Post your views and questions about the Akai MPC2500
User avatar
By Remedial Fri Sep 23, 2005 8:15 am
Okay, so the Audio Thru allows you to record audio from external equipment into the MPC while a track is playing?

So, Patch Phrase is the new name for timestretching? Is it faster than the 2000XL's?

How's the chop feature? Does it detect the transients like Recycle?

Are the outputs still at +10dbu?

Now, this last one's for someone in the know:

What A/D D/A convertors did they use?

Answers to any of these questions would be appreciated.
User avatar
By mpc4000xl Fri Sep 23, 2005 1:51 pm
Remedial wrote:Okay, so the Audio Thru allows you to record audio from external equipment into the MPC while a track is playing?

So, Patch Phrase is the new name for timestretching? Is it faster than the 2000XL's?

How's the chop feature? Does it detect the transients like Recycle?

Are the outputs still at +10dbu?

Now, this last one's for someone in the know:

What A/D D/A convertors did they use?

Answers to any of these questions would be appreciated.





The Chop Feature is the best in its Current class It Chopps and Auto Assigns hits to each pad...........

Yes U Absolutely Can Play a track while the Audio INPUT is Playing........

CONNECTIONS • Record input (L and R) 1/4-inch stereo phone x 2, balanced -40dBu, input impedance 11k ohms;
• Max. Input level +10dBu





Also Check These .......................
http://www.mpc-forums.com/viewtopic.php ... &start=195 (Page 14 I PUT IT ALL DOWN)

ON PAGE 21 POSTED THE 1ST SET OF FULL PICS!!!!!!!!! CHECK----

I Posted Alot Here........................
http://www.mpc-forums.com/viewtopic.php?t=35274


8) .. 8) .. 8) .. 8)

I've Been Hearin' Official INFO Since Mid August---------------


AND THIS VIDEO IS BETTER...........................

http://www.sonicstate.com/news/shownews.cfm?newsid=2348
User avatar
By Remedial Fri Sep 23, 2005 4:05 pm
mpc4000xl wrote:
Remedial wrote:Okay, so the Audio Thru allows you to record audio from external equipment into the MPC while a track is playing?

So, Patch Phrase is the new name for timestretching? Is it faster than the 2000XL's?

How's the chop feature? Does it detect the transients like Recycle?

Are the outputs still at +10dbu?

Now, this last one's for someone in the know:

What A/D D/A convertors did they use?

Answers to any of these questions would be appreciated.





The Chop Feature is the best in its Current class It Chopps and Auto Assigns hits to each pad...........

Yes U Absolutely Can Play a track while the Audio INPUT is Playing........

CONNECTIONS • Record input (L and R) 1/4-inch stereo phone x 2, balanced -40dBu, input impedance 11k ohms;
• Max. Input level +10dBu





Also Check These .......................
http://www.mpc-forums.com/viewtopic.php ... &start=195 (Page 14 I PUT IT ALL DOWN)

ON PAGE 21 POSTED THE 1ST SET OF FULL PICS!!!!!!!!! CHECK----

I Posted Alot Here........................
http://www.mpc-forums.com/viewtopic.php?t=35274


8) .. 8) .. 8) .. 8)

I've Been Hearin' Official INFO Since Mid August---------------


AND THIS VIDEO IS BETTER...........................

http://www.sonicstate.com/news/shownews.cfm?newsid=2348


I think there is some other hardware piece that also chops and assigns. I think it's either one of the Electribe's or the SP-606 (or maybe the MV-8000).

Anyway, the input level doesn't tell me much about the output. But, I'm guessing that if the max input is +10dbu, then it would only make sense that the output be the same.

Also, why the hell did they still make it 96 PPQ's? Why not update that? And then, 100,000 notes? Cut it down from the 2000XL's 300, 000?

Seems like they adding a bevy of nice features but then cutting others or just leaving them as is.

As things look right now, the only thing that really makes this better than than 1000 is the chop feature and the record input.

Other than that...

But, you're not a rep, so I'm not really complaining to you. Just voicing my concerns.
User avatar

By jahrome Fri Sep 23, 2005 11:28 pm
Posted by Remedial
Also, why the hell did they still make it 96 PPQ's? Why not update that? And then, 100,000 notes? Cut it down from the 2000XL's 300, 000?


I can't wait until this forum is full with MPC 2500 users...

The XL had the ability to record 100,000 notes initially, and with an OS update, it was increased to 300,000 notes. 96 PPQ's were good in early 90s and is still good today.

If the only feature that 2500 has over the 1000 is the chop shop feature..than the MPC 1000 sounds like it is for you.
User avatar

By Remedial Tue Sep 27, 2005 4:20 am
jahrome wrote:
Posted by Remedial
Also, why the hell did they still make it 96 PPQ's? Why not update that? And then, 100,000 notes? Cut it down from the 2000XL's 300, 000?


I can't wait until this forum is full with MPC 2500 users...

The XL had the ability to record 100,000 notes initially, and with an OS update, it was increased to 300,000 notes. 96 PPQ's were good in early 90s and is still good today.

If the only feature that 2500 has over the 1000 is the chop shop feature..than the MPC 1000 sounds like it is for you.


What makes you think that 96 PPQ's is good for today?
User avatar
By Remedial Tue Sep 27, 2005 4:22 am
But still, they're only +11dbu, which sucks.

But my biggest gripe is:

It comes with 16 MB of memory stock, but then 5 of that is used for preset sounds?

What preset sounds?

I'm guessing you can erase them, but still. Why not just provide a compact flash card with sounds?
User avatar

By jahrome Tue Sep 27, 2005 4:33 am
Originally posted by Remedial

What makes you think that 96 PPQ's is good for today?


Joking right?? 96PPQs are fine fo a sequencer. If you want more than that, record your music straight into the MPC or multi-track in real-time as audio....The MV-8000 has more..and the MPC 4000 has even more PPQs..but you don't really need that...as I said, record straight into Cubase or whatever one may use...

Balanced outputs is the specs not a built in preamp. Connecting these balanced outs to the balanced inputs to my workstations=quality

You have to wait for the review..be patient unless you want to jump in while the water is hot and review it yourself...
By mars Tue Sep 27, 2005 5:31 am
Remedial wrote:Also, why the hell did they still make it 96 PPQ's? Why not update that?


According to Roger Linn, it's a rock-solid, dead-accurate 96 PPQN. Many software-based sequencers claim to offer higher resolutions but the timing falls apart under certain conditions (plenty audio tracks, screen redraws, cpu stress, etc). From the great man himself:

The tight timing of the MPC is due to the fact that there is zero delay
between the sequencer and sound generator. It's all one big software
program, so when the sequencer part of the software says it's time to
play a note, the sound generator part of the software does it
immediately. There's no MIDI delay, no delays due to computer OS timing
priorities, no delays due to MIDI interface timing irregularities, and
no delays due to an external sound generator's software responding
slowly to MIDI.
By elmacaco Tue Sep 27, 2005 6:37 am
Remedial wrote:But still, they're only +11dbu, which sucks.

But my biggest gripe is:

It comes with 16 MB of memory stock, but then 5 of that is used for preset sounds?

What preset sounds?

I'm guessing you can erase them, but still. Why not just provide a compact flash card with sounds?


That's the same as the 1k, do a search on that forum for how people dealt with it, I don;t think it turned out to be a big deal.

Considering every MPC but the 4000 is 96 PPQN, it is fine, and the 4000 even has a 96 mode, so it's just pro people who like to read big numbers on spec sheets.

Not sure how rock solid any midi will be, but the only thing I've experienced that is tighter than my 60 is a 1040ST, and that's cuz t has a dedicated midi tming chip on the motherboard, or so I hear. it was incredible tho.

jeez guys, critiques are one thing but damn!!
User avatar

By MPC-Tutor Tue Sep 27, 2005 8:01 am
96 PPQN is fine, there really isn't a need for anything more than that - I remember reading somewhere that the human ear is incapable of distinguishing higher resolutions anyway. (I'll see if I can find a link).

On paper, I'm still struggling to see why I would want to spend an extra £700 ($1500) on an MPC2500 over a 4000. Yes there are new features, but a lot of missing features - no 24 bit seems to be a completely nuts concept for a modern piece of audio editing equipment.

And isn't it about time they shipped these machines with maxed out memory - those 128MB chips must cost Akai a few quid, it's ridiculous - just add a few quid to the cost of the sampler and be done with it.
User avatar

By Remedial Tue Sep 27, 2005 2:23 pm
MPC-Tutor wrote:96 PPQN is fine, there really isn't a need for anything more than that - I remember reading somewhere that the human ear is incapable of distinguishing higher resolutions anyway. (I'll see if I can find a link).

On paper, I'm still struggling to see why I would want to spend an extra £700 ($1500) on an MPC2500 over a 4000. Yes there are new features, but a lot of missing features - no 24 bit seems to be a completely nuts concept for a modern piece of audio editing equipment.

And isn't it about time they shipped these machines with maxed out memory - those 128MB chips must cost Akai a few quid, it's ridiculous - just add a few quid to the cost of the sampler and be done with it.


Yeah, the lack of 24 bit audio was one of the few gripes that I forgot to mention.

If only Akai was more customer oriented.

I guess they figure that they have the market on lock and don't have to worry about any impending market divisions.
User avatar

By jahrome Wed Sep 28, 2005 3:46 am
Originally posted by Remedial:
But still, they're only +11dbu, which sucks.

But my biggest gripe is:

It comes with 16 MB of memory stock, but then 5 of that is used for preset sounds?

What preset sounds?

I'm guessing you can erase them, but still. Why not just provide a compact flash card with sounds?


I am not a tech head at all, but...
The outputs are balanced +11dbu with a max of 22 dbu...and looking at the specs of the MPC 4000 and MPC 3000...they are in the same range so I guess you can say they all suck.

The 16 MBs of RAM can be upgraded to 128 for 24 minutes of sample time...this is a MIDI sequencer as well. If you need more than 24 minutes, consider a standalone sampler.

Originally posted by my dumb azz self
The onboard flash ROM has nothing to do with the RAM memory. You can store 5MB of samples/sequences onboard the MPC. There are also sounds included on the 32 MB flash card that ships with it.

This is incorrect. The internal flash memory is 5MB. If you store any material to this flash ROM, it will load what ever is stored there when you turn on the MPC. If you store 5MB of samples in there, when you turn on the MPC, the RAM will be reduced 5MB. You can delete these samples if you choose.

Sorry for the incorrect info.
User avatar

By Remedial Wed Oct 19, 2005 7:19 pm
I am not a tech head at all, but...
The outputs are balanced +11dbu with a max of 22 dbu...and looking at the specs of the MPC 4000 and MPC 3000...they are in the same range so I guess you can say they all suck.

The 16 MBs of RAM can be upgraded to 128 for 24 minutes of sample time...this is a MIDI sequencer as well. If you need more than 24 minutes, consider a standalone sampler.


Forgive me for mistating the dbu's. I was mixed up a little bit. While the 2xl comes with unbalanced inputs at +11dbu (which is more than enough beyond +4du, which is considered the minimum professional level, in contrast to -10dbu, which is consumer grade), the 2500 does come balanced, which is a step in the right direction.