Bottom end of the newer MPCs.... really sucks....

interesting, ... good to know.

inthemix wrote:Nukai are definately focusing the biggest part of their future development budget on software controlling.

I would disagree, based on the assumption that a relatively big company can churn out MIDI controllers with very little R&D investment. All the R&D is essentially done... Add in a few neat features like the note repeat and arpeggiator (which were firsts in midi controllers, or if not, close to it) and all you have to do is repackage the controller with your preference of keys, pads, sliders and knobs, and choose a size...

It wouldn't seem to be that big of a drain on an R&D budget.

Now, it seems they had to invest somewhat in the R&D of the 5000 (since it was reportedly a whole new design team), but they should recoup that in sales, plus the APC40 should sell well (which by the way, is probably little more than a dumb MIDI controller - I would suspect that most of the heavy development was done by Ableton, getting Live to respond to the static MIDI messages of the APC).

Given how well Akai have done with the 1k and their controllers, I don't think that the development costs of the 5000 will hurt them, (like the z4/z8/mpc4000 did - those machines nearly took Akai down) which means that they should be more willing as a company to invest some R&D...

Having said all that, I wouldn't be surprised to see them follow NI's lead with Maschine in a year or two, (especially if Maschine is a market success) given that its an obvious rip of the Akai paradigm. I'd like to see an APC40mkII with LCDs showing waveforms etc. Or maybe they'll finally release their own sampling/sequencing software with a controller as a dongle.

I've noticed this with my 1k when I'm laying drums with cans or on the monitors, it sounds like what I loaded, but when I record to my MTR, they sound thin as hell.

^ Maybe your MTR has poor or subpar AD/DA converters? What kind is it?

Not saying yall are doing something wrong or anything but I can make my 1k snap crackle and pop all day long...

mp3 wrote:^ Maybe your MTR has poor or subpar AD/DA converters? What kind is it?

Correct. In fact a LOT of guys here are using sh*t interfaces (behringer etc) and experiencing the same issues. An easy solution is to use the Digital connection and avoid the conversion altogether. I use an Mbox 2 at the house, it doesn’t have the best pre’s in the world but I run my 1k directly to my pre and the pre has a digital out that goes to the Mbox. This skips out on the unnecessary conversion and allows you to hear what you hear on the MPC on the recording

due to some advise on this forum i tried the digital output on the 5.sounded great apart from some added metallic noise on the bass.kind of like(think short slight plate reverb)sound.any way would like to solve that.im using motu soundcard so??cheers

sound is only effected when it goes from analogue to digital, or from digital to analogue.

(well, analogue to analogue can effect it too, but never mind that for now)

so when its digital, ... its all just a bunch of 1's and 0's.

(111000100101010100101010100010100)

there is no place, reason, rhyme, or way that a plate reverb can be added to that signal.

your digital audio cables are not passing nor have audio coming through them in any way.

its all just information, ... like midi is just information. digital cables are just passing along 1's and 0's.

so if you have a plate reverb sound added to it, the only place i can think of that it may be coming from would be the D/A or digital to analogue converters in your MOTU.

unless its coming from the internal (A/D or analogue to digital converter in the MPC)

where do you get the bass sounds from?

if its from the internal synth, that's a digital synth, so the MPC A/D converter is never used.

but if you sample from an external synth or record or something that is actual AUDIO coming in on the external AUDIO jacks, then the MPC A/D would be used.

i have not studied in any way how good this component of the MPC 5k is.

"after" it is sampled, it is then, immediately, recognized and controlled and manipulated inside the MPC 5k as a digital sample/recording/file, ... aka 1's and 0's.

so either the A/D converter in the MPC or the D/A converter in the MOTU.

its the only possible explanation.

dryad-66 wrote:due to some advise on this forum i tried the digital output on the 5.sounded great apart from some added metallic noise on the bass.kind of like(think short slight plate reverb)sound.any way would like to solve that.im using motu soundcard so??cheers

hi there!
if you're using motu soundcard too, does it have built in reverb? the mixer layout of my motu 828mk3 is a bit unconventional. check all input, output, and bus sends and returns. perhaps you have the same mixer design in yours?
/jocks

ok,its not a reverb actually im just trying to describe the sound.its the original sound with a hint of metallic ness to it.ill do some more tests with a digital multi trck tonight.i mean it sounds relevantly different than the analog output sample.like part of the sample is more prevalent.there is no reverb or eq on the path so .......thnxa for both your answers tho.cheers

sounds like you have some type of audio loop

Do you guys think whould tbe possible to replace the AD/DA convertors from an old MPC model and mod it in a newer?
For someone that knows a lot about elecronics it should be possible rigth?

why wouldn't you just get, ... 'and use', ... an external A/DD/A converter.

the apogee rosetta 200 is extremely popular, and i remember seeing someone around here who uses one of these anyway.

if you really think the MPC 5000 converters are holding you back in your musical setup, ... and you "really" want to step your game up, ... then taking a 'micro-step' isn't going to make that big of a difference.

I would say the very next 'honest' step up that would 'truly' be noticeable would have to be the apogee rosetta 200, ... imho.

oneday2one wrote:why wouldn't you just get, ... 'and use', ... an external A/DD/A converter.

Interesting ideia.

While they might be thinner you have to understand the sound engine in the 5000 has to be more accurate so it makes it more flat. Akais intention was to make it and all in one box for production. if you hype the low end at the expenses of accuracy you get a shit mix.. just use your fav plugs or hardware, problem solved