MPC 2500

in all honesty, it makes a good entry level machine...If you have nothing then that would be the way to go, but coming from an XL or 1k incorporated into a DAW setup I cant see any major advantages that sorta upgrade would bring

Grid ref is nice, but not that nice....Anyway, each to their own. Technological advances are a must so whatelse could have been expected...If it wasn't the 2500, it was gonna be something else

THIS MACHINE IS REALLY DOPE

2000 is probably the list price. Nothing ever sells at the list price. If it lists at 2000 it'll prob show up for 1600 or 1700

the 2500 does have a few things that is an upgrade even to the 4k...well at this moment because a 4k update can easily change that...

It has real time timestretch, which is truly no joke if they implemented it right in the machine. That means you can slow down and speed up the audio without changing pitch on the fly. It's adjusted by bpm or tap button. It's done instantaneous. No more waiting around for long times for your ish to timestretch.

It also has a drum grid and piano roll. 4k has a drum grid of sorts, but it's really rudimentary, and of no real use.

It also has the automatic slice feature where the sample is analysed by the machine and cut at the points where the sound is the lowest. It also has the 10 outs. 4k just has the 8. It's got the compact flash reader right on there as well too, and it looks to be smaller than the 4k. The 4k has a lot of extra ish no one needs. This 2500 looks to have all the necessary, and all the extra nice things that people are looking for. Hopefully Akai didn't make the software too halfassed upon release like they did with the 1k and 4k.

I would never get the 1st shipment on these. There is usually problems with the first shipment of gear. Not only that, but knowing Akai...the machines real potential won't be available for another 2-4 years.

c.toon wrote:The joint doesnt need a z-engine to be compatible....

You just rock 16bit 44.1khz snd/wave and write a workaround in the 4k os so it would convert the pgm into the drum tracks or keyranges.....

I could care less but I know it's been a disapointment to some ppl I make beats with..
.toon

It DOES need the z-engine. I don't think you guys that ask what the differences between this and the 4000 realize what the z engine sampler is capable of (even out side of the 24/96 capability).

First of all there are keymaps that are meant for multisample libraries. On all other mpcs, you have to emulate this feature, its not the same. Its also way more complex on the Z.

Also, there are a bunch of filters, LFOs and other settings that are unique and in no way can be run on 1000, 2000, 2500s processor.

Programs support way more samples.

This simply translates to the fact that even if they did put a function to open z programs, they would sound completely different. So what would be the point of doing that? This is exactly why mpc2000 programs aren't that compatible with the 1000. The machine sure COULD have done it had they programmed it that way, but there are features like the filter envelope and a completely different fx system that would just make the sounds different.

Also, check out the sequencing capabilities on the 4000. With the large screen and multiple methods for sequencing it can really increase productivity. Also has a much higher sequencer resolution.
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Things that look worse on the 2500 compared to the XL
-effects (but at least they are standard)
-SMPTE? dont see it listed yet
-SCSI? dont see that listed either
-sequencer notes REDUCED to 100,000 Thats 1/3 of the 2000 (and the 4000)

Outside of that, it is definately an improvement over the XL, just NOT MUCH of one after all this time. I mean the 1k, 2k and this new 2500 all have the exact same OS layout. Really not much new here other than trying to get up to todays standards on some of the specs and a few add ons. The biggest feature I like on this is the 4 midi out. Still, I think I'll probably get a used 4k before I pick one of these up. One of the main spots where Akai could have made any one of their MPCs huge, is if they implemented real-time time stretching. Roland has been doing it for years, so its a shame the hardware sampler king can't keep up in that department. I know a lot of people went to the MV for that reason alone and plenty made the switch to software (ableton live is the best there).

c.toon- loved the photochop, that cracked me up

ONE wrote:the 2500 does have a few things that is an upgrade even to the 4k...well at this moment because a 4k update can easily change that...

It has real time timestretch, which is truly no joke if they implemented it right in the machine. That means you can slow down and speed up the audio without changing pitch on the fly. It's adjusted by bpm or tap button. It's done instantaneous. No more waiting around for long times for your ish to timestretch.

It also has a drum grid and piano roll. 4k has a drum grid of sorts, but it's really rudimentary, and of no real use.

It also has the automatic slice feature where the sample is analysed by the machine and cut at the points where the sound is the lowest. It also has the 10 outs. 4k just has the 8. It's got the compact flash reader right on there as well too, and it looks to be smaller than the 4k. The 4k has a lot of extra ish no one needs. This 2500 looks to have all the necessary, and all the extra nice things that people are looking for. Hopefully Akai didn't make the software too halfassed upon release like they did with the 1k and 4k.

hard to tell which machines your talking about in each post. I heard the 4k can do time-stretch, but needed to be changed manually. Was this fixed so that if you simply change the tempo it adjusts length of sample and locks key pitch?

The 4k has 10 outs too. All mpcs have 2 main outs. Then they have 4 or 8 seperate outs. But if you set it up right you could set up the mains as seperate outs (so should get 10 out of 4k with the expansion).

I'd say the 4k has everything anyone could possibly need (someone uses each of those features). Just that a lot of people wouldn't use all. It is easy to reach the edge of the potential of the 1k/2k when you've been using it for a long time. Main difference is the full featured sampler. I think a lot of people just doing basic beats on their MPC and not using it as a synth would never use half of the features on the 4k where the others do just fine.

word is:
"Should be arriving around the first week in October. (could be sooner!)"
from folks at akai

pad-ophiliac's "white screen" pic. I have taken pics of my mpc and at different angles the screen can look white or greenish, sometimes even kinda orange

Thats weird that the note repeat button is on the left side.

its just that this pic is at the same angle as the others i seen with green screen. we'll just have to wait until october

I do have to admit this sh!t does look hot.

I like it......and it looks nice and small.....I would ditch my 1k for this just based solely on the rock-solid SMPTE timing for track dumping.....midi clock is too unstable for syncing.

HEY GRIMAY!! I CAN SMELL YOU AND THE OTHERS WARMING UP THAT HUMBLE CROW PIE!! LEMME KNOW HOW IT TASTES!

Oh yeah....looks like "Toots" is gonna hafta get a MPC 2500 section up and running soon.

Shit.. I can feel gearlust coming on.

Knoxximus wrote:HEY GRIMAY!! I CAN SMELL YOU AND THE OTHERS WARMING UP THAT HUMBLE CROW PIE!! LEMME KNOW HOW IT TASTES!

I don't get it? What did you say?????