CAN wrote:Im basically looking for an mpc to function more as like an individual instrument, in other words i just want to make drum beats, and sample stuff, which i would then send to my computer for protools or live sequencing....
based on that what would be a better one for me??
also these damn problems and bugs w/ the 1000
are really starting to turn me off to buying it..
i mean i just want something that can be consistent, is that
too much to ask for????
If you are looking for an all in one box for drums and don't want to keep swapping files back and forth from your computer to timestretch or chop, etc., then the 2000xl is ideal. As far as the bugs on the 1000, though, remember that when the 2000 first came out it had tons of weird bugs too. People were comparing it to the 3000 like it was a worthless machine. It still has a couple of bugs, but they're much more minor than before. The 1000 is now in this same position. OS updates WILL fix a lot of the bugs in the machine over time, but remember it took the 2000 several years to get to the point it's at now, and it's pretty solid. Not to say it NEVER crashes, but not frequently at all. Certainly less than most software sequencers (especially those running on Windows....). I think eventually the 1000 will be a solid unit (though it still has a lesser build quality than the rest of the MPC line), but this will take awhile. By the way, a short fall WILL break off the plastic side panels (it happened to me when my gear bag's strap broke). Any other MPC would probably survive the fall with a minor scratch....fortunately the 1000's plastic panels are actually quite cheap to replace. Also consider since the 1000 is the "new kid on the block" for Akai, it is likely to get more attention as far as upgrades and support go than the 2000 series, but they MIGHT just pull the same trick they did with the 2000 and release a "1000xl" with the upgrades, most of which could truly have been in software, just like the 2000 classic. Adding things like timestretch and zoning, etc, is trivial at worst, and could EASILY be accomplished in software. They've said they'll add timestretch to the 1000 in a "future upgrade", but once again, the upgrade could easily be a new model, instead of the more reasonable software upgrade that they COULD DO.
It's all about whether you want an older machine that's more stable and truly an industry standard, or if you want to get with the latest technology and tiny size of the 1000 and wait for the bugs to get ironed out. Also, it has been noted in the 2000 forums that Akai is going to be releasing a compact flash upgrade for the 2000xl in a couple months, so if you would only buy it for the CF storage option, I'd recommend holding out for the 2000xl upgrade. Just my .02.
Peace to y'all...
MANiK
