Renaissance Vs. Beat Thang

Ill-Green wrote::lol: @ people buying Beat Thangs because they mad at the Renaissance!!!

If you really want vengence on Akai, then don't buy from them, simple.

LOL yeah they must have 1000 dollars to just throw away.


The BT may be a good machine, but I just can't trust a product who's chief sound designer is named "Kang Boom Bap".

Plus I don't like machines that are designed for hip hop. I like taking diverse music elements and converting them into a hip hop form.

SO i decided to keep the Beat Thang quirks and all. It is my understanding that the OS is about to get a rehaul. I like its functionality and its hybrid function (and dislike) with the computer. I also like the sound of the machine and the sounds from the machine. The sampling is good , but it could be better. The auto chop function is excellent and the time stretch ing sounds pleasant. The pads are cool, but MPCs are better , still it gets the job done. I totally enjoy the sample layering in it! 16 sounds per pad......incredible!

I dislike the quirkyness of the OS (which is getting revamped) the glitches are bearable, but annoying. I also dislike the the way it interfaces with the computer in regards to saving and transfering files to BTV. Instead of going through the usb connection , you're forced to use a flash drive or compact flash.....makes no sense! hey should've also made the Beat Thang operate as a sound card. Also the effects are ok. I just keep them very subtle thats all. I rather use my DAW effects. Other than that the machine is very capable. The sound of the machine and the sounds in the machine is really excellent and i must commend them on trying. Lets see if they keep regular updates and maintanence for this product.

EmuSp1200YamahaRs7000 wrote:SO i decided to keep the Beat Thang quirks and all. It is my understanding that the OS is about to get a rehaul. Lets see if they keep regular updates and maintanence for this product.

Yeah, keep waiting for that. BK said an upgrade was coming since 2009 and now they're out of business. True story.

Sorry for your loss, and I mean bank loss

Ill-Green wrote:

EmuSp1200YamahaRs7000 wrote:SO i decided to keep the Beat Thang quirks and all. It is my understanding that the OS is about to get a rehaul. Lets see if they keep regular updates and maintanence for this product.

Yeah, keep waiting for that. BK said an upgrade was coming since 2009 and now they're out of business. True story.

Sorry for your loss, and I mean bank loss

beat kangz will drag they feet with that os upgrade currently the shit seems clunk6y and just not elegantly realised.

When I had mine, the glitching, freezing, and inability to keep up with 7 tracks while changing effects seemed like a hardware issue and not a software issue. Like, what's the point of 256megs of RAM if the processor can't handle that much information? It definetly seemed like they cheaped out on the processing power and all the stability shortcomings of software was in the box. Maybe I'm wrong. We won't know until someone tries it out after they come out with an update (and will be skeptical of anyone who sounds like they work for the company.) Of course, they announced two updates at NAMM, but never bothered to announce it on their website... and now silence. I'll be suprised if they come out with one. But if they do and it is a software issue, more power to them. I wouldn't keep my fingers crossed. At this point they've done enough talking. Of course, most people at this point no longer care.

I'm a bit surprised that there are people who actually purchased Beat Thang. ($1500 is A LOT of money, you can get a MacBook AND a very decent audio interface with that amount of money.) Actually I was even more surprised when I found out that Best Buy was going to sell BT. If you think about it, it's quite an accomplishment (for BT.) I wonder how they pitched the product to Best Buy...

From everything I've read... I feel that it started with some cats with some industry connect, like Dallas Austin... And they had a big idea without the tech knowledge.. Which is backwards, let Roger Linn do what he do, and RZA do what he do... Anyway, so these cats had a big idea, but none of them knew how to write a software program, so they found someone... And it turned out that that wasn't so hot, updates didn't come and the software was buggy. But they also had the idea for the box, and a few of these industry cats would talk junk over some rails of coke with CEO's.. "yeah, this'll be the ****, all the kids will buy it, because we know what the people want, blah blah... (snort)..." CEO: "(sniff sniff) Great idea, we'll carry it at best buy so kids who are in there buying video games will be lured to see your product..." But what everyone forgot, is to make a tech product, you need techs, not producers and CEO's... So limited functionality and buggy software because Dallas Austin can't write a software program if his life depended on it. Flashy lights, blang, and a CPU that can't keep up because these "producers and artists of the new generation," don't know shit about building and soldering together a nuts and bolts machine like Roger Linn does.... They got it a** backwards in dream land. They tried to ride on their rep as artists and producers (the few that they be,) and quickly realized that that don't mean s*** when what you need to be is a software programmer and a hardware engineer.

yeah.. ^ except they were personally trying to push the beat thang here and other forums for years before dallas austin came on their scene... that dude is the guy who got it into best buy I think... I think the burger kangz dumped too much time and money into it... then this dude dumped a bit more to shovel some units into best buy (doubt they sold too many)

LOL, who goes to Best Buy to purchase high end professional music gear? Who in Best Buy is qualified to discuss professional music gear?

MPCWeapon1 wrote:LOL, who goes to Best Buy to purchase high end professional music gear? Who in Best Buy is qualified to discuss professional music gear?

Apparently Akai customers! They have all kinds of Akai "Pro" shit for sale. They even have these new MPC's listed!

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/searchpage. ... p=17&iht=n

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Akai+-+MPC+ ... &cp=1&lp=6

DJ Hellfire wrote:

MPCWeapon1 wrote:LOL, who goes to Best Buy to purchase high end professional music gear? Who in Best Buy is qualified to discuss professional music gear?

Apparently Akai customers! They have all kinds of Akai "Pro" **** for sale. They even have these new MPC's listed!

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/searchpage. ... p=17&iht=n

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Akai+-+MPC+ ... &cp=1&lp=6

LOL, Akai is marketing this thing to kids. The new Akai approaches music making machines like its a video game or something.

That's why I'm not going to be part of the 1st wave of buyers. I don't trust it. A large part of the MPC success was because of the tape saturation quality that came from the earlier machines. Even the 4000 has some of that quality. The new Akai doesn't have that attention to sonic detail, that's why its falling off.

so you mean to tell me, people were going to guitar center saying,nah I don't here that tape saturation so I'm not gonna buy this 1000/25000/5000,I'll just get fruity loops instead?

I see what you're saying, but I don't think a MPC 2500/1000/5000/500 are must haves like the earlier machines, because you can probably achieve that sound with a software program.

The 2500 and 1000(with JJOS XL)are pretty good machines though. It appears that The 2500 pulled 9th Wonder away from Fruity Loops.

MPCWeapon1 wrote:I see what you're saying, but I don't think a MPC 2500/1000/5000/500 are must haves like the earlier machines, because you can probably achieve that sound with a software program.

I feel the opposite. I don't care for those old stripped down MPC's just because of the "nostalgia." I need to have features! I know they say limited equipment makes you "do more with less" and all the yada yada yada! But **** that, I like to work smart, not hard! And I'm not really impressed by that "sound" vintage drum machines have personally! Just my preference though!

MPCWeapon1 wrote:LOL, who goes to Best Buy to purchase high end professional music gear? Who in Best Buy is qualified to discuss professional music gear?

Umm, I feel the many BB employees are not even qualified to assisting to sell electronics. Well, Staples is even worse, that place is so depressing...

A large part of the MPC success was because of the tape saturation quality that came from the earlier machines. Even the 4000 has some of that quality. The new Akai doesn't have that attention to sonic detail, that's why its falling off.

I don't think "the tape saturation quality" was the reason why older MPCs were successful, I think it was more to do with its unique workflow it offered. I think un-intuitiveness and bugs on MPC-5000 and MPC-500 was the biggest reason why those are now considered as failure by many (I know there are some people love MPC-5000!)
Interestingly, Akai Pro seem to think the same way, I see MPC-2000 (both classic and XL), 3000, and 4000 on MPC Ren promo video, but I don't see MPC-5000 and 500 anywhere. (Maybe because they are still selling 5000?)