All user reviews of 4/5 for the Akai Professional MPC2000XL

Everything has been said again and again I think

UTILIZATION

The general configuration is it simple?

If we potash forums, videos, and more if a friend who we needle we started is fast enough to start.

The manual is clear and sufficient? ...

Like any manual you wonder if it exprés are to take the lead sometimes ..

The usual functions are they easily accessible?

Yes (Shift + ...)

SOUNDS

Sounds they agree your style of music?

For my beats is what I need. A very good first machine.
The sound quality coming out of this machine is a pleasure to hear, coupled to my S950 I think it will do well

The expression is good? (Response to velocity, aftertouch to)?

AKAI touch is excellent. of true potato, sounds.

The effects are they effective and responsive?

Almost non-existent but we do not buy it for its effects.

OVERALL OPINION

How long have you been using?

1 week

Did you try many other models before buying it?

I had the chance to test MPC 60 MKII, 4000, NI Maschine.
In terms of its report / budget was the ideal candidate for the sound I wanted.

What is so special that you like most and least?

The +: His intuitiveness, simplicity, robustness, potato, its price.

The -: Its slow, its fragile floppy.

How do you rate the quality / price?

Very good.

With experience, you do again this choice?

Listen to me you who work on a computer, I do for years, and indeed it is true that this gives us a LOT of possibilities, it is much more convenient, fast, etc. etc.
But ... I will not go back on computer for anything (except to mix everything and paufiner)

Pose yourself the question, is that you already have full mouse tooth your computer screen? you have your answer.
I would do this choice without hesitation, and I really want to make me WELL hands on this mpc then discover other models, brand etc ...

God bless AKAI

Audio: headphone and just the MAIN output. I envision a map 8 attractions in the ass to him.

MIDI standard.

I acquired it with a ZIP drive. I quickly updated my OS and invested in a card reader. The OS includes only 1 GB cards, hard to find. But still he walks with maps 2 and 4 GB, even if it does not use only 1. Am I clear?

Sounds, that's it. Emphasis his. Via the input sample or via SD card, with a program on my mac. Boring anyway, I prefer to use the audio input.

The sequencer is good, you type, that's what you want, without delay, that changes in software, no lag, no crappy auto quantize.

Nice, also some software I cut my teeth on a QY 700, which is a must for me in terms of practicality (aaaah, the big screen, the grid, the step ....) and a MC-303 from Roland. Although her galley on the other hand.

After tapping my pads, I generally add swing to "humanize" a little more what I do.

UTILIZATION

A blow to take casually, we enter a new world. You forget the notes, tips, widgets. You got a sound, thou assigned. In fact, I seem to spend more time on my hair cut, edit, stretcher, the slicer ... And to return my drum kits that make the sound. But it has a playful side. And then the software sounds, well you pass the same, more time to try the plug-in to do his ... And you will not necessarily win.

You go back to basics really.

And I keep on my SD complete with batteries, I'm getting very frank wank kits and varied. After, it's just annoying to navigate in the memory, to preview the samples, assign, etc. ...

The manual, my faith ... Were in English, I downloaded it in French on the net. One, two, three literalist readings, readings few diagonals on details, and in it goes pretty fast. Automation are created at the end you work without realizing it. And you're going fast.

There's some pitfalls on the other hand, about the editing of such slices. We must trust the machine. Just once, the time stretch, I notice that the tempo varies from the one I assigned to my loop and that of the sequence. Another trap, capture sound: too strong, too weak ...

Common functions, accessible yeah. The price again some manual readings. You sail no submenu submenu, you want something, you press on the button and presto.

SOUNDS

No effect, or minimum. What I wanted anyway, even if a delay, reverb, EQ and even a little would please.

Has no competence in mix, it filled me to have all these virtual racks to manage, even though I know not to use them. Kind the comp, the EQ ornate, ...

So I make my sounds, I record my tracks, I give the guy who knows how, and we made the mix there is to do ...

OVERALL OPINION

I use it for almost a year.

I went through the QY 700, 100 QY, log style of FL or Live before.

I love the fluidity, the pads, the robustness. The design also post-USSR. Simple.

I do not like the weight of the brothel, annoying to carry around. I like not everything is optional, such as 8 separate outputs or effects.

€ 400 for it, frankly it's okay, it's not excssif.

I will ever choose, but my ultimate dream is to have my workstation Park: ASR 10, MPC 60, 3000, 2500, etc ... but all are not as accessible.

Mars music 2000-2001. I Wanted to make hip hop, Drum & bass, Ambient, Trip hop. I paid $2199.00 Plus 2 16mb simms memory chips($75 for both i think?). Also an external 100MB ZIP drive $100 plus $20 for the cord. So about $2394.00

It is quite straight forward. The manual is pretty short and to the point. The features i like are the BPM feature. It allows you to change the tempo of a sample with out affecting the pitch. So, its magic. As if it is actually being played slower/faster. It also lets you know the bmp of the sample by calculating the length. You can create and save programs, which means all the parameter, mixer and effects settings also the sounds and the pads they are assigned to are saved. Note ( you would have to have a zip/cdrom or harddrive to save to. The MPC itself cant save). The MPC allows you to see the waveform of the sample you are working with, i mean you have to listen to it to make sure it is right, but seeing it helps. In the trim screen it has "before to" and "after to" option. Before to plays the sound before the set start point of the sample or after to would play the sound specified after the end point of the sample. This helps to make seamless loops. It has 4 pad banks A,B,C,D with a button right above the pads so you actually have 64 pads. You can specify mono or poly for each pad. With mono when you hit a pad twice in a row the first sound is cut off and starts over again. With poly the sounds overlap. You can also set simulatnious so when you hit pad A1 it wil also play up to two other pads at the same time. The MPC has a very tight sequencer. As apposed to using a computer as a sequencer especially for drums the MPC is much better. With the "Resample" function you can change the sample rate (the samples quality) and also lower the bit. The MPC 60 is 12 bit. With the 2000xl all you would have to do is change the bit of a sample from 16 to 12. So basically you can do anything the 60 or the 3000 would do or sound like. With the 2000xl you can combine bit rates for example you could lower the bit on your snare and kick to 12 bit. This will give it a rattle sound that will make it sound better, more like real drums. Then your high hats could stay at 16 bit. With the 60 or 3000 you cant adjust the bit or the sample rate.

You cant use the indvidual 8 outputs and the effects together its one or the other. You can only use the effects through the main outputs. If you hook up just a controller keyboard via midi to the mpc you cant use the modulation wheel or pitch wheel it will make no affect on the sound. For example i have a sound module that does not have a sequencer. Plus a controller keyboard. I cant use the MPC's sequencer to make a piano, bass, or guitar sequence loop. The MPC might be able to do it? You would have to have a keyboard with the sounds and a sequencer in it and then you would just sync it up through midi to the MPC. Say you had 12 different drum sounds and made a sequence then you wanted to play that sequence from a pad. This is what i call "resample" the Asr 10 and Asr x have it. The MPC does not. For instance you could set the pad to mono and then just keep pushing it over at the right times to make a new different sequence. Basicallly it has some limitations. You should check into purchasing other equipment that you want to use in conjuntion with the MPC for compatibility. They could add more funtions for making seamless loops like a function that would normalise volume or make it louder in the middle of the loop and more quiet where the start and end meet, so it would sound more smooth.

The unit is sturdy enough. You shouldnt be abusing the pads hitting them as hard as you can. I mean there is a computer inside and its a $2000 machine be careful. It is made out of good durable materials. The cover plate is metal. Just be careful for the knobs sticking up, you would want to hit them into somthing while moving it. If you plan to play live with it or move it alot you would need to buy a hard case or a padded bag. Just use common sense.

The MPC is fun because it is very easy to use and is really not all that complicated. However, it can be used to make some very complicated and dense music if you take the time. Also be aware of every detail in parameters, effects, bit rates etc. Just remember its the user not the equipment. This is a professional sampler it has alot of cool functions that can be taken advantage of, but you have to have some idea of what your doing. Like you can't just buy a guitar and expect to be good right away, same goes with the MPC. The MPC comes with 1 cd with drum sounds that is all. You have to load them yourself it has no internal sounds. It will only play what you sample into it. Be aware you will need to buy 2 16mb or 1 32mb simms memory chips plus a zip drive or cd rom or flash rom or have a computer that has SCSI so you can save samples. All this does not come with the MPC but is necessary for you to be able to use the MPC, otherwise it will be a pain to use you will have to start over every time you turn off the MPC. I highly recommend the Studio Plus version which adds the 8 individual outputs and the EB 16 effects. You can always upgrade the lower ones though. The only other sampler i would get would be by EMU or ROLAND.

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

Audio Connectors / midi, headphone (to refine your loops even in your thinking ...), how sound? is the infinite seen qu'c'est enrichire you to your mpc sound, your sample image.
I did not test with PC, but two turntables, a mixer, a little effect from Alesis, and you're off for travel strong, even j'commence a dialogue with the waves .. lol tluriques
The effect section is optional, I did not, we will see later.

UTILIZATION

Simple is a great word, logic is more appropriate and used to it pretty quickly but we have automatically the user manual (which is clear) perso gruss in french on the chopper ss the net too much trouble it is well done (step by step).

SOUNDS

The sound ideal, personal j'fait Hip-Hop and tt the samples have a pure sound, c madness.
Raliste? Yeah, for the most part
No effect in my Mpc .. snif
The legendary Pads ragissent from the hip
The brass samples, vinyl etc. .... moin top sounds are those of origin (drum), but even there as way to do sth

OVERALL OPINION

Ben dipstick since not long, but spent whole evenings over
Being able to accurately dcouper your loops, ca kills is more intuitive than computer finally is personal ca

Noon
separate outputs optional
Optional effects
the sequencer great groove

UTILIZATION

Quick easy to use is a pleasure to work on this machine, the sequencer a nice groove but I find it a bit limited
I never open the manual has

SOUNDS

The sound is neutral're really not much difference after sampler, no charm, absolutely nothing to do with the S950 or other ASR10.
Optional effects are pretty bad, if not worse!
a single filter and no more.

OVERALL OPINION

I use it for 5 years, which are good with this machine is how quickly a design a beat, perfect for beginners, adapt to hip-hop, it does not break your teeth like a machine of 80 years - 90 or a lot of parameters to manage, but be careful it's still a bit old anyway (unless you installed the flash card ect ...)
many well-known artist is still used (20syl for example) so it're not exceeded.
I find this machine shipped overnight for the time but when I see the price of one I would rather have an MPC1000 2000XL USB even without!
I lean more heavily on older machines such as grain typed of EMU SP1200 but for the MPC2000XL I would do the same choice again.

Everything has already been said on this sampler / sequencer, effects option via map ... exceeded Connectors (SCSI) when you look at what is happening today. The Midi is ok.

UTILIZATION

The general pattern is clear enough, although I think that to fully exploit this machine, you still have a little reading the manual is very well done.
The course menu is good, although today it seems outdated.

SOUNDS

Is 16 bits, so it's the former. The sound is pretty metal, it feels good grain Akai is very urban, heavy. For hip hop this is perfect.
Following is a quality but also a failure because that stereotype a bit samples played. One can get tired of this type of sound.
The reaction to velocity and aftertouch are good.

OVERALL OPINION

I used it about a year and I sold because it is a machine from the early '90s and now has become completely outdated (connectivity, storage, ...), although it retains a certain charm in its use, and its appearance.
It is very solid, the sequencer is very well done, it is a machine that offers huge opportunities.
Now, with experience, I will not go this choice today because as I said a machine is technologically outdated. I will ever willingly choose by the cons in the 90s or early 2000s. Opt instead for now MPC 500 or 1000.