MPC 4000 4 SALE!!!!

I just fond a mpc 4000 near my city for U$ 1600, it's an open box with warranty, the white one with 256 ram.
I'm totally computer based, do you think I'll be good with the mpc 4000?
What about the learning curve and stuff, I'll be ok being computer based??
Is that a awesome deal???

It`s all up to you. If you got a sense of rhythm and love drums (Its a drum machine with sampling) get it. If you are not patience, like to click with the mouse, and working on a large screen with various plugins and whatnot maybe not. Yes there is a learning curve, yes it does work different from a desktop studio, yes it isn`t as simple as click and cut, move, copy, and paste because it isn`t a digital audio workstation. It is essentially a sequencer that plays midi notes that trigger samples so it is different. The plus side of that is since it is in midi sequencer you can set the tempo, timing, notes, and swing and programmed your own music by hand and the sequencer timing in one of the best in the world. Hardware rules in stability and feel, software digital audio workstation is easier to work with too. If you can invest the time and effort for a couple of weeks and learn the basics first to sampling, sequencing, MIDI, (MPC aka MIDI PRODUCTION CENTER) Drum programming, Synthesis and Signal Processing you can understand the Manual and learn it quicker. If you dont know the basics you may have a hard time, but in the end it is all up to you. I have both Ableton Live and Reason Adapoted with MPC 4000 and Pro Tools. I don`t use the computer so much because I prefer to tap in the rhythm and dig for samples and manipulate samples in the MPC 4000.
Challenge yourself with the MPC and you may not go back to computer based production but you will do yourself a disservice if you come to hardware thinking that it should behave like software. Both hardware and software have a different way of working even different controllers. Have fun

MPC Midi Production Center was changed to Music Production Center

awesome explanation....I have time right now for study, If you guys tell me that's a very good price and where I should look for something with it, because it's an open box, they told me they change the hard drive for a new one.
Tomorrow I should get in the 4k family.

I have one more question.
To sequencing is in real time, you add sounds while the music is playing just like the video I saw with the mv-8000?
Is there any videos with the 4k available??

adrian wrote:MPC Midi Production Center was changed to Music Production Center

Yeah but all MPCs are midi sequencer workstations, don`t think of it as a digital audio workstation or you wil be complianing over functions it wasn`t designed for. Will the inclusion of a full fledged sampler akai marketing dept changed the name to Music Production Center however it is based on midi sequencing triggers samples not a full function Digital Audio Workstation like Live, Reason, Acid, Fruitloops and others that edits and changes audio regions in a timeline in realtime which the MPC doesn`t do.

What I was planing to do with the mpc is make my beats, sample from cd's or the net, and do my beats and stuff.
I will sequence in the computer.
But what I really wanna know is if the price is good for an open box, how do I found out which model is and where I should look for something wrong with it, because it's kind of used.
U$1600 - 256 ram - mpc 4000

ecsmix wrote:What I was planing to do with the mpc is make my beats, sample from cd's or the net, and do my beats and stuff.
I will sequence in the computer.
But what I really wanna know is if the price is good for an open box, how do I found out which model is and where I should look for something wrong with it, because it's kind of used.
U$1600 - 256 ram - mpc 4000

It`s a good price for an MPC as far as sequencing most of us use the MPC as the sequencer and the computer as an MTR for digital audio like Pro Tools, Cubase and etc. The main beauty of a MPC is its controller pads too to play in the beats. If you plan to sequence your music in the computer with the mpc as a slave hmmmn you may have a trouble on your hands. You will have to go into the midi page and configure the channels from pads through tracks into the internal sampler which the Reference manual which doesn`t come with the MPC explains. Its may be just me, but I feel the MPC production is simplest and easiest to work like the pioneers did without computers. It is meant to be a standalone unit. It has more functions to transfer samples to and from the computer and changing the parameters of the syth section. I wish you the best but I would cringe to see you on the board a week later having trouble adjusting to the MPC style of production coming from software and not understanding the basics of it. Some cats in the past have cried and complained and quit because of this. To learn one must empty the glass of beliefs and expectations from previous recording systems and start from scratch filling the glass (mind) with new knowledge of the MPC style of production. This is the learning curve you often here about. I started with a MPC 2000XL.

What I have right now:
_Pc Pentium 4 3ghz 1 ram
_Oxygem 8 midi controler
_Mbox with Pro tools LE
_Acid , Reason, Fruityloops, Kontakt, several Vsti's instruments.

I was thinking to use MPC 4000 to inspire me more to make beats, I want to programa everything there, all my beats and transfer digitally to my desktop thru MBOX.
I want the MPC for it's swing and stuff that everybody knows because no one could copied yet(I read that here), even the MV-8000 couldn't.
The MPC has the recycle feauture?
In your opinion why is better then mv-8000 to produce hip hop / house.

ecsmix wrote:What I have right now:
_Pc Pentium 4 3ghz 1 ram
_Oxygem 8 midi controler
_Mbox with Pro tools LE
_Acid , Reason, Fruityloops, Kontakt, several Vsti's instruments.

I was thinking to use MPC 4000 to inspire me more to make beats, I want to programa everything there, all my beats and transfer digitally to my desktop thru MBOX.
I want the MPC for it's swing and stuff that everybody knows because no one could copied yet(I read that here), even the MV-8000 couldn't.
The MPC has the recycle feauture?
In your opinion why is better then mv-8000 to produce hip hop / house.

MPC can slice up samples but you have to set up the slices within the region edit page and next go to the region slice page it is similar but not exactly like recycle. As far as the instrument being better you are new so you may have miss previous discussion on the mv-8000 and MPC 4000. First I had say it is a matter of taste and skill of the artist which machine fits them. Word of advice it is the skill of the player not the tool that makes great music. To use that tool effectively read the basics like I mentioned before Basic timing what`s quarter note, 1/8, 1/16 notes and so on Sequencing, Sampling, Drum programming, synthesis, MIDI, controller changes, and then you can really understand the manual which is good, but if you don`t know the above you will have a hard time coming to grips with the 4000 and you may not use it to its fullest potetional. The more you understand the fundamentals the greater ease you can use any groove machine dig? We have a newbie bible that explains alot check it out and use your manual. Hell download the manual at Akai and read up on it before you can it which help you more too. it is a professional machine that you will have, ask yourself are you willing to put in the time learn your new musical tool to become a professional user yourself? If you are and I believe you have the heart for it you can master this gear which from this experience you would be able to use any machine afterwards. It isn`t the machine it is the man using it that is great.

Thanks man for your reply.
I LOVE MUSIC AND I LUV TO MAKE MUSIC, and Ill do whatever it takes.
One more thing...
It is impossible for AKAI make a board for the 4k users. live Roland did to hook up a vga monitor

One more thing I should look to the OS before I buy it, someone told me that, why.
MPC 4000 has the same feauture of mpc 1000 , usb to computer, works fine, to transfer files and etc...
Thanks

ecsmix wrote:One more thing I should look to the OS before I buy it, someone told me that, why.
MPC 4000 has the same feauture of mpc 1000 , usb to computer, works fine, to transfer files and etc...
Thanks

When you get the MPC it should have either 1.45 or 1.51 installed already either one is good, but the 1.51 has a better mixer page and 16 tunings. Once you get the MPC out the box and it`s running well then check out the new O.S. beta that everyone including myself are going nuts over because of the audition samples function which really but that 80 G memory to use. By the time you get up to speed on the 4000 the official O.S. release with my out which you can download for free your computer burn it to CD and load into your MPC. MPC 4000 aksys is more advanced than the MPC 1000 you have to check the newbie bible and check with Reveal he`s got some crazy links to previous manuals that Akai **** up by not including in each manual update. Their is another site by DPS http://p206.ezboard.com/fdpsworldfrm5 that is a unofficial Akai site for the MPC 4000 and other akai gear.

Loops and Grooves Machines is a great book also.

Thanks again, when I compared the mpc 1000 with 4k was only the usb feauture, because I know 1k can work fine with the computer, transfer files ans stuff, what about the 4k

same USB thing

if you like to edit your samples with sotfware it's the ish