If it aint broke, don't fix it.

I owned the MPC2000 and modified it and it worked great, until the screen gave out on me, and the play button and cursor buttons stopped working. Too much use I guess, I had it for 4 years.

So I bought the 4K, and it seems like everything I liked about the mpc2000; sampling simplicity, punch of samples, timing, interface, sequence transitions, are "enhanced" but in the process, make them less accessible.

The hard drive is a plus, but I had my 2K hooked up to a hard drive anyway, so that isn't a big plus. The 4K seems like an attempt to appease every type of MIDI artist/ producer/ musician, and it has strayed away from the real core of the audience, HIP HOP.

Akai should make a product that brings all the settings and parameters of the 2K into the 4K, start from there, and then YOU can tweak the settings and parameters from there, instead of having to figure where they set it and what that does, and how it *&^%s up your work.

I don't know. I see alot of people who switched to the 4k from the 2k complain about the interface. To be honset, I never used a 2000, but when I picked up the 4000, I found it dead easy to use. I was sequencing beats within 10 minutes without reading any manuals. I think the setup is quite good actually. All the major menus are accessible with the press of only ONE button over on the right hand side.

MAD T wrote:I don't know. I see alot of people who switched to the 4k from the 2k complain about the interface. To be honset, I never used a 2000, but when I picked up the 4000, I found it dead easy to use. I was sequencing beats within 10 minutes without reading any manuals. I think the setup is quite good actually. All the major menus are accessible with the press of only ONE button over on the right hand side.

I have to agree with you. For someone coming to the MPC without a lot of MPC 2000XL knowledge, it was very intutive to pick up.

I definitely like haveing the dedicated "Page" buttons.


Any my Music Partner who's an MPC 2000XL guy, didn't seem to have too many problems
either.

You gave a example of Sampling simplicity.


Look at Robs post on Realtime Sampling, where you can Have a Sample taken
in Realtime of an external or internal instrument and have it added to a program and
sequenced wtihin a few button clicks. Very nice and Very easy to use.

I don't see how they could make it much easier to Record Samples.

1. Hit "Record"

2. Verify settings are as you want it, and hit "Record" F6

3. Use F6 to add newly recorded Sample to program


You have a sample , sampled and ready to be played in 3 steps.

I had the same problem he had learning the ins in out because I came from a 2000classic which is quite different than a XL in some ways but I knew one thing Once I got ahold of the new set up it was gonna be over. And I was right. but If you cant handle the switch in technology than you should go back to the 2000 because they are to totaly different machines. And thats real

im feeling what this dude is saying

i also came from the 2xl.

I want to clarify what i think he is saying. I dont think he is knockin the mpc4000. I definately agree with all of you, that its very intuitive and easy to get use to.

however, from a previous mpc experience....there are some core things that just didnt make sense, and actually isnt as logical as the mpc2xl. The reason i loved my mpc2xl so much, was that its workflow was so fast.

I personally would like to see akai, make an mpc2500, or 5000, or whatever you want to call it.....but, it starts from the mpc2xl, and adds some off the features from the mpc4000. NOT REDESIGNING the whole thing.

SOME ONE LIKE ME....who makes hiphop, uses primarily phrases and chops, but also uses bass multisamples, and the occasional synth multisample,....doesnt need everything in the mpc4000.

ALl i wanted was:

more memory, more filters, usb so i can use a media card, or usb stick instead of zip, and normalize, resample, and sample while sequence.Everything else was perfect the way it was.

I dont care about LFO, qlink, mod, hard drive, akysys, burning to cd, and the other few niffty features. (i am not knocking any of this)

Although i admit i will attempt to use everything to its fullest, and become the master of my mpc4000, all those extras did put it over the top. At times i felt limited sample wise from the 2xl, but overall the feel of it was perfect..........a slimmed down mpc4000 and improved mpc2xl is much needed, and perhaps more preffered, especially on the wallet.

Keep it simple, but keep it current with technology.

I always looked at the mpc 2000/xl were toys. Put out for people who could not afford the pro level mpc3000. When Akai first put out the 2000 they also offerd the mpc3000 still. After akai discontinued the 3000(pro level machine) they soon released the mpc4000.

if you are not comfotable on a pro level machine, then by al means take a trip back to the toybox.

okie dokie.

I used to own the MPC 2000 and i found it hard to deal with coming from the SP-1200. I've used the MPC 2000XL a lot and i hated the fact that it didn't read 2000 sounds. The 4000 is a new way of thinking and if you give it some time, you'll see the true values of it. I think it kicks all kind of ass!

One year later and many may wonder how did I ever get by on a 2k or 2XL aka I too was a ex 2Kxl user. I went thru the same phrase til I came to the realization the problem wasn`t the gear it was my mode of thinking cuz the 2k was a phrase sampler vs a full sampler and synthesis and it had a hella of alot of terms, functions, and techiques I didn`t know before. It is definitively a pro machine check out the Z8 engine and the sequencer options. Once you come to grips with it or you may not depends on the person. You can sequence up a show like Beyonce`s too. Like that song by De La Soul, the biggest oppressor could be yourself looking to make an excuse to quit instead of following your first feeling which is to try to learn what you don`t know. "You got to make up your mind where you want to be and where you want to go with your life ," quote Cee-lo.


Small tip back in the day it was usually a combo set
or drum machine and a full sampler if you want to use more than just a standard loop. Now it is more of a drum machine and synth combo aka 2k/triton, motif, roland. The 4k is all of the above combined in one unit once multisampling and synthesis is mastered. Just give yourself time or quit while your ahead.

It is the nature of the man.

^^^^^^^^^^^good advice man.

i agree with ya.