Getting 4000 in near future - Need your honest gripes.

Sovereign wrote:

no ssl yet wrote:OK I'll try it out tonight and let you know how it turns out.

PEACE.

I'm not totally understanding why the start times would be different when it's technically the same sample. They are edited and cut to be the exact same size.

Now if you REALLY wanna save the day tell me a way to sync to protools with no drift ever.

It's nothing wrong with your samples that's why the work fine with the computer it's more about hardware vs computer for triggering.
So it's really just the 4k's method of dealing with how it goes about things.
As far as that PT thing it will always baffle the world because it seems like everytime you think you have found the perfect method you will use it and get different results.
What I have found to work best for me is to run my Mac at 64 buffers ( now 32 with 7.4 ) use MIDI Beat Clock and set the 4k for MIDI Clock plus MMC receive but also set the 4k to send MMC.
Then make the 4k sit and wait for the clock by pushing the Play button on the 4k.
This has worked well for me and the first kick is on the one as it should be without having to do a blank measure.
Since I am typically working with existing vocals and adding a new track it really important.

Yeah that's pretty much the exact same way I do it now. As you said it makes you scared to think you have it figured because as soon as you do, the day comes that it doesn't work exactly right.


How are you liking 7.4 has it changed the way you work? (I may upgrade this week) I'm either getting pt 7.4 , buying an Emes (or other) subwoofer, or putting an adat card in my 4k this week (LOL I guess I buy upgrades one at a time to fool myself into thinking I've spent less.)

SSL... Another thing to remember is that when you compress a kick or snare, the waveform takes on new charateristics as far as the attack and decay slopes are concerned, as I'm sure you already know. Hence, even if you are using a duplicate an initial sample, the compressed version can actually be significantly different from the original. When this is the case, it almost invariably requires treating the duplicate as a totally different sample (Hence the need for sample allignment, etc.). While it is true that DAW's tend to be sample accurate, the MPC 4000 can be extremely accurate, especially if it is clocked to an external device like an Apogee Big Ben or a AD 16X, Benchmark or Mytek, etc via Wordclock, ADAT, or S/Pdif . If the MPC 4000 you have is not clocked externally, it may be a wise investment to look into if you like working in the MPC environment, thus saving on your CPU. Even though it may sound like a 'Quick fix' doing some good ole' sample allignment couldn't hurt either if you're in a squeeze. Hope this helps a little. Reub.

no ssl yet wrote: How are you liking 7.4 has it changed the way you work? (I may upgrade this week) I'm either getting pt 7.4 , buying an Emes (or other) subwoofer, or putting an adat card in my 4k this week (LOL I guess I buy upgrades one at a time to fool myself into thinking I've spent less.)

I've onlyhad it for like a week but it's not bad.
I originallygot it to hopefully stablize my G5 and because of the new lower buffer setting.
Elastic Audio isn't bad, I've always used my MV for most TCE type stuff for my samples because LIVE is not the most comfortable thing to use.
I know people swear by it but it's just lacks a look and feel that makes me want to use it.
I tried ACID on the PC and LIVE on the Mac and both just lack what I feel is a functional environment.
I started trying LIVE when it first dropped and stuck with it but LIVE 6 was the last attempt.
They do what they are supposed to do but I just don't gel with their arrangement or workflow.
Since Elastic Audio is still PT I can jump in and jump back out without missing a beat.
Takes no special aspect to record a sample get the tempo and put it at the tempo I need, then shoot it to the 4k.
Or I can track the elements of the 4k to PT then change the sample.
Either way doesn't make me break stride or change mental frame of mind.
What i have been telling the 4k users is to get the options while they can (8-out or ADAT) since you never know when you can make use of them plus it makes it more attractive if you try to sell it.
Similar to ASR-10 SCSI, EMU Proteus expansion cards or the MV8000 VGA board.
I think by January 7.4 will have settled into my workflow in a good way.

ReuBen KinKade wrote:SSL... Another thing to remember is that when you compress a kick or snare, the waveform takes on new charateristics as far as the attack and decay slopes are concerned, as I'm sure you already know. Hence, even if you are using a duplicate an initial sample, the compressed version can actually be significantly different from the original. When this is the case, it almost invariably requires treating the duplicate as a totally different sample (Hence the need for sample allignment, etc.). While it is true that DAW's tend to be sample accurate, the MPC 4000 can be extremely accurate, especially if it is clocked to an external device like an Apogee Big Ben or a AD 16X, Benchmark or Mytek, etc via Wordclock, ADAT, or S/Pdif . If the MPC 4000 you have is not clocked externally, it may be a wise investment to look into if you like working in the MPC environment, thus saving on your CPU. Even though it may sound like a 'Quick fix' doing some good ole' sample allignment couldn't hurt either if you're in a squeeze. Hope this helps a little. Reub.

I've considered getting a Big Ben just to clock some of my other pieces I never figured it would do much more than make the converters/sound a bit better in the MPC. (I need one for my HD rig though.)

I'm aware that the signals take on a different attack/shape after compression, but I align the samples in the DAW before I send them to the MPC. So I really need the MPC to trigger them from different zones at exactly the same time.

Another issue you guys may have the answer to is the level in the 4k. It seems like trimming 6db off the volume is NOT exactly 6 db. I need to get a handle on exacly what the internal volume is doing when I trim in the unit.

Also has anyone compared the MPC's conveters to those on a Rosetta 800? I"m considering getting an adat card for my MP and using the Rosetta for my I/O for sampling and going digital into ptools via adat. Man other than a few minor quirks the 4k is a cool machine.

I wish there was about 10GB of memory and unlimited layers in keygroups (I know the work arounds though), I wouldn't need anything other than a 4k to travel with then.

Since an MPC is really just a computer with a hardware interface, I'm surprised Akai didn't just put the equivalent of a modern laptop into a drum machine interface (maybe that's next even though it seems the "big" machine era will stop at the 4k"


Maybe I'll just get the word clock card and clock to my rosetta to see if it makes any improvement.

I haven't had a chance to A/B the MPC converters against the Rosetta converters yet { primarily because the 4000 I bought was second hand and had to be sent out for repair to Akai } but when I do, I'll be sure to post. One thing you can be sure of though; A good master clock will make a VERY significant difference in the sample accuracy and overall sonic imaging of you're material ! It will open up your mix field in a way that gives you more room for sound placement. Even though I have yet to hear the MPC on my AD 16X or Rosetta 800, I'm sure that the MPC's internal clock cannot compare to a Big Ben's (although I do realize that things like this can be very subjective). All I know is that when I clocked my old Roland XV 5080 to the Big Ben's clock, it sounded like a totally new synth --- Word !!! When your doing Rock or any 'Organic' stuff, that sample-accurate 'tightness' is definitely critical, and in Hip Hop or any electronic music, a good clock (Provided the converters and opamps being used are decent), will make those drums and bass sound ridiculous !!! At any rate, at the end of the day, it's all about that Muzak !!! On that 'laptop in an MP' idea, I agree... that could definitely become ' The final frontier ' for us MPC-ites. Reub.

I know that everybody has an opinion! I can not understand why someone would buy a $2,700 machine and then put it on ebay. I hear guys always looking for a new OS update. Guys always looking for the next new drum machine that will wipe your a--. Hell, hell,if you would just learn one machine inside and out that machine will be your best friend. Whether you have a 1000,2000,3000,2500 or a 4000 its all about your creativity. This music thing is all about creativity and talent. I can not understand why people try to make everything so technical? Its funny how some one with an ideal and a small investment in some equipment and some love and heart can crush someone that has a room full of sh--.The 4000 is my first MPC and I love the sh-- out of it. I have had two problems with my machine. I called Akai,they gave me the info I needed to ship it off to get repaired.A few weeks later my Cd drive was playing audio Cd's and the bug so that I can save my sequences in song mode was corrected. I really have no problem with my machine. This thing will make me a hell of an amount of money from something that I LOVE 2 DO. That is make some damn good music. I thought that this thing was all about the music and the machine that we use to make it.I just get aggravated when for at least 2 years of me being on this site people are still complaining about a OS. All I have to say is the thing does what I want it to do. Sample,chop,compose and sequence. I don't need the thing to do backflips......

myspace.com/projectzeropro

terrellmoragne wrote:I know that everybody has an opinion! I can not understand why someone would buy a $2,700 machine and then put it on ebay. I hear guys always looking for a new OS update. Guys always looking for the next new drum machine that will wipe your a--. Hell, hell,if you would just learn one machine inside and out that machine will be your best friend. Whether you have a 1000,2000,3000,2500 or a 4000 its all about your creativity. This music thing is all about creativity and talent. I can not understand why people try to make everything so technical? Its funny how some one with an ideal and a small investment in some equipment and some love and heart can crush someone that has a room full of sh--.The 4000 is my first MPC and I love the sh-- out of it. I have had two problems with my machine. I called Akai,they gave me the info I needed to ship it off to get repaired.A few weeks later my Cd drive was playing audio Cd's and the bug so that I can save my sequences in song mode was corrected. I really have no problem with my machine. This thing will make me a hell of an amount of money from something that I LOVE 2 DO. That is make some damn good music. I thought that this thing was all about the music and the machine that we use to make it.I just get aggravated when for at least 2 years of me being on this site people are still complaining about a OS. All I have to say is the thing does what I want it to do. Sample,chop,compose and sequence. I don't need the thing to do backflips......

myspace.com/projectzeropro

any MV 8000 AND mpc 4000 users in here?

LvngDead wrote:any MV 8000 AND mpc 4000 users in here?

Check here http://www.mpc-forums.com/viewforum.php

"The forum you selected does not exist."

LvngDead wrote:"The forum you selected does not exist."

http://www.mpc-forums.com/viewtopic.php?t=85400

so far, i'm good w/this machine. i love it to pieces. there are a few things/features i wish it had... but i still don't regret buying this thing, not for second. worth every single penny i paid for it.

now that i have made sonar my ****, i'm loving my mpc even more... because my mpc and i just turned my computer into a giant groove box. this shit is sick.

What features and things do you wish it had?

LvngDead wrote:What features and things do you wish it had?

Groove quantize and the ability to read huge multi layered sample libraries ala Giga sampler etc...

Because both of those can be done easily in a DAW, I mainly wish there was a sample accurate method of locking the MPC to a DAW without it ever drifting from perfect sync.

I was thinking the other day what if there was a New MPC with a way to drag/drop a single track from your DAW (Somthing that looked like how you drag things between monitors in a 2 monitor set up, but functionally worked like when you open a sample in peak but send the edited version back to the machine.) If this worked for single tracks and single sounds (as it does with sending a sample to peak, but still having the sample being triggerd by the MPC while you used your peak (or other editor) plugins to process it before sending the processed signal back to your MPC.

You would effectively be able to drag a track to the Daw, quantize it and drag it back to the MPC. in an effortless fashion.

That would be the midi track/groove element.

If it worked the same way for sounds, You could use considerably less hard drive space for tracking drums, because you'd only be using single samples being triggered via midi, instead of having to track the beat out. (But the single sample would be eq'd/compressed/processed as you needed it to.)

That would be dope. Of course there are ways to pull of similar stuff now. But it's not effortless. For instance you can edit the parts of a hi hat pattern in PEAK, send the program and sequenc to the MPC and then replace the hat sounds with your own hat, to have the groove from it. But that's alot to go through to possibly decide you don't like the sound of it and want to use some other groove.)

no ssl yet wrote:

LvngDead wrote:What features and things do you wish it had?

Groove quantize and the ability to read huge multi layered sample libraries ala Giga sampler etc...

Because both of those can be done easily in a DAW, I mainly wish there was a sample accurate method of locking the MPC to a DAW without it ever drifting from perfect sync.

I was thinking the other day what if there was a New MPC with a way to drag/drop a single track from your DAW (Somthing that looked like how you drag things between monitors in a 2 monitor set up, but functionally worked like when you open a sample in peak but send the edited version back to the machine.) If this worked for single tracks and single sounds (as it does with sending a sample to peak, but still having the sample being triggerd by the MPC while you used your peak (or other editor) plugins to process it before sending the processed signal back to your MPC.

You would effectively be able to drag a track to the Daw, quantize it and drag it back to the MPC. in an effortless fashion.

That would be the midi track/groove element.

If it worked the same way for sounds, You could use considerably less hard drive space for tracking drums, because you'd only be using single samples being triggered via midi, instead of having to track the beat out. (But the single sample would be eq'd/compressed/processed as you needed it to.)

That would be dope. Of course there are ways to pull of similar stuff now. But it's not effortless. For instance you can edit the parts of a hi hat pattern in PEAK, send the program and sequenc to the MPC and then replace the hat sounds with your own hat, to have the groove from it. But that's alot to go through to possibly decide you don't like the sound of it and want to use some other groove.)

I guess in time you will see cuz it is only midi. I will leave it at that. Peace.