Help Akai design the next MPC we really want.

What can I say...I do try to abide by "KISS"

LZ Roberts wrote:

DJ Hellfire wrote:I actually like where Akai is going with it!

I kinda had you pegged as a standalone MP fan. So you're fine with the MPC exclusively becoming a soundcard & control surface. ....That's not knocking it though coz I got a Xone DX which is just that, and I think that's great.

I am! That's why I'm hanging onto my two MPC's instead of dumping them off like a lot of guys! But I'll be the first to admit that a hardware MPC is not that efficient for me. It's great for laying down beats and ideas quickly. But actually editing your midi is just completely ineffecient with a jogwheel and cursor as compared to a mouse, IMO. When I make my music, my computer is always right there. So it makes no difference to me whether or not a USB cable is attached! I don't make beats in the car, or on the train, or walking down the street, or in an elevator. I make them in my living room or in my studio, both of which have computers right at my "beat making stations".

Just give me an MPC Renaissance with an Analog filter stage or a standalone MPC Studio with the below and i'll be happy:

1. Wireless connectivity to computer running REN Software.
2. Android, Unix/Linux running the standalone device.
3. Built-in battery with USB charging.
4. Micro SD card for sample storage

DJ Hellfire wrote: But actually editing your midi is just completely ineffecient with a jogwheel and cursor as compared to a mouse, IMO.

But....... if you were able to touch your midi on a touch screen, attached to a proper MP....?

DJ Hellfire wrote:I don't make beats in the car, or on the train, or walking down the street, or in an elevator.

^^ I saw those Beat Wang Ads too It's like 'I've just got to pop out to get some milk & a newspaper, where's my car keys....... oh,no!!! I've got a beat coming on.... best unzip my trusty Wang to relieve the urge..........Ahhhhhhh! that's better'

Retrofreak wrote:4. Micro SD card for sample storage

Aren't those a bit toooo fiddly..... But a wireless Studio - that sounds cool ...coz for me the Studio at the mo doesn't have too much of a selling point.

LZ Roberts wrote:

DJ Hellfire wrote: But actually editing your midi is just completely ineffecient with a jogwheel and cursor as compared to a mouse, IMO.

But....... if you were able to touch your midi on a touch screen, attached to a proper MP....?

I don't know. My fingers are too big! I think it would be hard to get precise settings with a small touch screen because as soon as you touch it lightly, the setting could skip a bit. Maybe if the screen was the size of a TV (I've seen these in Casinos). http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=2073492848811

I prefer hardware knobs, or a mouse.

LZ Roberts wrote:

DJ Hellfire wrote:I don't make beats in the car, or on the train, or walking down the street, or in an elevator.

^^ I saw those Beat Wang Ads too It's like 'I've just got to pop out to get some milk & a newspaper, where's my car keys....... oh,no!!! I've got a beat coming on.... best unzip my trusty Wang to relieve the urge..........Ahhhhhhh! that's better'

LMAO @ "I got a beat coming on"!

DJ Hellfire wrote: Maybe if the screen was the size of a TV (I've seen these in Casinos). http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=2073492848811

^^^ **** Yeh!!!! That's awesome.

Call me immature, but me wanna hidden video game...
Tempest or Tetris or Demon Attack or Centipede...pleeeze?

strugglebuggiemusic wrote::oops: Call me immature, but me wanna hidden video game...
Tempest or Tetris or Demon Attack or Centipede...pleeeze?

I heard Jumpman and Bruce Lee C64 will be included.

DJ Hellfire wrote: When I make my music, my computer is always right there. So it makes no difference to me whether or not a USB cable is attached!

For the most part, I have always placed my MPC directly in front of my computer monitor....

Ren should be standalone and well as integrated.. That's what i don't get.. Why they didn't just go for gold? Studio is basically the software hybrid market. Ren is just added gimmicks.

Standalone mode.. is as normal..
make the beat... blah blah.. save..

Intergrated mode syncs (project to be worked on)i.e. copies the project to computer...
you start working... .. adding plugins as effects and vsti as new instruments...

Now the killer.. You have got something there but want to go to another studio or use it live without a computer...


1. Freeze function for vsti's (as in per pattern maybe?) or something similar to chicken translator where it saves vsti as key group pgm

2. Resample of sounds with 3rd party effects(vst au plugins) per pad(freeze per pad?)

you work and do stuff... Save.. Now you go back to yr studio..

re sync project to computer

unfreeze....

.
Also the ability to use transport controls on the mpc when in vst slave mode...

I'm liking your ideas dazastah.

....So the project is saved into the Standalone MPC. And when that MPC goes to another computer, the project unpacks into that.

If the other computer doesn't have the correct VSTs then the track remains frozen - but is still editable as though it was a WAV or AIFF by the standalone MPC or the host computer if it's plugged in (non destructively perhaps).

But this MPC shouldn't look quite as low rent as Ren, Methinks.... Those plastic sides and front panel... The screw heads showing on the top of the Ren.... Yuk!!!

dazastah wrote:Ren should be standalone and well as integrated.. That's what i don't get.. Why they didn't just go for gold? Studio is basically the software hybrid market. Ren is just added gimmicks.

Standalone mode.. is as normal..
make the beat... blah blah.. save..

Intergrated mode syncs (project to be worked on)i.e. copies the project to computer...
you start working... .. adding plugins as effects and vsti as new instruments...

Now the killer.. You have got something there but want to go to another studio or use it live without a computer...


1. Freeze function for vsti's (as in per pattern maybe?) or something similar to chicken translator where it saves vsti as key group pgm

2. Resample of sounds with 3rd party effects(vst au plugins) per pad(freeze per pad?)

you work and do stuff... Save.. Now you go back to yr studio..

re sync project to computer

unfreeze....

.
Also the ability to use transport controls on the mpc when in vst slave mode...

Sounds good on paper, but it's easier said than done. In order to be able to freeze VST's, it would take A LOT of ram for one to be able to play the files back, which hardware MPC's never had. Most likely you'd be running the VST's in at least 24-Bit, plus I run mine at 48K. If you have multiple large VST VI parts, you'd need so much RAM that you might as well have a computer. And what about your VST effects? You can't freeze those. So you'd have nice plugin effects while connected to the computer, but none during a live gig without your computer?

Even if it had audio tracks and you were able to bounce, say some eq/compressed drums to an audio track, then you couldn't do mutes on your drums because instead of one shots, your patterns would now be huge 2-4-8 bar audio file chunks. This is why it is not and will never be standalone. I believe the VST functionality is the main/only thing holding it back from being that "hybrid" you all want.

There's no efficient way to merge VST capability with non-VST capability. Plain and simple. The Beat Thang is able to achieve this only because it only uses built-in effects, and has no VST hosting capability.

The only proper way to do it right would be to make the MPC able to actually run/host VST's internally. And some of these VI's are MAD GIGs worth of sound libraries. Just doesn't seem cost effective to do this efficiently. Again, like I said, you'd be looking at something more like a $5000 Meko!

The only way I see it working is if they 1) Introduced audio tracks so you can freeze VST VI's and bounce tracks with VST effects to audio. 2) Make the MPC able to playback audio from the internal hard drive like a DAW, and have the pads able to mute the tracks as they playback the same as it does one shots store in RAM. Probably will never happen! Might as well just use a computer!

Korg kronos specs with pads...... basically a mpc5000 with upgraded hardware specs... 2box have a drum machine module with 2gb onboard sampling memory.

i know they wouldn't do it... but i assumed this thread was for dreaming anyways..

Also if it where a vst plug in yr daw host, wouldn't it be great that the unit processed everything related to the akai software(sampling and built in effects) instead of the computer doing it.. thunderbolt connection... to handle it;s own software streaming to computer plus the daw yr using aswell.....

chicken sys translator thing would be better than freezing the vsti(there was another program which instead of converting the format it'll resample it note by note and in velocities that you could set. So you could make soft synth patches out of hardware) as you would just use the key group pgms with the midi info still saved... imagine how many guys would use even that feature alone(stage piano player dudes)... sampling vsti into your mpc for live use(without computer)...



I mean, i don't see the point of 'ren' when 'studio' will basically cover the same thing at a much better price and more portable solution..Which has the same software. Of all the guys here that have computer setups, they'd already have their sound cards which would probably have better grade converters than the built in one....

I don't think i'll cop a ren.. Probably a studio...

JAH wrote:

DJ Hellfire wrote: When I make my music, my computer is always right there. So it makes no difference to me whether or not a USB cable is attached!

For the most part, I have always placed my MPC directly in front of my computer monitor....

My 4k is right in front if my computer. But I'm glad it's not dependent on it to make beats. Pro tools or Logic usually doesn't come up until its ready to be tracked in my DAW.

Being tethered doesnt matter to me because it's tethered to my interface and outboard mixer anyway.

dazastah wrote:Ren should be standalone and well as integrated.. That's what i don't get.. Why they didn't just go for gold? Studio is basically the software hybrid market. Ren is just added gimmicks.

Standalone mode.. is as normal..
make the beat... blah blah.. save..

Intergrated mode syncs (project to be worked on)i.e. copies the project to computer...
you start working... .. adding plugins as effects and vsti as new instruments...

Now the killer.. You have got something there but want to go to another studio or use it live without a computer...


1. Freeze function for vsti's (as in per pattern maybe?) or something similar to chicken translator where it saves vsti as key group pgm

2. Resample of sounds with 3rd party effects(vst au plugins) per pad(freeze per pad?)

you work and do stuff... Save.. Now you go back to yr studio..

re sync project to computer

unfreeze....

.
Also the ability to use transport controls on the mpc when in vst slave mode...

I think The Ren is a good start for Akai. Maybe they come out with standalone next year. Call it The Rennaisance 3000 or something.