Redundant Question? Can anyone say why...

...the MPC 3000 was discontinued indefinitely in spite of its growing popularity and loyal users? Sorry if this has been asked already, just leave me a link to the thread for that answer if possible. I'm supposing this product wasn't a good business move, but what move was it supposed to be? From a business standpoint, what went wrong with this product?

Nothing went wronh, you already answered your question, the 2000XL was the consumer version of the 3000, its aimed at DJs and hip hop....the 3000/60, like the ASR-10 are all pro, plus the 2KXL allowed Akai to take the profit in full without forking over checks to good ole Roger. Dont forget the 3K was over 3Gs, the 2000 let Akai pump out more units.

If anything its what went right with the 3K, technically everyone shoulda thrown their 3Ks out the window when the 2K came out, but them muphukas are still being used.

So I guess greed on Akai's part has prevented them from re-issuing the machine's design? Not wanting to share profits with Linn?

They already reissued it once with the LE. So I dont know, could be.

"the MPC 3000 was discontinued indefinitely in spite of its growing popularity and loyal users?"

I do not agree with the premise of the question. It was not growing in popularity and sales had been decreasing for a while. I had been to stores that had new MPC3000's on the shelves for months that they had not been able to move.

Dropping the line had nothing to do with Linn or royalty payments to him, even if they existed. Akai would have been more than happy to keep selling them, even if it meant paying a fee for someone's name on the front, cause that would be money in the bank on a finished design that was not being updated. Truth was, the people that could afford to drop $3500 on a new MPC3000 just were not buying it. In other words, the `pros` did not want the MPC3000, nor the $2800 MPC60.

"the 2000XL was the consumer version of the 3000"

Not sure how you could actually back this up. The people in the MPC1000 forum call the MPC1000 a `pro` peice and the MPC2000 forum people call the MPC2000's `pro`. I have a hard time believing that I was never a `professional` while I exclusively owned the MPC2000, even though I was raking in money with it. How would you rate the MPC60? Is it not pro, even though you can buy them for less money than the MPC1000?

What are the rules that allow you to determine what is pro or not?

Well, there are no rules really. I mean, Shock G from Digital Underground was making hits with a CASIO SK...but the popularity I was referring to was only what I seemed to be feeling among a lot of other artists as I was coming up. It was always talked about, but I suppose not on the scale where it would be considered a popular machine...at the time, anyway. The whole "pro" and "consumer" thing sound like marketing categories to me.

.damn.

mpc3000 wrote:"
What are the rules that allow you to determine what is pro or not?

Im saying the 2KXL was aimed directly at bedroom producers and djs/ the electronic genre. To me they're closer to the groovebox concept, the all in one concept, thats what i meant, not that 'pros' cant put them to good use...theye pro-sumer.

But ill tell you the 2K dont feel 'pro' to me, the 1K feels alot more 'pro' as far as the interface goes, more like a 3000/60 minus the shift and swing settings.

Yo Dove........please post up that lovely lady again....

I don't even think it's a matter of Pro or bedroom dj consumer, fact of the matter is the 2000 and 2000xl were the replacements for the 3k only cause it's made from cheaper parts. Less expenses = more profit, the 3k had 8 outs standard and SMPTE standard, they put out a 2000 base model where you gotta fork over the extra money to have them up to spec, and the ballers with over 2G's to spend bought the studio plus model. Either way they make more profit money on the 2k by spending less in expenses, plus they sell more units and the lower price makes it appeal to people that couldn't afford a 3k, so they buy the base model with hopes of purchasing the upgrades for it later... simple economics.

I'm not sure you can say that the 3000 stopped selling because pro's did not want it, most likely they already had one and did not need another (many even until now).

Pro is basically a determination of the target market. The 2000 was not targeted to pro's with pro budgets, it had a wider market base and the options made it fit many more budgets than the 3000. The memory was the same on both units, but the 3000 had a better build quality and more aimed towards people who had studios already and needed a great sequencer and drum sampler. Pro's are more likely to need 4 midi outs, tank build quality and standard 8 outs. The 2000 I think was more intended to be used by itself, or is at least better suited to it than to be used with lots of gear, compared to the 3000. They skimped on parts and metal and went plastic and delivered a great machine with enough pro features so as to satisfy the musical needs of aspiring producers.

SS: How long did you work with Akai and what was the highlight of that relationship for you?

RL: We collaborated until Akai decided to make their MPC2000 without me in order to avoid my design royalties.

..taken from another site interview with Roger Linn

full article below

http://www.sonicstate.com/articles/article.cfm?id=71

Yet another cost cutting measure to better aim at non pro budgets.

"what I seemed to be feeling among a lot of other artists as I was coming up"

Purely anecdotal and I am not sure how this feeling could be extrapolated to the entire population.

"Im saying the 2KXL was aimed directly at bedroom producers and djs/ the electronic genre"

And your reason in this is the fact that Akai added a few new features to the MPC2000 design above and beyond the MPC3000? Like midi clock on both ports? Velocity->pitch modulation? Removed some hardware? I am not sure how these few changes qualified the MPC2000 to be in all-in-one box. As far as I recall, you still have to load both machines with samples and sequence on them. Could you elaborate?

" fact of the matter is the 2000 and 2000xl were the replacements for the 3k only cause it's made from cheaper parts"

Not entirely so. While the casing was different, the circuit board materials are essentially the same. Advances were made in manufacturing that allowed to more automation of the assembly process. This translates into cheaper manufacturing costs, not inferior parts.

Then there was the fact that Akai re-released the MPC3000. Since the MPC2000 was already out, why would Akai manufacture something that had already been replaced?

"they put out a 2000 base model where you gotta fork over the extra money to have them up to spec,"

Rightly so. I would much rather see a design where I had the option to choose whether I got extra outs, effects, SMPTE instead of a company forcing me to buy package as a whole. A large portion of the MPC3000 was in hardware that was pitifully underutilitized. It was a very smart move to remove excess, under-used hardware and give the consumers the choice.

"most likely they already had one and did not need another"

Let see, by this reasoning the world stopped creating new `professionals` about the year 2001. There were no more pros left to buy the MPC3000 so Akai stopped making them. Huh? Now I am really confused.

"RL: We collaborated until Akai decided to make their MPC2000 without me in order to avoid my design royalties."

Duly noted. thanks. Actually I read that little differently: Akai was basically saying he charged to much, or rather RL wanted a big raise to work on a new design. Akai scoffed at his offer and said they can do it without him. And they did.

Look at how many pro's still use the 3000, and look at how many people who started in their bedroom use the 2000. It is simple marketing.