Share your knowledge on these two classic MPCs
By mike_mcroberts Tue Oct 02, 2012 4:38 pm
vinyl_junkie_1620 wrote:Seeing as there is a lot of Akai info here I'll post my conversation with another Akai fella by the name of Stephen Howell who was involved with them since around the S-900 developing sound libraries and also designing the UI for the S2000, S3000XL, S5/6000 and ak.Sys amongst other bits for Akai and other manufacturers.

The two guys mentioned bellow are David Cockerell (EMS, Electro Harmonix, Akai and others) and Chris Huggett (EDP, Akai, Novation)

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I still have disks created by Steve Howell. I ran into him at the NAMM Show about 4-5 years ago, and he was at the Akai booth. This was right after Akai had been bought by Jack O'Donnell.

David Cockerell, in particular, is one of the true synth pioneers. You didn't mention Mike Mathews, who started Electro Harmonix, and hired David from EMS. Mike had a close association with Akai for a while.

Mike McRoberts
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By crossings Tue Oct 02, 2012 7:43 pm
we really need to get these guys together and make a book of all these stories... what was going on behind the scenes of the creation of these [now classic] samplers... something like that SP1200 book, but MUCH MORE complete...

thanks for sharing all this info, mr. mcroberts... it's threads like this one that make this forum worth the visit.
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By sensei Tue Oct 02, 2012 11:44 pm
crossings wrote:we really need to get these guys together and make a book of all these stories... what was going on behind the scenes of the creation of these [now classic] samplers... something like that SP1200 book, but MUCH MORE complete...


This would be very cool. The SP1200 book is great, in fact I like any kofi table book associated with beat making.
By daftmunk Wed Oct 03, 2012 10:55 am
m56p87 wrote:He actually apologized for putting a few things up that probably will never get made, like the linnstrument. I just imagine this is another one, especially since he talked about all his side projects and left this out.

I'm with you though, would love to see this actualized. Especially since the tempest kind of blows in my opinion, unless your an electronic live preformer... :roll: :smoker:

Edit:reading on the net and on his site it seems like he took his ideas from this and put them into the tempest and that's the end of it.


i'm not so sure the project is dead although it's pretty damn close to vaporware at this point, the last line on his site leaves it open though: LinnDrum II is still in development but given the recent focus on Tempest development, it's won't be coming soon. I know DSi are actively working on a undisclosed project at the moment, and given the success of Tempest (which by the way i own and it doesn't blow, other then the competition away, in the analog drum machine department of course :wink: ) one can only dream they're working on it!

btw, i'd love an MPC book similar to the SP1200 one which btw i'm still trying to get ahold of (apparently they're having publisher issues atm)
By m56p87 Wed Oct 03, 2012 4:55 pm
+1000 on the MPC book, the market is definitely there too.

Another factoid I remembered from the linn/Craig lecture; he talked about creating the original linn drum and how at the time people were just getting into having the ability to use alternate drum hits in thier drum machines. He was a week away from releasing the Linn drum and people were on him about swapping in different sounds, so in a pinch he realized one night you could unscrew the front and replace the EPROM chips yourself and Bam after making no changes to the machine what so ever he marketed it as having interchangeable sounds. He said in hind sight it might not have been too smart having people at the time opening their expensive high voltage machines and noodling around when the technology was pretty new.

Also I'm sure this is widely known, but he also brought up the sole reason why the kick was always on the left. When engineers mixed down tracks they usually put the kick drum on the left, then the snare etc.. I thought it was really cool to see how enigeers/tech guys made these little choices that effected devices for decades and decades and the choices really had nothing todo with a making better creation experience it was just what made sense to them as an enigeer.

He also was super hyped to see people like Arab music* using the MPC as an instrument and all the crazy ways people play the machine. Especially since he invented all these devices to be drum accompaniment in musicians homes and not the full blown cult followed creation device it is.

All in all he seemed really into seeing how people made the MPC their own, and pushed it beyond it's original concept. I can tell he really has a passion for helping people create in a way that's native to them. I definitely have a new sense of respect for the guy, and he really embraces the culture surrounds the devices hes created. :smoker:

Edit: also he said the only reason the adr15 exists, is because they brought it to him before release to give it a whirl and he demanded they change the view screen to be tilted so they changed it and released the mpc60 we know now. Interesting that when they made the mpc2000 with out him they opted to remove the titled screen and then I'm sure everyone complained and they put it back in the xl.
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By wudsiba Wed Oct 03, 2012 7:25 pm
I would love a book about the mpc. Anyone read the sp1200 book? Is it any good?
EDIT: Best thread in a long time, by the way...
By master-ceo Wed Oct 24, 2012 4:17 pm
Suspenders in the US. :mrgreen:

Damn sure looks like him. Andy is a AKAI OG from back in the day?
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By Mike Boogie Wed Oct 24, 2012 9:25 pm
mike_mcroberts wrote:Pictures you ask? This was taken during the making of the MPC60 training video around May 1988. I'm at the left, Roger Linn in the chair.
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This picture SCREAMS 80's!!! The furniture, the Coors cans, cig smoking inside!!! That was the good ole days... :smoker:

:shock: BTW... That DOES damn sure look like Andy Mac!!! :shock:


P.S. Oh Mike, Nice Members Only jacket!
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By Roger Nodge Wed Oct 24, 2012 9:36 pm
MPC-Tutor wrote:
mike_mcroberts wrote:Pictures you ask? This was taken during the making of the MPC60 training video around May 1988. I'm at the left, Roger Linn in the chair.
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Geezer on the right with the braces - Andy Mac? Uncanny. Even got the same shirt on.

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IMO the same shirt thing is beyond a reasonable doubt considering the time between pics!! :lol:
By Clint Wed Oct 24, 2012 11:23 pm
Elton John, Phil Collins and Andy Mac...