Dream Feature Request!

eldorado wrote:I hope the Ren when it comes out, is all it's cracked up to be otherwise we're gonna have to have you on suicide watch lol

I expect it to be an MPC without the limitations of fixed hardware...nothing less. If the MPC Ren doesn't meet my needs, it is not the end of the world. I will continue to use hardware MPCs.

DJ Hellfire wrote:In 2012, 8 outs is simply NOT ENOUGH! It would have to have a minimum of 16 outs to interest me! It's pretty easy to fit 16 TRS outputs on the back of an MPC for the fact that you don't need to match that amount of inputs, especially if the unit were the size of a 4000.

16 outputs? The 1990s/early 2000s are long gone. Akai is among the few companies that gave users 10 analog outputs for their products. Most companies today limit outputs to 8 or under. Besides, I am personally hoping for full support for 3rd party sound cards/converters. So if you need that many analog outputs, you can choose the AD/DA converter that you want.

JAH wrote:16 outputs? The 1990s/early 2000s are long gone. Akai is among the few companies that gave users 10 analog outputs for their products. Most companies today limit outputs to 8 or under. Besides, I am personally hoping for full support for 3rd party sound cards/converters. So if you need that many analog outputs, you can choose the AD/DA converter that you want.

Exactly! This is why I am Pro-software instead of Pro-standalone. I need more than 8 outs and I know 16 would NEVER happen. They don't even need to all be Analog TRS outputs either. And you don't even need a huge mixing console to support the 16 outs. There are many reasonably priced mid-high end audio interfaces that support more than 16 inputs through a combination of analog and digital connections. For example, the Digi 003, which I have, supports 18 simultaneous inputs via 8 analog TRS, 8 digital through ADAT/Optical, and another 2 via S/Pdif. This could all easily fit on the back of an MPC. All you'd have to add in comparison to a current MPC is the optical port, which is like 1/4" tall and wide, and BOOM, instant 8 more channels.

DJ Hellfire wrote:

JAH wrote:16 outputs? The 1990s/early 2000s are long gone. Akai is among the few companies that gave users 10 analog outputs for their products. Most companies today limit outputs to 8 or under. Besides, I am personally hoping for full support for 3rd party sound cards/converters. So if you need that many analog outputs, you can choose the AD/DA converter that you want.

Exactly! This is why I am Pro-software instead of Pro-standalone. I need more than 8 outs and I know 16 would NEVER happen. They don't even need to all be Analog TRS outputs either. And you don't even need a huge mixing console to support the 16 outs. There are many reasonably priced mid-high end audio interfaces that support more than 16 inputs through a combination of analog and digital connections. For example, the Digi 003, which I have, supports 18 simultaneous inputs via 8 analog TRS, 8 digital through ADAT/Optical, and another 2 via S/Pdif. This could all easily fit on the back of an MPC. All you'd have to add in comparison to a current MPC is the optical port, which is like 1/4" tall and wide, and BOOM, instant 8 more channels.

I am in huge favor of the MPC Ren being able to support 3rd party interfaces. I don't recall Dan or Andy talking about this much.

I am curious to know how people would use the MPC outputs. Will they keep everything in the box thus not needing the DA converters. Will people actually sent audio out and into a mixer/AD converter to send into a DAW?

I am not sure how I am going to integrate everything. Perhaps I will run all my hardware including the MPC Ren into a multichannel interface. I am looking at getting an RME, Apogee, or even the new UAD interface.

JAH wrote:I am in huge favor of the MPC Ren being able to support 3rd party interfaces. I don't recall Dan or Andy talking about this much.

I am curious to know how people would use the MPC outputs. Will they keep everything in the box thus not needing the DA converters. Will people actually sent audio out and into a mixer/AD converter to send into a DAW?

I am not sure how I am going to integrate everything. Perhaps I will run all my hardware including the MPC Ren into a multichannel interface. I am looking at getting an RME, Apogee, or even the new UAD interface.

Well, in my case, the Ren will free up 6 inputs on my 003. My 2500 takes up the 8 analog outputs. So I'd use 2 for the Ren. As for the 2500, depending on how well the Ren loads up my 2500 files (I have JJOS 1) and how good the Ren itself is, I may sell it. I know my XL beats do not translate well in the 2500 as far as program parameters are concerned, possibly due to JJOS. So if this is the same case with the 2500 files in the Ren, I will just keep the 2500 and use it's stereo outs and go to either my Mackie mixer which comes into the 003 via it's aux input, or I may just use a pair of the free analog inputs on the 003. So I'll have the Ren setup to either run all ITB (assuming it supports ASIO/Core Audio) or via the stereo outs.

**** a stand alone this ren gonna be illest mpc cos look at all the feedback akai are getting its like akia gota a super huge conglomerate development team of hardened mpc users and critics as well as industry pros n legends neva has any other mpc had so much input from the users going into its design

i see a landslide victory but ima keep my maschine though as a side unit but this ren is gonna be a ****

jpeg wrote:**** a stand alone this ren gonna be illest mpc cos look at all the feedback akai are getting its like akia gota a super huge conglomerate development team of hardened mpc users and critics as well as industry pros n legends neva has any other mpc had so much input from the users going into its design

i see a landslide victory but ima keep my maschine though as a side unit but this ren is gonna be a ****

Yeah man! The only thing is that they HAVE to deliver! They can't drop a dud! If they drop the ball on this, it could be the end for them. I think there future existence depends entirely on the Ren/Studio. No pressure Akai!

Lampdog wrote:2 adat outs would be nice to have. Wouldn't take up as much room as 16 analog outs. No extra money for ad/da converters either.

word!

wouldent it be able to do this someway with the 2 usbs on the back? some akai extension ish.

yeah this has to be a success if this flops akai are finnished

I need inputs for external gear

jpeg wrote:yeah this has to be a success if this flops akai are finnished

I don't know their finacial situation but I doubt it. They can always drop a new hardware MPC...

JAH wrote:

jpeg wrote:yeah this has to be a success if this flops akai are finnished

I don't know their finacial situation but I doubt it. They can always drop a new hardware MPC...

True! But I'm not sure it would do well today, and especially not a year or two from now! I know I wouldn't buy one, unless I hit the lottery and just had funds to blow. I think the majority of people that would buy it would be MPC collectors. Plus, after the way people have perceived the 5000 as being a flop, to have yet another flop with after all this hype, not sure how many people would feel about a hardware MPC in 2015-2016 or whenever.

if the hardware is set, they pretty much only have to worry about software from this point forward.... IMO

akai could make a killing, just like all of the other software companies... every year or 2 come out with a new and improved OS.... and then on the 4th or 5th year upgrade the hardware.

DJ Hellfire wrote:

JAH wrote:

jpeg wrote:yeah this has to be a success if this flops akai are finnished

I don't know their finacial situation but I doubt it. They can always drop a new hardware MPC...

True! But I'm not sure it would do well today, and especially not a year or two from now! I know I wouldn't buy one, unless I hit the lottery and just had funds to blow. I think the majority of people that would buy it would be MPC collectors. Plus, after the way people have perceived the as being a flop, to have yet another flop with after all this hype, not sure how many people would feel about a hardware MPC in 2015-2016 or whenever.

When the MPC Ren was announced, there were plenty of people that felt it should have been a hardware MPC with computer integration. I personally believe there will always be room for hardware. If the price is right and it brings new and improved features...it will be a winner. No company has made an MPC-like product with GBs of sounds/patches on Rom expansion boards or Flash Rom. I would love to be able to turn on an MPC and it has the sounds of a Fantom, Motif, and a Triton ready to go at my finger tips. I truly believe as long as there are MPC users, there will always be a market if they build the right one. People are still waiting on the Linn Drum II.

I think in order for hardware MPCs to survive, OS updates should be paid for just like you have with software (and of course the JJ OS). Without a steady stream of profits, it is not cost effective to continue to add OS updates.

As far as flops go...we tend to speculate a lot. When the MV-8800 went from being $1999 to under $999, perception is that Roland is basically giving them away. They were discontinued shortly afterwards. In truth, nobody knows how many units of these drum machines are being sold and whether companies are making a profit. Its not like we can go to the RIAA website to see if the MPC 5000 is gold or platinum. So without having this information, the only thing we have to gauge sales is current prices and speculation of course.

JAH wrote:When the MPC Ren was announced, there were plenty of people that felt it should have been a hardware MPC with computer integration. I personally believe there will always be room for hardware. If the price is right and it brings new and improved features...it will be a winner. No company has made an MPC-like product with GBs of sounds/patches on Rom expansion boards or Flash Rom. I would love to be able to turn on an MPC and it has the sounds of a Fantom, Motif, and a Triton ready to go at my finger tips. I truly believe as long as there are MPC users, there will always be a market if they build the right one. People are still waiting on the Linn Drum II.

I think in order for hardware MPCs to survive, OS updates should be paid for just like you have with software (and of course the JJ OS). Without a steady stream of profits, it is not cost effective to continue to add OS updates.

As far as flops go...we tend to speculate a lot. When the MV-8800 went from being $1999 to under $999, perception is that Roland is basically giving them away. They were discontinued shortly afterwards. In truth, nobody knows how many units of these drum machines are being sold and whether companies are making a profit. Its not like we can go to the RIAA website to see if the MPC 5000 is gold or platinum. So without having this information, the only thing we have to gauge sales is current prices and speculation of course.

Agreed! But you know as well as I know, a lot of the people complaining about lack of hardware MPC probably wouldn't have bought it anyway even if it was hardware. They just wanna complain about something!

The only way I'd be down for paying for OS updates is if they were not UPDATES but UPGRADES, meaning bring in new features! Paying for bug fixes is not something that is OK with me, but I have no problem paying for new features. So I semi agree there.

But in terms of flop, I didn't mean in terms of sales. I was referring to customer satisfaction. Overall, it doesn't seem like a very successful MPC. I've never seen an MPC get dogged the way people shit on the 5000. In fact, the only person I've ever seen speak negatively about MPC's is that Beat Thang schmuck making all those retarded ass videos about Renaissance!