Who are the brains behind the MPC renaissance?

Hello All,


I was wondering who are the brains behind the MPC Renaissance? Did Roger Linn get involved in anyway? Are the main developers for the MPC Ren in Rhode Island or the UK? I was curious to see whose behind it, and wonder what role sonnivox is going to play with the ren.

Here's an interview with Numark CEO Jack O' Donnell-

Seems like he's all about his business. Wonder who is more profitable between Native Instruments and Numark. Plus will the Ren last longer than Maschine. That's the question!?

jman wrote: Did Roger Linn get involved in anyway?

Somehow I just don't think so....


What was it he said in that NAMM vid about the "Hoover vacuum cleaner" of music production?

jman wrote: Plus will the Ren last longer than Maschine.

If history is any indication.....all companies that have produced sampling drum machine workstations eventually abandon their product line (Emu, Ensoniq, Yamaha, Roland, etc). The MPC line has thrived for the past 25 years...and with 3 new products, that is at least another 3 years.

Hopefully NI will do what the other companies failed to do....keep a competing product on the market. Its good for the end users.

jman wrote:Hello All,


I was wondering who are the brains behind the MPC Renaissance?

http://www.sonivoxmi.com

Adding the features of some of these products would be huge..............

jman wrote:Hello All,


I was wondering who are the brains behind the MPC Renaissance? Did Roger Linn get involved in anyway? Are the main developers for the MPC Ren in Rhode Island or the UK? I was curious to see whose behind it, and wonder what role sonnivox is going to play with the ren.

Here's an interview with Numark CEO Jack O' Donnell-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cHDlR3Q4tGQ

Seems like he's all about his business. Wonder who is more profitable between Native Instruments and Numark. Plus will the Ren last longer than Maschine. That's the question!?

I watched part of the Jack interview, and it was the typical corporate talking head yada yada blah blah blah about markets and growth...he was mainly talking about the Brazilian market, and since Ive never lived there, I cant speak on what he said being true, factual or even "real news" to anybody in the Western Hemisphere in general, and this forum in particular...If you dont know, weve been too busy here fighting the next war with the last wars tactics>>>complaining about old machines, name calling, incriminations, and insults, spreading speculation, dirty rumors and vicious lies

Now on to you question about profit. What do you think costs more to develop: HARDWARE or SOFTWARE?

Nextly, what do you think will last longer: A device that has over 20 years of design and build improvements and THREE usb ports or, a USB controller with only ONE port?
Which do you think would be worth fixing if it does break?
Which can you imagine yourself making music on for the next 5-7 years?

Always and forever,
2 KOOL 4 SKOOL

strugglebuggiemusic wrote:
Nextly, what do you think will last longer: A device that has over 20 years of design and build improvements and THREE usb ports or, a USB controller with only ONE port?

Always and forever,
2 KOOL 4 SKOOL

With any luck, NI will continue to make a profit off of Maschine and keep developing it so there is an alternative to the MPC Ren/Studio. This will keep both companies sharp.

strugglebuggiemusic wrote:what do you think will last longer: A device that has over 20 years of design and build improvements and THREE usb ports or, a USB controller with only ONE port?
Which do you think would be worth fixing if it does break?

You should ask that to all the MPC owners experiencing constant crashes and the pads/switches/screen dying, with a shrinking supply of replacement parts, some of which are not even made anymore. And they all cost significantly more money and time to replace then say, a USB controller. The truth is that MPCs do freeze and crash, not to mention buggy software/updates not being fixed for years on end.

Case in point:

Akai MPC Forums - mpc 3000 freeze : MPC3000, MPC60
dxarmy.com sp1200 forum :: MPC 3000 Freeze
electro-music.com :: View topic - MPC 3000
Akai MPC Forums - bottom 4 pads not respondin like they used to : MPC1000
Akai MPC Forums - Lost control of the pads : MPC1000
Akai MPC Forums - 2nd mp1000 stutters as hell + sequencing off timing : MPC1000
Akai MPC Forums - Lame ass mpc! : MPC1000
Akai MPC Forums - has anyone modified their broken jog wheel? : MPC1000
Akai MPC Forums - MPC tact switches started goin out : MPC1000
Akai MPC Forums - Q-link slider generates random midi data - pcb problem? : MPC1000
Akai MPC Forums - weird MPC SYNC problem... : MPC1000
Akai MPC Forums - MPC 5000 OS 2.0 Bug Thread : MPC5000
Akai MPC Forums - MPC4000 screen has stopped working : MPC4000

The fact that Akai's online store itself no longer sells any new hardware MPC and only has some refurbished items for sale is the final nail in the coffin for the longevity of hardware MPCs.

But making beats will live on, whats the point?

@emptysea

Software freezing? Are you serious? I have yet to buy software that hasn't froze or crashed. On both PC and Mac. And this includes the software in Maschine. Implying that it is isolated to MPCs is silly.

As far as hardware....all hardware will eventually need to be repaired at some point as nothing lasts forever. To include NIs $600 controller...the same price many people paid for their various model MPCs.

With companies like MPC Stuff, Forat, VST Service, etc., hardware MPC users still have services and parts available to fix their maschines if trouble arises. Tact switches? That is a $30 fix that I did recently myself...

"software freeze" LOL Are you serving up some frozen yogurt?

The point is that computers can crash and this includes MPCs.

JAH wrote:I have yet to buy software that hasn't froze or crashed.

Something is wrong with your system dude. My computer pretty much never freezes/crashes.

emptysea wrote:"software freeze" LOL Are you serving up some frozen yogurt?

The point is that computers can crash and this includes MPCs.

JAH wrote:I have yet to buy software that hasn't froze or crashed.

Something is wrong with your system dude. My computer pretty much never freezes/crashes.

No I am serving you up because of your misleading comments. The point is...you are here making certain claims implying they are isolated to MPCs which is false.

Your computer "pretty much never freezes/crashes"? BS if you are using Window's or OSX and running 3rd party software (DAW, VSTs, etc). Its well documented throughout the internet in their respective forums.

In the end....if you feel MPCs are a piece of junk...use an alternative product. But I suspect you will be right back when you realize that the alternative product is no match for an MPC.

after using every mpc for years and years Ive only seen a handful of locks ups/crashes. Its not any kind of reason to avoid them. Obviously computers crash way more but even then its not a reason to avoid them either. When they crash its for a reason. Also its easy to fix mpcs.


how well do your computers from 1989 work? My mpcs work a lot better.

JAH wrote:With any luck, NI will continue to make a profit off of Maschine and keep developing it so there is an alternative to the MPC Ren/Studio. This will keep both companies sharp.

Again, jah i agree with you. if roland never pulled the plug on the MV and continued to support it via os updates, i think everyone would have seen a 5k os update. if a company sells a product with no direct competition, why bother to update it. there is no one to compete with so you either use this product as is or find something else. its the "i'm the only player on the block so who cares what you think..." syndrome.

in response to what going on in this thread - throughout using a mpc2000xl for years and now a 1000 i have def experienced crashes, bugs etc... to the point where i wanted to bash my damn mpc on the ground because i just wasted 5 hours transferring samples or needed to track out 4 beats all stopped from a broken button or faulty rotary encoder. i curse akai for not really being able to supply old parts, but if youre smart, persistent and dig deep (here and the internets) youll find all the info you need. hours or days later, i get it fixed, panic adverted and im right back pumping out beats on that very same unit i was cursing at. i learned how to solder, i learned where things go, got into the habit of taking my akai apart alot to keep things in order. you think its overboard but for a unit thats over 12 years old (mpc2kxl) its only normal. id never do this with a 12 year old computer. overall, i guess you can say its a love/hate relationship with my mpcs lol

as to the OP i have no clue about the brains behind the Ren, but i was at Forats about a month ago and all he said were great things about the renaissance. if you know Forat hes been in the business with MPCs and im pretty sure worked with roger lynn since the beginning in the 80s so his opinion would be credible. the only gripe he had about the Ren is its geared way more toward software than the stand alone units akai were praised by (ALL of the MPCs before the Renaissance, right?). however you guys can correct me - we werent really sure on the specs so were juggling if it is solely software based similar to the maschine or both stand alone/software. nonetheless, i wish i could afford one! my 2 cents!

mumkai wrote:throughout using a mpc2000xl for years and now a 1000 i have def experienced crashes, bugs etc... to the point where i wanted to bash my damn mpc on the ground because i just wasted 5 hours transferring samples or needed to track out 4 beats all stopped from a broken button or faulty rotary encoder. i curse akai for not really being able to supply old parts

"I think Maschine is a really great tool for producers who want to throw their MPCs in the garbage." - Flying Lotus

mumkai wrote:the only gripe he had about the Ren is its geared way more toward software than the stand alone units akai were praised by (ALL of the MPCs before the Renaissance, right?). however you guys can correct me - we werent really sure on the specs so were juggling if it is solely software based similar to the maschine or both stand alone/software.

Actually it's been well established here and elsewhere that the new "MPC"s will not have any standalone hardware functionality at all despite Akai's repeated misleading use of the word "standalone" (referring to the software application) in its marketing blitz. It's just software with a controller and a built-in soundcard.