If you are thinking about getting a 5000 READ THIS!

All of the bugs and rants were in favor of me, being that the price dropped on a great product!

I've been using a 5000 for a month now and turned back to the 2500 to see how I felt about it. Man, that MPC2500 is so limited and primitive to me now! Much less control of samples with Q-Link and 16 levels and the filters, well, they aren't the best. But the improvements in the basic engine are well worth it. The MPC5000 is great because it elevates the core MPC concept. The new synth, HD recording and effects are aimed at scoring points on paper but aren't as good as they promise. The new 5000 features I could live without. Unexpectedly, its the completion of the older features which makes it a worthwhile upgrade to me.

B

The 5k is a tweakers dream.Unfortunate you cant tweak and record everything with the sequencer.Can record it all in audio tho (logic ect).And people think the 3kect is "perfect "LOL

Unfortunate you cant tweak and record everything with the sequencer.

I'm not worried if the sequencer doesn't capture the performance. The power of sampling is that you resample your twisted sound in the MPC itself. Its a completely different way of working with a sequencer and sound engine. We all know this, of course, just worth saying anyway.

I disagree LivePsy. If you're doing broad filtersweeps across whole tracks resampling is a completely backwards workaround that. The MPC5k should be able to record all controller movements - in fact, the whole midi controller/Q-link implementation is a bit of a missed opportunity.

Oh well, it's a fun machine to play with, even with it's limitations!

DL

Buy a 4000, end of thread

donlimpio wrote:I disagree LivePsy. If you're doing broad filtersweeps across whole tracks resampling is a completely backwards workaround that. The MPC5k should be able to record all controller movements - in fact, the whole midi controller/Q-link implementation is a bit of a missed opportunity.

Oh well, it's a fun machine to play with, even with it's limitations!

DL

Sounds like you want a DAW. Everything becomes a static sample at some point in the production process, even the finished track is one. Q-links are not MPC's take on DAW controllers, they date back to manipulating the sample as musical expression. Respect the MPC for what it is and use other tools for mixing desk jobs.

B

^ sounds like excuses, excuses...
should be able to record controller movement. that sh!t ain't nothing new
ccs - not specifically DAW capabilities. qlinks = dumbed down CCs. all that should have been internalized by akai years, years ago

What a shame you weren't on the new design team for the 5000. We could have got general midi, full desk automation and VST plugins too. I guess you think those would all be good on an MPC.

LivePsy wrote:

donlimpio wrote:I disagree LivePsy. If you're doing broad filtersweeps across whole tracks resampling is a completely backwards workaround that. The MPC5k should be able to record all controller movements - in fact, the whole midi controller/Q-link implementation is a bit of a missed opportunity.

Oh well, it's a fun machine to play with, even with it's limitations!

DL

Sounds like you want a DAW. Everything becomes a static sample at some point in the production process, even the finished track is one. Q-links are not MPC's take on DAW controllers, they date back to manipulating the sample as musical expression. Respect the MPC for what it is and use other tools for mixing desk jobs.

B

Sorry Psy but I disagree...
You can connect any synth to MPC5000 and record it's knob movements as midi-data...then 'play' this back to the synth so you do not have to 'sample' all this
so far so good
In MPC5000 we do have an internal synth...but you can not record it's parameters !? I don't see the logic here...the integration between MPC5000 sequencer and it's synth is almost zero, you can 'record notes' and the normal q-link values (cutoff, ...) .
For me this is bad design, all tweakeable parameters from the synth should be able to be recorded.
The non-integration make the synth unuseable for me.
I do not want to make samples of every parameter tweak I do to a synth if I have a synth on board !?
I rather use an external synth then from/to which I can record/play any controller data I wish.

Yes, the synth. You've got a good point there. The synth is like an add-on they half developed. In my view, the sampling program is OK. Not every parameter is controllable but what there is provides a lot of expressive power. I would not want the MPC to lose its character by being like everything else. It is not trying to be everything, and Akai (even under new management) have kept its uniqueness.

I personally wouldn't put too much value on the built-in synth

MoreBuck$ wrote:Buy a 4000, end of thread

I agree...coming off the 5000 onto the 4000 and from the 3000 to the 5000 I would say buy the 4000...I co sign...the 4000 is the best MPC period...the 5000 is a beast but its too digital...Its weak to me, I had it for a month and sold it and bought the 4000.

Here is my old setup.

YumYumRolex wrote:

MoreBuck$ wrote:Buy a 4000, end of thread

I agree...coming off the 5000 onto the 4000 and from the 3000 to the 5000 I would say buy the 4000...I co sign...the 4000 is the best MPC period...the 5000 is a beast but its too digital...Its weak to me, I had it for a month and sold it and bought the 4000.

Here is my old setup.

nice set-up. ballin son!

MpC4k....It also has a problem recording its controllers.LOL........Well mine often gets confused!!!!

Its perfectly reasonable to like an older model MPC: if you are creative with it, that's the only justification you need.