Selling my Ren, looking at mpc4000, mv8800 help

(you can skip the first 3 paragraphs to get straight to the mpc4000/mv8800 talk)

I am going to be selling my Ren, not only have I realized that with software comes tons of bugs, outdated operating systems not being compatible, latency and things like that but I was always a hardware user before that.

I would normally use my computer for DAWS like Protools, not really beat making. Then I tried Maschine and it kind of worked, I had bought some good vst-instruments, so I thought I'd give the MPC REN a shot. Thinking I'm used to the mpc workflow and get very nostalgic just using an mpc and get in that zone, do things quickly, etc...

Well all in all I have tried for the past year and a half to use the Ren and it just lacks in every aspect, my beats aren't coming out as good bc this thing kills my creativity. Probably the worst workflow of any mpc (even with a mouse) everything is laid out awkwardly and just doesn't feel like using a hardware mpc for that matter. A lot of simple features it should have are missing. I like the hardware and is well built but not enough to justify my $1200 purchase. It was very incomplete at launch and I was under the impression everything expected would be added/fixed through updates in a few months, year max. Obviously not the case 1.5 years later and we just got step edit the first monumental update this thing has in 1.5 years!!!! Ok some BS, I made a huge mistake risking this purchase and have come out as the loser, the unsatisfied buyer. So on to the NEXT

Ok, so now realizing I never needed some new gear to get my music done, all I ever needed was a turntable, vinyl, samples, sounds etc.. and a SAMPLER, but one that works for me. mpc1000 pads were too small, mpc2500 w jjos was amazing, fantom x and fantom g were beasts with just a few things missing i would of liked.

So now I know the king of mpcs is the 4000 with its beast sampler engine, OS, etc... And the MV-8800 looks dope, bc I also know the roland lingo and workflow and seems just like using a fantom. I would like to know what you guys think of a mpc4000 compared to a mv-8800, they both are beasts in their own right, I can work fast on both OS, which has the edge?

I am also contemplating maybe just go back to mpc2500 with JJOS, thing was a beast itself, but the buttons/tact switches got flimsy on the harware after a year or so of use, the gameboy screen is a turn off, and things like this make me think in 2014 if I get a used 2500 that thing might break quick, or even a 4000???? that was like what, 2001? so how do I know it's built well? Will it need a lot of maintenance over time? Also what about the mv-8800? That things looks like a TANK, but will I need to replace buttons every year and stuff? Anyone who owned one please feel free to let me know what u think

Also, is the sampling engine on the MV like that of the Fantom? Better yet, is it exactly the same, almost identical? That would be a plus bc on the fantom sampling was crazy awesome, lots of features,but it had 16 slices max and shelty pads, can I slice more on the MV8800?

if i think of any more questions ill post it up

oh yeah, another worry I have about the 4000,mv8800 is like the compatibility, do they use disks or any type of media for storage thats obsolete, the mv8800 i believe connects to the computer thru USB, doesn't the 4000 have some software sysk or something to do the same, with a usb cable?

In the mv you can slice way more than 16, I have the 8g, the 88 is the same thing, there is a ton of ways you can mulipulate a sample it's not even funny, I use pattern mode which is very much like how you would use a mp, mine's has pretty much been problem free for more than 6 or 7 years, the hard drive was replaced, & I put in black pads, so I replaced the sensors while I was at it.

The thing is built like a tank, some say the 88 was not built as good, but still very sturdy piece of gear, I could not really tell the difference to much

Awesome...Does the mv come with the synths/sounds from the fantom series?

Do the pads feel good enough for u to bang out a beat on anytime, have u compared with an mpc's pads? Do they double trigger when hitting them sometimes or r they good for the most part?

Do you think the mv colors the highs in a sample? I always thought it did in the fantom.

By the way, I'm looking at the specs of a mpc4000, its been a whole and boy this thing is a monster! wow

Does mpc4000 have Non destructive chopping?? How is the chopping section on the 4000, whats the max slices per pgm and can i chop by threshold, region, and also split and combine slices?? If so I might be sold on a 4000

InspectahEX wrote:I am also contemplating maybe just go back to mpc2500 with JJOS, thing was a beast itself, but the buttons/tact switches got flimsy on the harware after a year or so of use, the gameboy screen is a turn off, and things like this make me think in 2014 if I get a used 2500 that thing might break quick

The tact switches can be replaced, and there are a number of different options for better looking screen replacements.

yeah i know I'm lazy as hell tho when it comes to repairing my gear or getting it repaired lol u should of seen what I did to my fantom g lol and was still using it for like a year. Yeah that screen would need replacing but even if I get one a little dim or whatever its fine as long as I can read the screen.

Value for money:
get the MV8000(with vga) or MV8800 and an Akai Z4 or Z8
if you want the fantom sounds consider the roland sonic cell

hardly enough cash:
MPC4000 and ask around in here for the free samples
(its all you will need)


Cheers,
Ian
PS don't sleep on the Z samplers, they are inexpensive and have all of the functions of the MPC4000 except for the sequencer.
PPS by the looks of it the new Roland FA-06 will have all of the roland srx sounds in it an updated fantom sequencer and an updated sampler only lacking aftertouch and it will be lighter in weight.

I think you could flip a coin between the 2 and end up with a far better machine than the Ren.

I've never used an MV but it seems to be more of an early/mid 2000s DAW replacement than the 4K, with better effects, audio tracks and various tweaks that the 4K doesn't have. It's only through watching youtube vids and owning lots of Roland gear over the years, that the MV doesn't appeal to me at all. They cram a lot of stuff into their operating systems, which can make for a less fluid user experience IMO. My Roland manuals are always to hand, even for a simple synth like the Gaia.

If you like MPCs you'll love the 4K. It's got everything you need in a pre-DAW workstation - great sound quality, the tightest sequencer of all the MPCs, classic Akai filters, compatibility with all the S series libraries, realtime quantize, AKsys file and program management, buttons for everything, ADAT out… the list goes on.

Take your pick.

InspectahEX wrote:Awesome...Does the mv come with the synths/sounds from the fantom series?

Do the pads feel good enough for u to bang out a beat on anytime, have u compared with an mpc's pads? Do they double trigger when hitting them sometimes or r they good for the most part?

Do you think the mv colors the highs in a sample? I always thought it did in the fantom.

The pads are excellent, when you turn it on,the pads are set to note off, you go into quick edit, and turn up the release to suit your needs

When brought brand new, it came with instrument patches already on the hard drive & a back up disk

if you know the roland workflow and lingo, i would just jump in and get that, it can do more than the 4k can, and you can connect a screen and mouse to it! i wouldnt consider getting one that doesnt have the vga out.

a cool thing about the roland is that you can actually master in it, think of getting a beat tape mixed and mastered in the machine then popping out a cd with a master on it, that would be awesome imo.

the 4k is solid though, and i was using it pretty fluidly within 20 minutes, if you know how to use mpc's at all, and have a knack for understanding new stuff, it shouldnt be the stretch learning curve wise that everyone says it is.

i really want both machines, but i felt really intimidated by the roland when i used it in the store, because i hadnt ever used any roland gear, i couldnt even get a beat going, but it might not have had many samples on it either.
i feel like if i knew other roland gear it would have come natural though, so you have that going for yourself. i think if i were you i would just get the mv.

i am still going to get one sometime, and learn it inside out.
there is just so many features it has that other samplers dont, and that is awesome to me.

you really cant go wrong with either of them though.

I am leaning heavily towards a mv8800, really I don't know why I stuck with mpcs when the specs and abilities of these other machines blow mpcs out the water, even the 4000

If you go the MV route you will save some money being that the MV is undervalued. But be warned going in, you will have to change your way of thinking to get the most out of the machine. If you can get past that then your world will open up to all of the possibilities of this beast. Either way you go these are probably two of the last great hardware sampler/sequencers.

Just my .02:

I recently got an MV8800 on eBay for $350 because it's missing its CD drive (everything else on it works wonderfully). Prior to that, I've been an MPC1000 user for years and am in love with JJOS2XL.


What I don't like:

-Startup time--It can sometimes take a minute or more to load.
-This machine is COMPLICATED. Unnecessarily so. It has three instruction manuals. I am the type of person who will read a manual from start to finish, and it took me many evenings to get through them all.
-The machine is ginormous. Better find some space for it, the mouse, and your screen.

Wax said it well:

Waxdatass wrote:If you go the MV route you will save some money being that the MV is undervalued. But be warned going in, you will have to change your way of thinking to get the most out of the machine.

Roland really flipped everything around, from the terminology they used to the workflow.

To be honest, this really got me fired back up to use the MPC1000, not just because I understand it so much better and can get more work done, but because of the brilliant simplicity of it. For this reason alone, I'm happy I spent the $350.

The pads feel amazing on the MV, however. Any finger drummer would love them.

All that being said, I've heard some monster beats cranked out of the MV, and I've always maintained that it's not the gear, it's the producer.

Good luck with your hunt!

Yeah slow start up, loading and saving projects.

The MV is a fantastic machine but I went back to the 1000, its just better for me and the workflow is pretty second nature.

There's stuff I like, for example sampling for x amount of bars, color screen, faders, ability to mix stuff and master. You could pretty much do everything inside the box without needing to export to a DAW.

Issue for me which is minor is the amount of menus to get to certain functions, and well and space wise its huge.

whats the max amount of slices per patch in the mv8800?