maybe this could turn the mpc into a standalone unit..

dazastah wrote:

SimonInAustralia wrote:Sure you want to be bangin' on a pressure sensitive glass screen, rather than rubber pads?

Well I wouldn't be for this but after using beat maker 2 on ipad I would def use a touch sensitive glass screen if the tech was available. but I will always prefer rubber pads..

Pressure sensitive glass screen > MPC Fly pads?

dazastah wrote:The standalone concept (unit as one not unit needing to be tethered to a central computer) for me is more like the unit is it's own instrument.. IT has it's own computer seperate from your daw tracking computer. This for me has much more benefits than tryning to have one computer to run every midi controller/ software device..
The main being if your computer fails, then you can't make anything/be creative at all. At least having things seperate you can still mess around with the instruments that still work while the other gets fixed...

Would be interesting to hear what the various reasons for wanting it to be standalone hardware, and not tethered to a computer.

Yours seems to be for redundancy.

But doesn't that negate some of the benefits of the integration, of having it all in the one computer, so you supposedly do not have to track out of a separate system into your DAW?

SimonInAustralia wrote:But doesn't that negate some of the benefits of the integration, of having it all in the one computer, so you supposedly do not have to track out of a separate system into your DAW?

The problem with having it all in one computer for me was cpu workload vs performance... And now what i'm finding out, trying to retrieve old prjects for live use/remixing that was made on older computers with old vst plugin instruments..

As i got to a number of track layers, i'd hit a cpu bottle limit, and then had to adjust sample buffer size .. Then i'd suffer performance latency. The way i make my music/compose is via live perfomance, so having hardware means i rely on direct monitoring.. so sample buffer sizes really dont matter(i can set it quite high becuase of direct moitoring) I can rely on insert plugins for effects, which happens after audio tracks are recorded..

For me, the mpc is a instrument, like a bas guitar, or more so drumkit.. if im not soley making a beat with mp, i'm using the mp as a sampler only , and sequencing audio loops in reaper, which basically does the tracking as i go.. Bascially as i use reaper and reaper only effects, and all tracks are audio Loops (no more vst synths or samplers) i have the freedom to send a reaper project to anyone with all effects loaded and every sound/track sounding the way i want it to sound without fear of missing plugins effects or instruments.. so my trade off was leaving behind the freedom of programming/editing midi notes sequencing and third party intergration to have the benifit of a redundancy style setup..

Wat it also did was force me to focus my process.. Write music.. then engineer mix it.. I have had better whole results(full songs with lots of variations of music, rather than a really good technicallly engineered 8 bar loop...)

TRacking out to audio loops/takes, have greater benifits then software intergration/post editing sequencing for me anyway.. maybe be different for others...

redundancy and dedicated workload...

So, you want a standalone MPC, that does not use VSTs, so it is an 'instrument', so that it works the same at any time in the future as it does now.

Dedicate a computer to MPC Software/controller use only, and do not use VSTs in it.

Integrate a small PC into the Renaissance, stop yourself from using VSTs inside it, use it separately to your main studio PC...what is the difference between that and a new hardware only MPC?

No one is forcing you to use VSTs in MPC Software, if you want an MPC without VSTs, just don't use them in MPC Software and you have it.


The issue with old projects loading, old VSTs, increased CPU load as more plugins are loaded and the resultant increase in buffer/latency to deal with it, etc., is the same no matter what DAW platform you use, whether it be MPC Software or anything else.


I agree that a new hardware MPC would be nice, but just don't know that Akai will see enough of a market for it, when really their main competition is Maschine, and the model of software/controller, integrated into the computer for VSTs/file browsing/ease of tracking into DAW/etc., at between $400 and $1000 (at the moment), seems to be where the market is at now.


But anyway, back on topic, is there any room inside the Renaissance case to fit a small PC?

It not, as I assume, then I suppose it would need a lower case extension, raising the height of the Renaissance up an inch or two so you could mount the computer underneath.

How much room would it need, what what you put in there, just a small PC motherboard and SSD, what would you do about cooling, etc.?

Are users going to be happy with the performance of a small computer like that for running Windows/OS X and MPC Software? No problem if you don't use any/many VSTs, but would it handle many at all?

You can put a 11" Macbook Air (closed) or a Surface Pro 2 in a very tiny place. I have the NI "stand" for my Maschine 1. My Surface Pro 2 fits in the space it makes with ease..... with that I have true and complete freedom. Not tethered to anything, including a wall. Can create tunes on a plane, in a car, in the back yard, at the beach....whatever....

I would also add that it is also quite powerful. Not like making tunes on an iPad, this is a complete and "real" setup.

Same with the MPC Studio. Just don't have a "one piece" solution yet.....

basically i tried to do this with my macbook pro.. I found a 1u size empty shell, slide the macbook pro inside .. (sat underneath the ren) But it was heat issues as once the lid is closed the vents arn't as open.... I think a mac mini would be fine for the job...(well my job) As a sampler with no 3rd party plugins running.. at 64 buffer size. not sure what the limit would be) ...
Then you have your screen issue...
I bought an ipad mini and it rests quite nice against the existing hardware screen..(The built in magnet holds it into place) But of course you lose the hardware screen..
Vnc app is meant to give you touch screen display for your mac mini on ipad...
Screen real estate gets quite small.. But again depends on what users need and want.. I wouldn't need a Computer screen if everything can be done via hardware.....
Problem is i haven't been able to test the ipad screen as there's issues with vnc on osx lion..... And then the driver for ren doesnt work on osx marvericks...

@bremen how is the surface pro 2?
Have you stressed it out on the studio? as in how many pgms/tracks can you run at a buffer size of 64 until it starts to stutter and fuzz...

I mainly use the Surface Pro 2 as a portable option. I just run ASIO4ALL, and at 256 buffer. With that I can run several VSTi Synths like Massive, Sylenth1, Zebra 2, Korg Legacy...etc. Along with the synths I run Camelspace or Camelphat, Driver, etc.... I never even come close to high CPU usage.

I do the major work on my Macbook Pro hooked into an audio interface.

Since my warranty is done I opened up my Ren today. There isn't much room but there is a plastic support for the circuit board that is about an inch thick that could be replaced by a computer if electrically isolated. I'm trying to find a replacement bottom panel that I can mod so that I can install a mac mini inside. The circular access part of the mini would protrude from the bottom and you would have access to the ports. The two rear feet would be replaced to raise the rear height of the Ren, angling it slightly more than it is now. The mini would be held in by a bracket and would also support the circuit board under the pads. Then I plan to make a metal holder to hold an iPad running air display behind the Ren display. I'll be purchasing a mac mini as soon as I can aquire a spare bottom panel. Anybody an authorized Akai repair center who has access to spare parts?

Also, if done right a slightly smaller than mac mini sized PC could be installed completely inside the Ren. You would only need port access in some way

Interesting ideas Airyic

I've thought if there was someway i could attach my Surface pro 2 to the Ren, it would be very cool. A 10 inch screen, touch screen, and it runs full on Windows 8.1

it would be a beast!

BremenCole wrote:I've thought if there was someway i could attach my Surface pro 2 to the Ren, it would be very cool. A 10 inch screen, touch screen, and it runs full on Windows 8.1

Some sort of bracket to hold the screen at the rear of the Renaissance, above the LCD, sort of like the MFC42 brackets for the MPC2000XL?...




Could use an off-the-shelf mounting bracket for the tablet, and make up some sort of bracket to mount that onto the Renaissance, above the LCD...

http://www.rammount.com/NewProducts/xgr ... fault.aspx

Dope Airyic..!!! That's more room than i thought would be in there.. the ren is quite low...

Great idea Simon! I should have a Ren next week, I will look into those brackets....

dazastah wrote:Dope Airyic..!!! That's more room than i thought would be in there.. the ren is quite low...

The plastic piece


Could be replaced by a computer but you would need to isolate that circuitry and it (the computer) would have to suppoort the circuit board under the pads. It's only about an inch thick and tapers smaller near the bottom. There isn't a ton of room but if you have a small enough computer you can make it work. Obviously some exact measurements would be needed.

If I remember correctly the width of this plastic piece is more than 7 inches by a little more than 1 inch thick at the thickest area. The length is probably 12 inches (didn't measure that) but it gets thinner at the end so you may have about 7"x5-6" inches to work with where it's 1 inch thick. These are all rough estimates from taking it apart.

If not enough room, then maybe custom lower case with more height/room, and ventilation, to allow larger/more powerful computer?