Should I swap my 2500 for the 4000

clint246clint wrote:

pspsounds wrote:Somebody grabbed the 4000 over the weekend. They go fast.

Or maybe, you go slow...

Yeah, you have to hop on the 4k. She's the mother of all MPCs.

For serial, try getting a new pad sensor array from someone like MPC-Stuff.com. The sensors on your machine might just be old and beat to death. Also search setting up the tilt velocity, etc. in the modulation matrix in this forum. Feline has some good posts about setting the gain structure so you actually hear the difference.

Coz wrote:

pspsounds wrote:Anybody had experience with both and which is better?

On the downside... with my 4K the pads are rubbish! I have to set the sensitivity to 200% to get anywhere close to an acceptable level of playability.

atestarr wrote:try getting a new pad sensor array from someone like MPC-Stuff.com. The sensors on your machine might just be old and beat to death.

I was looking at MPC Stuff and VST Service earlier today for exactly that, just to get an idea of price. I'll probably invest when I get paid.

atestarr wrote:Also search setting up the tilt velocity, etc. in the modulation matrix in this forum. Feline has some good posts about setting the gain structure so you actually hear the difference.

My tilt velocity is set at +34 which appears to be the optimum setting according to some of those old threads. The gain structure doesn't make a lot of sense to me at this point though...

Having to turn other sounds down so your target sound is 'louder' is not the optimum setup IMO. Not by a long way.

I'll have to dig around to see if I can find some better workarounds.

Mike at MPC-Stuff has been consistently great. His post sales service is where he really shines. My .02.

Coz wrote:

atestarr wrote:try getting a new pad sensor array from someone like MPC-Stuff.com. The sensors on your machine might just be old and beat to death.

I was looking at MPC Stuff and VST Service earlier today for exactly that, just to get an idea of price. I'll probably invest when I get paid.

atestarr wrote:Also search setting up the tilt velocity, etc. in the modulation matrix in this forum. Feline has some good posts about setting the gain structure so you actually hear the difference.

My tilt velocity is set at +34 which appears to be the optimum setting according to some of those old threads. The gain structure doesn't make a lot of sense to me at this point though...

Having to turn other sounds down so your target sound is 'louder' is not the optimum setup IMO. Not by a long way.

I'll have to dig around to see if I can find some better workarounds.

Maybe this will help...

The 4K can read the current AKP programs that have been made for the S5000-S6000 and the Z4-Z8 samplers. The 2500 might be able, yet it is not listed (via Akai comparison). Therefore the 4000 creates keygroups naturally. Yes the 5000 can do this, via OS upgrade only. If you use multisamples and want to recreate a keyboard, or what ever, it makes more sense to use a machine that supports it from the ground up. Many "MPC-purists" don't like it. Yet, it is a very good option to do this, via the "Multis" function, similar to Performances loaded with Patches on Roland equipment, as well as have your drum programs at the same time. By the way, in the MPC-Resources section of this site, there exists many newer programs that will now support many of the older MPC and S-Series samplers.

The 4000 also has 6 pad banks. That is 96 samples pads, 32 more than every other MPC, more than the 500 can see (though I like my 500, it's good to 'go' ). So, if you set up the muiltisample program per midi channel, with this machine, you have lots of drums, samples or phrases you can manipulate. Imagine 16 midi channels, times 88 keys (just specialized pad banks at this point). That would be 1408 pads at you command. That is how I viewed my Akai S2000 when I got it before I ever got an MPC!

Akai S-2000 http://www.vintagesynth.com/akai/s2000.php

Okay, so you can write quick music "masters" to the CD in the 2500 versus the 4000. Yet, the 4000 can have the 8 outs and the Adat out board installed for more options. I have the wordclockdigital out, 8 outs installed on mine. It also has the same SCSI-port installed like the MPC2000/2K-XL. RIAA phono input standard, XLR and quarter inch standard outputs. Two USB ports (type "B" to use with the AkSys software, one standard 2.0 port that you can connect card readers, zip, hardrives, etc.) I've upgraded mine with a internal IDE to internal SATA bridge that allows me to use my Seagate Barracuda 1TB internal harddrive. Yes one-Terabyte, one-thousand Gigabytes harddrive. A portable studio if you asked me...

The 4000 supports more of the Akai libraries for input. I don't think the 2500 has as many.

Yes, the 4000 has many built in options. So you'll have to download the manuals, and all of its revisions from Akai. JJ-OS might give more, but take some options away, on the 2500. At this point it is all about how dedicated you will be in learning about the machine you've invested in. As always, read the manual.

I have both machines, so I can skin an animal in many different ways with these, and the other machines I have (look at my signature). But, It all boils down to your preference, your diligence and the depth of you pocket when it come to making that hit of your dreams, or making the beats that every group will seek you out for!

Peace and good luck!!

MPCWeapon1 wrote:I have both machines. I love both, but......

This is my favorite

and 10 years later all we get is the Ren, GTFOH! Look at the I/O and functionality on the 4000, its off the radar.

All Nukai needed to do is enchance chop shop AND make the MPC4000 remote controllable from Virtual Plugins / MPC type software. But hey, maybe they struggled to find anyone with the skills to work with direct assmebly language and get the most of these fine standalone Hardware devices.

This feels to me like the 80s when everyone jumped onto all digital synths, now 30 years later folks drop Analog synths like there is no tomorrow (Arturia, Dave Smith etc)

We will have to wait another 10 years to get the hybrid of MPC Ren and MPC4000 ! Ain't that a ****.