SimonInAustralia wrote:JamesJeffery wrote:But, if the Akai DAW does not support VSTs, then using a VST with the Ren. such as Kontakt or Battery will make for an expensive controller depending on the price of the Ren. All for the sake of having an MPC look a like. Because if you're using the Ren. to control VSTs and not the Akai DAW all it is, is a controller and you lose the benefit of it's intended purpose.
Wait until you use it before talking definitively about what it can and can't do, and what it is and isn't like to use.
It is an MPC, not an MPC look alike, while using the knobs to control VST plugins the rest of it still will work exactly like the control surface on every older MPC, it isn't one or the other.
It isn't going to need Kontact or Battery, it is still going to operate like an MPC without requiring the purchase of drum sampling/machine VST plugins.
Every other MPC has a control surface, a sequencer, a sampler, effects, etc., this is just running the sequencer/sampler/effects on the external computer instead of the internal computer.
Have a good look at it, it still has the same MPC control surface, with the same sort of controls on it, it still has the MPC LCD display, these are what you interact with on an older MPC, why do you think this is going to be so different in actual music making use?
The video shows with VMPC software, it doesn't look like there is much interaction that you have to do with the computer screen when actually using the MPC. It does look like a lot of the file management tasks would be a lot easier on the computer, file storage/editing/program setup/etc.
There is no reason why actually using it will be that much different to using an older MPC.
It is much, much more than just a normal MIDI controller like an MPD.
I don't understand the hysterical level of hate on the thing.
But this is what you and others are not understand. Let me break it down a little. Please not I am not hating, I really hope this is a success, but so many people are just misinformed.Stuff like ...
[*] "Can't wait for JJOS"
[*] "It's standalone"
[*] "I'm selling my MPC for this"
[*] "It's not a controller"
Is all totally wrong which just goes to show how misinformed people are.
At it's base the actual device you touch, the Ren itself is a lump of plastic with knobs and buttons. Inside is an audio interface. Similar to the one you use in your current setup. It just has no casing and is screwed into the Ren.
When audio passes into the Ren. people may be tricked into believing the Ren. has a brain that is doing all of the wonderful magic. It's not. But this is what Akai want you to think, that's why they placed the audio interface inside it. Without it, it would just have a USB connector like the MPD and you'd use your regular audio interface.
The USB connection is responsible for transmitting midi data from the buttons you press. Midi goes in. Midi goes out. And at the base of it, that's the only thing the Ren actually does.
With the audio interface inside, people are led to believe that the Ren. has a brain.
The heart or the core of the Ren. is the piece of software you use. The Akai DAW. This is similar to JJOS/AkaiOS on the MPC's. Without the software, it's nothing but a box.
When hooked up to the Akai DAW the features implemented in the DAW make the Ren. box feel like an MPC. The midi data sent from bottons and pads on the Ren. box is pre programmed in the DAW to perform certain actions.
So without the Akai DAW when you press a button all you are sending is a midi message to a VST you are using. Which you can programme to do a certain task in any DAW of your choice.
This is all basic knowledge. But people are getting caught in the marketing hype of it all. At its heart it is just a controller. It's the Akai DAW that makes it powerful.
But, Akai need to make sure their DAW has features stuff like Kontakt don't. And other VST's and they need to make it behave as if the user feels like they are using and MPC and not a regular controller.
So, as you can see with questions like "Can I get JJOS" you see why the answer is a resounding NO. There is no heart/brain in the Ren. The only thing the Ren. is set to do is receive and send midi data and update it's display. The date you see on the screen would be controlled by the software not an internal OS like on true MPCs.
I think I've cleared the basics there. And once you understand that, you realize the only powerful thing that exists about the Ren. would be the Akai DAW.
Sorry this wasn't aimed at the person I quoted, but more in general for people who ask the same questions.
