2000xl & other gear or 4000?

Hey so im debating on getting a mpc 2000xl and some more gear like a synth or an mpc 4000. I like the dirty sound that the 2000xl will give me but it has limited capabilities compared to the 4000. Like I said if I get a 2000xl I will still have money left to get a synth or something like that. But if I get a 4000, that's all im getting. What do u think? Does the 4000 sound as bad as the 1000/2500?

dmarz45 wrote:Hey so im debating on getting a mpc 2000xl and some more gear like a synth or an mpc 4000. I like the dirty sound that the 2000xl will give me but it has limited capabilities compared to the 4000. Like I said if I get a 2000xl I will still have money left to get a synth or something like that. But if I get a 4000, that's all im getting. What do u think? Does the 4000 sound as bad as the 1000/2500?

Most people would say the 4000 sounds better than a 1000/2500. The A/D convertors are definitely of a higher quality, and the ability to go up to 24 bit/96khz helps the 4000 to interface nicely with a modern PC/Mac DAW, even though it's 9 years old. With the higher sample rates, the 4000 is known as the cleanest sounding MPC, but the machine can do grit if you want.

Another thing to consider is that most 2000XL's you'll find won't have the EB16 FX card installed, and even if they do, the FX themselves are not particularly good. So on a 2000XL you've got a filter and that's pretty much it. I would also only call the 2000XL's sound "dirty" in comparison to the totally neutral sound of the 1000/2500. The LCD is another consideration with the 2000 series, even if you have a good one, you never know when it will start to die.

The MPC4000 was, and still is the most feature packed MPC ever made. The 5000 has the built in Alesis synth engine, but on a 4000 you can load in raw oscillator waves and use it's extensive mod matrix to create your own synth patches. It's also quite easy to convert sampled instruments from the pc into AKP files for the 4000 using Extreme Sample Convertor.

I think you should get the MPC4000, get some freeware VST synths and experiment with making your own instruments on the 4000 while you save up for either better VST's or a outboard synth or sound module. So even if you get the 4000 there are ways to use it without much other gear.

I have lots of really good VSTs so Im not really that concerned with synth sounds. I just am concerned that the 4000 wont give me a nice fat sound that I like. I had the 3000 and thats the type of sound I like and I know the 2000xl will give me a sound like that with the extra features the 3000 didnt have. I'm afraid the 4000 will sound too clean for me even though it has all the features im looking for. I have also heard the filters on the 4000 dont sound too good and I use the low pass filter ALOT for bass sounds and kicks.

dmarz45 wrote:I have lots of really good VSTs so Im not really that concerned with synth sounds. I just am concerned that the 4000 wont give me a nice fat sound that I like. I had the 3000 and thats the type of sound I like and I know the 2000xl will give me a sound like that with the extra features the 3000 didnt have. I'm afraid the 4000 will sound too clean for me even though it has all the features im looking for. I have also heard the filters on the 4000 dont sound too good and I use the low pass filter ALOT for bass sounds and kicks.

Like I said, a 2000Xl sounds slightly grimier than a 1000/2500, but I wouldn't say the 2000 series sounds anywhere near as good as a 60 or 3000. The filters on the 4000 sound at least as good if not better than the filters on any other MPC. I personally feel a lot of people get the 4000 twisted and think it can only do clean, but the reality is the machine is versatile enough to pretty much make it sound how you want. Now I'm not saying the bit reduction on a 4000 will sound like 12 bit/MPC60, but the 4000 can definitely go other places besides super clean hi-fi.

Metatron72 wrote:

dmarz45 wrote:I have lots of really good VSTs so Im not really that concerned with synth sounds. I just am concerned that the 4000 wont give me a nice fat sound that I like. I had the 3000 and thats the type of sound I like and I know the 2000xl will give me a sound like that with the extra features the 3000 didnt have. I'm afraid the 4000 will sound too clean for me even though it has all the features im looking for. I have also heard the filters on the 4000 dont sound too good and I use the low pass filter ALOT for bass sounds and kicks.

Like I said, a 2000Xl sounds slightly grimier than a 1000/2500, but I wouldn't say the 2000 series sounds anywhere near as good as a 60 or 3000. The filters on the 4000 sound at least as good if not better than the filters on any other MPC. I personally feel a lot of people get the 4000 twisted and think it can only do clean, but the reality is the machine is versatile enough to pretty much make it sound how you want. Now I'm not saying the bit reduction on a 4000 will sound like 12 bit/MPC60, but the 4000 can definitely go other places besides super clean hi-fi.

No doubt I think Im pretty sold on the 4000 after reading up on it more. I think Im gonna get the 4000. However I do have to say the 2000xl does sound pretty similar to the 3000. Not exactly the same but pretty close.

You'll definitely like the 4000, it has so many cool things no other MPC has. You could always get a cheap Akai S-series rack if you still want that older sound.

This talk of the 2000XL's got me thinking. I have 2 XL's, one with a lined LCD, and one minty fresh. The lined joint was used by it's previous owner professionally for years and hundreds of tracks were made on it. He also used to use the MPC in live settings. So basically this MPC was probably left turned on for 12 hours a day for nearly a decade. The other one must have been a failed hobby for the previous owner, as it still has the full texture on the buttons and other signs of never being used.

Funny thing is, the battle-scarred joint sounds significantly better than the clean one. I don't know if this is due to electrical component burn in or what, but if you A/B the the 2 units it's very noticeable. The beat up one sounds better in the low-mids down to the lows. Looking at the serial numbers, I think there was a pretty huge gap between each units manufacturing, but I never heard of the components being changed, even in the last days of the 2000XL after Numark took over. Visibly the components are identical in each machine.

Have you ever noticed a difference from one XL to another?

Metatron72 wrote:
Have you ever noticed a difference from one XL to another?

No because I've only used 1 2kxl... but it does sound good. I'm still really debating so much its driving me crazy. I think the 4000 has me sold because of all the extra features. Especially the mono polyphony to have the pads cut each other off and because it has 6 sound banks instead of 4.

Metatron you have 2kxl and 4000? Which one do you use more? Do you think I should just go with the 4000? I do mostly sampled stuff so I like that deep sound the older MPCs give me. But like you said you can still do dirty with the 4000 right?

Metatron72 wrote:...
This talk of the 2000XL's got me thinking. I have 2 XL's, one with a lined LCD, and one minty fresh. The lined joint was used by it's previous owner professionally for years and hundreds of tracks were made on it. He also used to use the MPC in live settings. So basically this MPC was probably left turned on for 12 hours a day for nearly a decade. The other one must have been a failed hobby for the previous owner, as it still has the full texture on the buttons and other signs of never being used.

Funny thing is, the battle-scarred joint sounds significantly better than the clean one. I don't know if this is due to electrical component burn in or what, but if you A/B the the 2 units it's very noticeable. The beat up one sounds better in the low-mids down to the lows. Looking at the serial numbers, I think there was a pretty huge gap between each units manufacturing, but I never heard of the components being changed, even in the last days of the 2000XL after Numark took over. Visibly the components are identical in each machine.

Have you ever noticed a difference from one XL to another?

I read about SCSI fuse in 2000XL would affect sound character a lot. I think I've read it in Japanese website. I also heard that using good AC power cord (I mean really expensive power cord for hi-fi audio people) would improve XL's sound quality.

JVC wrote:

Metatron72 wrote:...
This talk of the 2000XL's got me thinking. I have 2 XL's, one with a lined LCD, and one minty fresh. The lined joint was used by it's previous owner professionally for years and hundreds of tracks were made on it. He also used to use the MPC in live settings. So basically this MPC was probably left turned on for 12 hours a day for nearly a decade. The other one must have been a failed hobby for the previous owner, as it still has the full texture on the buttons and other signs of never being used.

Funny thing is, the battle-scarred joint sounds significantly better than the clean one. I don't know if this is due to electrical component burn in or what, but if you A/B the the 2 units it's very noticeable. The beat up one sounds better in the low-mids down to the lows. Looking at the serial numbers, I think there was a pretty huge gap between each units manufacturing, but I never heard of the components being changed, even in the last days of the 2000XL after Numark took over. Visibly the components are identical in each machine.

Have you ever noticed a difference from one XL to another?

I read about SCSI fuse in 2000XL would affect sound character a lot. I think I've read it in Japanese website. I also heard that using good AC power cord (I mean really expensive power cord for hi-fi audio people) would improve XL's sound quality.

Interesting. I don't use the SCSI for data, but it would funny if a blown SCSI fuse was why my trashed XL sounds better.

the 4k was built when akai was owned my akai and not numark, so it sounds nothing like the 1k or the 25, i have had all 3 and the 2xl, the 4 sounds just as "fat" as the 2 if not better, ecspecially with the filters, the 4 is the best mp ever made in my opinion

JVC wrote:I read about SCSI fuse in 2000XL would affect sound character a lot. I think I've read it in Japanese website. I also heard that using good AC power cord (I mean really expensive power cord for hi-fi audio people) would improve XL's sound quality.

I found the Japanese BBS page where I read it.

http://www.geocities.jp/mpc2000000000000xl/mpclog3.html

Let me translate key information:

SCSI fuse specification for XL:
Length 20mm × diameter 5mm 250V 2A, fast blow type
(please note that this info is Japanese website, so the fuse specification might be different for MPC-2000XL in US market. Line voltage in Japan is 100V AC, 50Hz (East Japan, includes Tokyo) or 100V AC 60Hz (West Japan, includes Osaka), whereas line voltage in U.S. is 120V AC, 60Hz.)

The poster installed the "audio grade fuse" from this company:

http://www.cryo-at.com/fu.html

According to the poster, the sound quality improved significantly (no more dull sound), but it should be waited (play sound on XL for about 6 hours) to be "aged" or burned in, because first a few hours, XL might sound too "rough."

dmarz45 wrote:

Metatron72 wrote:
Have you ever noticed a difference from one XL to another?

No because I've only used 1 2kxl... but it does sound good. I'm still really debating so much its driving me crazy. I think the 4000 has me sold because of all the extra features. Especially the mono polyphony to have the pads cut each other off and because it has 6 sound banks instead of 4.

Metatron you have 2kxl and 4000? Which one do you use more? Do you think I should just go with the 4000? I do mostly sampled stuff so I like that deep sound the older MPCs give me. But like you said you can still do dirty with the 4000 right?

Yeah I have both, along with a 1000 and 2500. It's silly. but I found them all about as cheap as possible, and would probably make $100-$200 on each one if I decide to sell them. Like a lot of guys on this forum, just a senseless, but fun addiction, cause you really only need one.

If you read through the 4000 forum here, you notice a lot of the 4000 users feel like they crossed into a cool MPC alternate universe. Like the 4000 feels familiar like an MPC should, but there's all these extra cool functions, and just the basic fact that the 4000 is a full blown keygroup sampler. I convert smaller Kontakt instruments to the 4000 with all the keygroups and loop points intact, it's awesome. I've got all the E-MU modules in there converted from Digital Sound Factory's libraries along with their Ensoniq stuff too. So that's like 8 modules and keyboards right on the HD. Also, if your accustomed to 32MB RAM, 512MB is gonna seem like heaven.

As far as sound, I used computers before I had hardware, so I'm used to fighting the "cleanliness". But I found that just because something has a high bit/sample rate doesn't mean you can't dirty it up. Take MOTU's BPM library, recorded at 24bit/96khz. In spite of the high resolution the sounds knock in a way that most people associate with hardware, due to good EQ'ing and excellent use of compression.

I'm thinking of the old Pete Rock interview where he said he was disappointed in the low end and overall crunch of his MPC2000XL coming from the SP1200. He said he just moved to EQ'ing the samples before they hit the MPC and just rolled with that. That might be one method if you find the 4000's sound too clean in general. It's not a myth though, from a pure features standpoint, the 4000 is the best MPC Akai made. It's huge like the 3000 too, you can get your slouch/lean on again.

Sorry, I said it is SCSI fuse, but it is NOT SCSI fuse (which is soldered on the board), but the fuse that I was referring was the user replaceable fuse in power supply unit.

dmarz45 wrote:But if I get a 4000, that's all im getting

..and all you need. best mpc ever built. 4000=2000xl on steroids.

2000xl and other gear