2.6 finally arrived...

I get that POV, quick. But I am saying that your posts seems more cynical than they need to be. Just my opinion, I know that communication and context are hard as it is, much less over the internet. keep banging um out.

MPC-Tutor wrote:

Buzzard wrote:Didn't know they pushed released videos before releasing. I wonder what gives. Excited for the menu redo as well.

They haven't done it this way before, I assume it's because they want to create some buzz around summer NAMM, but 2.6 is probably not actually 100% finished yet.

Are you seriously excited about the menu redo? It's just some new icons, no new menu features as far as I can tell. Seems a bit pointless until they update the entire GUI to match the Force's, which is probably 3.0. Just adds to the fragmented feel of things IMO.

yes I do find the icons exciting. It's a good way to restimulate my work flow with some novelty. Iconography is important in helping guide. I always appreciate a reface. I was excited when iOS went from 6 to 7. Sometimes a revamp helps.

so is it out yet?

CharlesRandolph wrote:

bredal187 wrote:
Or they could add shortcuts with Shift + pad like its always been

I have NO idea why I can’t navigate or at least assign shortcuts to my pads

Again, basic **** they didn’t include

The next mpc won’t have a volume knob. Only the set output level

Perhaps in the next update. Until then put on your scuba gear and deep dive those menus.

You Can navigate to different menus with shortcuts. Hold Menu then hit the corresponding pad

QuickStrike wrote:Talking about early days software. 1.2 - 1.7 Even with the crashing software was for the creative minds. Seems like all the top beat makers are going ghost with the new overly simplified auto make your beat for you software. Now its going to be worse because all the new features are to make your beat sound better ( fx, automation) when your beat didnt have creative sound in the first place. So you're basically polishing a turd.


All I'm seeing now is a bunch of people playing auto choped samples over simple boom bap loops.
Or space Odyssey beapidy bloop wacko echo synthesizer sounds mangled over 4 on floor kits.
Guys playing the full old school record before showcasing the beat just to chop the full 30 seconds on auto-chop and put boom bop (no swing drums on top) That's not creative. Beat makers are looking like jokers around here.

if you feel like I'm lying post up your best banging software/firmware version 2.0-2.5 beats and prove me wrong.

Software has given access, to everyone, which is a good and bad thing. The issues is companies are listening to people, who have no idea, what they are talking about. People call things a missing feature, because they don't know how to do something.

They don't spend enough time with one machine, they're are too busy buying the next things without fully understanding the one they have. I'm not fan of the effects and I would rather use others. But best believe, if that's all I had, I can make them sound great.

As far as creativity, some people are paint by numbers. In 2 years 98% of them will fall off.

I'm having a terrible frustrating and negative day, hoping to not transfer into post, if I do sorry upfront.

Are some of ya'll really that short sighted about beat making? About the industry? About reality and about technology?

Like there was a period in time where no vinyl record was the same because the band had to replay it everytime to record it. Despite the buffoonery that was Elvis, his team lead to the creation of the 4-track. Compare the feature set of a modern day drum machine with true OG drum machines. Technology will continue to grow.

A lot of the early hip-hop sound was built around the super limited time available FOR sampling, so the greats learned to use it to the fullest. It is no different NOW. Sure I can rip some melody, drop a four to floor and put something out, but that doesn't make me great, it means I will get swallowed into the see of mediocrity that plagues everyone else that does that. Who climbs out of that primordial soup, one of two people, and both have the same evolutionary advatnage - the fastest/most efficient person, and the push-it-to-the-limits person, both of which learned to exploit the equipment ot the fullest.

The fastest person doesn't stray too far from the basic melody & drums, they are sometimes faceless and typically unknown by the casual listener, but they make ends meet through volume of sales. Then there is the person who pushes it, the person who picks every piece of meat off the bone. That person is a face and can have a long career. I was recently watching the Sprite/Mass Appeal joint with JustBlze just because my playlist said I should, and I was amazed at what JustBlaze did, NOT the final product, but how - even after the initial loop, he continued to pick through the whole song, it was a masterclass on sampling not from a technical stand-point, but a musical one.

So I mean sure the technology is evolving to auto this and auto that, but success is still going to come from people who push it, not those who tap dance on it.
-Unreall

^ That's why I still have this forum bookmarked, which I can't say of very many forums: there's some so-called real talk happening around these parts by people who care about making that good old music.

Yeah, there is a lot of wack music out there. But then again, there have always been hobbyists for activities known to man. Sure enough new, accessible tech makes it easier for ppl to make easy sh*t which doesn't impress anyone. And can't say the new tech has made the music any better. But it's OK.
Sure enough the ratio of dope stuff and watered-down cookiecutter BS is pretty off today…especially if you compare to how it was 20+ years ago…because when ppl wanted to make music then, they had to invest a lot in their gear, which meant they pretty much had to take it seriously and push it, unlike today when everyone can get music tools and call themselves a producer.

But the thing is just like Icepulse pointed out: to have some sort of career and longevity, you must do it with passion and keep it interesting for yourself.

Both have valid points. But there is no longer a music industry. We are in the Multi Media Industry now. This is why YouTube, Instagram, Tik Tok, and other Social Media sites are king right now. When physical media was king, time and money was the gate keeper.

Pressing Vinyl was expensive. So if you're going to press something, you wanted to make sure that it was hit
and it would sell. Why? Because after recording, mixing, mastering and turning in your master. It took 6 months for a project to be ready. Artwork, Pressing, Packaging, Orders and Shipping.

Money and Time stopped many people from putting out projects. So the ones that broke through were the ones with talent. Yes, ELVIS had talent we can't deny that. But in today's time, everything is instant. That 6 month turn around, no longer exist. Make music, Sing/Rap, Mix, Process, Upload, Repeat.

You can do it in 2 hours and it cost less than nothing to do it. If you don't make the music and download from those beat sites. you can record, mix, one button master on an iphone or ipad. Then upload it to the same place and get more listens/views than a person who took months to finish an album.

This is what, we are up against. It use to be, the cream rises to the top. Now it's $HIT floats. It's a marathon, you have to outlast them and wait til they get bored. To produce quality, has and alway will take Time, Effort, and Talent. There are no short cuts.

Unreallystic wrote:I'm having a terrible frustrating and negative day, hoping to not transfer into post, if I do sorry upfront.

Are some of ya'll really that short sighted about beat making? About the industry? About reality and about technology?

Like there was a period in time where no vinyl record was the same because the band had to replay it everytime to record it. Despite the buffoonery that was Elvis, his team lead to the creation of the 4-track. Compare the feature set of a modern day drum machine with true OG drum machines. Technology will continue to grow.

A lot of the early hip-hop sound was built around the super limited time available FOR sampling, so the greats learned to use it to the fullest. It is no different NOW. Sure I can rip some melody, drop a four to floor and put something out, but that doesn't make me great, it means I will get swallowed into the see of mediocrity that plagues everyone else that does that. Who climbs out of that primordial soup, one of two people, and both have the same evolutionary advatnage - the fastest/most efficient person, and the push-it-to-the-limits person, both of which learned to exploit the equipment ot the fullest.

The fastest person doesn't stray too far from the basic melody & drums, they are sometimes faceless and typically unknown by the casual listener, but they make ends meet through volume of sales. Then there is the person who pushes it, the person who picks every piece of meat off the bone. That person is a face and can have a long career. I was recently watching the Sprite/Mass Appeal joint with JustBlze just because my playlist said I should, and I was amazed at what JustBlaze did, NOT the final product, but how - even after the initial loop, he continued to pick through the whole song, it was a masterclass on sampling not from a technical stand-point, but a musical one.

So I mean sure the technology is evolving to auto this and auto that, but success is still going to come from people who push it, not those who tap dance on it.
-Unreall

Fanu wrote:^ That's why I still have this forum bookmarked, which I can't say of very many forums: there's some so-called real talk happening around these parts by people who care about making that good old music.

Yeah, there is a lot of wack music out there. But then again, there have always been hobbyists for activities known to man. Sure enough new, accessible tech makes it easier for ppl to make easy sh*t which doesn't impress anyone. And can't say the new tech has made the music any better. But it's OK.
Sure enough the ratio of dope stuff and watered-down cookiecutter BS is pretty off today…especially if you compare to how it was 20+ years ago…because when ppl wanted to make music then, they had to invest a lot in their gear, which meant they pretty much had to take it seriously and push it, unlike today when everyone can get music tools and call themselves a producer.

But the thing is just like Icepulse pointed out: to have some sort of career and longevity, you must do it with passion and keep it interesting for yourself.

You're right about who the industry is, I don't think you are right about cream/crap floating though. My old saying when I was in high school (96-00) was that you could break the industry representation down to percentage, with talent only making up 10% of the successful acts. Now I view successful as making enough money to life a life off music for a substantial amount of time, including a family i.e. not just getting by. So in MY book, out of every 10 singers making any level of coin, only 1 was talent.

I don't think its different at ALL today, 1 out of every 10 successful musician you hear is going to be bathed in talent, the rest is a combination of connection (25%), luck (15%), and hardwork (50%). It was like that in the 90s, the weed carriers got to hop on guest spots (connections), you had people who were randomly found (luck), and the rest just clawed their way through. The only thing that is different is where and what you climb. The hustle for expensive studio time has become the hustle to find and figure out equipment or pouring through hours and hours of beats for sale. Street team scope has been pushed to social media - often by the artist themselves. There is no "crap" floating to the top anymore, there are no "accidents", either someone has a product that people like, or they are an industry plant.

Watching a vid or listening to a stream with a couple thousand views doesn't move the needle. Heck they conceptually aren't even making money in that range (just to be a YouTube affiliate takes work...I wonder if I am eligible...off time viewed, don't have the subscribers for it though). It takes a LOT for a song to truly float, and just because you or I don't like it, doesn't take away from the validity of it, heck keeping it a buck, I was HATING No Limit because I felt their music was trash, but by my 30s I was in awe of them, there was something there, whether I knew it or not.
- Unreall

There is no LUCK! It's 95% Marketing/Promotion.

Example: I go out with 1000 dollars in coin, walk down the street and pay for people parking meters. Have someone video it. Have someone take pictures with of me doing it. Flood the blog and Social with a video and pictures of me giving back. Pay $2000 to twitter and facebook, youtube to boost the pictures and tweets.

Then next 5 days put out a song call parking meters Use video footage to make a music video. Pay 25 dollar to get it on all stream service. Pay another $2000 to youtube, facebook and twitter to boost the post.

Artist with quality music who fail, it's because they have $hit Marketing/Promotion. That's all it takes. Now, change Parking Meters, to Water Balloons, or throwing whipcream pies. It's not about talent, it's about getting attention.


To bring this back home, this is why Akai Pro does not release full updates. Small release, gets people hype and upset. Keep the talking, checking back, and engaged for the next.

Unreallystic wrote:You're right about who the industry is, I don't think you are right about cream/**** floating though. My old saying when I was in high school (96-00) was that you could break the industry representation down to percentage, with talent only making up 10% of the successful acts. Now I view successful as making enough money to life a life off music for a substantial amount of time, including a family i.e. not just getting by. So in MY book, out of every 10 singers making any level of coin, only 1 was talent.

I don't think its different at ALL today, 1 out of every 10 successful musician you hear is going to be bathed in talent, the rest is a combination of connection (25%), luck (15%), and hardwork (50%). It was like that in the 90s, the weed carriers got to hop on guest spots (connections), you had people who were randomly found (luck), and the rest just clawed their way through. The only thing that is different is where and what you climb. The hustle for expensive studio time has become the hustle to find and figure out equipment or pouring through hours and hours of beats for sale. Street team scope has been pushed to social media - often by the artist themselves. There is no "****" floating to the top anymore, there are no "accidents", either someone has a product that people like, or they are an industry plant.

Watching a vid or listening to a stream with a couple thousand views doesn't move the needle. Heck they conceptually aren't even making money in that range (just to be a YouTube affiliate takes work...I wonder if I am eligible...off time viewed, don't have the subscribers for it though). It takes a LOT for a song to truly float, and just because you or I don't like it, doesn't take away from the validity of it, heck keeping it a buck, I was HATING No Limit because I felt their music was trash, but by my 30s I was in awe of them, there was something there, whether I knew it or not.
- Unreall

Unreallystic wrote:I'm having a terrible frustrating and negative day, hoping to not transfer into post, if I do sorry upfront.

Are some of ya'll really that short sighted about beat making? About the industry? About reality and about technology?

Like there was a period in time where no vinyl record was the same because the band had to replay it everytime to record it. Despite the buffoonery that was Elvis, his team lead to the creation of the 4-track. Compare the feature set of a modern day drum machine with true OG drum machines. Technology will continue to grow.

A lot of the early hip-hop sound was built around the super limited time available FOR sampling, so the greats learned to use it to the fullest. It is no different NOW. Sure I can rip some melody, drop a four to floor and put something out, but that doesn't make me great, it means I will get swallowed into the see of mediocrity that plagues everyone else that does that. Who climbs out of that primordial soup, one of two people, and both have the same evolutionary advatnage - the fastest/most efficient person, and the push-it-to-the-limits person, both of which learned to exploit the equipment ot the fullest.

The fastest person doesn't stray too far from the basic melody & drums, they are sometimes faceless and typically unknown by the casual listener, but they make ends meet through volume of sales. Then there is the person who pushes it, the person who picks every piece of meat off the bone. That person is a face and can have a long career. I was recently watching the Sprite/Mass Appeal joint with JustBlze just because my playlist said I should, and I was amazed at what JustBlaze did, NOT the final product, but how - even after the initial loop, he continued to pick through the whole song, it was a masterclass on sampling not from a technical stand-point, but a musical one.

So I mean sure the technology is evolving to auto this and auto that, but success is still going to come from people who push it, not those who tap dance on it.
-Unreall

I am in 100% agreement with you, with the exception of Elvis. There was no "buffoonery " there. That man (and the producers he worked with) was goddamn talented genius incarnate.

CharlesRandolph wrote:Both have valid points. But there is no longer a music industry. We are in the Multi Media Industry now. This is why YouTube, Instagram, Tik Tok, and other Social Media sites are king right now. When physical media was king, time and money was the gate keeper.

Actually, there very much is a music industry. And while I don't disagree that we are in an age of multimedia, Instagram, Tik Tok, and other Social Media sites do not pay artists ANYTHING ("Influencer" pay gigs not withstanding). YouTube does, if you're savvy enough to become a content creator anyway.

But don't be fooled - the music industry is very much still alive. Maybe not in the way that it existed even 15 years ago and longer, but it most certainly exists and is thriving.

Can we blame Obama for this too??

Its the internet man, plain and simple. The reason there is so much crap and its so much harder to find the gems, is EVERYBODY has an opportunity to be heard now. I mean you can even find my crap on Soundcloud, and weird fans have made Youtube videos for a couple of my bands tracks. That wouldn't have happened in 1995 when websites were still horrible flashing text Geocities websites and Real Audio was king hah. Even back then, we were still 'nerds' for using computers and going online with em like in the 80s when we had our C64s and Apple BBS's hehe. 3 years later, everyone and their mother has dial up, then DSL, etc.. Now its just part of life, your grandma is shaking her head at all the Insta hookers youre fans of nowadays when she signs on there to look at pictures of her grandkids. She's about to message you on Facebook about it!

On one hand its great that now everybody does have the chance to be heard instead of hoping for that ONE gig or endlessly sending demo tapes in the mail to never be heard from again. But yeah, now everybody has the chance to be heard. And some people should have their toys taken away from them and they should beaten with a stick for trying. Just gotta work a little harder to get through it and find the good in there. I wouldn't have it any other way though. Think about how much old stuff were just NOW finding out about because of the internet. Those little local and not quite worldwide gems you missed out on because they weren't big enough to get promoted over in your country, or you caught once on tour opening for someone but never got to the next level to put out something major. But hey, here's an album they recorded themselves back in 1986. Now you can hear it on Youtube! That shit is great!

Anyways COME ON AKAI release this crap already! I don't even need it but gimme some new gimmicks!!

EnochLight wrote:
Actually, there very much is a music industry. And while I don't disagree that we are in an age of multimedia, Instagram, Tik Tok, and other Social Media sites do not pay artists ANYTHING ("Influencer" pay gigs not withstanding). YouTube does, if you're savvy enough to become a content creator anyway.

But don't be fooled - the music industry is very much still alive. Maybe not in the way that it existed even 15 years ago and longer, but it most certainly exists and is thriving.

Music is used as a marketing tool to sell Shampoo, Make up, T-Shirts, and what not. Why do you think everyone is trying to get out of their contracts? The music industry is dead. That does not mean, music does not sale and you can't make a living from it. My living comes from licensing and music placement.

They will tell you to go on Tour to make your money, but that is a bad idea. Touring usually ends up costing you money. So making a living as a Touring Musician is no longer profitable. Unless you're the TOP 1%. You want to make money performing, you need a residence or hit the festival circuit but you need a name. HENCE: Marketing and Promotion.

In the next couple of years, Youtuber will be moved out because Big Media and Regulations are moving in. Gamers are going to have to pay a royalty to developers to stream games. Labels are already, cracking down and taking money from people, who upload videos, with their music in it.

So if your goal is to make music for a living. I tell you this. OWN 100% of your music, Steer far way from samples or chop them up so fine, no person or computer algorithm can tell where it's from. Your money will come from your back catalog not your latest music. The entertainment industry has always been about hustling and evolving.

So we have to remember we're competing against, video games, music, videos, comic books, news paper, pod cast, movies, tv shows, radio, etc. etc for attention. That is why Akai Pro's marketing is this way. That's why they have so many features in these machines. Their user base are podcaster, musician, djs, and what not. Beat Makers and producers are no longer the only audience.

CharlesRandolph wrote:Music is used as a marketing tool to sell Shampoo, Make up, T-Shirts, and what not.

Music has been used as a marketing tool to sell virtually everything for as long as TV and radio has existed. It is no different today than it was 50 years ago in that sense.

CharlesRandolph wrote:Why do you think everyone is trying to get out of their contracts? The music industry is dead.

I think you're about 15 years too late with this revelation. But no, the music industry is not dead. There are new artists coming out all of the time that are backed by major labels. And no, not the 1% top.

CharlesRandolph wrote:That does not mean, music does not sale and you can't make a living from it.

Right, because the music industry isn't dead.

CharlesRandolph wrote:My living comes from licensing and music placement.

Well there you go - YOU'RE IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY!

CharlesRandolph wrote:They will tell you to go on Tour to make your money, but that is a bad idea. Touring usually ends up costing you money. So making a living as a Touring Musician is no longer profitable. Unless you're the TOP 1%. You want to make money performing, you need a residence or hit the festival circuit but you need a name. HENCE: Marketing and Promotion.

This is wrong on so many levels, I feel bad for anyone reading your advice. The touring business - even for small indie acts - is quite alive and profitable. I see nationally touring acts all of the time, and I can't imagine they're all doing this without making a profit to some degree.

CharlesRandolph wrote:In the next couple of years, Youtuber will be moved out because Big Media and Regulations are moving in. Gamers are going to have to pay a royalty to developers to stream games. Labels are already, cracking down and taking money from people, who upload videos, with their music in it.

Again, I feel like this post might have held weight 15 years ago. I mean, I get that your advice is: CLEAR YOUR SAMPLES FIRST. Or make sure they're 100% unrecognizable. That's sound advice, sure. Also common sense.

CharlesRandolph wrote:So if your goal is to make music for a living. I tell you this. OWN 100% of your music, Steer far way from samples or chop them up so fine, no person or computer algorithm can tell where it's from. Your money will come from your back catalog not your latest music. The entertainment industry has always been about hustling and evolving.

Finally - something we can agree on!

CharlesRandolph wrote:So you have to remember your competing against, video games, music, videos, comic books, news paper, pod cast, movies, tv shows, radio, etc. etc. That is why Akai Pro's marketing is this way, thats why they have so many features in these machines. Their user base are podcast, musician, djs, and what not. Beat Makers are no longer the only audience.

Beatmakers were NEVER the only audience for the MPC. I'm not sure why any sane person would ever think that. But that's a topic for an entirely different thread...

If I may ask, how do you make your living?

EnochLight wrote:

CharlesRandolph wrote:Music is used as a marketing tool to sell Shampoo, Make up, T-Shirts, and what not.

Music has been used as a marketing tool to sell virtually everything for as long as TV and radio has existed. It is no different today than it was 50 years ago in that sense.

CharlesRandolph wrote:Why do you think everyone is trying to get out of their contracts? The music industry is dead.

I think you're about 15 years too late with this revelation. But no, the music industry is not dead. There are new artists coming out all of the time that are backed by major labels. And no, not the 1% top.

CharlesRandolph wrote:That does not mean, music does not sale and you can't make a living from it.

Right, because the music industry isn't dead.

CharlesRandolph wrote:My living comes from licensing and music placement.

Well there you go - YOU'RE IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY!

CharlesRandolph wrote:They will tell you to go on Tour to make your money, but that is a bad idea. Touring usually ends up costing you money. So making a living as a Touring Musician is no longer profitable. Unless you're the TOP 1%. You want to make money performing, you need a residence or hit the festival circuit but you need a name. HENCE: Marketing and Promotion.

This is wrong on so many levels, I feel bad for anyone reading your advice. The touring business - even for small indie acts - is quite alive and profitable. I see nationally touring acts all of the time, and I can't imagine they're all doing this without making a profit to some degree.

CharlesRandolph wrote:In the next couple of years, Youtuber will be moved out because Big Media and Regulations are moving in. Gamers are going to have to pay a royalty to developers to stream games. Labels are already, cracking down and taking money from people, who upload videos, with their music in it.

Again, I feel like this post might have held weight 15 years ago.

CharlesRandolph wrote:So if your goal is to make music for a living. I tell you this. OWN 100% of your music, Steer far way from samples or chop them up so fine, no person or computer algorithm can tell where it's from. Your money will come from your back catalog not your latest music. The entertainment industry has always been about hustling and evolving.

Finally - something we can agree on!

CharlesRandolph wrote:So you have to remember your competing against, video games, music, videos, comic books, news paper, pod cast, movies, tv shows, radio, etc. etc. That is why Akai Pro's marketing is this way, thats why they have so many features in these machines. Their user base are podcast, musician, djs, and what not. Beat Makers are no longer the only audience.

Beatmakers were NEVER the only audience for the MPC. I'm not sure why any sane person would ever think that. But that's a topic for an entirely different thread...