Why should I choose the MPC 5000 over the Roland MV8800

Hi all ....

Listen, I have recently decided to bite the bullit and invest in a top of the range sampler/beat maker, following the extreme disappointment of the Akai MPD32 drum controller I recently bought and tried rather unsuccesfully to sncy firstly with Cubase Sx3 and then to actually make meaningful beats, utilising the tap tempo and note repeat functions ( which were next to useless, by the way !! )

However, I must say that one very big 'downer' in my consideration of the Akai MPC 5000 is the worry of Akai support ? They were totally usless in trying to help me with the MPD32 and in the end just went silent on me - not very professional at all !! I would seriosuly be spitting fire if, haing spent over £1,400 on the 5000, I then encounter similar conduct from them when I might need to ask for support ?!! I really do feel that they are terribly unprofessional towards their customers, almost unforgivably so .....

So, coming back to my main question above, having watched a fair amount of youtube blurb on both units ( quite limited on the MPC5000 it must be said ), I am none the wiser as to which unit really is the DB to go for ?
I would ove some seriosuly informed input here from the those that really know their stuff to help me out with this purchase.

Don't hold back, share any views, feelings, experiences or stories with me - as all will help towards shaping my final decision.

yes, yes .... I hear you : " Well, it depends on what the unit is primarily to be used for and am I really going to need all the extra features of these top of the range units ?" Let's just bypass these type of comments and give me a straight up shoot for the hip about both products ?

Thanking you all in advance for your responses ....

If I had the money to spend on either machine I'd be jumping right at the MV-8800.

It's the perfect blend of the good things software offers with the benefits of dedicated hardware; it's what the 5000 should have been.

There was just a price drop on it as well, down to $1999.

The Korg M3 is a very neat machine too . . . you can even get a tabletop/rack version (M3M).

Once you leave the 500 and 1000's price range it's time to look at other options.

I would get the MV-8800 because it is a superior machine next to the MPC5000. In my opinion the MPC5000 is a step backwards for Akai compared with their old flagship the MPC4000. Shure the MPC5000 has a nice synth, but it should primarily be a good sampler not a synth. The MV8800 even has an easier workflow. I recommend that you try both units to see which one that appeals for you!

Good luck!

Wow, I sold my MV 8800 because it was way to complex to learn quickly. I struggled with it every time I wanted to do anything. I am sure it was the learning curve I didn't want to experience. Having said that I am an older person that wants a short learning curve, like I want to understand it NOW!

I have to be honest though the MV is a great machine and given the time to learn it can do anything.

The MV has some synth capabilities as well.

You should snuggle up with the manual in front of the fireplace for a few weeks. Same with the Korg M3 . . .

Once you know what it can do though? Have fun.

I have an M3 and it is a super keyboard. I can't figure out how to sample and assign to pads or even if it will. I just use it for the sounds and KARMA. It makes me sound like a pro even though I don't even play the keys very well.

This thread should be moved to the MPC Comparison Forum.

Askia Shaheed wrote:This thread should be moved to the MPC Comparison Forum.

Only one MPC have been mentioned

5000

Whatever you do,

dont get the mV... trust me.. You will get frustrated and sell...

the mv will become an expensive trigger finger becuz alot of its features will go unused and although it has VGA, it doesnt function as fast as a computer. Thats the biggest misconception that ppl have about the MV until they realize it actually slows them down..

Dont take my word for it though... try it yourself.

I say go with the 2500 and jjOS mixed with your favorite software...

I don't have any experience with the 5000 but have played with the MV my cousin owns..Even though it's weird at first comin from mpcs(2kxl, 4000 & 3000), the shit ain't that complex and sounds good straight up. Word up about that customer support shit. It's gonna bite NUKAI in the ass hard if they don't get that shit together..peace and hope you have fun with whatever you get

Roland's support is the worst!
They haven't updated the MV-88 at all.
It is on the 1st OS w/ no updates.
Before you say it doesn't need an update they could try & resolve the WMP issue.
Even if they can't do it they should put a warning in the manual.
They could give the people that bought the MV the moving cursor they have been begging for as a thank you for your bussiness.
That isn't even my issue w/ them though.
I have emailed the support team twice (both times even after registering my product.)
Never got any response, period !!!
Not only did I buy the MV, I have probably bought over 3 grand worth of other gear from them.
I would think that I would be a customer that would warrant a simple email response.
Hell I bought a $5 dollar game off of the Sony PSN & sent a question about it.
Sony sent me 2 responses!
The team at Sony has to field allot more questions I'm sure.
I'm hating the fact you could pay $2,700 then or $1,999 now, register, & then be ignored !!!
I speak from the heart on this issue.
Weigh my words before you buy the MV.
If it still seems the way to go then good luck & I wish you the best.

Next...
The MPC 5000 still has bugs & they are more than the MV.
It is a known fact.
The MV-8800 is really the 8000 w/ an inverted paint job & color screen.
This means it is a mature machine that won't get any new features likely, but won't have any bad surprises other than the WMP issue.
I don't know how bad the 5K's bugs would hurt your workflow or if they will ever be fixed.
I've had MPC's but never needed support period.
Maybe it is good or maybe not .

3rd part support...

I enjoy the MPC community much more!!! You can speak the truth good or bad here.
The mods on MV Nation are dumb asses that will flame you if you say 1 bad thing about the MV.
They act like it saved the world & you should be greatfull to buy it.
Roland flat out blows d*ck when it comes to treating customers properly.

Getting sounds for MPC's is much easier & while most cats make their own kits, you will go out & look to grab sounds & kits online for either machine. The MPC is MUCH more widely supported. I know the MV opens 2KXL kits & it does as advertised I might add, but those kits are getting very dated & the bulk of free sounds are in the NUAKAI's lineup of sounds. I know some say the 5K chokes up & fails to import the old school or new school Akai kit formats.
They should fix that & I would hope they would, but the gamble you take w/ buying the 5K is that they may never.
The MV has an edge in being mature, but it also seems like it has a foot in the grave.
That price drop was designed to put a few more units in studios of potential MP5 buyers just like you.
They just want to hold back the 5K a little bit longer before the next MV drops which could be any second.
Would you be mad if you dropped 2 g's & the MV-9000 came in a Guitar Center flyer the next week?
If yes I may consider holding off awhile longer.
I made a plus or minus list of both machines & made my pick.
I'm just writitng what I didn't see coming & that was hard to find sounds, a single forum that is communist, & the WITHOUT A DOUBT WORST CUSTOMER SUPPORT I have ever had on ANY product I have ever bought in my life.

The MPC I owned had JJ giving the best support you could ask for.
They say he doesn't have the code or the means to do a 5000 OS, but I bet he could.
The hardware is the same to the current 25k & 1K in terms of sampler engine.
They say it was programmed from the ground up, but it still walks & talks like a duck when I use it.
Maybe that is a good thing in this case. I don't know what to tell you man.
You could make kick ass beats on either, but it ain't replacing a computer for editing or vocals imo.

I really hate to see Roland succeed w/ such arrogant support out there, but I do think the machine is pretty sweet.
It is a good machine & it is easy to pick up.
If you have ever mastered an MP or any other similar sampling box you will be fine.
The 5K is cool & the synth engine is still very intriguing.

I will replace my triton extreme with an M3 late Feb when I get back home. I'm excited about it.

The price of new M3s are dropping.

I enjoy the MPC community much more!!! You can speak the truth good or bad here.
The mods on MV Nation are dumb asses that will flame you if you say 1 bad thing about the MV.

I agree with you 100%. If this forum was similar to the MV Nation, this thread wouldn't even exist. I believe Roland must be paying those guys. In defense of Roland, I sent them an email twice recently about issues with my Fantom G. They replied back to me promptly.

I don't know how bad the 5K's bugs would hurt your workflow or if they will ever be fixed.

Based upon the feedback left from MPC 5000 users in this forum, it doesn't appear that there are any serious issues people run into. I have confidence that the reported bugs that have been reported here will be fixed. Forum members such as SCD have been a great resource for MPC 5000 users and potential buyers.

So which machine should you buy? My personal choice is obvious. But it doesn't matter which one you choose. You can make great music with both. You can even throw the MPC 4000, 1000, 2500 , etc into the equation. These machines have varying features. Some units are more advanced than the others. But even if you went with the unit you felt had the most advanced features, does that mean you actually need them?

Check out the first minute of this vid: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ksw9886JTI

Nuff said....