Hands On Review! MPC5000 Kicks major A** !!!!

Polyphony is a result cpu's power being able to render the voices not the sampling engine.

The FX engine has nothing to do with the sampling engine although a big improvement.

The grid resolution is much increased but this again is dependent on the CPUs resources and has nothing to do with the sampling engine.

Feel free to start another thread pointing out the differences between the Fantom X and G because I don't see much difference besides additional sounds and effects...

Anybody with Fantom X experience can see it. Don't worry, nobody here expects much of you given your fanboy loyalty.

Cheebatone wrote:Using hits from a sample library is OK, I suppose, but using whole loops is inexcuseable ...inexcuseable and dull. Just as dull, in fact, as most dance records I hear. Be honest, how many times have you listened to a tune and thought, "Oh. Great. Yet another 'Reason' preset..." It's just lazy! And that what I think about using pre-packaged samples. Put the work in!

I totally agree with you on this one
I think that putting some work and effort into your sampling definitely makes the difference in producing good tracks.
But then again, some of the biggest hits around in both hip-hop and dance music is nothing more than long, complete loops taking from somebody else...so commercially it seems like being lazy is the way to go..hehe

OJ Reem wrote:Actaully, you were not very specific. You claim that because these samplers are all 16-bit, they have the same sample engine which isn't true. Akai boasts:
- New synth and drum sampling engine (64 voices versus 32 voices in older MPCs)
- New 4-buss FX engine (significantly better than the MPC 2500/1000)
- New sequencing engine (960 ppqs as well as an improved Time Code/Swing features)

None of which have to do with what people usually call the 'sampling engine'. I could be wrong of course. But I've never heard someone talk about midi resolution as being part of the sampling engine.

I agree. It's nice to have the extra polyphony, effects and resolution; but the sampling engine is essentially the same as that on the MPC500 - MPC1000 - MPC2500 and it is no where near the one found on the MPC4000 (or the MV or any Roland Sampling engine from the XV onwards).

As far as the new Fantom G Roland just figured out more ways to repackage their products and re-sale it to you.

And the MPC1000, the 2500 and the 500 aren't repacking the same product?

because I don't see much difference besides additional sounds and effects...

Just a minute ago you used the 'effects' as an argument to say that the MPC5000 has such an improved engine. What is it?

Sure, the Fantom G is an evolved X. Nobody is claiming anything different. In a way all Roland Romplers are evolved versions of the D50, JD800, JV1080, XP and XV series. But there is a crucial difference here: unlike with the MPC5000 the Rolands generally keep adding features to their previous generations. (each subsequent generation has more / better features). Sure, the difference aren't huge - Japanese companies like to take relatively small steps, much like Apple does when it comes to milking out a winning concept - but they are usually small steps forward. Arguably your cuold do a lot of what the latest Rolands do on the humble JV1080, but hey there is people out there still banging their MPC60s as well.

With the MPC5000 Akai has taken back several steps in comparison with its previous flagship model: the sample engine is very limited compared to the MPC4000 - despite all the other improvements. Instead of building upon the Z series sample engine found in the 4K Akai seem to have chosen to use the entry level MPC1000 (and the 2500/500) as the basis for the 5000.

That is a major let down for those of us who really are into full sampling - not just drum / phrase sampling.

I am not 'hating' the MPC5k (which I don't even own) or being a Roland Fanboy (which I also don't even own); I am simply observing and stating the facts here.

If you read carefully, you can see that I did not imply those functions listed had anything to do with the sampling engine...

I wrote:
- New synth and drum sampling engine (64 voices versus 32 voices in older MPCs)
- New 4-buss FX engine (significantly better than the MPC 2500/1000)
- New sequencing engine (960 ppqs as well as an improved Time Code/Swing features)

As you can see, I clearly identified the NEW engines in the MPC 5000. This post was to counter claims that the MPC 5000 shares the same engine(s) as the MPC 2500, which according to Akai's website, it isn't the case. So unless you also have some inside details, you are incorrect.

Now the MPC 2500 and 1000 are identical besides the obvious hardware improvements. The MPC 1000 is just the scaled down affordable version of the MPC 2500.

I don't feel a need to bash the MPC 4000 or Roland products. Simply visit their respective forums and you can judge the feedback for yourself. If those are the products you need, then you know where to go to discuss them. This is the MPC 5000 forum. The MPC 5000 is a drum/phrase sampler. Obviously, if Akai wanted to make another MPC like the 4000, they would have....but they didn't. If an MPC with a more complete sampler is what I needed, I wouldn't have picked up an MPC 2500 or pre-order the 5000 especially since the MPC 4000 and the MV are in the same price range.

Your turn...........

k1 wrote:...some of the biggest hits around in both hip-hop and dance music is nothing more than long, complete loops taking from somebody else...so commercially it seems like being lazy is the way to go..hehe

Luckily, I've never been burdened with the desire to make money. I'm in it for the art.

Christ that sounds Gay...

Cheebatone wrote:Luckily, I've never been burdened with the desire to make money. I'm in it for the art.

Christ that sounds Gay...

That's not GAY, that's just keepin'it real

k1 wrote:That's not GAY, that's just keepin'it real

Real Gay?

Cheebatone wrote:

k1 wrote:That's not GAY, that's just keepin'it real

Real Gay?

LOL...remember, you're referring to yourself in this case..hehe

k1 wrote:LOL...remember, you're referring to yourself in this case..hehe

I know. Depressing, isn't it...

I see talent falls into many forms around here. Everything except for what this site is catered to.

dabmeister wrote:I see talent falls into many forms around here. Everything except for what this site is catered to.

hehe...you're a funny mf!
how about that battle btw? you game?

k1 wrote:

dabmeister wrote:I see talent falls into many forms around here. Everything except for what this site is catered to.

hehe...you're a funny mf!
how about that battle btw? you game?

Now why are you jumping into my sh!t slim? What is a useless battle going to prove here? I just made a statement based on my opinion on something and u trip out on me? To me that's funny.

back on subject!
the KorgM3 has only 256mb's of COMPRESSED sounds!
the Roland Fantom G has only 256mb's of COMPRESSED sounds!
the Yamaha Motif XS has only 355mb's of COMPRESSED sounds!

These penny pinching companies need to get their heads out of their arses because the Akai MPC5000 offers 680mb's of premium quality UNCOMPRESSED sounds designed by Loopmasters in America.
Now most of the crap that comes with the other three is taken up with flutes, piano's, guitars, sitars, organs, strings, ep's, trumpets, saxes etc etc etc...
what a friggin joke!toatally irrelevant waste of space. But the majority of the sounds that come with the 5000 are all Hip Hop R&B dance house and techno. So on that account alone the 5000 kills those other three.

the Roland fantoms reverb is extremely ordinary, the effects are shite(isolater-slicer- bit crusher- vinyl emulator etc and a whole lot of other useless bad sounding unuseable crap)
I owned the Juno G which had the same synth engine, effects, and sounds as the Fantom X and boy it ruined my reputation and made me ashamed with the results.The same old rehashed useless Roland unuseable junk not to mention the cheezy bass presets, and the 3 band master compressor was a joke, it did nothing decent to the mix at all.
The Korg M3's Radius virtual analog expansion sounds like total small time software
None of the big three have ten outputs, none of the big three have hardisk recording, none of the big three have compactflash typeII or built in CD burning DVD data backup, none of the big three have a top notch built in virtual analog(with 22 voices) and none of the big three have 960ppqn timing.
So don't come in here giving us your lowdown on these irrelevant companies.

And the filters that come with the 5000 eat those other three alive.The Korg filters sound weedy the Roland filters are just down right fifteen years old and utter junk that break up when you turn the cutoff filter, and the Yamaha are still a tad on the thin side but reasonably nice sounding.

I have very basic requirements to produce music and the 5000 gives me everything i need. The old MPC4000 can go jump.
I mean some people in here have got the nerve to say that the MPC5000 built in virtual analog is digital. HUH? what the frig do you think the Nord Lead and the Access Virus and the Waldorf are you silly egg heads.

k1, i don'tthink your style and dabs style is the same. a battle would really be
pointless.

Bazziman wrote:

Except that is does do synthesis; it's got a very nice Rompler based synth in it. You may not like PCM synthesis; but it is a type of synthesis nonetheless. I'd like to see you make a piano on the MPC5000 or choir or a jazz guitar.

but does shoddy sampling, the re-sampling is extra horrible. It's the same sampler engine as the X models according roland reps. It sounds like It re-samples like an old 12bit MPC60 at 22k. And due to heavy RDAC compression of data it produces stereophonically warped sample and sound data.

You're the first person I hear making this claim. Do you have a sound sample we can check?

I'm not the first person making this claim these kind of things are spoken about often on roland forums regarding RDAC. That shoddy RDAC compression is applied on all their VS recorder machines and synth/sampling products. I know I own them all. That's also the main reason why I want to dump my VS2480 and bought the DPS24 to get away from RDAC. It's a patented Roland compression format. Call the Roland manufacture they'll explain the RDAC scheme to you. Their Bass sounds suffers the most from this compression format. I tried to sample my own Bass to store on my Fantom X and it compressed the sound width so much it personally became unusable. So I couldn't use the Fantom X for bass sounds any longer and had to resort to using the alesis fusion or motif synth for bass and the MPC for drums and drumloops.

The two could compliment each other but know I wouldn't think to use the Fantom for nothing but strings, choir, and piano type sounds.

For sampling, sequencing, and HD recording I'll go to the 5000 or 4000.

Roland's RDAC compression is totally disappointing it destroyed what could have been great sound quality products to OK quality sound reproduction.

I bet that Roland MV8800 also employs that RDAC compression scheme.

RDAC compression is gonna be the main reason I won't upgrade to the Fantom G.

In this day and age when Gigs of memory cost a few dollars these synth companies are still charging thousands of dollars for 128mb of old and new sounds.

The thing is this...If you need something new, exciting and inspirational in a dedicated sampling unit with a 3 OSC V. analog synth, 8TRK HD recorder, plus great sequencer then the 5000 may serve you well.

Forget the comparisons to the MPC4000 it wasn't created to compete against it. Forget the comparisons to Fantom G it does everything better other than play ROM sound notes.

MPC5000 is what it is and take it as that. If you like what you got use it to your advantage. There is no reason to hate on the 5000 it's just a new machine for a new generation of producers looking for added MPC arsenal in a beatbox with a little bit more potential.