Musik Messe April 10-13: MPC Ren/Studio 1.4 in 1 month

64bit - Thats brilliant news
Double tap - nice addition UI enhancements get a big thumbs up here.

Please add a decent patch browser and note length quantise next.

Geoff

Some really nice additions here

HOPEFULLY pads to midi notes is a small tweak they could get into 1.4

Watched the video on the 1.4 update. I really don't care about anything I saw because I didn't see step edit. You know step edit, the most important feature thats been available for the past 2 decades except in these new MPCs. Without step edit, the Renaissance is just a bigger version of the NI Maschine. Coming from the DAW realm, the reason I sold my NI Maschine was because it didn't have the type of editing features that a DAW has. Before I decided to by the Renaissance, I read old MPC manuals to see if they had some type of editing feature similar to a DAW. When I read about step edit and I was like "finally someone is gonna get it right". Boy was I wrong. I might as well sell my MPC Renaissance and by an MPC 2500, since it has more features then the Ren. Yes I said it. Everything that's been added in the updates is just extra fluff to me because it's just different ways to do the same thing. I don't care if I have to use a virtual instrument or midi control external instruments. Doesn't matter. So I'm selling the Akai Maschine and I'm getting the MPC 2500. I'm pretty sure this is the main reason why most people sold their NI Maschine whether they were from a DAW or MPC realm. Now it might be the main reason we sell our Akai Maschine. I must say zoom and scroll on the LCD screen is indeed awesome. It's not necessary. You can keep that feature if you just give us step edit.

I'm not doubting the importance and usage of step edit....but...

when you have the mpc software on a computer monitor, is step edit "the most important feature"...?

You said "it's just different ways to do the same thing"...isn't that what adding step edit is? I used step edit for almost a decade on my 2000xl, and while I'd like a similar function on the Ren, its extremely far from being a game changer because I have this huge computer screen with midi notes on it. Not having step edit isn't stopping me, and honestly, its not slowing me down either.

I mean, I guess whats important to you won't be important to everyone. I've just never seen someone put step edit on such a high pedestal lol.

This post makes me want to load up the 2000xl and make sure I wasn't missing some hidden greatness in step edit lol.

I would not get rid of the MPC Ren to go back to an MPC 2500 knowing what is in store. I do agree that Step Editing should return...a very popular request....and perhaps it will. There are several heavily requested features that found there way into Ren/Studio updates.

You whistling dixie?

Ill-Green wrote:You whistling dixie?

Call it what ever you like. But going back to Namm 2012...all you heard were doubts about the Ren. Then in Aug/Sept 2013, the hate continued. Namm 2013...dudes around here started to have less to hate on. You can hear in in the tone of the writing...they are starting to come around. 1.4 shows everyone that they are seriously committed to making this the best product. What is in store beyond 1.4 is going to make competing companies piss in their pants...and I suspect a lot of MPC Ren/Studio purchases happening especially from some of the 'diehard hardware MPC only' cats.



Either that or they will still be frequenting this forum trying to justify why the Ren/Studio aren't MPCs while us actual users will be laughing at them saying..."whatever..run along you bother me."

JAH wrote:

Ill-Green wrote:You whistling dixie?

Call it what ever you like. But going back to Namm 2012...all you heard were doubts about the Ren. Then in Aug/Sept 2013, the hate continued. Namm 2013...dudes around here started to have less to hate on. You can hear in in the tone of the writing...they are starting to come around. 1.4 shows everyone that they are seriously committed to making this the best product. What is in store beyond 1.4 is going to make competing companies piss in their pants...and I suspect a lot of MPC Ren/Studio purchases happening especially from some of the 'diehard hardware MPC only' cats.



Either that or they will still be frequenting this forum trying to justify why the Ren/Studio aren't MPCs while us actual users will be laughing at them saying..."whatever..run along you bother me."

Agreed.

JAH wrote:What is in store beyond 1.4 is going to make competing companies piss in their pants...and I suspect a lot of MPC Ren/Studio purchases happening especially from some of the 'diehard hardware MPC only' cats.

You had better hope so, cause once income from sales dry up, you can forget any ongoing development, if Akai's past record is anything to go by.

Maybe ongoing software MPC development will be better than it has been for hardware MPCs in the past, as they can release new MPC controllers to generate new interest, and new sales, and keep updating the MPC software from those incoming funds.

Hopefully they will continue support of the Ren/Studio when they move onto new MPC controllers.

I can imagine it will be a nightmare to keep a software MPC, and attached computer, working in the long term, compared to a hardware MPC. Especially if Akai disappear, or they drop support for the MPC software, or particular MPC controllers. Eventually they probably won't be able to be used with up to date computers, when major computer OS updates require software/plugin/copy-protection updates, and Akai are not around, or not interested anymore.

SimonInAustralia wrote:

JAH wrote:What is in store beyond 1.4 is going to make competing companies piss in their pants...and I suspect a lot of MPC Ren/Studio purchases happening especially from some of the 'diehard hardware MPC only' cats.

You had better hope so, cause once income from sales dry up, you can forget any ongoing development, if Akai's past record is anything to go by.

Maybe ongoing software MPC development will be better than it has been for hardware MPCs in the past, as they can release new MPC controllers to generate new interest, and new sales, and keep updating the MPC software from those incoming funds.

Hopefully they will continue support of the Ren/Studio when they move onto new MPC controllers.

I can imagine it will be a nightmare to keep a software MPC, and attached computer, working in the long term, compared to a hardware MPC. Especially if Akai disappear, or they drop support for the MPC software, or particular MPC controllers. Eventually they probably won't be able to be used with up to date computers, when major computer OS updates require software/plugin/copy-protection updates, and Akai are not around, or not interested anymore.

Ive always wondered about this in the back of my mind.interesting point sir.

If the Ren is working today on your computer, there a pretty good chance your computer will be working 5 to 10 years plus down the line. If you are worried a computer in the future won't be able to run the Ren....then buy one of the many computers that work today and store it as a back up.

Also, I didn't know that hardware MPCs are built to a higher specification than today's computers and will last longer....

JAH wrote:If the Ren is working today on your computer, there a pretty good chance your computer will be working 5 to 10 years plus down the line. If you are worried a computer in the future won't be able to run the Ren....then buy one of the many computers that work today and store it as a back up.

Also, I didn't know that hardware MPCs are built to a higher specification than today's computers and will last longer....

SimonInAustralia wrote:Eventually they probably won't be able to be used with up to date computers, when major computer OS updates require software/plugin/copy-protection updates, and Akai are not around, or not interested anymore.

Comprehension problems?


You are saying that it will be stuck in whatever computer/DAW that Akai drops support at, and that is what I am saying as well, I don't see that as a good thing.

Will that be useful, with whatever the latest DAW/controller/whatever someone is using down the track? An MPC stuck inside an old computer/DAW, not the latest computer/DAW that you are using at the time?


In regards to computers lasting longer than hardware MPCs, MPC60s still seem to be going strong.

I don't like your chances of, or at least the ease, of getting a computer up and running in 25 years, finding a working hard drive, a working OS/DAW/MPC installation method, a way around any copy protection, etc.

If you do, you are stuck inside a 25 year old computer/DAW, probably not the latest computer/DAW that you want to use.

An MPC60 will still most likely start up with a flick of the switch, ready to go.


I really don't have much faith in software based instruments over the long term, and much less faith in Akai continuing support long after the $ stop flowing.

SimonInAustralia wrote:

JAH wrote:If the Ren is working today on your computer, there a pretty good chance your computer will be working 5 to 10 years plus down the line. If you are worried a computer in the future won't be able to run the Ren....then buy one of the many computers that work today and store it as a back up.

Also, I didn't know that hardware MPCs are built to a higher specification than today's computers and will last longer....

SimonInAustralia wrote:Eventually they probably won't be able to be used with up to date computers, when major computer OS updates require software/plugin/copy-protection updates, and Akai are not around, or not interested anymore.

Comprehension problems?


You are saying that it will be stuck in whatever computer/DAW that Akai drops support at, and that is what I am saying as well, I don't see that as a good thing.

Will that be useful, with whatever the latest DAW/controller/whatever someone is using down the track? An MPC stuck inside an old computer/DAW, not the latest computer/DAW that you are using at the time?


In regards to computers lasting longer than hardware MPCs, MPC60s still seem to be going strong.

I don't like your chances of, or at least the ease, of getting a computer up and running in 25 years, finding a working hard drive, a working OS/DAW/MPC installation method, a way around any copy protection, etc.

If you do, you are stuck inside a 25 year old computer/DAW, probably not the latest computer/DAW that you want to use.

An MPC60 will still most likely start up with a flick of the switch, ready to go.


I really don't have much faith in software based instruments over the long term, and much less faith in Akai continuing support long after the $ stop flowing.

guess it's lucky you covered yourself by owning akai's previous glory and should be celebrating that us mugs have sold our classic machines in pursuit of what we call progress leaving you with a endless supply of spares, by all means enjoy your classic but some of us have moved on and are quite enjoying the ride or the wave even if we wipeout

One thing I've noticed on this forum since early 2012 is the inability for some observers to differentiate between the people who genuinely dislike the Ren as a product, and the people using the Ren to personify their deep-rooted distrust of Akai.

Two very different issues I can assure you, and regardless of the number of updates made to the former, it's unlikely to make any impact on the latter (any time soon at least)

MPC-Tutor wrote:One thing I've noticed on this forum since early 2012 is the inability for some observers to differentiate between the people who genuinely dislike the Ren as a product, and the people using the Ren to personify their deep-rooted distrust of Akai.

My comments are neither of the above, but valid observations of the long term usable lifespan/viability of software instruments, and of Akai's history of ceasing OS updates/development once initial sales/interest in the product wanes.

Some observers are unable to differentiate between what they believe someone else is thinking, and what that person is actually thinking.