By
kvmoore
Fri Aug 23, 2013 8:39 am
One thing I like about the 4000 is having multiple options for peripheral file storage devices. The fact it supports, SCSI, USB host, and USB slave is amazing. No other MPC is this flexible. Also, I like the fact when you use the MPC4000 with Aksys, the computer not only sees what's on the MPC's harddrive or connected drives, but also everything in the machine's memory. No other MPC does that either. When you add the ability to connect other types of peripheral USB devices (computer keyboards, etc..), the advance sampler engine, large memory capacity, and other advance hardware I/O options, and a very flexible and fully featured OS, the MPC4000 is about the closest thing an MPC could be to a computer (the Ren doesn't count) without actually being one. I'd say the only thing the MPC4000 lacks is a VGA monitor output.
Now, as far as a JJOS 2500 or 1000 goes, it has a very nice and comprehensive workflow, which is what I like about it. It has all of the basic sampler features you would need. However, if you want a more advance full blown sampler engine, the 4000 can't be beat. Based on my experience with these 3 MPCs, one thing I must discuss here is program compatibility.
If you get a MPC1000 then get a MPC2500 and want to use the same sample programs, that's no problem at all as long as both machines have the same OS and OS version. However, be prepared to scratch your head if you're thinking about trying to use your JJOS MPC2500 or MPC1000 programs in a MPC4000 (the MPC4000 is not forward compatible). I'm not going to say it's impossible to do so. However, I will say it's a pain in the arse to attempt to do so because it is very time consuming. Furthermore, it would not be possible to do this without a computer and a third-party piece of sample program conversion software. Yes, that's right....you will need to convert your MPC2500 sample programs (using a computer program such as Awave Studio or Chickensystems Translator) to a format the MPC4000 will recognize, such as the S5000 or Z8 format. After you convert the sample programs and are able to load them into the MPC4000, you will then need to re-tweak several parameters with the program (envelopes, filters settings, etc....) as well as the samples (start and end points, etc...) to get the program to sound the same way it did in the MPC2500. I have successfully ported over some of my MPC2500 programs to my MPC4000 using this method. Although it took a while, I felt absolutely great after doing so and knowing I have a full sampler and all of the other advanced features of the 4000 available to my MPC2500 program, allowing me to perfect it beyond belief!!!!!
I've had my MPC4000 for a long time now. However, I've let it rest for a good while. During that rest period, I've been working in my other midi rig with the MPC1000, then later the MPC2500 not only for just making beats but also as sound design tools for perfecting my custom drum kits to my liking (which means finding good samples or creating my own samples from other sources, tweaking them with computer software, importing them into the MPC, then tweaking them further within the MPC using the MPC's trim edit and sampler engine facilities). By the way, I think everyone who owns an MPC should make their own custom drumkit. Once I get the drumkits slammin' in the MPC2500 and get them just the way I want them, I then port them to the 4000 and go to town. That way i'll have my "go to" sounds and programs in all 3 machines which are each used in different setups or applications.
I never considered using my MPC2500 or MPC1000 together with my MPC4000. Instead, each MPC has it's own MIDI rig. The MPC1000 is retired from a MIDI rig and was replaced by the MPC2500 as the brain sequencer of that rig. The MPC1000 is now mostly used for live gigs. While the MPC4000 is used in the other MIDI rig as the main sequencer for driving other MIDI drum machines/modules, it's also MTC slave synced to Nuendo 3 which is the main sequencer of the entire rig. While the Nuendo 3--Unitor 8--Amt 8 setup handles melodies from keyboards, synths, and sound modules, MPC4000 handles all of the drum-machine related sequences. This setup works beautifully and everything stays nice and tight timing wise. With this setup, I can also track vocals in Nuendo and everything stays in sync with the MIDI when it's all played back.
Oh yeah while I'm at it, I may as well say that if you're thinking about using your MPC1000/2500 sequences in your MPC4000, forget it!!!! unless you are willing to go through the trouble of exporting the sequence as a .mid file, importing it in the MPC4000 and re-tweaking the settings of all of the tracks to get the sequence to sound properly. I haven't tried this yet. However, I this is on my radar screen once I get a few more of my MPC2500 programs converted. With that said, I probably won't be converting sequence often because they won't sound the same in different MIDI rigs anyway. This might definitely come in handy for internal MPC program-only sequences though, or sequences in which I like the MPC drum beat but would rather use it with the synths from the MPC4000 rig.
Sorry for the long post but I can sit here all night and write about MPCs. In addition to them being nice machines, MPCs are also ADDICTIVE!!!! (like a drug perhaps ?) I've lost a lot of sleep because of them!!!!
