The Akai MPC2500 is here

ok, first things first. Is it plastic or metal? Why is the screen green? Where is the proverbial orange open Window button? Whatz so hot that it costs twice as much as the 1000?

and thank you it is not navy blue.
 

1. it better be metal. the 1000 is.
2. same screen as the 1000? tho it looks bigger i think.
3. ooh, maybe the open window button lights up like the 1000! hm....
4. no effin idea.
 

16 MB ????? New Akai MPC has only 16MB ??? I really cant believe it. and yeah.. green screen ?
 

Apparently the floormats and rust-proofing are extra $$$ as well.

Are the 16 pads square or rectangular?
 

16MB? That's beyond cheap.
Jesus, you could get a pretty hardcore computer and soundcard setup for that cash.
Hell, you could get a really nice computer, a really decent soundcard, some decent software, and several decent midi controllers for that cash. And still have some left over for beer/strippers/a Sound On Sound supscription.

In essence, I ask you this - what's the point in these?
 

The point in these is 0 computer fiddling. No viruses, quite less driver/OS/software revisions issues. And it has a dedicated interface because, in essence, it's a dedicated computer.

So, it all depends on if you prefer hardware or software. Both have advantages.

Some guitars sell for more than this price...

Still, 16mb is not much... They should ship it with the ram maxed out.
 

One point is this: Programming drums on a computer and keyboard (MIDI or PC) kinda sucks. MPCs/Linn 9000s/et al have a feel to them that is difficult to replicate with anything short of a real drumset/drummer. Also, some people don't want the complexity of a computer based setup, or the hassle of making everything work together, or the piano-roll linear sequencing that most software sequencers favor.

If you just want to sit down and make some music, MPCs are great... press the ON button, it autoloads your sounds, and you're ready to go.

I agree that 16 meg is pretty stingy, although 10 outs is cool. Also, looking at the list of fx, it appears to have the same fx as the MPC1k, which are pathetic.
 

Doesn't AKAI make a midi controller that has the same exact pads as the MPC? I'd say use that. :)
 

Chopper...Grid Edit...Harddisk...
There is finnaly a mpc that has all these. (without appearing as stupid as 4000)
 

I've whined about it, but hell ya I want one!

I don't know why I thought it might have been made of plastic.
 

MPC, possibly the most over hyped peice of gear in all time
 

No way! MPCs are viable creative tools that some people really love to work with. Much more effusively praised and shamefully venerated gear:

1. Roland TB-303
2. Mutron Bi-Phase
3. Ibanez TS-808
4. Roland SH-101 (ooh! a red one!)
5. Lexicon Jam man

MPCs don't promise much that they don't actually offer.
 

no they are good - but i think there is still a hype that goes above and beyond this... especially in hip hop circles
 

Why an MPC vs. Software?

it's simple, software sequencers suck, hardware sequencers rock.
 

I'm not sure if mpc's are over hyped I still have to find out myself... (I own Yamaha boxes mostly)

The only thing I realy fear is crappy software like the trouble with the mpc1000.
 

Oh, no, you should also fear crappy HARDWARE like the MPC1k. Mine's less than a year old, never been abused/gigged, and one of the pads is only half working now. I'd like to think it's an anomaly, but checking the MPC user's group it's happening to other people as well. I *think* this is the first generation of Akai stuff made in China... as I recall, my S5000 was made in Japan, but the Z4s onward are Chinese. Don't know if that's just a coincidence, tho.
 

If you don't want the MPC 1000, give it to me and i'll get it repaired...
 

make sure you include the reciept, might as well make it a free repair
 

For $2000, I can get an MV8000 which does much more than this rehashed thing.
 

Yeah, but the pads on the mv8000 feel like crap. And its roland. I aint got much love for that roland stuff.
 

I'm scared of the Roland too. Their ergonomics are usually abysmal (ditto their manuals). Akai is supposed to be the 'built like a tank' people so their move to Chinese production better not fark up their reputation. I think the 1000 looks too cheap too, but hey. The 2500 better not be cheap crap. Akai, don't be screwin up the 2k series.
 

Funny thing considering that the MPC series has a well known history of screens going out. Oh and will AKAI ever come out with an OS that isnt laden with bugs? Roland has a proven track record of releasing pretty stable OS systems. Check out the fantom series.
 

The AKAI manuals are crap!
 

Hey, the pads on the MV 8000 do suck. Why do people pay big bucks for Akai? After working with my G5, sortware synths, programs like kontakt and battery, logic pro, pro tools etc...I can safely say one thing about the MPC. The sound quality kicks the crap out of anything that I have heard on my computer or other hardware actually. I am not sure what Akai is doing as far as their AD/DA converters or compression, but for hip hop it just sounds better. I own a music store and play with Tritons, Fantoms, Motifs, and all the computer gear in the world everyday. I am purchasing a 2500 for myself. Don't be a hater.
 

I see all you cats on here bitchin about which equipment is hotter but, remember it's not the machine that make the music in the long run it's the person behind it.Stop talking $#!+ and make beats that's what we love to do right! so make beats.If there hot then we'll hear about you in the future.
 

Man that poster that called MPC user's "dumb ass" must not have checked the charts, most of the pop, r&b, and hip hop money makers on the charts were produced with an MPC. . .a la Dr. Dre, Timbaland, Kanye West, Neptunes the list is REAL long and thats just hip hop. Pop and other genres continue to use these machines for the exceptional sound quality (converters?), composition feel (composing with ears instead of drag and drop midi rolls), and in my personal opinion, the MPC has soul man. My virtual synths/drum mods on pc and mac are cool but just don't have the soul.
 

maybe this will help settle some issues...

http://www.samplekings.net/video/MPC2500%20Videos/MPC2500.mov

I've owned and MPC2000XL for about 4 years now. Released records made all with just that machine, performed live with it etc...

It's the person, not the instrument, that matters.
Why do people hate on MPC's anyway? Someone give me a credible reason not to like them.

I want one of these, btw. :)
 

Check out my beats @ myspace.com/milo1, all made on mpc 2000 series, dont hate,create. MUSIC SPEAKS FOR ITSELF.
GO MAKE A BEAT. peace....buckFush
 

wow. love AND hate on the same column. how original.
as stated before, the gear is only
as good or wack as the producer.
some kids are ill on fruity loops.
some are monsters on mpc's or tritons. get over your hatred for that which you do not understand or have a problem using. every thing is dope and sucks respectivley depending on the user.
one-
 

Hey I have both, the MV8000 is state of the art but its a few things wrong with it. The MPC2000XL is a mini system and thats what it is. The MPC is missing more memory and a colored LCD. THAT'S IT!!!!!!!
 

I'M THE FIRST PERSON IN THE CONTINENTAL US TO OWN THE MPC 2500.

http://photobucket.com/albums/a106/nupe03/
 

The MPC 1000 is bad ass just like the rest of the mpc family. I have used all external equipment since i started producing music, and i love the feel and soul of putting music together. I just started using software such as reason etc. But seeing that the 2500 is out, I have to have it. I do like working with software as well. So just like the other guy was saying. It is who is sitting behind the music, not what you make it own.

QURIOUS PRODUCTIONS
QP himself
GO HARD OR GO HOME 2005/2006
www.quriousproductions.com
 

I think people hate on MPCs because they're just too damned expensive. As far as the fans say, it's 2 grand for a set of 16 nice feeling drum pads and some mysterious ability to "sound better" than software. Considering that a set of MPD-16 pads costs less than 200 bucks, I think Akai is ripping you off.
 

those pads are a rip off at 200 also! the only thing i dont like about the mpc's is thier price. everything else is kickass. nothing like waking up in the middle of the night with your lap burning and legs alseep.
its just with "producers" becoming a house hold word and just in general hiphop becoming pop culture... theyre just marketing.
not to mention the home studio explosion, lots of people want these that arent into hiphop.
take a look at a catalog like sweetwater. you wont find lots of top shelf gear in it, but the average stuff, the markets exploding. akia is just getting their piece of the pie.
 

Anyone who is crackin on the MPC series have never used one. Ive made tons of bangin tracks on this thing and I use Pro Tools and other software, nothing compares to using the pad and its efficiencies. If you can't afford an MPC and wanna crack on it, please don't, the 2500 is gunna be sick, I use a 2000XL now and there are a lot of little things that will make me more proficient. When its all said and done, I drop it into pro tools. Don't talk to me about software.

Alkota
www.alkotatackz.com
 

I am sick of the MPC praises and the disses! There is a lot of people that buy an mpc just because they want to follow the trend. I use an Ensoniq ASr-x which most people think is crap but some features on that machine are second to none. I feel the good outways the bad. The Mpc has to be one of the sturdiest sequencers ever made but it has no feeling to me, the sequencer is too exact! But I'm getting sick of my ASR-x's breaking down so I am thinking about buying an Mpc 2500. I've been using software lately and its the worst thing in the world, By the time you are finished chopping up your sample you have forgotten what you had planned to do with it! Although I hate the OS on mpc's I may have to get used to it cuz nothing else seems to last.
 

Okay - all this talk, but does anyone have one yet? Post a review when you've tried this machine out. I'll do the same when I have 2grand to spend on one. MPC 2500 REVIEWS
 

alot of fruity loopers and reason users will always say the hater shit because deep in thier minds they know they will never have true respect from an mpc producer. they must not be too serious about producing if all the can do is download samples and programs!I saved up for an mpc because once i saw someone use it i was hooked ,i can also say that i was not impressed with software shit,was more like video games. it seems like everyone thinks they a producer all of a sudden due to the recent software explosion.. I think software is slowly killing the hip hop producer.
 

you know what whoever said that these instruments are stupid is a loser and probably can't make a beat if dr dre or pharell did have of the track now if u got beef please say something hoe
 

I am wondering if anyone has used an MPC2500 for a sequencer hooked up to a keyboard? I have a Yamaha S90es and I want a sweet sequencer for it. The music store is trying to tell me to just get the MPC2500 rather than the Yamaha QY700 sequencer I was first looking at. Any thoughts give me an email if you like. clint_lawson@yahoo.com
 

I lov the MPC, I first purchased an MPC 2000, and I now have the 3000. I have never had a problem with the OS. I only had a problem with the screen going out, but I got that repaired for about 130 bucks. Every "REAL" producer should own an MPC. Software producers cannot compete with a real savvy MPC producer. The "drag-click" way of porducing is so over-rated and is lazy. Learn how to sample, learn how to use the keys and sequence. Now thats producing.

www.valoruniv.com
 

i bought a mpc 2500 brand new out the box from guitar center in atlanta ga. and the f3 and f4 softkeys didn't work so i took it back and got another one. it worked fine so i expanded the memory to 128mb, added a hitachi 80 gig hard drive to it and the cd-m25 cdrw dvd rom drive, this is every option meaning it's fully blown. i also bought a 128mb compact flash card to match the memory. sounds awesome doesn't it!!!but "houston we have a problem!" the cd rom is not for data storage or cd burning, it will not do either of the two at this time (o.s. 1.0). it only reads from the cdrw dvd rom! be clear, it will not save data to the cdrw or record cds of your beats for you to play in your stereo. this really broke my f#@&!n' heart because that is why i bought the thing in the first place. i am on the road alot and i wanted a machine i could burn cds of the beats i was working on. i already had a mpc 2000xl with a 250mb zip and a external cdrom drive that i could read data from, so i sort of spun my tires on the take off so to speak. maybe in future o.s. versions they will have the know how to burn cds and save data to the cdrw dvd rom drive, i can only pray because i am out of about $2800 and i don't know if it all worth it because with the addition of the cd-m25 "cdrw" dvdrom drive it slows the performance of the 2500 considerably. like after you try to save something to the hard drive or flash rom the cd comes up in the "save to:" field. something about that makes the system start to hang up and delayed responses are asured, like hitting a mode button or main window button and it taking like three or four seconds or more for the function to take place. very very heart breaking to a avid mpc user. i still love the fact that a mpc 2500 with the 128mb expansion board has enough memory to hold four of my 32mb four drum programs that i made on my mpc 2000xl. that means i have four programs loaded in the mpc2000xl at once, one for drum 1, one for drum 2, one for drum 3, one for drum 4. each program containing 64 sounds. (4 x64=256). so the mpc 2500 can hold 24 different programs but only up to 128mb (4 of my 32mb mpc 2000xl 4 program 4 drum set up that i made). another quam i have with the mpc 2500 is the ability to tell what program goes to what track if you are loading a mpc 2000/2000xl midi 01 seq file. it will load the sequence but it does not know what program goes with what track, you have to figure that outr for yourself and it is a bitch and might make you throw up!( oh all those save all programs and save all songs and seqs files do not read from the 2000/2000xl to the mpc 2500 i had to resave all my pragrams + sounds, and seqs, and songs one by one to a unpartitioned zip disk so i could load them in to a computer and fly them to a compact flash drive. it was mid-evil torture for modern-day times.i never got finished because it is so time consuming). if they make a o.s. update solving these few problems i would say it is worth it but for now the cd-m25 is not what you want in your 2500. i want them to fix the problems with the cdrw dvd rom right god damn now!!! i want to burn cds with this cdrw because that is what a cdrw does right, or at least save data to the cdrw which it does neither. i never posted anything in my life but i had to say something about this, shiiiiit i had to sell "reg" for "mid" to get this f#!@!n' thing and it ain't worth the hassle i'm going through now with everybody calling me back and that's real talk!
 

Its the producer, not the gear that makes good beats

The mpc has an incredible sequencer- I've used Pro-tools / Logic / Cubase / DP / ableton / etc. and NOTHING seems to record my drums as perfect as my MPC. plus the mp is incredible for live use. Throw it next to the turntables, bang out some drum beats, rock some sequences with track mute, etc.

I don't even use my mpc any more though, computer is just toooo easy!

djmarmar.com
 

Check out the Miditemp Multistation. The greatest live-performance midi production machine on the face of the earth!

http://www.miditemp.com

http://www.miditemp.com/english/products.html
 

After working with the MPC 2000XL for a few years I dedided to look at alternatives. And so, after careful consideration I bought the Miditemp Multistation MSX from http://www.synthax.com/midimsx.html Well, let me just say that I found THE one. This thing is SO amazing. I can never go back. So many features in such little space (1U rack). I still like the pads though so I bought the Akai MPD16 controller. What a blast! (All this for about the same price as the MPC2500. And it sure is worth every penny!)
 

I still run an mpc 60 and a hotrod mpc2000 amongst other gear but the 2000 is the brain.

have not turned them off for 10 years

add a few nords some real compressors ,outboard and desks and and it will shit on any newschool "i wana make beats " toys

if you cant afford it , give up its not your true passion.go buy some records and a new jacket instead.

at the end of the day its your ideas that count.

dont even start me talking about logic audio.its genius also.

run the mpc thru an SSL and some avalons with the genelecs up loud then you ll know what im talking about.

ss7
 

hi all - i have an mpc2500 and for me it's just what the doctor ordered . It's brought all my ideas into one place and instantly become the centre-piece of my setup as i hoped it would . I'm not against computers - in fact all of the sounds in my mpc are created or recorded using a computer in some form - but my time is too precious to be hunting round for driver discs or waitin for windows to update itself blah blah blah when i switch on . With the mpc as soon as it's on i'm away . The 16mb as standard is next to useless i would agree and the hard disk shouldn't really be an option at the price either but we can gripe all day long or we can get on with it . I'm a big fan of akai but i wouldn't feel the need to go on a forum to slag off other kit or make out it's some sort of competition - weird ?
For me the mpc has fitted into my setup very nicely indeed and i like the way it sounds too . Expensive ? Yes i suppose it is and like i said you'd expect the hard disc and the 128mb for the price but it's good at what it does and it's there when you need it . enjoy
 

The MPC is like an Instrument. It feels like an Instrument. That's why they're so popular!!
 

the mpc 2500 is boss i have the roland mc 808 and the roland mv 8000 and akai mpc 4000 i also have the emu sp 1200 & mpc 2000 & 2000 xl this monster machine is king and its metal the screen is the retro look of the mpc 60 & mpc 60 ll it the mpc 2500 is more user friendly than mv 8000 and puncher samplers it also has lofi and bit grunger that is comparable to the sp 1200 that is 12 bit for those real hip hop producers the mpc 1000 is the worst sampler i ever heard not to mention mpc 500 oh well you get what you pay for these do not have the punch and sample engine of the 2000 series the mpc 4000 has the z4 sample engine 24 bit but too clean but you can convert down to 8 bit if you lookin for a keyboard get the mv 8000 its good but no mpc 2500 the mpc has a tighter sequencer and better samle engine and faster to manipulate if you lookin 4 a toy buy the akai mpc 500 & 1000 will i guess what it all boils down to is your preference .but if you want to play with the big boys go akai mpc 2000 and up
 

when you listen to music, do you try to figure out what gear they used?

personally i think people dont care what equipment you use to make your shit.if its good its good, if its shit its shit really.
 

To be honest, if your a teenager just trying to mess around with some beats here and there, its really a good idea to drop 2 grand on a drum machine that will take you about a month to learn how to use correctly. A desktop computer (high end) would be more suitable for someone who is just "trying out" production for the first time. But for the serious producer, who is building a decent recording studeio, at some point, you will need to get a midi controled drum machine, wether it be from akai, roland, etc. The problem that most people talk about are the "novelty" of a drum machine. People, when it comes down to it, a piece of equipment is ONLY as good as the person using it. When was the last time you've seen Dr. Dre or Rick Rubin endorse a piece of equipment? Never. Because they know that it doesnt really matter what they use, its all about WHO is using it. Hell, I heard Timbaland say he made the basic drum pattern and harmonies for one of Aliyahs hottest singles using a Mac G3 (or whatever the high end mac was at the time). Obviously the more diverse your sound is, the more extensive your equipment has to be. Rick Rubing STILL uses 808 and 404 machines that he used to produce Beastie Boys' "License to Ill" album. Rza (from Wu Tang Clan) did a TON of music for Quintin Tarrintino to use in Kill Bill and he admidttedly used older machines because he wanted the sounds to sound "naturally" distorted and give them a grimy sound. Its not always about WHAT you use, its about HOW you use them.

On a personal note, Im an emcee and I produce my own music, and do production for my friends electronica-punk band. All I use is a custom built notebook with 2 gig ram (if you use less than 2 gigs, be prepared for hangups), and an akai I got 2 years ago on ebay. Works just fine for me.

Do your research before you judge a piece of equipment. Theres a bunch of magazines that feature various producers/artists (mainstream & independent) and what equipment they prefer to use.
 

Well, I must say, I purchased one of these bad boys for $1500 new at guitar center and I'm loving it. I've used FL/Reason combo for years and I thought I'd try my hand at using some hands on equipment. I got this thing synched up with my software and it's working beautifully.
 

MPC - it just does what it tells.

And that's nice because that's all I need to do to make music.

I love it.
 

YOU CAN BURN TO CD.

Its in Utility....