I thought it was just me..

but a friend of mine bought a MPC500 and returned it after selling his MPC2000. I was wondering why (since the MPC500 is a better machine (technically) and one of his reasons was that every sample HAD to be normalized. Now, I've been wondering the same thing regarding the 2500 for a while but simply did what I have to do to make beats, but has anyone else noticed how samples are so much lower right after you sample? I unplugged a lot of my other gear just to make things easier, I'm going out my turntable mixer directly into the MPC's inputs. My cables are fine, the output volume on the mixer is set just right. The levels are barely hitting the halfway mark on the MPC when the levels on my turntable mixer is occasionally hitting the reds. When I play back the sample, it's about 2/3 lower than when it's playing directly from the turntable. I don't use the rec gain (and you shouldn't really ever need to), but for the first time since I had my 2000XL, I find myself using it more than I should.
So my question is (1) does anyone else notice the same thing and (2) is the "normalize" function more of a ploy to make you believe the machine is really doing something...almost like a "bass boost" that you find on portable radios! The function works, don't get me wrong, the post volume is actually louder than the record afterwards, but is the MPC really doing that much extra work, or is it dumbing down the samples to make the end result seem so much better?

Mode Pad 10 / Global / Master Level <-- set this to 0db

Doesn't work, i tried that a while ago. My samples are still much lower than the turntables volume. Using normalize is almost always needed.

is your turntable properly grounded to ur mixer ? just thought id ask

"is your turntable properly grounded to ur mixer ? just thought id ask"

Please ask! All questions are welcome! But yea, everything is plugged up and properly grounded. My setup is so basic now.. I swear, I have the most simplest Fisher price child friendly gear. MPC2500, turntable and the turntable mixer.
I can work around the problem, but when my friend had the same problem with the MPC500 I began to wonder if anyone else noticed the lower sample volume and the constant need to normalize. Maybe it's just me.

is the red knob next to the main out turned up? Is your mixer turned up??

you gotta be doin somethin wrong, that aint supposed to be happenin

I experienced the same problem and already posted this problem once but got no reply at all..

I like playin vst instruments in my pc and record em into the mpc and thats when i noticed, that everything thats was crankin loud in my system was reeeeally low on volume on the recording in the mpc..

"I experienced the same problem and already posted this problem once but got no reply at all.."

Ok, I just wanted to make sure I wasn't the only one. I never noticed anything until recently. I never needed to Normalize anything on the XL or need a compressor/EQ. I would always EQ before I sampled, but it's almost like the 2500/500 (I can't speak on the 1000 because I've never tried one) NEED these functions to sound good.
Does anyone make beats on their 2500 without normalize or the master compressor/eq/normalize, or I pose this question. Listen to your beat with and without the comp/EQ, and tell me that a drum machine made within the last 3 years is suppose to sound that bad. These functions should make something good sound great, not make something bad sound better.

i mean, i'll normalize if i need to
but i don't use master eq or compression, or any effects really
and have no problems making it sound good right then and there

never had a problem with samples playing too low in my 500, unless I recorded them low.

How do you record them high? You shouldn't need to use the rec gain knob, but I find myself needing to use it. If the meters on my mixing board are hitting the red, then I should get the same reading on the MPC's sample meters, and I don't. In order to get the same volume out the MPC as my turntable (without using normalize) I have to turn the rec gain knob past the halfway mark.

"i don't use master eq or compression, or any effects really
and have no problems making it sound good"

Maybe I've just gotten used to the eq/compression, but samples definitely sound better when using it. It's a night and day difference.

roxstar wrote: In order to get the same volume out the MPC as my turntable (without using normalize) I have to turn the rec gain knob past the halfway mark.

It's because they are also Gain Reduction, they reduce level or increase it.
Your input settings are lowering the level from your mixer.
That 10db of boost on the inputs starts somewhere pass the halfway mark so anything lower than that is actually decreasing the level.
Akai should have just put a 0db indicator on the dial, but people would confuse it and still send a hot signal from the source to the MPC and make it distort.

"It's because they are also Gain Reduction, they reduce level or increase it."

Really?? Now that is brand new news to me. Really! I've never known any machine with a gain knob that reduced the signal. I always thought increasing the gain increased the incoming signal. Ohh well, I guess that explains things! I'm still stuck in my 2000XL days I guess.

Why not use the record level button? How could this be a problem? IMO the eq and compressor makes a dope sound even better.

"Why not use the record level button?"

Because I never had to use one on any other MPC. Normally, increasing gain adds noise. A good signal going in should be a good signal recorded, even with the gain at zero. My gain knob is at 2 o'clock right now, which means that the 2500 is drastically reducing any incoming signal.