Anyone here go from 4000/3000/2000(XL) to 1000?

I'm just wanting to know what you think and/or feel about making that switch. Are you missing those extra feat. now? Do you regret it? Is it the best decision you've made?

I'm asking because I'm thinking of upgrading to either a 4000 or a Roland MV-8000. I really don't like importing and exporting stuff with my PC. I'm finding I do use a lot of effects, and stuff like timestretch and pitching things up and down with out changing tempo, but I am hating being dependent on my computer. I'd just like to sample my shit and start working and not have to import files back and forth from my PC everytime I want to change the sample. It gets tiresome.

Any thoughts! Some good real talk will be much appreciated.

not sure about the roland MV. sure its alright. i have a few roland products. like he groove box and an xv5050.

i hate the timing on the groove box. its an mc 505.

let me tell you that the 4k is an amazing machine. its pads to me are quite nice, although the 2k ones are slightly better though (bit more bounce). its the sequencer engine of the 4k thats wins though.

like note repeat can be pressed down perminantly.

pad mixer can be controled via the Qlink faders.

24-bit sound for wider dynamic drums.

nice punchy sound. (i had all 3 laid out in a shop fed thru the 824 Mackie monitors, and the same kicks and snares on all 3, same levels and all. the 4k and 2k sounded alot fuller and the 1k came out tinny with out any master fx. and i have a 1k, so i was finally proved wrong. still love the 1k for its size though.

the 4k has real time shift timing.

960 ppqn. i found that you can turn timing off, and bang out drums with no limits (well none that i found).

built in Turntable preamp. wicked.

sampler recording quality was very clean, and warm, wihtout lots of colouring in the mid range that i found the 2k gave.

but theres alot more about the 4k and there is so much you can do.

ime making the move from 1k to 4k very soon.

WERD! I'm hearing you on that! I want to upgrade right now, but I don't have the ducats or the space, but I definitely want something that I can do damn near everything on. I'm sick of being tied to my damn computer.

I feel ya Lou-One I really dont like the back and forth groove either! Wit the 4k or the MV-8000 u can do all your production in that one unit then when u get ready to track your beats or record vocals u can just dump your track into your computer software of your choice and go to work! Thats the only time I really want to see my pc when Im ready to mix and master wit some vocals! So I feel ya! Im lookin into coppin one of the BIG DAWGZ myself but dont kno which one to cop either the 4k or the MV-8000 but wit the new 1.51 OS for the 4k that might be my pick mos def! Let me kno what u think playa! Roopesh goin wit the 4k I believe!

I got a question Roopesh... the same kicks and snares that you used on the 2000 and 1000 that you loaded in the 4000, were they 96k or 44.1k? Did you use the 96k setting and see how it sounded? I was wondering how it sounds, I don't even think you need resoloution that high but I was wondering if you compared....

Toecutter wrote:I got a question Roopesh... the same kicks and snares that you used on the 2000 and 1000 that you loaded in the 4000, were they 96k or 44.1k? Did you use the 96k setting and see how it sounded? I was wondering how it sounds, I don't even think you need resoloution that high but I was wondering if you compared....

no they were 44.1.

why???

well it would be an unfare test on the 2kxl (xl is what i tested) and 1k, as both of these are 16bit 44.1.

also the resolution is debatable. i mean if you are a real drummer, or just have your own feel, well 960 will do wonders for ya. i have this same res on my logic audio plat 6, so i know it make a difference. but this high reso coupled with rock solid hardware based sequencing timing is a killer.

LabWorkz wrote:I feel ya Lou-One I really dont like the back and forth groove either! Wit the 4k or the MV-8000 u can do all your production in that one unit then when u get ready to track your beats or record vocals u can just dump your track into your computer software of your choice and go to work! Thats the only time I really want to see my pc when Im ready to mix and master wit some vocals! So I feel ya! Im lookin into coppin one of the BIG DAWGZ myself but dont kno which one to cop either the 4k or the MV-8000 but wit the new 1.51 OS for the 4k that might be my pick mos def! Let me kno what u think playa! Roopesh goin wit the 4k I believe!

hey Labworks...

forget the MV 8000. its not even tried and tested (by who??? a confused newbie). i dont want a war on this.

but think about it mate...what you have heard uptill now from all the hip hop, rnb, soul, etc, was probably done with the mpcs or asr's, or computer sequencers. so any gear can do it, if you put the work in.

i feel that the roland MV 8000 is just a nice box of tricks. but think, look at the demo on the rolandus site. i mean common don't kid me, a lil teenager trying to groove the unit. if Roland were serious about this unit, they would have got some one a bit more experienced, a producer perhaps to demo the thing, as some companies tend to do. this geek couldnt even write nice chords over the beat.

i have personally seen this machine in action about 2 weeks ago. i felt its sequencer timing was very iregular. 1 loop sounded tight, then it had a lag, then normal again. i even spoke to roland about this, and they plan to look into this (as even Yamaha have asdmitted to the timing issues with thier Motif Racks). i mentioned this a couple of weeks back. it has something to do with its FX processing power chewing on the OS. i trust roland to fix this. to me roland are great, but only for lush strings, pianos, nylon guitars, etc, that come inside chipsets in what are called sound modules. but not for beats.

there are many who have bought a roland mv and claim its wicked, this that and the other. but i bet you they will return it and go with the mpc. the same way i was knocking the 2k and 4k a few weeks ago. i have now come to my senses.

check out the yahoo members group for the 4000 forum. David Whittle is debating with a newbie roland mv user.

David listed quite a few drawbacks with the MV, and admited some of akai's too. but i was put off right away by Davids report on the Roland MV. this was unbiased facts.

the fact that Roland makes a clone of the well established MPC range, that says something. Now then, who's looking up to who???

I feel ya Roopesh! So u rollin wit the 4k then? Alot of peeps that are regulars in the MPC 4000 thread helped me out alot as well! [Bitstream, Doctor Beat, strongarmmusic, BIG_EFF, Dr. Lecter, lacasanostrarecords.com, My_Yoot, AWW_NAWW, and many more] Thanks

LabWorkz wrote:I feel ya Roopesh! So u rollin wit the 4k then? Alot of peeps that are regulars in the MPC 4000 thread helped me out alot as well! [Bitstream, Doctor Beat, strongarmmusic, BIG_EFF, Dr. Lecter, lacasanostrarecords.com, My_Yoot, AWW_NAWW, and many more] Thanks

yeah man...

the 4k all the way.

and i aint gonna change my mind.

i am going to live with it...no matter what problems may arise, if any.

coz ive tried the 4k ime sold, and ime into more features. i feel that my money has been well spent that way.

put it this way, if my G4 mac and logic setup ever let me down, i can always make my drums and sequence them with my synths, samples, etc all through the mpc 4000, and even use multisample instruments using the 4k (as it is a fully flegded sampler).

I'd hardly call an Akai employee commenting on a Roland product unbiased, knowledgeable perhaps.

But I'm with you on this one, I don't like the 4000 much at all, but I think the MV is worse.

It's kinda like a Kerry / Bush thing...

elmacaco wrote:I'd hardly call an Akai employee commenting on a Roland product unbiased, knowledgeable perhaps.

But I'm with you on this one, I don't like the 4000 much at all, but I think the MV is worse.

It's kinda like a Kerry / Bush thing...

do you have a 4k?

what is it that you dont like about it?

from what ive read on it, and tried for myself, owning a 1k as well, i see that the 4k happens to be the best overall MPC in the range so far. i have never tried a 3k, but know its limitations, but also know that it is the original mpc.

but you see the way i think is different to others.

my thinking: lets look back to when the 3ks were made. in the time span of the 3k production line, many Akai employee's would have come and gone, better or worse, hard working or lazy fu*kers.

the point ime trying to make is that no 2 models of the same product are ever going to be flawlessly the same. the feel of one mpc may not be the same as the other, both technically or cosmetically. note that we are led into think this way, or this world would be a pretty sad place. as consumers we except this whole notion of mass production, assembly line, or what have you.

compare 2 nike sneakers, the nike tick on pair has slight blemishes, and on the other pair, the left sneaker feels slighty tight.

but this is how i think.

I've tried it a couple of times. I can get around on it.

In case you didn't notice, I agreed with you, I'd rather have a 4k than the mv.

You just can't call Whittle unbiased, he works for Akai!!

But from when I tried the MV, I found it sucked head to toe. The small print on the screen is very annoying, and the general sequencer blows for quick ideas.

elmacaco wrote:I've tried it a couple of times. I can get around on it.

In case you didn't notice, I agreed with you, I'd rather have a 4k than the mv.

You just can't call Whittle unbiased, he works for Akai!!

But from when I tried the MV, I found it sucked head to toe. The small print on the screen is very annoying, and the general sequencer blows for quick ideas.

fair enuff...

lol...about the mv.

Damn! I do like the 1000, but I'm dying to get my hands on the 4000 now. No places in town have either 4000 or MV in stock.

I don't have the money at all to get it anyway, and it's burning me up. I'm almost wishing I kept the money for the 1000 and just saved until I had enough for the 4000.

The 1000 is great if you have a PC, but I don't wanna work on da PC no mo', and the 1000 by itself, or the PC by itself is not enough for me. I need to mangle my shit!

Save up some more chips for the 4k and sell your 1k on ebay! That might work! So u goin wit the 4k lou-one