AKAI MPC2500

[x2k]

 

I have never used any of the earlier models of the Akai MPCs so I cannot compare. I am however a proud owner of an MPC2500.

 

Reason for Buying

 

All my real production before I brought the MPC was done on computers but I was getting fed up with the pointing and clicking on the screen all day long. After some thought I decided that I wanted to look into the MPC range.

 

It didn't take me long to realise that an MPC will never be as versitile or powerful as a modern PC loaded with software, but the limited functionality and simplicity of the MPC started to really appeal to me.

 

First Impressions & Getting Started

 

When my MPC arrived I was very happy with what came out of the box, it was solid, and felt like some thing that wasn't going to break in a hurry. Expecting to just plug it in a go I was somewhat dissappointed when I couldn't make it do anything, everything seemed so complex, I thought I'd have to learn everything all over again. I frantically started to read through the manual, as I learnt how to do a few things I suddenly reallised that the worrying was all for nothing since once you get the hang of a few things (basically pressing the Mode button) everything falls into place.

 

JJ OS

I'd heard of JJ os before I brought my MPC but at first I stuck with the Akai one. I got used to it and felt that if I switched to JJ I'd probably loose features I'd got used to. One day I thought I'd give it a try and almost straight away realised I was stupid for not trying it earlier.

 

JJ OS make a lot of things much more straight forward, and add feature which really should have been in the original OS.

 

Some of the most useful additions where:

 

* Stereo sample chopping, with the Akai OS chopping samples converts the slices to mono.

* Vertical waveform zoom, Akai had log view instead which was un-useable.

* Midi editor, Akai only had grid edit which is great for drums but not for melodies.

* Audio tracks.

 

I've yet to try JJ OS2.

 

URL: http://www7a.biglobe.ne.jp/~mpc1000/mpc2500/

 

Issues

The only issues I've had are:

 

* the occasional crash, these are very rare, I think I've had about 3 in total.

 

* every now and then one channel cuts out for 1 play of a sample.

 

* the USB connection is USB v1 so transfers are slow, why they didn't use USB v2 I will never know.

 

The only other things I will mention here is that the CF card slot is a bit shit and plasticy.

 

 

Summary

If you like to make sample based music and you like to work within limitations then the MPC may well be for you. However it is not for everyone and don't expect it to work for everyone.

 

If you get one definately try JJ OS!

 

Once you learn your way around it it becomes very quick and easy to use.

 

The MPC is a useful tool but I definately think it is more useful when used with other equipment as well.

 

A midi controller keyboard is a must, the pads are great for bashing out beat and triggering samples but if you want to play in a melody a keyboard is much better.

 

I love my MPC but they are not for everyone, before you get one think about what you expect it to do.

[djdiggla]

Nice! I still love the 2000xl but have thought about these for the portability... I have been thinking about changing my OS too, but always worried it would be too hard to do...

[TopherEightyFive]

out of curiosity, what software were you using?

 

ive been thinkin about getting an mpc for years now.. ive just started reading a book on ableton live so im gonna give that a shot before going the hardware route. if i do get an mpc, 2500 looks like a beast.

[x2k]

out of curiosity, what software were you using?

 

I use Cubase I have now problems with it, it's very good and I still use it to record in all my tracks from the mpc for effects, vocals and final mix down. I was just fed up of looking at screens after working at the computer 9-5 at my job.

 

Ableton it nice software, quite different to Cubase and a lot easier to get started with...it also has some very powerful features. I like ableton for creating mashups and stuff, that's which it's best at but I'm not so into it for programming tracks...that's just me though. It's probably worth giving it a try and see how it works for what you want to do because something like cubase takes alot more effort to get your head round.

[Face Melt]

what's the build quality on the 2500 like?

[decisive]

what's the build quality on the 2500 like?

 

not perfect. it feels like most other expensive yet mass produced stuff, solid but at the same time a bit plasticky. i did a fairly detailed review a few months back for gizmo to publish, i would post it but i don't want to go back on my word.

 

 

actually i couldn't even if i wanted to i've just remembered i haven't got it backed up. i really hope my hard drive isn't completely kaput.

[taotao]

Everyday is A Gift

My brother-in-law opened the bottom drawer of my sister's bureau and lifted out a tissue-wrapped package. "This", he said, "is not a slip. This is lingerie." He discarded the tissue and handed me the slip.

It was exquisite, silk, handmade and trimmed with a cobweb of lace. The price tag with an astronomical figure on it was still attached."Jan bought this the first time we went to New York, at least 8 or 9 years ago. She never wore it. She was saving it for a special occasion.

Well, I guess this is the occasion. (wow gold,)

He took the slip from me and put it on the bed, with the other clothes we were taking to the mortician. His hands lingered on the soft material for a moment, then he slammed the drawer shut and turned to me, "Don't ever save anything for a special occasion. Every day you' re alive is a special occasion."

I remembered those words through the funeral and the days that followed when I helped him and my niece attend to all the sad chores that follow an unexpected death. I thought about them on the plane returning to California from the midwestern town where my sister's family lives. I thought about all the things that she hadn't seen or heard or done. I thought about the things that she had done without realizing that they were special.

I'm still thinking about his words, and they've changed the weeds in the garden. I'm spending more time with my family and friends and less time in committee meetings. Whenever possible, life should be a pattern of experience to savour, not endure. I'm trying to recognize these moment now and cherish them.

I'm not "saving" anything; we use our good china and crystal for every special. Event such as losing a pound, getting the sink unstopped, the first camellia blossom… I wear my good blazer to the market if I feel like it. My theory is if I look prosperous, I can shell out $28. 49 for one small bag of groceries without wincing. I'm not saving my good perfume for special parties; clerks in hardware stores and tellers in banks have noses that function as well as my party going friends.

"Someday" and "one of these days" are losing their grip on my vocabulary. If it's worth seeing or hearing or doing, I want to see and hear and do it now. I' m not sure what my sister would've done had she know that she wouldn't be here for the tomorrow we all take for granted.

I think she would have called family members and a few close friends. She might have called a few former friends to apologize, and mend fences for past squabbles. I like to think she would have gone out for a Chinese dinner, her favorite food. I'm guessing. I'll never know.(wow gold)

It's those little things left undone that would make me angry if I knew that my hours were limited. Angry because I put off seeing good friends whom I was going to get in touch with someday. Angry because I hadn't written certain letters that I intended to write one of these days. Angry and sorry that I didn't tell my husband and daughter often enough how much I truly love them.

I'm trying very hard not to put off, hold back, or save anything that would add laughter and luster to our lives. And every morning when I open my eyes, I tell myself that every day, every minute, every breath truly, is... a gift from God.

[bfresh]

Good review, i think Taotao is trying to say he hasn't got a MPC but would like one and has a fetish for his sisters underwear!

 

Bought my 2500 off Decisive Chris, which came with JJ OS1 & 2 so don't know any different, best purchase ever tho! Its never crashed and wouldn't say i've noticed slow transfers via USB as files that are transferred are never that big in size.

[mattnice]

what the fuck was he on about

[Wax On]

He was on about World Of Warcraft Gold. If it had been in any other thread i might've thought it was spam, but it was so poignant that it just couldn't be.

[kut_class]

been eyeing up an mpd for a while now, and kind of wondering why someone would choose the mpc over an mpd with decent soft sampler ... any thoughts ??

[x2k]

been eyeing up an mpd for a while now, and kind of wondering why someone would choose the mpc over an mpd with decent soft sampler ... any thoughts ??

 

I chose it because I work with computers all day long and sometimes at the end of the day I'm fucking sick to death with looking at screens...the mpc lets me create with out that. I seem to do my most serious stuff on the computer but I find the mpc a good outlet to just jam and bash shit out.

 

The mpc isn't something you buy for the features set or because it's better than everything else...you buy it because it's loveable and enjoyable and it just lets you get on with it. It's most definitely not for everyone but it is some thing you can fall in love with.

 

If you're looking at a pads and a computer set up then you may want to check out NI Mashine!

[Giraffe Dung]

If you're looking at a pads and a computer set up then you may want to check out NI Mashine!

 

fuck yeah you might as well. akai will lie to you and say the pads in the mpds are the same as the 2500. go and line them up next to each other in a shop and you will see that they're different. if you mention this to akai, saying specifically that the rubber is not as soft and the pads don't have the same depth, they will say you're imagining things, but you're not. the 2500 pads feel good, the 24 and 32 feel pretty good. and as x2k says, the pads are only part of the mpc's appeal- being able to switch it on and it be 3 seconds before you can get going, without the machine itself making any noise, being able to do everything without disengaging psychologically from the unit- no controlling with one thing, looking at another and playing with something else. not only that, but sampling on an actual sampler is a huge factor. basically, the only advantage to the mpd over any number of other midi controllers is the pads, which are the most like mpc. the thing is part of the whole mpc pad fetish is the charm, and the mpds don't have much. maschine, on the other hand, does what mpd don't. the pads don't feel anything like mpc, they're less comfortable but more accurate. maschine samples directly- this is big (officially there's no bug and i have to be a bit careful but i have had a couple of problems with it). you also get the ability to sit and stare at maschine as you would an mpc, completely ignoring the computer. in fact one big thing maschine has over the mpc is the fact that you can sit anywhere with it (providing you've a laptop), it's a much more comfortable weight than mpc, and the only cable is the usb. i've written a full review for skratchworx which is a bit held up at the moment, but it's coming. there's an update on the way and i think giz wants to wait. of course, it's much more expensive, but it's WAY more value for money...

[djdiggla]

been eyeing up an mpd for a while now, and kind of wondering why someone would choose the mpc over an mpd with decent soft sampler ... any thoughts ??

 

Maybe some people aren't in a ghey contest with Girl Talk?

 

 

 

I chose it because I work with computers all day long and sometimes at the end of the day I'm fucking sick to death with looking at screens...the mpc lets me create with out that. I seem to do my most serious stuff on the computer but I find the mpc a good outlet to just jam and bash shit out.

 

The mpc isn't something you buy for the features set or because it's better than everything else...you buy it because it's loveable and enjoyable and it just lets you get on with it. It's most definitely not for everyone but it is some thing you can fall in love with.

 

So well put.

[kut_class]

nice one x2k and chris, appreciate the views. I can defo see your point about not wanting to work the computer, it's exactly the same thing for me which is partly why i;ve been struggling to get on the beats recently. Do like the idea of just being able to sit down a sketch ideas quickly, but then i'm not sure how i would then go about integrating those ideas back in to the computer to polish up (well, i kind of do, but know i;m gonna have to fork out for mores kit). Maschine is defo a good option, and it's interesting to hear that the pads are better. I;m not sure if i'd use the Ni software though , prob just use it a a midi contorller, which does make it a a bit expensive. I've got a soft sampler which i'm comfortable with (and a s5000 which i never use) and don;t know enouigh about the Ni software to decide upon making the switch. It's def between the mpd32 and maschine - think i;m gonna keep thinking about and never do it, ( as per usual ;-) )

[johnny 1 move]

I'd wait for 1.1 of maschine because at the moment it's DAW integration is limited to day the least.

 

From what I gather you can only make scene changes from your DAW, you can't automate it or send midi from it I think. Check the forum - people are really bitching about the limitations when using maschine in a DAW.

[x2k]

Ah if what johnny says is true then maybe hold out...there seems to be a load of little videos demoing the software here though...

 

http://www.native-instruments.com/newrelea...ducer/maschine/

[Giraffe Dung]

I;m not sure if i'd use the Ni software though , prob just use it a a midi contorller, which does make it a a bit expensive. I've got a soft sampler which i'm comfortable with (and a s5000 which i never use) and don;t know enouigh about the Ni software to decide upon making the switch.

 

ah.... okay this doesn't really work. the thing is maschine *is* the software. well specifically the hardware/software combo. it'd be like getting an mpc 2500 and then just using the midi out to make the pads control reason. you're going to have to go to a shop or to someone's house and actually use an mpc or a roland mv or a maschine or something, because at the moment i don't think you understand- doing things in software, *especially* sampling and phrase sequencing, is really convoluted- but unless you've seen how well it could work, you don't even realise. i was exactly the same.

 

if you've got no qualms with the workflow of your current setup, don't change on a whim. you need to use maschine or mpc first or see a video that really details what's different and makes you go 'ohhhhhhhh... all this time i could have been doing it like that!'. of course, you may not have that response and may be just as happy with your workflow. if you want pads because of the ergonomics and the association with the 4/4 measure, then yeah, just integrate a mpd, or pad kontrol, or trigger finger, into your setup. try before you buy to find your favourite feel.

 

also, jonny's right. maschine's midi capabilities are limited. you can't sequence anything else from maschine, and you can't sequence or automate maschine from anything else- except using program change commands to switch scenes (this second point is a problem the mpc 2500 also has, btw. you can't use an mpc 2500 as a sound module as only the currently selected track can be receive midi in). this is a shame, and also i don't want to second guess ni but i would also imagine that the 1.1 update won't provide a complete solution to this problem. at the end of the day it depends what you want out of it. you can still load it as a vsti when you want to get geeky and tweeky with it and then send the outputs to the bus ins of your daw, as well as automatically track out individual tracks and sounds from maschine. if you're not sure why it'll be a massive problem for you then it won't, basically. in the same vein as being able to usb chopped samples over to the mpc, which is dramatically underusing the mpc's main plus because people are used to another way of doing things, some people are scared of doing things a different way (or just like to think they know best), you're underusing maschine if you just want it to be a sound module... apparently the 1.1 release is 'imminent' though, so we'll see.

[CompeteWithPete]

i never used a 2500, but i have a 3k.

im the same, used FL forever. and still do use it.

it just SUCKS trying to use software creat pgms on it. its wack for me, cant get them to load.

i used translator. but the software works perfectly with my asr.

[Face Melt]

haven't used my mpc1k in months. axiom and reason is fine for me. was going to get native instruments maschine but reason 5 has a new drum synth/sampler thing which should satisfy my needs.

 

viva la software revolution!!

[djdiggla]

I have been stuck in Ableton and my XL takes up so much desk space that I have it in the closet right now.

[Jimmy]

what!! at least leave it out somewhere. its looks well cool. i mainly bought my 2500 to impress girls

[djdiggla]

I have been thinking about attaching it to a dookie gold chain and wearing it out to clubs.