Akai Professional Electronic instrument

Mine is maxed with 256Mb ram (optional), i have a 4.32 Gb SCSI HD attached (optional, i read in forums, that others have 50Gb hd's in theirs), usb-card (optional), standards: 16 outs, FX board, 2 seperate midi in/thru/outs, "virtual hard disk sampling" enables you to play long samples directly via hd.. i don't have a zip drive built in, because of the HD (eventually i will get one though) there have been quite a few bugs in OS 1.0 , that's why the s6000 wasn't THE sampler when it came out, but now at OS 2.14 everything runs smoothly UTILIZATION Even without reading the manual (which i still recommend) it's very intuitive and easy to use.. thanks to the detachable big screen (you can just replace the cable with a longer one with a rs-232 connector, but it has to be a straight through cable, NOT a nullmodem cable) you can have the sampler (optional with HD) somewhere in your rack and control everything from the screen.. if you have a kid he will want to trade your screen with his gameboy ;) i don't have it for a long time, but so far everything was fine.. it's steady built, but i've heard that the intakes that keep the screen in place when attached can break or "fall in".. i never have my screen attached to the sampler (i have a 3m extension cord, so i would have to unplug/plug it back in each time, so i rather have the screen lying next to me on my working area all the time for fast access) SOUNDS In my opinion the sound quality is incredible.. i loaded some of my (good quality) kicks into memory and i have never heard them with such pressure.. OVERALL OPINION In my opinion this is THE sampler (thats not only my opinion, that's what a lot of people say in different forums) and with an internal or external HD and usb board its an ultimate sampling machine Originally posted on FutureProducers.com Posted by: baggysound ( 6-, 2005)

This drum machine has a few different connections. There are standard 1/4" analog outputs if you want to send your beat out to be recorded. You can also output MIDI data of your beats if you want to get them on a workstation. There is a headphone output so you can work on your stuff when you're traveling without the need for speakers or anything. There is also a mic input so you can record something to mix into your beats. There is a ton of flexibility for the sounds you can get. It comes with all different styles of kits. You can also add effects like EQ, reverb, compression and delays. This is really a feature packed drum machine in a small package. UTILIZATION On the surface this is very easy to use, and if you just want to make simple beats it's not hard to get going with it and it's self explanatory. You will definitely want to peruse the manual on this thing though - there is kind of a confusing amount of settings you can go through for every sample and every beat you make. Other than adding the effects I mentioned you can't really edit the samples that much, but they give you a ton of them so it's not hard to find something you like. SOUNDS The sounds on this thing are great. I prefer them to a lot of sample packs that I have on my DAW and I end up exporting a lot of sounds from the XR 20 into my DAW sequencer for studio use. It definitely specializes in hip hop type sounds - if you want just a plain realistic sounding acoustic drum kit this is probably not the piece of gear you want. The effects are fair - they do what they say but don't sound as good as a lot of the plug ins you would have on your DAW. The expressiveness of the pads is only about fair as well - the velocity curve on them is kind of tricky and takes a little bit of getting used to. I would probably stay away from the reverbs on the XR 20 and leave that to a different program. OVERALL OPINION I have been using this for over a year now. I love the great choices of drum sounds and the sheer amount they give you to work with. It's also easy to set up songs and sequence part changes and fills which is nice. The XR 20 also lets you do some melodic stuff - the drum pads also have note values so you can program in simple synth melodies or basses as well. I have tried a lot of drum machines, and this one has great bang for buck. I would get it again.

Good features----however effects and 8 outs should come standard. Doesn't make sense 2 own 1 now cuz floppies/zips are obsolete. Get the 1000. Price paid $1,100 UTILIZATION A 5th grader could produce on it. No tilt screen! Weakly made unlike the 3000 and 60! POOR quality but it'll do as long as u aren't dropping it! SOUNDS Great! No probs. OVERALL OPINION I loved it---untill the 1000 dropped and I got the motif rack. 2000 is obsolete holmes. Originally posted on FutureProducers.com Posted by: bhardman ( 6-, 2005)

Yeah, and they've mostly been included in the 2K/4K models. I am satisfies with the features, tho, on it's own. The sequencer is more than adequate for midi and sample arrangement. The sampler could be a lot more robust.... Price paid $2,200 (1994) UTILIZATION The manual is adequate for a beginner (like me) to get through. The MIDI sections are straighforward and I can usually find what I need in the index or HELP on the box itself. Solid physical structure. The 2000 feels plasticky in comparison. Never used support. SOUNDS The sound quality is goood; I don't think the sound quality or "sounds" are focused in a genre--since the MP has no sounds really. The effects are okay, but I use them carefully on just some sampled sounds. I like the filters; they give sounds a really nice timbre.--should have more options for the envelope. OVERALL OPINION I give a lot of credit to Roger Linn and Akai for this revolutionary and inspirational machine. I love it and the few times I've "hated" it, it's been user error..... Originally posted on FutureProducers.com Posted by: Unknown ( 6-, 2002)

At first i felt a bit awkwaed with it because i was used to the sampler in reason. this sampler has a good number of featues, envelopes, etc for a sampler that is 10+ years old. the only things that i miss at times are the ability to really go crazy with cc's- the filters work well, but feel different (esp the resonance) than software based apps. other than that, good looping, extensive expandability, and scsi... Price paid: $200 USD UTILIZATION It takes a little while to get used to- but depending on the task, it can be a breeze. I use mine mostly for sample chopping, breaks, drums... mapping things to the keys is a breeze once you get the hang of it SOUNDS I really enjoy the sounds that come out of this- although samplers dont have sounds, it always seems like the akai comes out stronger than my soft samplers- the coloration is slight, but definately present. OVERALL OPINION I've never had to get it repaired and it is 10 + years old... the backlights on these things go after a while, but they can be replaced for ~$50.00. Its build very ruggedly this thing is amazing for coming up with ideas...it integrates beautifully with the pc via mesa software. If you have a midi controller, particularly an mpd or mpc, this will certainly feel like home. I use mine mostly as a drum/phrase sampler and for mixing, and dont think i'd part with mine... Originally posted on FutureProducers.com Posted by: Lodger ( 3-, 2006)

+/-I just recently bought this 2 days ago so as far as features are concerned i dont think i know enough about the machine to comment, with that being said the hours that ive been into it so far i dont want or need for anything when it comes to this box. Final-It has what i need and doesnt have what i dont...thats good enough for me Price paid: $800 UTILIZATION +Once you get to know the interface your movements and and work flow are seamless. Flawless. Productive and swift. Once you have it down, this box is a beast. i mean its the beast that eats other beasts. -Unfortunately learning this machine is a bitch. Espectially if you've been using computer as long as i have. There are menus buried in other menus so much that its easy to reconsider and regret buying the MPC, almost even wondering if theres something wrong with you. Final-Stick to it, its hard to learn, but once you do, you can learn to be make hard ass beats with this thing. But the learning curve isnt for the faint at heart. SOUNDS + This is one of the reason i bought this machine. The sound clarity is unrivaled. I had been using Reason 3.0 and there was so much i had to do just to get the default sound of the MPC 2XL, with the right sounds you have the ability to really make some magic. - The mix that you hear is a little decieving, and i say that because it seems that certain levels are louder than others but that could be just the setup that i have going on. Final-Great piece of gear, couldnt believe that i sold my first one. OVERALL OPINION +Its a solid box. doesnt seem like it would have anything go wrong with it, since it doesnt really have many moving parts, so that a good thing when it comes to the chance of something breaking. -It did freeze up on me, once in the 2 days ive used it, but in its defense i thing it was doing something because i had just saved a project and i think i just got a lil impatient because the same thing happened, i let it do its job and it continued perfectly. Final-Your gonna have it for a long time. unless your a straight weenie and you piss on it or something and even then you probably could get it to do its job. this is the terminator, it would take a tactical nuclear explosion to destroy it. + After so many years on a computer, and sticking with digital i went analog. And after 2 days im wondering why i waited so long. And what makes it so bad is when i came back from Iraq i bought one and then sold it because i didnt understand it. That was stupid as hell but now its like the light switch went off and i finally got it. - Its gonna be hard to give it a chance if your a software or keyboard enthusiast. So it takes a little out of you. Final - I love this machine...there is no gray area, i would take and or give a bullet for this thing...if it was stolen or lost or broken, i would take Both my Smith & Wesson .40's and go on a shooting spree...and then go buy a new one. Greydon Square Grand Unified Theory Originally posted on FutureProducers.com Posted by: greydonsquare ( 3-, 2006)

The only negative I can say about this machine is that it definitely should've came with presets (I was kinda upset about that when I 1st bought it), The efx card should've also came wit the mpc, since it doesn't do a great deal on efx on snds, and it coulda make wit like a pitch bend or ribbon like the triton (that would've made it xtra hotsauce to go!!) Price Paid: $1400 UTILIZATION Very Ez to use...I read the manual from front to back, and back to front, learned every feature, and I was doin my thing...dun deal... I've had my mpc for like 5 yrs now and Its never failed me...granted u take care of your equipment and have some type of carry case if ur constantly takin ur equip. places...although I have heard the screen will go on you...so that worries me...but sh*t happens SOUNDS I love the sound quality...anyone who owns an mpc knows that the sample rate and the way everything sounds thru an mpc is crispy!! compared to software, i know there are software programs out there like recycle that make the editing feature on the mpc look like ol' school, but the mpc does its job.I definitely get down wit all features of the editing.. trimming/time stretching/ zone/loop ...the're all key essentials to manipulating a sample. -another strong point is the ease of use. once u have everything set up, its so ez to make a beat and keep it moving. -chromatic assignment, purge, and all the other feautres make this machine a good bang for ya buck.. OVERALL OPINION I love this machine and know that its a must have in any studio...even Dre has a couple of em... specifically because of how ez the midi'n is and sync'n...honestly it has been the least confusin to me and I own a triton as well, but I always get my mpc involved...its like the head of my operations!! Originally posted on FutureProducers.com Posted by: Broadway927 (January 0-, 2005)

*I put some sample videos with nice audio quality in the bottom of this review For which specific applications or uses have you chosen this product? I chosed it basically for composing and recording my music, just like you could do it with Ableton Live, but without having to use a computer. In what context do you currently use this product? I'm learning it at the moment, and composing my music. For music composition, it's a fabulous tool, because it contains all I need : drums, pads, virtual instruments for almost all I need. Moreover, you can auto-sample external hardware / software synthesizers and incorporate them in the Akai Force. Have you tested other comparable or competing products before purchasing this one It doesn't really exist other similar product at the moment. What are the pros and cons of this product? Is's almost the perfect machine, anyway the 'sample chop' process is perfectible, and which is really incredible, the time signature is limited to 4/4 :facepalm: and the metronome almost also. By chance, a new update is coming soon for the machine (actually 3.0.4) that should solve some of these lacks and bring a song mode :clin: Here are some interesting videos I posted for you on my youtube channel:

Aimed at DJs and home studio hobbyists when it was issued, the S20 was never one of Akai's sampling flagships. But it's a humble and efficient performer that still sounds great, and is one of the easiest and therefore most immediate and satisfying sampling experiences going. So simple to get a great loop going quickly and augment it with further samples. The four track recorder thing is almost impossible to use, and there's nothing in the way of filters or FX, but otherwise it's still a useful tool. Somewhat surprisingly there's been a recent return to basic, hands-on hardware samplers like this, including from Akai.

The MPC 1000 black, is a midi production studio. When I was first unboxing I was surprised by the quality of it. Since its only 900 and something dollars I didn’t think It was going to be as solid as it was. I figured the 5000 and 4000 are that solid because they cost a lot more. So the MPC 1000 really surprised me with the durability of it. UTILIZATION Setting it up took no effort at all, the manual is a pretty thick book though and I guess that it has to be because there are just so many things that you can do on the mpc its ridiculous. SOUNDS Sounds are great, especially for the type of music that I make. It puts out a real dirty drum sound that I love and I don’t think any other machine or software that I have every used can put out a gritty sound like a mpc can. You can set the sensitivity on the pads the way you want them. They are all touch sensitive so when you are sequencing it can have more of a live feel too it sense it will all be based on how hard you hit the pads. It wont sound like a robot , unless you want it too and in that case you can turn of the pads sensitivity option and just make it all the same volumn. OVERALL OPINION I love the MPC 1000, I plan on getting the newest version of the mpc really soon. You can even trade in our old mpc to upgrade at the music store and the great thing is that the mpc 1000 doesn’t lose its value like a lot of other gear does. Most producers and beat makers still want to have the mpc no matter how old they are. it’s a really good investment. The mpc 1000 has really helped me develop my sampling ability. Only bad thing is when I try to chop a large or long song. Like a 5 min sample, sometimes it will freeze on me, or if it doesn’t freeze it will take a very long time to chop it.

The MPC 500 to me just wasn’t worth the purchase. Not saying its not a good machine, because it is. But to be honest it is no where near the experience you will get when using one of the other models (1000,2000, 2000xl, 4000 or 5000) . With the MPC 500 it just seems as if they took the very basic features and put them into the little machine and left out so many of the other capabilities that the other models provide that make them great. If you are going to ge the MPC 500 you mine as well save up your money for a 1000 or just say for the MPC all together and get a SP 400 or something because it has a lot more effects. UTILIZATION The MPC 500 is very easy to understand, you will have no problems understanding it. No manual is needed though it does come with one that’s not very big so if you did need to open it up you could probably find exactly what you are looking for very fast. SOUNDS The MPC 500 just lacks so many qualities that the other models have. One of the main problems with it is you cant really chop your samples right on the machine itself. When I think of the MPC 500 I think of more of a controller pad like the mdp. Which you mine as well get also, because without a computer the MPC 500 is pretty much useless , well it was for me. OVERALL OPINION Overall, I don’t see anyone wanting to downgrade from another model to this one. So if you are a new MPC user don’t get this, just save up the few extra dollars and get a used 1000 if you have too. The only thing that I really do like about the MPC 500 is that its very compact and you can take it anywhere and I think it runs off of batteries too, but im not 100 percent sure because I didn’t keep it long enough to fin out.

A few technical specs (I own the black version) on stage. * Pattern-based and linear 64-track sequencer with 32 MIDI channels * 32-voice drum/phrase sampler with up to 128MB RAM * Velocity and pressure-sensitive pads for expressive programming * 16-level pad function maps one sound to all pads with varied level, tuning, attack, decay or filter per pad * Two Q-link sliders for real-time performance control * Built-in Compact Flash drive and USB port (Mass Storage Class) * Standard WAV files samples and MIDI-file sequences * Analog and digital I/Os, headphone output and two MIDI In/Out * Internal sounds in flash * Four-way sample layering and velocity switching per pad * Four-pole filters (two two-pole filters) filtering for each of the 32 voices * Two on-board effects processors plus main-output effect processor, all which can be used simultaneously * Outputs can be re-sampled I paid 800$. All the features you would need. You able to sample, edit that sample and EQ that sample in one board. Add your own sounds and make music as a professional. The downside, is the small LCD, it isn't as friendly as a computer monitor. And when chopping a sample you don't have the zoning feature as the MPC 2000XL or do you have the option of time stretching. But other then that, all is good with it. What more can you ask for in a portable music production center? <a href="https://en.audiofanzine.com/sampling-sequencer/akai">https://en.audiofanzine.com/sampling-sequencer/akai</a> It is quite simple to use. The manual explains everything so clear, but at times you will have to call upon outside help to navigate through some of the features. I would change the interface, I am so comfortable with it, that I can operate the MPC in the dark, sometimes. It is durable, My Behringer mixing board felt on top of the MPC from the desk to the floor and the didn't scratch it or damage the screen or the board. So that is tough machine for me. No repairs have been done. The pads are tough too, because I been banging on them for a while and still they uphold the pounding. No complaints about it. Just the quality I need for making professional sounding music. Good construction and quality. I love it. Everything you need in a portable machine. The only downside is the missing feature of time stretch and zoning. I carry this lightweight as if it was my own laptop. So small to fit in a backpack without putting a lot of weight or pressure on the shoulders or back. This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com