used market pretty well so you can flip them if you want to try something else later.

It sounds cool to start on the 3k, but it is old, has limited memory, and is a big time investment to learn. While the 4K is dope, it is also aging at this point. Either could be fine, but will have some maintenance burden. You won’t have his problem with a warranty... and no disrespect, but if you are scrounging pennies for the 3k or 4K... will you have the dough for upkeep?

Good luck making a decision, and no matter where you go we will be here!

No disrespect taken lol the fact of the matter is probably not without working extra for it since all my current money goes to a car, local university, rent (thank god its cheap). That and time is really valuable to me so seeing the workflow differences between newer and older is big to me.

I still can't shake that sound lol, I'd really like to create something that sounds thick af like those machines but even if I do get a new machine I'd probably route it to a s900 or some similar attachment that allows me to get "the sound". I don't know much about the live or One but I dislike how clean the drums sound in https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibwjCcsyfsI that video for the MPC X.

I know I could probably just take whatever I produce into a DAW , and this may seem childish but I absolutely refuse to work with one. I thought FL was confusing then I stepped into Ableton. Way way way too much shit going on all over the screen. I'd rather work an extra 40 for a Stereo Reverb or an old Sampler or some other cool effects to attach to a modern device, should I Get that over the newer machines.

monogee wrote:Exactly, don't waste your time with the old machines. I just sold an MPC2500 I had. I have the MPC4000 and I'm on the fence about selling it. I have 2 MPC X's. Love 'em. Workflow is fast. Get the MPC One. You'll never look at the older machines.

What do you like about the X? How would you compare it to your 4000?

richie wrote:The only reason one would have to waste their time with old machines is if they are trying to flex on instagram for that hashtag love. Since you're 19 years old, you're better off using one of the newer MPC's as you may get a panic attack having to use a device that has no internet connectivity.

If you are someone that has feminine hands, the MPC One may be of interest to you as the pads are smaller than regular MPC's. Or you could opt to get the MPC X which can fit fine on top of your cube fridge.

Hah, very funny but I grew up with older stuff as a kid so I'm fairly comfortable with no internet, plus the Pacific Northwest is always nice as hell outside. Instagram's not really my thing either


as for the hands I have the opposite problem. Bigger the better!

CharlesRandolph wrote:If you have your heart set on a 3000 or 4000 and they haven't had documented, yearly maintenance and upgrades.

Prepare for the following.

0. SD card reader (Mod)
1. New Screen
2. All New TacT switches
3. New Potentiometers (Knobs and Faders)
4. New Pad Sensors and Pads
5. Front USB port replacement. (MPC 4000)
6. New Hard Drive
7. New Buttons (Just in case.)
8. New replacement RAM.
9. Rubber Feet (MPC 3000)
10. Locate Buttons (MPC 3000)
11. Rotary Jog Wheel Encoder
12. CD Rom replacement. (MPC 4000)
13. Floppy replacement (MPC 3000)

im shook. Do replacements for the 3 and 4k need to be commonly made? Or is this just the total list of things that could possibly fail on me

Dude. Get the basics down on a newer one. There’s even a 3000 mode on the new mpcs. Vintage gear can be a headache.

cleansocks wrote:

CharlesRandolph wrote:If you have your heart set on a 3000 or 4000 and they haven't had documented, yearly maintenance and upgrades.

Prepare for the following.

0. SD card reader (Mod)
1. New Screen
2. All New TacT switches
3. New Potentiometers (Knobs and Faders)
4. New Pad Sensors and Pads
5. Front USB port replacement. (MPC 4000)
6. New Hard Drive
7. New Buttons (Just in case.)
8. New replacement RAM.
9. Rubber Feet (MPC 3000)
10. Locate Buttons (MPC 3000)
11. Rotary Jog Wheel Encoder
12. CD Rom replacement. (MPC 4000)
13. Floppy replacement (MPC 3000)

im shook. Do replacements for the 3 and 4k need to be commonly made? Or is this just the total list of things that could possibly fail on me

The 3000/4000 you will have to make sure the unit is good condition, inside and out. because its from 1993. So you're talking 26 years and the MPC 4000 is from 2002 so that's 18 years. Most of these machines have been through hell and then some.

People opening them and not knowing what their doing. Back yard mods, drinks spills, environment, smokes, ash and dust. heat, cold, mishandling, etc. There are some things on that list, that can be bypassed, but most will need to be replaced. Once done, they usually last a long time.

Other things to watch for are bad solder points, bad boards, and what not. So if you want an adventure, this will give you that for sure. Just make sure, that you buy the best conditions outside and most importantly INSIDE, that you can find and afford.

As far as the sound of the new MPC's. You get out of it, what you put in it. Older machines have a different sound, because the components have aged and lost some of the clarity.

Cockdiesel wrote:Dude. Get the basics down on a newer one. There’s even a 3000 mode on the new mpcs. Vintage gear can be a headache.

Ok, well I dislike the Live and the X is cool but is a full grand more than a 4K. How does a One compare in terms of sound / features to the 4K? I can already guess the One smokes all the old ones in storage and data transfer.

Same sound. One, x or live. Way more options to sculpt a sound vs a lot of work that you’d need to do on a 4000.

Start with a one and if you want the extras upgrade.

It will click the most for you. Easiest way to get a beat into your phone or upload. The others require sound card, etc just to come close.

Some secret sauce could be rendering your beat and using a free daw to run the rx950 plugin and a tape simulator.... the possibilities are endless and not getting collectors gear. You can have everything needed to make a “pro track” exactly how you want it to sound for well under 2000.00 which is what a 3000 seems to sell for...