Bug reports & end-user support for Akai's MPC Software 'controllers' including the new MPC Studio 2, the MPC Touch, MPC Renaissance & original MPC Studio and MPC StudioB lack.
By UCAudio Fri Mar 30, 2012 6:26 pm
ddanielsbeats wrote:Hey Andy or Dan
Will the parts per quarter note (ppqn) be adjustable? This is a very nice feature to ad becuz the old sequencers on the 3000 was 196 i think, that would play a major key of getting that vintage sound and groove on the old mpcs, since the the newer models run on 960, that groove wont flow the same. I know the beat thang has this feat , im not a fan of the product but this one feature is the only thing goin for it and i would love the mpc to implement it.
Check out this video of explanation

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=uYVei7SFWgo


YES, this would be needed to really emulate the 60 or 3000.

ALSO, a lot of the sound of the 60 and 3000 came from the audio input circuit which contained an analog saturator/compressor to try to maximize the signal to noise ratio. That could be overdriven to which gave those machines extra BANG/KNOCK/SATURATION. Does the Renn have this type of analog input circuit?

FINALLY, the MPC 60 had a distinct groove due to subtle sloppiness (Roger Linn actually apologized for this in the manual). Samples couldn't play back at EXACTLY the same time (neither could midi due to the serial nature of the protocol). I did some extensive testing/analysis on my MPC 60 output and saw that sampled audio when played back at the exact same time position in the MPC... would actually output with 5 milliseconds of space in between each sample... and subtle variation/randomness within a 1 millisecond window. The midi notes spit out with 1 millisecond between each note with randomness within an additional 1 millisecond window. Apparently the 3000 processed audio sample playback 3 times faster than the 60. All of this should be emulated in the vintage modes to really do it right.
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By Lampdog Fri Mar 30, 2012 8:06 pm
You and "labcoats" have a lot in common sounds like :lol:
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By DJ Hellfire Fri Mar 30, 2012 10:58 pm
UCAudio wrote:FINALLY, the MPC 60 had a distinct groove due to subtle sloppiness (Roger Linn actually apologized for this in the manual). Samples couldn't play back at EXACTLY the same time (neither could midi due to the serial nature of the protocol). I did some extensive testing/analysis on my MPC 60 output and saw that sampled audio when played back at the exact same time position in the MPC... would actually output with 5 milliseconds of space in between each sample... and subtle variation/randomness within a 1 millisecond window. The midi notes spit out with 1 millisecond between each note with randomness within an additional 1 millisecond window. Apparently the 3000 processed audio sample playback 3 times faster than the 60. All of this should be emulated in the vintage modes to really do it right.


Interesting you mention this since a lot of people here have been complaining about this SAME EXACT shit happening on computer sequencers, and in the same complaint praising hardware MPC's for having such "tight" sequencers! Go figure!
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By JAH Fri Mar 30, 2012 11:58 pm
DJ Hellfire wrote:
UCAudio wrote:FINALLY, the MPC 60 had a distinct groove due to subtle sloppiness (Roger Linn actually apologized for this in the manual). Samples couldn't play back at EXACTLY the same time (neither could midi due to the serial nature of the protocol). I did some extensive testing/analysis on my MPC 60 output and saw that sampled audio when played back at the exact same time position in the MPC... would actually output with 5 milliseconds of space in between each sample... and subtle variation/randomness within a 1 millisecond window. The midi notes spit out with 1 millisecond between each note with randomness within an additional 1 millisecond window. Apparently the 3000 processed audio sample playback 3 times faster than the 60. All of this should be emulated in the vintage modes to really do it right.


Interesting you mention this since a lot of people here have been complaining about this SAME EXACT **** happening on computer sequencers, and in the same complaint praising hardware MPC's for having such "tight" sequencers! Go figure!

So does this mean the MPC 5000 has the MPC 60's distinct groove? :D
By bobbybland Sat Mar 31, 2012 1:36 am
DJ Hellfire wrote:
bobbybland wrote:Hi Andy or Akai Support, Thanks for answering questions,can you answer these please.. As currently Maschine is driving me nuts..

1. Will the Mpc REN be able to make use of it's Transport inside DAWs?
How will this work, midi clock,mtc?

2. Can the Mpc REN save our program output assignments for the mixer, and reload new kits without effecting the mixer? for example Maschine cannot save the output section to different outputs once a new kit is loaded, it's extremley tedious setting up mixes in daws because of this..

This is a huge deal for me!!

Thanks again if you can shed any light on these questions..



1. This does suck!

2. This is how all MPC's have also operated in the past. Outputs are always linked to the pad within a program, not the pad globally. I actually prefer it this way, especially in Maschine for the simple fact that not all sounds are stereo and not all are mono. So depending on the sound within a kit you load, you need to make sure it's going to the correct amount of outs; mono or stereo. I wouldn't want it defaulting to all stereo outs or all mono outs. I'd rather select the proper ones manually for each sound!


I think your missing the point here, my last Mpc was 2500/5000, now when I make a program, and choose different outs on it, then save it, yes it will load back, BUT if I want to load a new kit with the outs I just chose, it overwrites them n goes back to default outs, this is what I don't want..

What I'm saying is I'd like to choose the outs, and then every kit I load, I want to keep the output assignment I chose.. track 1 - kick w/api 550 track 2. snare w/api 560 track 3 etc.. Now loading a new drum kit,from a program SHOULD not mess up my mixer/console.. You understand?
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By JAH Sat Mar 31, 2012 2:15 am
bobbybland wrote:
DJ Hellfire wrote:
bobbybland wrote:Hi Andy or Akai Support, Thanks for answering questions,can you answer these please.. As currently Maschine is driving me nuts..

1. Will the Mpc REN be able to make use of it's Transport inside DAWs?
How will this work, midi clock,mtc?

2. Can the Mpc REN save our program output assignments for the mixer, and reload new kits without effecting the mixer? for example Maschine cannot save the output section to different outputs once a new kit is loaded, it's extremley tedious setting up mixes in daws because of this..

This is a huge deal for me!!

Thanks again if you can shed any light on these questions..



1. This does suck!

2. This is how all MPC's have also operated in the past. Outputs are always linked to the pad within a program, not the pad globally. I actually prefer it this way, especially in Maschine for the simple fact that not all sounds are stereo and not all are mono. So depending on the sound within a kit you load, you need to make sure it's going to the correct amount of outs; mono or stereo. I wouldn't want it defaulting to all stereo outs or all mono outs. I'd rather select the proper ones manually for each sound!


I think your missing the point here, my last Mpc was 2500/5000, now when I make a program, and choose different outs on it, then save it, yes it will load back, BUT if I want to load a new kit with the outs I just chose, it overwrites them n goes back to default outs, this is what I don't want..

What I'm saying is I'd like to choose the outs, and then every kit I load, I want to keep the output assignment I chose.. track 1 - kick w/api 550 track 2. snare w/api 560 track 3 etc.. Now loading a new drum kit,from a program SHOULD not mess up my mixer/console.. You understand?


Sounds to me like there are two things needed. One way like the classic MPC way of completly starting from default program where you have to make all your output assignments. And another way like a user template where you can save your output settings and have the MPC Ren recall these settings.
By bobbybland Sat Mar 31, 2012 3:59 am
Exactly that would be helpful for those of us who mix alot but are constantly checking other kits to compare with ease of use.


Andy or Akai support, can you comment on this, n perhaps how transport control will work in daws?
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By DJ Hellfire Sat Mar 31, 2012 4:25 am
bobbybland wrote:I think your missing the point here, my last Mpc was 2500/5000, now when I make a program, and choose different outs on it, then save it, yes it will load back, BUT if I want to load a new kit with the outs I just chose, it overwrites them n goes back to default outs, this is what I don't want..

What I'm saying is I'd like to choose the outs, and then every kit I load, I want to keep the output assignment I chose.. track 1 - kick w/api 550 track 2. snare w/api 560 track 3 etc.. Now loading a new drum kit,from a program SHOULD not mess up my mixer/console.. You understand?



Yeah, I got what you were saying the first time. I'm saying that your gripe with Maschine is how all prior MPC's were as well, which obviously you know! This is standard function on any equipment.

Why would you want that like that? As I mentioned you could possibly be wasting usable outputs by sending mono sounds out of a defaulted pair of stereo outputs, which would be a waste of a channel per sound, as well as waste of hard drive space. And if you set up your "mixer/console" outs to defaulted mono outs, then you could possibly be loading up stereo sounds and sending them out of mono outs which would either cut one channel of the sound or send both channels out of the mono out which would ruin the stereo field of the sound. None of this is worth saving the 20 seconds it takes to assign sounds to outputs. IMO!
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By DJ Hellfire Sat Mar 31, 2012 4:31 am
bobbybland wrote:Exactly that would be helpful for those of us who mix alot but are constantly checking other kits to compare with ease of use.



For someone serious about mixing, I can't understand the sense in taking such a short cut in this regard!
By UCAudio Sat Mar 31, 2012 1:55 pm
DJ Hellfire wrote:
UCAudio wrote:FINALLY, the MPC 60 had a distinct groove due to subtle sloppiness (Roger Linn actually apologized for this in the manual). Samples couldn't play back at EXACTLY the same time (neither could midi due to the serial nature of the protocol). I did some extensive testing/analysis on my MPC 60 output and saw that sampled audio when played back at the exact same time position in the MPC... would actually output with 5 milliseconds of space in between each sample... and subtle variation/randomness within a 1 millisecond window. The midi notes spit out with 1 millisecond between each note with randomness within an additional 1 millisecond window. Apparently the 3000 processed audio sample playback 3 times faster than the 60. All of this should be emulated in the vintage modes to really do it right.


Interesting you mention this since a lot of people here have been complaining about this SAME EXACT **** happening on computer sequencers, and in the same complaint praising hardware MPC's for having such "tight" sequencers! Go figure!


Yeah, basicaly if you sequece internal vst intruments INSIDE of a DAW like Cubase for example, there is zero randomness and anything in the same position of the grid plays back the exact same time.... and sounds robotic. BUT if you use cubase to sequence external midi gear (depending on the OS, machine specs, and midi interface) you will get sloppy midi... where the randomness/jitter is worse than within the 1 second window so the groove becomes too sloppy. The MPC 60 is in between. The serial nature of the processng forces samples at the same grid position to trigger exactly 5 milliseconds apart EVERY time which doesn't throw off the groove because it is a consistant amount. In addition to that, there is a 1 millisecond window of randomness which gives it it VERY SUBTLE variation that influences the groove. Its much tighter than sequencing external gear with a computer unless your setup is really good. Anyway, its all easily measured. Id love to see Akai get really thorough about emulating the old machines. Otherwise if you jut make samples 12 bit and change their interpolation... you're only half way there and you're just doing what maschine did.
By bobbybland Sat Mar 31, 2012 4:54 pm
DJ Hellfire, options don't hurt, thats what I'm saying. 8) whats great for your workflow,might not jive with me,so if it can be an option for other users then it should be considered.
As far as mixing,I do it all day long, and if the workflow I mentioned can save me time,even minutes out of my busy schedule then I'm buying the ren.
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By psr Sat Mar 31, 2012 5:03 pm
I made beats in logic exclusively for a few years and I worked hard to get a certain groove until i learned to make groove templates then it was all 2nd nature. But it all came alive when i found some MPC timing templates that some cat made. it changed everything. felt like that mpc shuffle. night and day. I believe it was MPC 60 or MPC 3000 groove templates made directly from the machines.
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By DJ Hellfire Sat Mar 31, 2012 10:33 pm
psr wrote:I made beats in logic exclusively for a few years and I worked hard to get a certain groove until i learned to make groove templates then it was all 2nd nature. But it all came alive when i found some MPC timing templates that some cat made. it changed everything. felt like that mpc shuffle. night and day. I believe it was MPC 60 or MPC 3000 groove templates made directly from the machines.


Reason has those templates too. Works surprisingly well.
By ddanielsbeats Sat Mar 31, 2012 11:10 pm
Hey Andy or Dan
Will the parts per quarter note (ppqn) be adjustable? This is a very nice feature to ad becuz the old sequencers on the 3000 was 196 i think, that would play a major key of getting that vintage sound and groove on the old mpcs, since the the newer models run on 960, that groove wont flow the same. I know the beat thang has this feat , im not a fan of the product but this one feature is the only thing goin for it and i would love the mpc to implement it.
Check out this video of explanation

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=uYVei7SFWgo

P.s will the software support side chain comprasion