Standalone vs Non-Standalone

DJ Hellfire wrote:Yeah. True. But I would think they could easily make only the hardware standalone and make the software require the hardware like pro tools used to do. But hen people would just have something else to be upset and complain about! I can see it now: "**** you akai. Why the software gotta be locked to your wack hardware? Why can't I use my maschine controller with your software?"

There's no pleasing everyone!


I've been hammering Maschine this week and on a few occasions the timing has glitched and missed a beat. Almost like a record jumping. It wouldn't be so bad if it was a heavy project, but it was just a basic 4 bar loop with a bunch of single drum hits and no VST effects or instruments. It's disconcerting when you're just listening to what you've played, and a weird glitch randomly happens and throws the timing off.

That's where standalone MPCs shine, because they are totally solid and predictable in their timing. You could set your watch by them!

Solution:keep your old mp get a ren or studio combine your arsenal more production power for you (why does that have to be a bad thing?)

Stand alone gets my vote ...

Doing live shows for one without a PC has always been one of the biggest appeals of the MPC range ..

No latency!!! & perfect timing

also being able to take my mpc anywhere & sample vinyl from some DJ´s selection at his place or at a vintage collector in his basement or wherever... not having to drag a computer around

Anyone else hate fan & HD noise?..

there are many other minor things, and I for one like being able to walk into a all hardware studios without the need of turning on a computer ..

And on the flip side, once you get back to your home studio, then you can hock it up to a pc and do the hybird thing ...

I´d love for the ren to come with 10 outs and be standalone ... Standalone all the way!!

JAH wrote:@Coz
I don't think long time users will just ditch their "aging" MPCs. In fact, I am looking for an MPC 2500 (or even a 3000) in addition to the MPC Ren.

Not everyone wants/needs multiple MPCs. Akai could have consolidated more of the user base by offering true standalone, even if it was an expensive built to order upgrade to the standard Ren.

It's irrelevant anyway because they've settled on following Maschine's lead.

...of course the naked controlerway is the right way to go these days....

and of course we never get back what mpc's once made so famous....the unbeatable tightness....rocksolid and superswingy at the same time....the trust, once it's running it's running, whatever comes.....the special sound of dealing with hardwaresampling....
the feel of an instrument...quantise gliding....working with NOT all possebilities at all times.....
AND the fact that on a stand alone machine you where always sure, it's only your shit comin out there.....

try that with that software.....WE HAVE'NT EVEN TOUCHED YET.....he he.....

i still have two mpcs....my 2000 is from the first day....means 17 years old....still workin' fine....

and now let me count my computers i had since that day.....wait a second...that will take a while.....

from these new mpc's NOT ONE will still be part of serious recordproductions in only 5 years from now....not one...promise.....

but hey, a tabledisco like maschine or ren or studio is a goody....and goodies don't need to last forever.....there only the hot shit for one summer anyway....
once the blinkin lights, there sooo useful, are dead....the whole gadget is dead, too...
but nukai would'nt be nukai if they would'nt give you the next nu goody at this piont...

Funny thing half the cats screaming standalone are just fine with the mpc they have now. And even if akai had released a new standalone unit, they still wouldn't have brought it just like they didn't go for mpc 5000.

A mpc is whatever unit you are the most comfortable on for studio or live usage. The current mpcs are fine new or used just as they are. However the new users that never had mpcs won't know the difference as they are coming up on fruity loops and reason.

Ren is what it is. A computer based mpc first of it's kind from here on out. Should, coulda, woulda ain't going change a thing. Cause most mpc users were not going to buy a new $3000 mpc anyways. And alot of new cats would have gone for the cheaper option maschine.

But hey their are plenty of mpc hardware choices in the buy and sell section on this very site with software wave editing on the display. Is dont matter if you can bang out a beat with any mpc!!!!!!

I predict after Ren is released buyers will make tracks with it and if they don't like it, they will just sell it and use something else. And the naysayers will still be making music with their current units.

So all of the back and forth of this and that is for what if you were fine three weeks ago with what you have now????

Blue Haze wrote:Funny thing half the cats screaming standalone are just fine with the mpc they have now. And even if akai had released a new standalone unit, they still wouldn't have brought it just like they didn't go for mpc 5000.

A mpc is whatever unit you are the most comfortable on for studio or live usage. The current mpcs are fine new or used just as they are. However the new users that never had mpcs won't know the difference as they are coming up on fruity loops and reason.

Ren is what it is. A computer based mpc first of it's kind from here on out. Should, coulda, woulda ain't going change a thing. Cause most mpc users were not going to buy a new $3000 mpc anyways. And alot of new cats would have gone for the cheaper option maschine.

But hey their are plenty of mpc hardware choices in the buy and sell section on this very site with software wave editing on the display. Is dont matter if you can bang out a beat with any mpc!!!!!!

I predict after Ren is released buyers will make tracks with it and if they don't like it, they will just sell it and use something else. And the naysayers will still be making music with their current units.

So all of the back and forth of this and that is for what if you were fine three weeks ago with what you have now????

This pretty much sums things up.

cyrus wrote:

ansiaaa wrote:I'd have liked it to be standalone, but I understand the choice to make it like Maschine.

the only thing that bothers me is that it won't be like that, since it has already been said that for some thing you will NEED to watch the computer screen... (ex. when editing samples, you'll see the waveform only on the comp screen)

cmon, on Maschine you can even control VST's on the 2 lcd screens!

HELLFIRE, i'm in the same state of mind as you are in....I dont care about standalone (typical mpc standalone)

however, i think ansiaaa makes a valid point.

if akai can't make the controller "turn monitor off standalone" then all we really have is a redesigned mpd controller........

the thing here is, people will use the product differantly weither you like it or not:

1.some will use the controller completely standalone without looking at monitor
2.some will use only monitor
3.some will use hybrid of monitor and controller

I personally think that #3 is what will end up being the choice of most everyone.........however, i can't say that the other 2 points are invalid. differant strokes for differant folks.........

the smart choice is to offer all 3 options. and i think maschine gets that.

wether you are a hardware purist or not does not matter. akai is trying to transition its users from hardware to software hybrid.........so why out the gate remove some basic controller standalone features? like waveform editing? that your comptetitor can already do? wether you like it or not, you have to listen to those hardware standalone users and at bare minimum, try to accomidate some of the features they would like in the new software hybrid to bring them over to the otherside.......otherwise you just lost those users.

HERE is the the annoying part.....none of this is "impossible" to accomplish. Akai can make the controller completely "monitor free" if they want to. they are suppose to be **** the sampler kings arent they?

what if you went to Dr.Dre and said "ill pay whatever for a dope beat" and he says "well, lets start with the basics first, I want to make sure i get the beat right first, then well expand from there" **** no, you go to dre cause he's the best. get the **** out of here dre, you can suck my dick if you say that to me.

we go to akai cause the mpc is suppose to be the best..........


edit: sorry, edited post for grammar and vlugarities...

Yeah, I do agree 100% with that! And I KNOW FOR A FACT, that not including Waveform editing on the MPC screen will be a huge mistake. I know some people can chop with their ears only and shit, but that ain't how I work. I dial in my chops by EYE FIRST, then use my ears to fine tune the chops.

However, I made this thread because people were complaining about lack of standalone BEFORE we all even found out that Waveforms will only be view-able on the computer monitor. So I think for most of the people upset about it, this isn't/wasn't even a factor. The lack of waveform editing is just like salt thrown into whatever wound people already had from lack of standalone.

Coz wrote:

DJ Hellfire wrote:Yeah. True. But I would think they could easily make only the hardware standalone and make the software require the hardware like pro tools used to do. But hen people would just have something else to be upset and complain about! I can see it now: "**** you akai. Why the software gotta be locked to your wack hardware? Why can't I use my maschine controller with your software?"

1. There's no pleasing everyone!


2. I've been hammering Maschine this week and on a few occasions the timing has glitched and missed a beat. Almost like a record jumping. It wouldn't be so bad if it was a heavy project, but it was just a basic 4 bar loop with a bunch of single drum hits and no VST effects or instruments. It's disconcerting when you're just listening to what you've played, and a weird glitch randomly happens and throws the timing off.

3. That's where standalone MPCs shine, because they are totally solid and predictable in their timing. You could set your watch by them!

1. Ain't that the **** truth?!

2. That's weird! I haven't had that happen!

3. This is true! But I have this question, not just for you Coz, but for all advocates of a hardware units. If it could have been standalone, what features would you have liked in it that can't be done on a current modern MPC? Obviously, you'd have 14 useless Q-link knobs, since you really only need 2 for chopping, and only 1 for Q-Link automation.

glide wrote:Stand alone gets my vote ...

Doing live shows for one without a PC has always been one of the biggest appeals of the MPC range ..

No latency!!! & perfect timing

also being able to take my mpc anywhere & sample vinyl from some DJ´s selection at his place or at a vintage collector in his basement or wherever... not having to drag a computer around

Anyone else hate fan & HD noise?..

there are many other minor things, and I for one like being able to walk into a all hardware studios without the need of turning on a computer ..

And on the flip side, once you get back to your home studio, then you can hock it up to a pc and do the hybird thing ...

I´d love for the ren to come with 10 outs and be standalone ... Standalone all the way!!

OK, this is all great, but my thing is why do you need a NEW MPC to do all of this? Old ones do it just find. How will having another new hardware MPC help your gig?

Complaining? Its like people in the forum feel an MPC is an entitlement. It is not a stand alone hardware MPC. The current specs indicates no graphic waveform editing on the LCD. I am sure it will be missing 1 or more functions found on legacy MPC gear that you may or may not use. And I am equally sure it won't have specific functions that you feel a software sampler should have. Akai (or any company) is not obligated to build exactly what you (plural form) think they should build.

In the end...simply don't buy it if isn't what you want/need. There are plenty of other options...whether its a legacy MPC, MV, or even Maschine.

Feel free to continue b!tching.

Blue Haze wrote:Funny thing half the cats screaming standalone are just fine with the mpc they have now. And even if akai had released a new standalone unit, they still wouldn't have brought it just like they didn't go for mpc 5000.

And this right here is my main point!

It cracks me up how you break these discussions down into numbered bullet points H!

DJ Hellfire wrote:If it could have been standalone, what features would you have liked in it that can't be done on a current modern MPC?

In the simplest terms, a full-blown modern MPC but with the extra ability to hook up to a software front end. Kinda like the Ren, but with the ability to go full standalone.

I'm not really into this "make a beat down the beach, or wear your beat machine on a chain" bullshit, but a true standalone or hardware accelerated controller would offer the best of both worlds.

DJ Hellfire wrote:OK, this is all great, but my thing is why do you need a NEW MPC to do all of this? Old ones do it just find. How will having another new hardware MPC help your gig?

You could apply this to so many products, why do we feel we need a new computer half the time? Really we probably don't, it's usually for updated specs and I think that's what a lot of people who want standalone were hoping for with the new series.

Not a change to the existing format of the MPC per se, but upgraded hardware. Faster processors etc... you know usual stuff. But without having to rely on another piece of hardware and drivers, which can be succeptible to playing up.

Personally, standalone to me is very important. The workflow I get between computers and hardware bits are completely different but both have their place of course. It's just sometimes the last thing in the world I want is to have everything switched on. I want to sit in my back garden with a few samples, a cup of tea and a new way of working. Standalone lets me go into a new environment, whereas an iMac... less so. I also find if I use Ableton exclusively time after time I get very stale, very quickly. That's when I go away, re-think and refresh.

Obviously it all comes down to personal preference, and nobody can deny that when it comes to super fast audio editing and polishing a computer is more or less unbeaten. But working on ideas I'd rather have a choice.

The other thing is this. Me personally, the Ren is exactly what I needed from Akai and have been hoping for since tracking 8-outs became so tedious due to the fact that I never use less than 8 channels worth of sounds in a beat. So to make this thing hybrid, they would have had to thrown in a motherboard & processor, ram, effects board, and a couple different ways to save/load (CF/SD or hard drive). I don't need all that extra shit and am more than happy to not be obligated to pay for it. I don't even need the interface that's included and don't give two shits about MPC 3000 sound! So I'd rather pay for as little un-needed shit as possible!