MPC 5000 questions before buying

Hi all,

I'm poised to buy an MPC 5000. I'm mainly interested in the synth and will be using the machine mainly for experimental music.

I've owned a 1K previously and ran JJOS with it, but have forgotten a lot of the functionality aspects of MPCs.

Does anyone know whether the Q Links or knobs/sliders can manipulate sample start/offset points?

Also, regarding the 80GB hard disk - can you stream audio off of this to playback long sequences, rather than use up loads of the RAM?

Lastly, can anyone suggest any other interesting things the 5K can do that would be useful to someone who wont necessarily be making beats, but more complex compositions?

I'm really interested in this machine but need someone to sell it to me (not literally, as in big it up!), it's a lot of money to part with and Akai UK tech support haven't been too helpful to date.

Thanks.

I'm mainly interested in the synth and will be using the machine mainly for experimental music.

I use the dog mess out of my 5000 synth. its not perfect but I find myself using it more often than anything else.
here are a few tracks i did with the 5000 synth a while back

Does anyone know whether the Q Links or knobs/sliders can manipulate sample start/offset points?

Yes you can use Qlink 1 & 2 to trim start and end point of samples. Q links can also be assigned to most if not all effect or filter parameters

Also, regarding the 80GB hard disk - can you stream audio off of this to playback long sequences, rather than use up loads of the RAM?

I've used the hdd recording a few times but not too often. I've used it when I want to play synth improve through out the song. I've also used it in sessions with a DJ and Bass player, jamming out and improving. Always plays back properly.

Most guys on these boards know that I am a huge 5000 cat but I wont try to make you believe that it is a perfect machine. I will also say that I have not had the issues some people have experienced. I do know that there are bugs but nothings perfect so i work around it.

I love the i/o. so flexible. I have a keyboard controller connected to control all synth parts both internal and external. I have my mono synths on midi A, trusty rompler (xv3080) on midi B, computer soft synths on Midi C, and iOS synths via alesis i/o dock on midi D. i've sequenced all of these at various times, sometimes together sometimes not.

If you sample it has a phono amp on it already. I think you may like the input thru feature... at least i do. I use it a lot. It allows you to input a stereo or mono left or right signal and effect it with onboard effects from which you can play along with sequences or use it as an effects unit or sample from it.

Speaking of effects there are 4 effects buses with two slots each. you can link two buses together to have a 4 insert effects bus. these can be assigned to pads or input thru etc.

great machine man. but dont let me spend your money. give it some thought or maybe go into the store and put your hands on it.

Peep my youtube channel for a few vids of the 5000
http://www.youtube.com/phashara

Thanks for your detailed reply, much appreciated.

When you say the q links can trim the start and end points, do you mean in real time or is this just to trim the samples when editing them?

I want to be able to scan through the sample (glitch style) and record the movements so I can play them back within a sequence.

Thanks again!

By the way, your 5K looks totally sick, the colours remind me of the loader in Aliens or Bumblebee from Transformers

slicer wrote:Thanks for your detailed reply, much appreciated.

When you say the q links can trim the start and end points, do you mean in real time or is this just to trim the samples when editing them?

I want to be able to scan through the sample (glitch style) and record the movements so I can play them back within a sequence.

Thanks again!

Trim while editing is what I am referring to. I cant say that I've ever tried in real time but i'm pretty sure that is not something it can do. Would be a sick update feature though. That sounds like something the Octatrack can do http://www.elektron.se/products/octatrack

maybe Octatrack and the 5000 would be an ill combo.

thanks re: the bumble bee empeecee

Im intrested to but i heard its got too many bugs like timing issues, crashes and i Wonder if the mpc 2500 is better?

I do actually own an Octatrack, so that is why I was interested to know if the 5K could handle samples in a similar way.

The Octatrack is the best electronic musical instrument I have ever owned, I love it, but I still like the idea of having a sample spread over pads.

I really think this physical attribute helps a lot when dealing with drums particularly - although the OT can slice samples very well, the trigger buttons aren't as punchy as an MPC and this does influence how the music sounds, regardless of the actual internal processing that differentiates one machine to the next.

If the OT had pads and a synth it would be the absolute ultimate game changing killer sampler

cloud777 wrote:Im intrested to but i heard its got too many bugs like timing issues, crashes and i Wonder if the mpc 2500 is better?

timing issues LOL. here is a challenge. buy it online at AMS or something where they have a 30 day return policy. rock it for your self. see for yourself. if you dont like it return on the 21st day that gives you 3 full weeks and allows 7 days for shipping back.

this is one fo the best mpc's ever (maybe not thee best but cetainly one of em) yes there are bugs but only you can decide if you can/cant work around the bugs without hindering your workflow. the machine is certainly not cripled by bugs. a lot of cats i know have never crashed (certainly not nearly as much as the Ren has done before the current update) and I have never ever had a timing issue. dont believe all that you read about this machine. I can only say try it ... chances are you will like it. and at the prices now a days its a good deal.

slicer wrote:Hi all,
it's a lot of money to part with and Akai UK tech support haven't been too helpful to date.

Thanks.

not as much money as you'd think I was browsing thru guitar center today and saw one for 750, and few others for 899..all used ofcourse

I'm in the UK, the only brand new ones I can find are £1199, and on eBay there are a few that claim to be in great condition and are priced between £900 and £1000.

I am in San Francisco in a few weeks for work so I could possibly try and pick one up there, but then it wouldn't be UK power spec.

psr wrote:

cloud777 wrote:Im intrested to but i heard its got too many bugs like timing issues, crashes and i Wonder if the mpc 2500 is better?

timing issues LOL. here is a challenge. buy it online at AMS or something where they have a 30 day return policy. rock it for your self. see for yourself. if you dont like it return on the 21st day that gives you 3 full weeks and allows 7 days for shipping back.

this is one fo the best mpc's ever (maybe not thee best but cetainly one of em) yes there are bugs but only you can decide if you can/cant work around the bugs without hindering your workflow. the machine is certainly not cripled by bugs. a lot of cats i know have never crashed (certainly not nearly as much as the Ren has done before the current update) and I have never ever had a timing issue. dont believe all that you read about this machine. I can only say try it ... chances are you will like it. and at the prices now a days its a good deal.

What are the bugs in the 5000, is there a oficial list that confirms what bugs are in the mp5000...?is mpc better then the 2500?

slicer wrote:I am in San Francisco in a few weeks for work so I could possibly try and pick one up there, but then it wouldn't be UK power spec.

MPC's are spec'ed for: Internal, auto switching, 110-240V, 50-60Hz

All you will need to do is get UK computer type plug and you're set. If you plan on visitng here I'd start looking now


these are teh 5k's I mentioned earlier, $750 and $800 are gone, even tho they're in different state. at purchase you can have them ship it to guitar center closest to you at no cost and pick it up from there. n you get 30 day return policy on these

http://www.guitarcenter.com/In-Store-Used-USED-MPC5000-BLK-108701382-i2997347.gc
http://www.guitarcenter.com/In-Store-Used-USED-AKAI-MPC5000-SAMPL-SEQ-DRUM-MACH-W--AUDIO-REC-108350582-i2808275.gc
http://www.guitarcenter.com/In-Store-Used-USED-AKAI-MPC5000-108204235-i2789996.gc

cloud777 wrote:

psr wrote:

cloud777 wrote:Im intrested to but i heard its got too many bugs like timing issues, crashes and i Wonder if the mpc 2500 is better?

timing issues LOL. here is a challenge. buy it online at AMS or something where they have a 30 day return policy. rock it for your self. see for yourself. if you dont like it return on the 21st day that gives you 3 full weeks and allows 7 days for shipping back.

this is one fo the best mpc's ever (maybe not thee best but cetainly one of em) yes there are bugs but only you can decide if you can/cant work around the bugs without hindering your workflow. the machine is certainly not cripled by bugs. a lot of cats i know have never crashed (certainly not nearly as much as the Ren has done before the current update) and I have never ever had a timing issue. dont believe all that you read about this machine. I can only say try it ... chances are you will like it. and at the prices now a days its a good deal.

What are the bugs in the 5000, is there a oficial list that confirms what bugs are in the mp5000...?is mpc better then the 2500?

there should be a sticky in the 5000 forum. I can tell you that Ive not had crashes or screen failures, or timing issues. forget the word bug. it's sort of misleading. read the sticky and take most things with a grain of salt. a lot of us are rocking the 5000 just fine. OS 2.0 is much much better than the original OS. its the only OS i've had so there hasnt been much I've run into.

I've said this before, i think the machine has tons of features and for some there is a learning curve. I myself have had things happen that I instantly blamed on the OS but given time i realized that I was simply not using a certain feature correctly or it was working as designed and not meant to do what I was trying to make it do. I'm sorry to be vague but I cant recall exact detail. the bug report sticky will give you specifics. if that stuff worries you I will not advise you to get a 5000. but if it doesnt hold a lot of weight with you i will say this is indeed a great machine and you can do everything any one else could on it (for the most part)

learn it and use it for its strengths. great box.

Yeah i agree with per, the 5K rocks!! only a bug pissed me off : drifting when sample layering but it can be easy bypassed.Anyway both mpc 1000 and mpc 2500 with jjos are great

slicer wrote:I'm mainly interested in the synth and will be using the machine mainly for experimental music.

forget the big guys and go with jj.

jj has added a lot of experimental features so i think you'd do better riding an os on the cutting edge vs. an os pandering to a 20 year strong fan base.