Opinion on the Synth of the 5000

Coz wrote:Oh yeah, no mention of bugs

Yeh, the remix mag mentioned nothin about bugs either...

jokas wrote:i also like the synth at the 5k, there are all parameters you need to program your own sound.

unfortunatly the machine has no preview button, to try the programs before you load it. that is not very userfriendly, bcause i have to load up a complete folder in my RAM to try what sound i like to get with.

i hope the next update will include a synth preview option!

So while you trying to pick which preset you want to load up you cant just hit a pad and see what it sounds like without having to actually load it up?

Coz wrote:I picked up Future Music last weekend so i'll give you a quick summary of what was said by the reviewer, Dan Goldman.

The bad first off...

* He loved the external build quality and layout but thought the armrest and side panels were "plasticky" compared to his beloved 3k.

* He criticised the "poor" 64Mb of included ram, and also the cd/dvd drive being optional. As a potential buyer I'm inclined to agree.

* "A significant downside with the 5000 is that the sample rate is fixed at 16-bit 44.1khz. Most people now work at 24-bit in their DAW's and the extra digital headroom definitely would benefit the HD recording, beats and synth/effects and make a more open sound. It's strange Akai have chosen a 16-bit upper limit, especially considering their own MPC 4000 was full 24/96khz capable"

* In his opinion the synth can sound slightly "harsh and grainy" in the mid/hi-mid region, plus the filter can produce stepping/quantisation at higher resonance.

* He also has a final comment that this MP should have been called the 3500! I think he must have been spending too much time in this forum!!

The good...

* "The workflow is slick with a tried and tested interface, large screen, Q-link controls and tactile velocity sensitive pads. Beat making is just more fun with an MPC!"

* He was also impressed with Chopshop, the sequencer, and Continuous Sample Track, amongst many other things.

* In concusion he writes "A worthy and versatile addition. For those that like everything in one box, the 5000 is hard to beat.

In a comparison to the 3k he said he prefered the sound and swing/feel of the 3k, but wished his MP had all the bells and whistles that the 5k has.

On the whole a pretty decent review... Oh yeah, no mention of bugs, but Future Music reviews aren't anywhere near as indepth as Sound On Sound magazine. I look forward to reading that when it comes out. Hope some of this helps...

1. Even the MPC 3000s side panels are plastic. But the MPC 3000/60 does appear to be built more robust than its other siblings.
2. MPC 5K has more standard memory than any other MPC. I would prefer to have it upgradeable to at least 512 MB using memory used by typical PCs today. I also wish the DVD/CDRW drive was standard. The prices Akai are charging for the upgrades cost too much...but, if you are purchasing the MPC 5K here in the USA from companies like VST service, you can get these upgrades free.
3. The sample rate of the MPC 5K is the same as Roland's MV-8800 as well as workstations like the Fantom G. I would like to know the reasons why these companies opt for the lower sample rates. However, the MPC 5K can record/mix-down to 8 hard disk tracks which can be exported as 24-bit wave file.
4. MPC 3500? If you take into account the MPC 4000 sampler has a higher spec..then yes. But if you take into account that the MPC 5K has numerous features that the MPC 4000 doesn't (hard disk recording, continuous sample tracks, chop shop, improved swing function, onboard synth, more q-link sliders/knobs, enhanced effects, etc) then the MPC 5K name is appropriate.
5. I used the MPC 3K for years. But I replaced it with the MPC 2500 which I found to be a better sampler and sequencer. The MPC 5000 is a big upgrade to the 2500.

Now...I just need a new OS to fix the bugs and flaws of my MPC 5000 as well as my Fantom G.

hey, what month is that Future music cover from??

5. I used the MPC 3K for years. But I replaced it with the MPC 2500 which I found to be a better sampler and sequencer. The MPC 5000 is a big upgrade to the 2500.

Hearing that from some one who used both the 3k and 2500 makes me more excited about the 5k. I am pretty much sold on getting the 5000 over the 2.5K. I have a question. what is hard disk recording? is that just basically mixing vocals and other instruments down? Kinda new to all of this.

mmcerda wrote:hey, what month is that Future music cover from??

Aug. 08

mdiddy05 wrote:5. I used the MPC 3K for years. But I replaced it with the MPC 2500 which I found to be a better sampler and sequencer. The MPC 5000 is a big upgrade to the 2500.

Hearing that from some one who used both the 3k and 2500 makes me more excited about the 5k. I am pretty much sold on getting the 5000 over the 2.5K. I have a question. what is hard disk recording? is that just basically mixing vocals and other instruments down? Kinda new to all of this.

Hard disk recording allows you to record 8 tracks direct to disk which isn't limited by RAM. You can use these tracks to record vocals, live keyboards, etc as well as record/mixdown your MPC synth/program tracks. These hard disk tracks can be easily sent to your computer using ADAT output or be exported as 24-bit file to your favorite DAW for further processing. Additionally, you can even import up to 8 tracks recorded in your DAW to the MPC 5Ks hard disk recorder.

RIght now it's disappointing. With OS 1.0 I get a lot of bugs and show stoppers. Applying some efx and changing paramters silences the whole machine. Notes blink and time runs but nothing can be heard until you power it up again. Also some sample editing actions cause strange behaviour (like time shift and replace, messing up the sample and program sample assignment).

As a skilled synth programmer I'm quite surprised, that they called it a synth. It has some pretty cool features like syncing and cross modulation of oscillators. But the filters - main part of subtractive synthesis - sound cheap and flat or overreact and start massive self-oscillating. But one could resample it and assign more of the builtin efx to it.

Did anyone find the mentioned CF card (manual, page 14)? I didn't get one. So I had no chance to upgrade it to OS 1.01 yet.

Until now I used a PC with sequencing software and thought such a device would be a perfect mobile replacement. But after all that playing it's of no use, need to reboot at least once every two hours to get rid off eeky bugs (Grid Edit+Step Recording doesn't record at all, samples get lost after Trim/Edit functions, sound signal lost after heavily editing fx parameters). 50 bugs to be fixed within 6 months...sounds like a Redmond Software Product. Definitely not worth the money.

Anyone scared of running out of memory: I bought the memory expansion and never got above 64Megs.

Did anyone check out efx devices? If you ask me, a MidiVerb IV or Zoom Studio machine makes way more "effects" than 40+ Akai efx emulations. Phaser, Flanger and Reverbs sound...thin and cheap. But it has additional outputs so I hooked it to my devices and resampled a bit. Even Midi control is quite good. I managed to control external efx devices via Q-Links.

To summarize it: This is not a Music Production Center, in my opinion music production needs more. (But if you're satisfied by just triggering ready-to-eat samples it's more than sufficient.)

Onkobu wrote:Did anyone find the mentioned CF card (manual, page 14)? I didn't get one. So I had no chance to upgrade it to OS 1.01 yet.

Yeah, the CF card didnt make it into the box, but you can go to the store where you purchased it, and tell them that yours didnt come with one, they may call Akai, like another member did. Then they sent him/her one out.

Also, you can use your USB cable to import the new OS to the MPC 5000

if you bought the memory expansion and you did not get more than 64MB there is something wrong. It's either the way you installed it or the ram.... I'm pretty sure you made the mistake as it happened to me as well, I installed it turned it on and it did not show the ram I reopened it and made sure the ram was pusshed in as deep as it went and then it all worked great.


Also onkobu you make it sound like it sucks.. and it does not. the MPC has beena music production center since the first one was made and this one still is. It can do a lot more than "trigger ready-to-eat samples" we both know this. I know it's your opinion but hey it's not that bad.... it does need some more work though I do agree wit that.

4dahaterz wrote:install via USB cable

How do I do that? Installation instructions included in the archive don't mention that.

ritec wrote:I reopened it and made sure the ram was pusshed in as deep as it went and then it all worked great.

Maybe he pushed it in the wrong way. I had to try 2 or three times until I found the right position. I couldn't see the aligning notches

ritec wrote:Also onkobu you make it sound like it sucks.. and it does not. the MPC has beena music production center since the first one was made and this one still is. It can do a lot more than "trigger ready-to-eat samples" we both know this. I know it's your opinion but hey it's not that bad.... it does need some more work though I do agree wit that.

It does suck, definitely, but not due to it's sound problems. It's of no use, if it freezes, hickups and doesn't do what it supposed to. I don't know how much money you paid for, but for 2000 Euro I expect pure luxury. I tried a V-Synth GT, too and had to chose (to play with own waveforms). Right now I'm not convinced, that the MPC5000 would be a perfect mate when performing live on stage with nothing but the MPC5000. (I'm a sort of perfectionist, I only need working devices, all others are useless.)

If it suks, you should sell it and get something that works for you. Just stay away from any new workstation that hits the market.

Askia Shaheed wrote:... Just stay away from any new workstation that hits the market.

If everybody waits until it's ready to use...who's "testing" it? I really don't understand that banana strategy - sell them while they're green and customer waits until they're tasty. What do I pay for? Do you want to buy a car that stops every 10min for no reason or lights go off, hitting the gas makes it honk...? And as others mentioned, this is not the first MPC AKAI sells.

Onkobu, you are aware the 5000 is at 1.01? I believe there was a long list of fixes from 1.0 to 1.01.

Onkobu wrote:

Askia Shaheed wrote:... Just stay away from any new workstation that hits the market.

If everybody waits until it's ready to use...who's "testing" it? I really don't understand that banana strategy - sell them while they're green and customer waits until they're tasty. What do I pay for? Do you want to buy a car that stops every 10min for no reason or lights go off, hitting the gas makes it honk...? And as others mentioned, this is not the first MPC AKAI sells.

The point is...it is ok to buy green bananas (aka MPC 5000 with latest OS 1.01). But I won't eat one (aka using the MPC 5000) and complain it isn't ripe. If you wait until the bananas are nice and ripe (aka MPC 5000 with a mature OS), chances are...it will be much cheaper (VST service selling them maxed out for $2500 when I bought one stock for $3000 ). Many times it costs you trying to be the first.....

My thought is, if akai had put it out and everyone waited until a mature update was released... it would still have most of the same bugs because there depending on the first shipment buyers to complain and complain so they can know what to fix. Akai 'professionals' can run as many test as they want, but they can never come up with as many ways to run and test the machines as we can... and they know that, thus... v. 1.0