Product Request: MPC 5000 Unplugged

A virtual MPC is something I thought about for years. And at one time, Akai even advertised this on their website. But with the release of Motu and Native Instrument products that expands of this idea, I think it is time for Akai to make a product that can capitalize on their strengths.

So I suggest the new MPC 5000 Unplugged! The hardware/control surface is based off the MPC 5000. It ill even be as heavy/robust as the MPC 5000 to get the rugged hands on feel. But there will be no hard drive, cd drive, cf card reader, RAM, sampler, sequencer, synth, etc. The software (sequencer, sampler, synth) would reside completely on a PC (or Mac). This way it wouldn't be limited by RAM, polyphony, etc. The control surface will be connected to a PC via ethernet using a protocol similar to Pro Tools control surfaces. It will transmit/receive bi-directional information to/from a PC. Akai could completely update the UI to include all the pretty colors and graphic representations of knobs/sliders, etc. To the MPC user, it would feel like that are still working on an MPC. This is the most important aspect. Every parameter should be selectable from the control surface but you can still use a keyboard and mouse for further editing. It will still have the full spectrum of MIDI inputs and outputs as well as analog and digital inputs/outputs. But the PC software would actually be doing all the sampling and sequencing. This MPC 5000 Unplugged will act as a big dongle. If it is not connected to your PC, the software will not work.

Now a I wrote earlier, a similar product will be released by Native Instruments and Motu. But there is no MPC 5000 type control surface on the market that can control every single parameter in the software.


(Before you guys ask....yes, I am bored but this would still be an exciting, next level product).

Why don't Akai just produce a software editor for the 5k, with all the features you are talking about? If they make it VST compliant they will have another great selling point for the 5k. How hard would it be to do??

Askia Shaheed wrote:A virtual MPC is something I thought about for years. And at one time, Akai even advertised this on their website. But with the release of Motu and Native Instrument products that expands of this idea, I think it is time for Akai to make a product that can capitalize on their strengths.

So I suggest the new MPC 5000 Unplugged! The hardware/control surface is based off the MPC 5000. It ill even be as heavy/robust as the MPC 5000 to get the rugged hands on feel. But there will be no hard drive, cd drive, cf card reader, RAM, sampler, sequencer, synth, etc. The software (sequencer, sampler, synth) would reside completely on a PC (or Mac). This way it wouldn't be limited by RAM, polyphony, etc. The control surface will be connected to a PC via ethernet using a protocol similar to Pro Tools control surfaces. It will transmit/receive bi-directional information to/from a PC. Akai could completely update the UI to include all the pretty colors and graphic representations of knobs/sliders, etc. To the MPC user, it would feel like that are still working on an MPC. This is the most important aspect. Every parameter should be selectable from the control surface but you can still use a keyboard and mouse for further editing. It will still have the full spectrum of MIDI inputs and outputs as well as analog and digital inputs/outputs. But the PC software would actually be doing all the sampling and sequencing. This MPC 5000 Unplugged will act as a big dongle. If it is not connected to your PC, the software will not work.

Now a I wrote earlier, a similar product will be released by Native Instruments and Motu. But there is no MPC 5000 type control surface on the market that can control every single parameter in the software.


(Before you guys ask....yes, I am bored but this would still be an exciting, next level product).

didnt akai just do this with their new ableton controller??

http://www.ableton.com/touch

obviously not mpc5000, but in the same ball park??

D

The Ableton Converter is cool. But it is far from an MPC. But the idea is similar. My idea is to have an MPC work like Digidesign's Control 24.

I found tis pic of an old Akai controller:


It could even be something along this line with real MPC pads....on second thoughts..no. It must me as close to a real MPC as possible.

WTF is that??^^^

Akai use to make hard disk recorders. This was a controller for one of them I believe. It is similar to the Alesis controllers for their old ADAT tape decks.

well actually having this feature would be great but on an actual mpc... one that the stuff you make on the daw can go back and forth into the actual mpc...

or else you could use the existing product akai has called the MPD.





by the way, apparently the beat kangs's machine will have a software that does that stuff and you use the beat thang to control it.. and it is apparently going to be compatable with the beat thang so you can put all you did on the software into the beat thang and bring it with you somewhere else.

Being able to plug the mpc via usb and having a wave editor pop up with your harddrive folder would be a cool feature.

Coz wrote:Why don't Akai just produce a software editor for the 5k, with all the features you are talking about? If they make it VST compliant they will have another great selling point for the 5k. How hard would it be to do??

Totally agree with you Coz

F n A wrote:Being able to plug the mpc via usb and having a wave editor pop up with your harddrive folder would be a cool feature.

Like Aksys on the previous flagship?

D

boomspot wrote:

F n A wrote:Being able to plug the mpc via usb and having a wave editor pop up with your harddrive folder would be a cool feature.

Like Aksys on the previous flagship?

D

I wasn't aware Aksys was a wave editor...

Askia Shaheed wrote:

boomspot wrote:

F n A wrote:Being able to plug the mpc via usb and having a wave editor pop up with your harddrive folder would be a cool feature.

Like Aksys on the previous flagship?

D

I wasn't aware Aksys was a wave editor...

It isn't but it integrates well with 3rd party editors and let you view the drive. My bad.

D

Aksys is so outdated. That is far from what I had in mind. The Fanton G/X has and editor as well but you can actually do sample editing without the need for an external program. And I hate to admit this in public, but the way the MV uses an external monitor and its onboard ediiting is superb.

But all of this is nowhere close to what my vision for the future is. I don't want an MPC with just an LCD. I certainly don't want another USB editor when most things can be done on an MPC 5000 quickly. I want the fastest processor, gigs of memory, and room for the OS to grow. I feel this can be done with an MPC control surface and software. I now many people use MPCs because they don't like computers. That is why in order for this to work, it has to integrate seamlessly with a computer. So someone from the outside would think you are just using an MPC with an external monitor. But in reality the computer would be the MPC. Native Instruments is doing just this with the Maschine. Swap out that toy-like interface with a real MPC (not MPD)..this would be an amazing product.

Askia Shaheed wrote:Aksys is so outdated. That is far from what I had in mind. The Fanton G/X has and editor as well but you can actually do sample editing without the need for an external program. And I hate to admit this in public, but the way the MV uses an external monitor and its onboard ediiting is superb.

But all of this is nowhere close to what my vision for the future is. I don't want an MPC with just an LCD. I certainly don't want another USB editor when most things can be done on an MPC 5000 quickly. I want the fastest processor, gigs of memory, and room for the OS to grow. I feel this can be done with an MPC control surface and software. I now many people use MPCs because they don't like computers. That is why in order for this to work, it has to integrate seamlessly with a computer. So someone from the outside would think you are just using an MPC with an external monitor. But in reality the computer would be the MPC. Native Instruments is doing just this with the Maschine. Swap out that toy-like interface with a real MPC (not MPD)..this would be an amazing product.

agreed,

anyways people around here hate computers and using them so much but they find themselves on this site all the time complaining about it.

the thing that makes me like the mv monitor idea is that I can sit next to my buddy who i make music with and we are both on the same page with what we just did... which is kind of tough on a small screen.

I think it might be possible for this to work great with firewire800 ... though i never tested it out since I dont have it, but latency is a bit of an issue with usb (ok only a fraction of a second... but still)

plus the hardware unit could be great for linking up all your usual keyboards and sound modules with midi or what ever you use.

now I haven't put much thought into the sense of this, but it might be neat to have full playback ability inside the actual hardware (not editing and production capability) so we can still bring the unit on a gig to play it live with what we made on the DAW at the crib.


It would be nice to see an MPC that utilizes a fully expandable and adaptable piece of equipment like a pc... also, it would totally eliminate the need to track your beats also.. unless you are recording a multi man band in your crib.