Akai MPC1000 VS. Roland Fantom X8

Lately, I've had the intentions of getting an Akai MPC 1000. A few things I have to do before I can get it. But now I've been starting to think about the Roland fantom X8. Now all of this really depends on how much I qualify or if even do qualify as credit as far as a music site I applied for. Now if I don't qualify at all, I plan to use the plan at AmericanMusical.com and get an Akai MPC because its cheaper. My question is since, obviously the Roland fantom x8 costs more...should I go after that?

I am a pianist. I play mainly gospel, but basically when I go to school, I may end up majoring in music. Now, I've always planned on getting the Roland fantom x8, down the line in the future, but because of its price...its just not possible right now or any time soon.

Now I want to get into sampling and making beats...as playing all sorts of piano music is also something I plan on doing in the future. I already mess with the tascam dp-01 at the moment, but obviously that aint much. I plan on getting some more expensive recording software. I was leaning towards the Presonus firestudio because it seems like its bundled with enough stuff including Cubase LE(enough stuff I can learn more about take my recording and music to another level-knowledge wise and so forth).

Anyways, so back to the fantom versus the MPC 1000. Should I just go after the MPC and stick with my keyboard that I have for now or should I go after the Roland if possible? See im looking at portability that I will lose with the X8 because I dont plan on taking that thing everywhere, but then I look at the fact that the X8 is, infact, a piano which is something I plan to do.

Can the fantom do everything the MPC 1000 do? Or is it a dumbed down sampler and beat maker, and just an addition to a high quality keyboard?

Can anyone give me any opinions on how they feel...input?

Man, that's a hard choice for me. See, the main thing is that the MPC is a dedicated sampler, so there a really no internal sounds that you're gonna use over and over again (you might not use them @ all). But, the Fantom is super big, so not really portable. I know you're a pianist and you're gonna want all 88 keys, so getting the X6 is prolly out of the question.
I think the best thing to do in order to get the best of both worlds is to get the Fanrom XR (Rack Mount Sound Module) and the MPC 1000 AND and nice 61 key midi controller. If you really want 88 weighted keys you can get a nice 88 key midi controller for like $400-550.
If you go that route its gonna run you about $2300 for the MPC, the Fantom module, and a 61 key midi keyboard. Otherwise you're gonna be A) annoyed by carrying around a huge keyboard [I had the X7 and I got tired of carrying it around]), or B) spending a lot of time multisampling other Pianos and other keyed instruments so you can have those sounds in your MPC (cause the MPC is not a soundmodule).
You can buy sounds like E.Pianos and other keys from this site, but regardless you're still gonna need a midi keyboard.

Side note: the MPC only has 64 notes (16 pads, 4 pad banks). Or 256 notes if you count the Velocity Layers for each pad and use your Q link slider to access the other layers. But anyway, hope this helped.

Well, see me being a piano player...I want a keyboard. I dont plan on getting a 61 midi controller and using that as a keyboard.

With that setup, that would be just me using it for recording only. Im not saying I would never travel with a X8, just not everywhere I go. I have a keyboard now, so thats not the issue.

I guess what I really need to know is whether or not a Roland fantom x8 can do everything a MPC1000 can do. I mean, if I were to excuse the whole portability, is the X8 just the obvious choice?...Or should I get the MPC and just get the X8 later down the line?


I guess this is a choice I can only make, but Im just looking for input.


Thanks for you input hereo.

Well, in theory, the Fantom can do almost everything that the MPC can do, but it can't do it the way the MPC does it. And to me, that's priceless. I've had both and really used both and I have to say that I enjoy makin' beats way more on the MPC than on the Fantom. But I love the Fantom sounds. So me, myself, I'm gonna get a Fantom rack later.
If you're tryin' to sample, you can get away with it on the Fantom (I did), but to me, my best results would come out on the MPC. And the sequencer on the MPC is better. The Fantom Sequencer is ok, but that's just it, ok .
But like I said, seems like you're a piano man, so you'll prolly be doin' a lot of original compositions. You'll prolly wanna roll with the Fantom. MPC is mainly a drummachine/sample manipulator/sequencer.
Best advice, go play with both of them @ a local Guitar Center or someplace of the same sort.

hereo wrote:Well, in theory, the Fantom can do almost everything that the MPC can do, but it can't do it the way the MPC does it. And to me, that's priceless. I've had both and really used both and I have to say that I enjoy makin' beats way more on the MPC than on the Fantom. But I love the Fantom sounds. So me, myself, I'm gonna get a Fantom rack later.
If you're tryin' to sample, you can get away with it on the Fantom (I did), but to me, my best results would come out on the MPC. And the sequencer on the MPC is better. The Fantom Sequencer is ok, but that's just it, ok .
But like I said, seems like you're a piano man, so you'll prolly be doin' a lot of original compositions. You'll prolly wanna roll with the Fantom. MPC is mainly a drummachine/sample manipulator/sequencer.
Best advice, go play with both of them @ a local Guitar Center or someplace of the same sort.

Well, actually, Im trying to get into both really. I play a little piano, but I wanna go to school and major in it. But whats really got me leaning towards the MPC is that the price is cheaper. And then its got me saying to myself, "i can get the x8 down the line"....thats why I was trying to figure out if the x8 can do everything the mpc can. But the whole way a beat is made on the MPC definitely intrigues me more.

are there any cheaper alternatives to the x8? maybe that way you could get a 500 and have the best of both worlds

Or you can go with the X8 and get a MPD24 to get that MPC feel. Plus if plan on working with ext. sequencing, then this would be the best one two punch combo IMO.

I now use the Fantom X6 with RS-16X software on my Mac to emulate the MPC environment. There is a difference in pad feel but I have a Trigger Finger synced up to adjust for that.

The MPC 1000 is much faster to work with though when you have already sampled sounds...

I would keep the MPC1000 but I am waiting on Akai's proposed pad "fix"

In my experience, my sound that I have developed is almost a direct result of the triton and the 1k blended together. why you ask? because of several reasons.


1. when you midi the keyboard up to the mpc and record, it has a different quality. even triggering the sounds with the pads instead of the keys will produce a different vibe and feel. this is especially pronounced with you sample a snipped of a sound from a keyboard into an mpc and then 16 level the sound. I find that the little mistakes that are made between the mpc and the keyboard are what I like in music, and it creates a unique sound

2. because with a keyboard versus pushing pads, your creativity is way different. When I play keys, I tend to think in chords, in little riffs of sound and mini melodies. when I play on the mpc i tend to think more laterally as a drummer, with stabs and drum sounding notes. Its akward to go up and down the mpc with the pad banks unless I know exactly what sound I want. in short, playing keys with certian sounds is way easier on the fly.

3. because you can't beat the linn sequencer and that sampled sound from the mpc. the ease of sampling, trimming, chopping, looping, seqencing is lost on the triton to me. while it has the exact same functions I just stated, they are not laid out in a simple and easy manner like the mpc, and as Hero said, that is quite simply priceless. Akais keep it simple attitude is one of the reasons they have dominated midi sequencing in hip hop for so long.

So in short, and in my personal opinion, your sound will really improve by having them both. Don't forget, a used 1k is just as good as a new one provided there is nothing wrong with it. And its a buyers market for used keys. I say save up your duckets and buy both. If I was asked which one to buy first, I'd say the mpc, for no reason other than thats how I did it.

Yea, I think ima get the mpc1000 first and worry about a roland fantom x8 later down the road.