Exchange tips and tricks for the Akai MPC4000
By manji Tue Sep 14, 2010 5:20 pm
namely the Motif ES and the Fantom XR?

The reason I ask is I have a mpc4000, and an mpc5000. I was planning on selling the 5000 to get one, if not both, of the Motif and Fantom. But I havent gotten any good offers, and am about to go through my 2nd auction on ebay with out selling it, so I got to thinking.


I really like the 5000, though in terms of depth to manipulate samples, the 4000 obviously stands alone (atleast with what Ive used, which include numerous Roland SP samplers, an mpc60, 2000, 1000, 500, 4000 and 5000, an s950, an s5000 and an ESI32). I actually like the pads better than the 4000s, and, though im sure this will get me shot, for sequences concerning notes, I like the 5000s better (the note repeat is easier to use, and having realtime control over quantization is easily the thing i miss most going from the 5000 to the 4000). I know it doesnt touch q-link step sequencing or the modulation matrix (which im just learning about and seems effing amazing), but it just feels better to me. Writing hip hop ish drum parts is easy on either one, but really complicated DnB or minimal stuff has been super hard on the 4000, and is a breeze on the 5000 (though Im willing to admit this is probably cuz Ive had the 5000 for almost 15 months now, the 4000 for 2 weeks).


However, where my master plan fell short with the 5000 was I just never put any multisamples in it, it was too time consuming. It took forever, and Id rather be banging on pads than doing tedious crap. Thats where the 4000 really shines, to me, is Aksys. Its not as memerable as when I figured out how to speed up certain bars in a sequence or other aha moments with the 4000, but it does such a good job doing the tedious stuff fast, that its amazing. As such, in the last week alone, ive put 5 or 6 piano multisample programs and like 9 upright bass multisample programs in there, and 5-ish waveform programs, just raw saws and sines and stuff. And I really, really like it.

Now, Ive never used or even seen a motif or fantom xr, and guitar center is like 4 hours from here (yay small towns, our music store is run by cowboy wanna be a-holes), so Im flying blind here. It just seems with a lot of work, the combo I have now (mpc4000 and mpc5000 and an emx1) is so unlimited as to be scary. I plan on getting a bcr2000 and trying sysex with the 4000 no matter what I do, so editing is easier. If I do that and take the time to sample friends synths and I have reason and a couple refills, am I actually missing anything with the 4000 i would otherwise be getting in a motif and or fantomxr, besides those SPECIFIC sounds?
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By dabmeister Wed Sep 15, 2010 12:46 pm
Though I love the 4k and whatnot, I don't think it can stand up to the motif's & fantom's.

But I wouldn't rule it out either knowing what it's capable of doing.
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By dabmeister Wed Sep 15, 2010 8:51 pm
manji wrote:can you expand on that a little?


Well, for one it's like comparing premium vs exotic. The boards already offer double the polyphony. And tbh, you're comparing expandable rompler/samplers to a full sampler.

Each has its own limitations/fine points, but that's really determinded by what the user is looking for or trying to get out of the device.
By manji Wed Sep 15, 2010 9:49 pm
oh yeah, no, I get all that. But thats the thing Ive never understood about romplers and samplers. It seems like they work the same, just one has set sounds, one doesnt.


I guess what im really asking is in terms of soundshapping options. LFOS and Filters and stacking sounds and fx and all that. The fx thing is kinda a mute point, though, since I have a dps24 running into a computer for fx, which I feel probably trumps anything from any of the gear Ive mentioned so far.


I totally get im trying to compare apples and oranges here, and im definitely just looking for opinions as there really is no right answer on any of this, but im just starting to wonder if what I really want the motif for is good instrument sounds, maybe I could just get those out of the mpc4k with a little work, you know?

I have a VA (2, really, with the mpc5000, plus reason), so my electronic sounds are fairly covered. What Im really after is realistic instrument sounds.
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By dabmeister Thu Sep 16, 2010 12:23 am
^^^ Hey, I can totally relate to what you're going through. Actually, I like all three of the previously mentioned instruments and can share some of my experiences with at least two and a half of the three (half meaning only if you consider an expanded jv1080 equivalent to a fantom).

I use a rack motif es so I dig the soundset more on that than anything else, but I can't deny some of the roland sounds either.

You really can't go wrong with picking one over the other IMO. But when the time comes to add another board/module to your arsenal, you def can't complain about having a decent selection of readily available sounds to get things pop'n.
By manji Thu Sep 16, 2010 2:28 am
For sure. Its one of those things where its decision time and you just start over thinking everything and get to the point of like well, this cant do this ONE operation ive never done before, so its obviously junk, but the other one cant do that other operation ive never done, so.....blah blah blah.

I think imma keep both mpcs for now, and just work on getting sounds in them. If in 6 months I feel i need a motif, hey, hopefully I can get it without having to get rid of something else, you know?


But man, this mpc4k is blowing my mind. Ive had it maybe a month, and it just seems awesome. Im trying to figure out how to program synth pads (like the type of sound, not the pads you bang on) with just sampled raw waveforms. Its awesome.

I hear you on the readily available sounds, that where I eventually want to get the 4k.
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By dabmeister Thu Sep 16, 2010 6:17 pm
^^^ If you haven't tried using ak.sys with your 4k, I'd advise you to check that out ASAP.

Basically, you'll get a visual layout through your computer of what's in the three areas of the 4k...hard drive, memory, & cd.

Connection is made via usb & loading the ak.sys drivers of course.
By manji Thu Sep 16, 2010 9:14 pm
I have, and I was kind of disappointed. Not to say that its bad, it takes so much of the tediousness out of using it, and thank god for that, but it seems like there is so much unrealized potential there. The only thing I could really figure out was how to make programs and move files around. Is there more to it than that?
By manji Fri Sep 17, 2010 8:56 pm
The only thing Ive ever heard about the Fusion is that its an under rated sleeper. Really, id like a Radias or a Jp8080 for analog sounds ( I know they arent analog, i just mean electronic sounding stuff) and a motif or fantom for instruments.
By glide Sat Sep 18, 2010 1:34 am
personally I think the Radias sounds like a VST, candy floss in a bubble bath sound with fx gravy .. the JP although classic and does have its strong sound isn´t the best sounding analog emulation imo but its one of the best package out there in VA land if you consider the UI,..

as far as the 4k as a synth, I find it cold and sharp sounding, which is not a bad thing (I have other warm and round sounding stuff) .. but by layering OSC waves (loops) and modulating the start times & even doing cross fades between layers can yield interesting results (another one would be to set a nice adsR and set some velocity layers to loop on release and others not) + so many other options.. the Z engine is quite nice in all honesty and so user friendly,.. and I have at least a few tracks where I can´t seam to replace the synth sound made from the mpc with any other, sometimes that akai charter is just right on, the synth engine is there, you just need to work it, but in all honesty though it won´t stack up to the VA sound, the filters don´t quite allow for it.. so all in all; get a JP.. its a great choice for its genger...
By manji Sat Sep 18, 2010 2:23 am
[quote="but by layering OSC waves (loops) and modulating the start times & even doing cross fades between layers can yield interesting results (another one would be to set a nice adsR and set some velocity layers to loop on release and others not) + so many other options.. .[/quote]



Holy crap, I hadnt even thought of that. Brilliant! I definitly feel like there are so many options on ever paramter, which can then be combined, obviously....maybe thats why Im thinking of it like this. It just seems so limitless. I have noticed the filters are iffy (kind of. Really, theyre amazing, just not as amazing as some other stuff), but I DO have an EMX sitting next to the thing, which even though its kind of basic, Ive always really liked the sound of the filters on it. It may be more worthwhile, in the short run, to hook the 4k up to a kaospad or something similar (anybody know any thing like that with multiple channels?) and some other stuff.


Im interested in what you had to say about the radias, too. Again, Im pretty all by my lonesome in musicland out here, so im just going off reviews, but Ive alwyas REALLY like Korgs. From what Ive read, a Radias is kind of an expanded emx (atleast the synth parts of the emx) and it atleast sounds like itd take care of my biggest gripes for the emx, which is definitly polyphany, but also multi timbrility and a somewhat limited osc. wav set. That said, the emx is the only piece ive ever held on to for as long as I have, almost 4 years now. Damn.
By T7 Sat Sep 18, 2010 3:49 am
manji wrote:Holy ****, I hadnt even thought of that. Brilliant! I definitly feel like there are so many options on ever paramter, which can then be combined, obviously....maybe thats why Im thinking of it like this. It just seems so limitless. I have noticed the filters are iffy (kind of. Really, theyre amazing, just not as amazing as some other stuff), but I DO have an EMX sitting next to the thing, which even though its kind of basic, Ive always really liked the sound of the filters on it. It may be more worthwhile, in the short run, to hook the 4k up to a kaospad or something similar (anybody know any thing like that with multiple channels?) and some other stuff.


Here's a useful link on the subject of controlling the Z8 engine's synthesis parameters via sysex

http://mcsmooth.com/blog/sysex-tutorial ... 4000-z4-z8
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By dabmeister Sat Sep 18, 2010 12:11 pm
T7 wrote:Here's a useful link on the subject of controlling the Z8 engine's synthesis parameters via sysex

http://mcsmooth.com/blog/sysex-tutorial ... 4000-z4-z8


If I'm not mistaken & for those that don't know, Mcsmooth is one of our forum members here. Haven't heard anything from dude in a minute, but his contributions around here are valuable.