MPC 4000 vs. Roland MV 8000

Both seem like power houses. I know this is an MPC forum but can I get some pro/con feedback. I am trying to get one of these two machines and to me it seems like the MV 8000 is a definate contender. The realtime time stretching and auto chop sound really user friendly and time saving. However, they don't say much about the quality and types of filters and effects which kind of scares me. I don't want a really expensive toy. I want a commercial quality workstation that won't be outdated cause the MV 9000 comes out next year with all the ish I wished my unit had. If you know what I mean.

I'll let others go into other details, but one big thing for me, was that the MV-8000
is a linear based sequencer. So everything is on a timeline. I can't be in the middle of a song and all of sudden decide that I want to segue into another song, unless I had already
put that in that specific location in the sequence, where with the MPC-4000, as long
as I have all of the Programs, Samples, Multi-Programs, and Sequences loaded up,
I can go from one song to another, with no preset song list via the "Next Sequence"
page, so I can virtually "DJ" my live set, with no stops and I can change my set
on the whim. The crowd likes songs with more 808's, then those are the songs that
I'll be playing... For me, that was an important aspect. There's a ton of other things
(Such as 16bit vs 24bit) that have been discussed in previous threads and that others will most likely be adding. It really depends on what you already have, and what you
are needing. Good Luck, and make sure to make quality thought out music no matter
which you purchase

Word. That is very helpful. Roland have that high budget video streaming demo stuff on their site. It all looks well and good but They also seem to be very vague about the specs on this machine. It seemed a little fishy to me which is why I came here. I have heard nothing but positive feedback about how the MPC line makes music happen and other machines dance around the idea. I like the idea of coming up with bits and pieces all the time whenever the idea strikes and then making sense of it all later. That is definately the way I do business. I currently have Pro Tools LE and an Access Virus which I have been using for about 3 years. I used to have a S3000XL but it was very time consuming to program so I have been playing around with Reason for about 3 years and just seems like a video game rather than a music workstaion. The Virus is the best Virtual Analog out there in my opinion. Very deep yet the sound is worth the learning curve assuming you are not a pre-set idget.

try searchim
u'll get all the info u need
I've posted several times on this topic

Both machines are good and will get the job done, I'm a little bias to the mpc 4000, but to be more subjective about the 2 machines, I would choose the MPC because it's proven to be reliable, the filters are very good, it has the best sequencer that I have ever worked with (software included), it has alot of good features. The mv8000 has much better effects, but it's filters suck big time, the pads are too stiff, there's too many buttons to push to get to different screens, but I do like alot of it's features.

* The main reason that I would not buy a MV8000 is not because of the machine itself, but because of how roland abandon their machines. What I'm talking about is the variphrase 9000, the varios, the mmp-2 preamp, ect., they will have wonderful concepts for the machines but if they don't sell fast enough, then you're left with a machine that doesn't hold it's value and that they will not give proper tech support for. Honestly the only thing that I would feel good buying from roland is a digital recorder or a keyboard.
peace.

imo

MPC4000 pros

4k *Sound! its akais punch
*Filtes & full synthesis engine (semi modualr, real nice & quick routing
*pattern mode
*live playability

cons

*there are some OS enhancement/fetures yet to be made!!
*akasys is still at its early stage

something worthy of mentioning *the Q FX is an independant fx seqtion in trim mode where as one can easily resample sounds very quickly and they are adorable on drums.. very nice touch akai

on the MW8000

Pros

*Realtime times-treatch (gotta give em a hand for this one
*FX sound better than the akais but I think it only has one bus + chorus/reverb bus vs, 4 indipendent on the 4k
*8track recorder (can be used to bounce down your song to a sterio mix and burn on CD
*assignable Fader/Mixer

cons

only 16 part multitimbral
liner based squenecing

and what roland calls: mastering ..well on their VM3100 mixers (same coms technolighy as the MW) the mastering dsp was a gimmick vs pro mastering .. but could defenatly be used if that's all you have

the MPC is a dedicated pro unit the FX, mastering and recording is done in the real of usually other dedicated pro units "pro tools fxmple,

the MW tries to take all on.. especially now as it has the V2.0&vga output with parametert & seq edit, again hats off Roland!! and akai will seriusly have to pull akasys up to date to equal with that!

imo the MPC is has it beaten on sound, stackable filters, synthesis, midi outs ,960, live pad bank, pad mute & sequence trigger

the Roland has the realtime timestreach, a pad hold/copy buttons, faders, and quantize templates wich are rather in detailed,...in fact the MW8000 looks rather good and if it gets a pattern mode update (fanthom has liner with pattern based seq.. I might look at it as a seruisly.. but I do love the 4k!! the sound, the freedome, the creatif flexibillity and I think I'll rather buy pro tools and do it propper..

imo

MPC4000 pros

4k *Sound! its akais punch
*Filtes & full synthesis engine (semi modualr, real nice & quick routing
*pattern mode
*live playability

cons

*there are some OS enhancement/fetures yet to be made!!
*akasys is still at its early stage

something worthy of mentioning *the Q FX is an independant fx seqtion in trim mode where as one can easily resample sounds very quickly and they are adorable on drums.. very nice touch akai

on the MW8000

Pros

*Realtime times-treatch (gotta give em a hand for this one
*FX sound better than the akais but I think it only has one bus + chorus/reverb bus vs, 4 indipendent on the 4k
*8track recorder (can be used to bounce down your song to a sterio mix and burn on CD
*assignable Fader/Mixer

cons

only 16 part multitimbral
liner based squenecing

and what roland calls: mastering ..well on their VM3100 mixers (same coms technolighy as the MW) the mastering dsp was a gimmick vs pro mastering .. but could defenatly be used if that's all you have

the MPC is a dedicated pro unit the FX, mastering and recording is done in the real of usually other dedicated pro units "pro tools fxmple,

the MW tries to take all on.. especially now as it has the V2.0&vga output with parametert & seq edit, again hats off Roland!! and akai will seriusly have to pull akasys up to date to equal with that!

imo the MPC is has it beaten on sound, stackable filters, synthesis, midi outs ,960, live pad bank, pad mute & sequence trigger

the Roland has the realtime timestreach, a pad hold/copy buttons, faders, and quantize templates wich are rather in detailed,...in fact the MW8000 looks rather good and if it gets a pattern mode update (fanthom has liner with pattern based seq.. I might look at it as a seruisly.. but I do love the 4k!! the sound, the freedome, the creatif flexibillity and I think I'll rather buy pro tools and do it propper..

As expected I have started a bit of a pickle but I think I am leaning more twoard an MPC. I totally agree with he who said that Roland abandon the stuff that doesn't sell. The MPC will live on forever and its like realestate. The sooner you get in on that **** the better. It seems everyone stumbles across it eventually. I went through all kinds of software until I was like....this linear style of programing music just doesn't feel like I am writing a song. It feels like I am struggling to make something work and sound right. So even though I have never touched an MPC I feel as though it will eventually be my friend.

As far as the FX issue. I think it would probably be better to bus to a MIDI controlled KAOS pad and resample if you want the ear candy stuff. The SP-303 has most of the cool stuff the MV has for close to nothing. Its actually a pretty cool sampler for the money.

So.. bottom line is, the MPC 4k synced to an MV makes a perfect combi. They are perfect complementary!

Does the MV receive and transmit MTC?

THe MV8k is cheaper then the MPC,,,, here in Europe it will save you 600 euro. While the MV8k already got 6outs and the MPC only 2.

Ild still go for the mpc4k

OH.. but there's not as many MV-8000 on the used market, so from that perspective, the MPC is actually cheaper. Though i will have to say , if Roland drops support for the MV-8000 like they have many other of their products, then we should be able to pick one up fairly cheap in a couple of years...

renegadebliss wrote:OH.. but there's not as many MV-8000 on the used market, so from that perspective, the MPC is actually cheaper. Though i will have to say , if Roland drops support for the MV-8000 like they have many other of their products, then we should be able to pick one up fairly cheap in a couple of years...

This is something im waiting for. I have seen in the past with the fantoms series how roland will give up on something and come out something new. Im hoping this will happen with the mv.

maybe this is the wrong place to ask this question, but since i took a good look at the mv 8000 i have notice that on the back it has 2 midi outs and one midi in. Now im not tring to compare this to what the 4k has but more to what the 2kxl has,because what do you do when you have keyboard connected to the mv 8000 midi in and out and then want to use midi time code and track everything into your fav. software. From what im looking at on the mv, the shit cant be done. On the mpc 2kxl you have 2 midi ins and 2 midi outs outs and if you had a keyboard connected the mpc midi A in and Midi A outs, you still can use Midi B in to slave the mpc to your software for tracking. Plus with the left over midi B out you can still connect a rack keyboard and controll it from you main keyboard and be able to track it all to your fav. software. This is with a 2kxl not a 4k and we all know about the fact the 4k has mega outs and two ins. Well i was looking to test the mv out but this discovery has really turn me off. I know roland dont really think people are gona giv up there software tracking programs and just use there measly 8 tracks to do it all.(news flash) You can get around this by just doing your production with the keyboard first then unpluggin the midi in wire and connecting it to your soundcard. Ok ok this is the work around but hell i hate having to connect and unconnect stuff so hell no, i cant work with this machine!

With MIDI mergers/ splitters/ thru boxes this is all possible with the MV and MPC2000xl, MPC1000
Costs are zero to none!

You can control (in theory) 16x 4 (= 64!!) external devices with the 4k..

for 1500 NEW on EBAY from an online retailer - How ya like dat - I traded in my mpc4000 for it - best thing I ever did