MPC X SE – EA-ski SONICS controversy vs BLACK LION audio mod

MPC X special edition – SONICS controversy vs BLACK LION audio mod


In the middle of a relocation, I have not had much time for music/beats but I couldn’t help but notice EA-ski’s youtube rant. I will keep my personal opinions to myself & be solution oriented.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BrNcxWpqfm8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cHXLfWNZPYk

My solution has always been analog mixers with real compression/EQ/filters. Needless to say, I do very simple recording where I only need 8 audio tracks with 4 simultaneous recording at a time.
I always thought it was overpriced but can anyone vouch for black lion mod below. I imagine this could solve the audio fidelity/power that is missing from these new machines.
https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail ... kai-mpc-by


Per their website
“HANDCRAFTED in CHIcago”


https://www.blacklionaudio.com/product- ... fications/

https://www.blacklionaudio.com/product- ... akai-mods/




long time no see,
---db

"ANALOG High-performance op-amp upgrade on analog inputs and outputs
ANALOG Signal path capacitor upgrade on analog inputs
DIGITAL Proprietary converter decoupling on A/D and D/A converters"

Sounds little funny for 800$.
This particular upgrade can sounds better (for tiny amount) or can sounds just different. Again, for 800$ =).

I felt the same way when I saw it.
I run my MPC thru an old Yamaha mixer before it hits my amp for “analog warmth”

https://www.inmusicbrands.com/about/


EA-SKI wants akai to make 2 different MPCs.
We all know INMUSIC is NOT going to do that
I am simply suggesting BLACK LION as a solution for old MPC heads like him

https://audiojive.com/akai-mpc-3000/
https://www.wirerealm.com/guides/which- ... s-the-best

What's the controversy? I don't have time to watch 2 different YouTube videos to get the gist of the OP's thread. Can someone summarize?

How I take it...
EA wants Akai to Dumb Down the current DACs back to 12Bit to get that Punchy LoFi Sound of the Older Machines.

There's so many methods internally and externally to achieve that Old Sound and Feel of the Older Machines. That Black Lion Audio interface MAY be able to achieve that...hence the two different YT videos lol

I may be wrong tho

I am not a collector & I have never had a 3k but I think a lot of this is nostalgia.

EA-ski says akai is focused on features & workflow but not audio quality.
He specifically mentions that the “sonics” suck on the MPC X and thus it is way overpriced. Keep in mind that this is a man with a full recording studio with a $100-300k in gear – mixers, dedicated compressors, mics, etc. he wants to be able to make complete beats in the MPC X without having to use external hardwear. He says he is willing to pay $$$$$ for a “professional production station” and that the current MPC line targets amateurs/hobbyists.

DokBrown wrote:I am not a collector & I have never had a 3k but I think a lot of this is nostalgia.

EA-ski says akai is focused on features & workflow but not audio quality.
He specifically mentions that the “sonics” suck on the MPC X and thus it is way overpriced. Keep in mind that this is a man with a full recording studio with a $100-300k in gear – mixers, dedicated compressors, mics, etc. he wants to be able to make complete beats in the MPC X without having to use external hardwear. He says he is willing to pay $$$$$ for a “professional production station” and that the current MPC line targets amateurs/hobbyists.

If that true he said that, then that's some corny ass sh*t. There's no way the current MPC's & Force can't reproduce that sound or something close to it. You gotta know how to use them drum FX's. I was able to get them to emulate the sound of SP-505 Lofi sample rate. If it could make that sound it can do almost anything. People just want it easy & built in, but I like that the new models are clean, but come with many more sound shaping tools to make almost any sound you want...if you know how to work them tools.

Another thought I had was recording to tape.
I am not a “tape guy” but i have considered running a track thru an old 80s machine before running back into my MPC or laptop.

A lot of people swear by those old tascams . . . . .

I basically always use an external piece of gear to color the sound. I actually don't like the lofi type effects in the mpcs but its probably because I have other to choose from that sound better. The lofi effects just don't sound right to me.. Sequencing and chopping in it is nice though. I don't know anyone really that has the blacklion mod but I wish I did so I could hear it in person.

i saw that video and couldn'y figure out at all what he is asking for... a dude in the game as long as him should be explaining it better than repeating "the sonics" over and over.

we are at a point where you get out what you sample in... you want your splice sounds to sound like it's coming out the 3000 now? it's kind of skipping the step where you gotta sample into the machine and multi track it out on hardware. if you ain't doing the tedious work then you can't expect the results to sound the same.

anyways i feel like he knows all that stuff... he isn't someone who started last week... this feels like a video aimed at hype beasts who don't know shit and regurgitate stuff like "that mpc swing" and "that analog mpc sound".

i have to admit, trying to gauge what i thought he was talking about in that video had me thinking of that black lion audio mod too.. maybe that will get those sample packs to inspire him more... who knows.

100% snake oil. Black audio lion knows their public very well, obsessed with "converters".

There are plenty of 16 bit 90's EMU rack sampler available for $200 on the used market, You can find a S2000 for less than $100, why aren't you buying that if "it sounds better" because 16 bit like the MPC3000?

Because obviously someone who isn't putting any effort into producing with a MPC X isn't going to fair well with a S2000...

Hmm...

Its like we all work in Diamond Mine and one of the Older Senior staff starts Advocating for all of us to get a raise from corporate.

You don't have to do anything just sit there do what you do and see what happens.

If he bitches enough and convinces the higher ups we all get a raise.

If corporate fires him we keep the same job same pay.

Either way what's the skin off any of our backs?

We end up with something better or things stay status quo.

Simple Game Theory... we have nothing lose.

Anger is normally a response the threat of or loss of something.... Comfort, Safety, Respect, Money, Love, Boundaries, Status, etc.
I don't get the anger either way.

Musician and sound engineer, its a 2 different peoples). Now we see what happen when musician (creator) try to talk about sound quality. EA-Sky talking about right things except only one - sound quality. Sound, he talking about, not about quality, but about retro (colored) sound with distortions, harmonics, low bit artifacts etc etc... right from the box).
With all respect - no, thanks. This is awful idea, making modern MPCs sounds like old ones and call it quality. As people mentioned above - using external gear for that, that is a right direction. Or another funny option: MPC X SSE FTC (super speсial edition for true connoisseurs) with button labeled -"push for real sound, bro". )

MPC X SSE FTC must be grey, or no real sound! Remember!

Juxx wrote:Hmm...

Its like we all work in Diamond Mine and one of the Older Senior staff starts Advocating for all of us to get a raise from corporate.

You don't have to do anything just sit there do what you do and see what happens.

If he bitches enough and convinces the higher ups we all get a raise.

If corporate fires him we keep the same job same pay.

Either way what's the skin off any of our backs?

We end up with something better or things stay status quo.

Simple Game Theory... we have nothing lose.

Anger is normally a response the threat of or loss of something.... Comfort, Safety, Respect, Money, Love, Boundaries, Status, etc.
I don't get the anger either way.

Not everybody wants those "improvements". Basically he wants a better MPC 60/3k sound mode or w/e it's called. I wouldn't have a problem with that since I can turn it off. But people I telling you don't sleep on them drum FX's.

Try what I did by sampling the same sound into a current MPC & the sampler that has the sound you like. Then take the MPC sample & try to emulate the other sample via the drum FXs. The 3 that I used to match the SP-505 Lofi sample rate sound was; Decimator=4.1, Bit Crush=9-11bits, & High Pass (I forgot this, but just adjust it to taste) & I think I used a filter. But the point is that we have the tool to take a clean sample & dirty it up & then make it sound hifi or modern.