dumb question from an ole head

hears the business: i produce out in LA with my trusty 3000. But my publisher is sick of maintenance bills and told me to go get somethin new cuz he aint payin for this or that no more. Now here's my setup.....a bunch of keys and racks (i mainly do neosoul/r&b,jazz) I RARELY SAMPLE. Mainly i need a tight sequencer and good sampler for vocal chops and stuff like that. I move everything to P/tools and edit from over there. Now im lookin at the 2500.....but looks like this thing has a bunch of bugs.....i dont know. So can you 2500 users bless me with some quick advice. I need to make a move asap. Hows it sound? Are the bugs easy 2 get around....? I know the sequencer will be cool, but i need a pro machine that has very little lip. is this the one? good lookin out.

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Get a 4000. You'll have the ability to edit and transfer files between it & a computer.

but a 4k has bugs too

I would advise a 2KXL MCD, go with what works, not new "testware"

TheFirstJimBo wrote:but a 4k has bugs too

I would advise a 2KXL MCD, go with what works, not new "testware"

i have played with a few MPC's im really comfprtable with the 2kxl ..
not to big or bulky .. but as a sequencer .. super nice .. i rarely sample either ... im into original production MOST of the time ..

the bugs n the 4k ?? when i played with 1 i was like "wooowwww this is reeaallyy nice!!" its the cadillac of the akai line .. i liked it .. couldnt afford it .. cop'd a 2kxl .. been runnin ever since..

TheFirstJimBo wrote:but a 4k has bugs too

To me, that's a myth. For what I use my 4k for, I don't experience (excuse my french) "that sh!t". I mostly track half & half, multi one way, sequence the other. I'm not going to say it's perfect by a long shot, but I've been fortunate not to experience the mayhem a lot of catz have experienced already.

thats love fellas. keep it comin. I see NOBODY is sayin cop a 2500. But a 4000 just seems like overkill. i feel u tho.

I'm an old head too.

I'm in the 2500 camp. In the MPC poll the 2500 won out. I'm surprised more 2500 dudes ain't hit you back. But I'm most interested in sampling and then dumping to ProTools. It gives me 8 individual outs which is great for that. I wanted a 4k but you have to pay for 8 outs and I think you have to pay for SPDIF i/o. You get a hard drive on the 4k, but I bought and installed a 80Gig in my 2500 for <$100. You'll spend >$500 to get the output expansions on the 4k. So $2100 for the MPC2500 versus $3300 for a 4k. I love the sound of the MPC going into ProTools, especially drums. There are some bugs with the 2500 but I've found most of them workable. Although there are nights like last night when I was throwing the manual around in disgust because I was having some bug issues. I still have old OS and should upgrade. There are some notorious sync issues with the 2500 so be sure to check that out especially since you'll be syncing to ProTools. I haven't heard of the same problems with the 4k. Some say its a myth and I'm just an idiot. I've had some problems but have worked around them. The sampling and sequencing is the joint.

If you're more of a synth guy though, (and I know I'm gonna get killed here) you might want to look at the MV8800. The only downfall for you would be that it was created be an all in one but you want something to go with a ProTools rig. But it has a decent sequencer if tweaked, and is a better synth machine than the Akai to me, mainly because its loaded with memory and you can retrieve the stock sounds easily. I'm sure you can do that with the MPC4000 too, but for $1000 more. The MV has sampling capabilities perfect for what you're trying to do. Check out this article on Scott Storch's set up. He uses the MPC2000 and 3000 with a Motif midi'd to infinite samples on computer (remixmag.com/artists/remix_captain_contagious/index2.html). If money's no option then get the 4k. I've never used one, but I haven't heard about OS problems like there are with the 2500. Also if you're big into recording at higher sample rates, I think the 4k will do 24bit, 96Khz, while the 2500 is a 16bit,44k machine. If you're a closet producer like me who has the money but doesn't want to shell out $3500 for a machine that I get comparable functions and features out of a maching for >$1000 less, then go with the 2500.

ay yo....that was love fam!!! You hit on everything i been buggin on. At the end of the day, i think imma cop the 8800. I DONT need an all in one box, but im so Protools heavy i really just need to lock tite sequences to Tools and im good. Im not gettin rid of my 3000.....the drums will still mostly come from there....so i decided look, let me get another option for sounds, sequencin.. i need to tap that right brain too and see whats comin from over there. I was about to just do DP or Cubase, but i been on those pads and knobs so long that imma stay there. The 2500 is the logical move, but imma try the Roland (minus the 2500 bugs)...i know that thing will lock up, comes with lots og gigs, and mainly, it just give me another different
option for trackin since i do everything from hiphop to jazz. If i hate it i'll sell it and go get a 2500! Keeep it hot tho dawg...good lookin out.

One Love. Do you dawg. Do you.