Akai MPC-1000

This machine is very immediate, yet very in depth. You can start figuring it out within the first day pretty easily, but your techniques and methods of approach will become more refined as time progresses. Within the simple structure of the machine, there's so many ways to approach composition, it's quite exciting.

I give it a 10 if you have any JJ OS version that you have to purchase. JJ OS really makes this a breeze to use and adds a lot of great features. I used the free JJ OS for a little bit, but haven't regretted for a second dropping an extra $50 for JJ OS 1, and am considering purchasing JJ OS 2XL now. You also have to buy a larger memory, to up your sample time from 2 min to 24 min. But with both these things, this machine is absolutely amazing. The fact tho that you have to buy these extras so that the gear lives up to its potential pisses me off - that's an extra $60 on top of an already expensive machine. For this reason I give it an 8.

Some guy wrote below that this is the flattest sounding sampler he's ever used. That guy is a complete idiot. This machine has a very heavy, punchy sound. The sound quality is certainly good enough to be used professionally by a large number of artists (Chris Clark uses two of these machine as his only gear for performance; Rob Brown on the Quaristice tour was using one of these).

This machine is extremely stable, but not entirely. If you aren't doing anything too fancy with it, it's rock solid. However, when trying to sync its midi clock I've had it freeze on two occassions (ive had it a few months). I wouldn't doubt for a minute performing with it.

Haven't used customer support yet.

Beautiful machine. But you need to buy a bigger CF card, the JJ OS, and a memory upgrade tho, which will set you back another $100. Straight out of the store, this thing is overpriced. I wish i had purchased it off ebay and saved a couple hundred dollars. Money aside - I love this thing from the depth of my soul. I was looking to be able to make IDM away from the computer and this thing answered my wishes. A lot of people use this machine for hip hop - which I've messed around a bit with when I'm feeling bored - but I find this machine's finesse makes it very well suited for experimental, rhythmically complex, electronica. It's my baby, I love it.

My first ever review of anything, i'm a natural lurker than contributor. I feel i must add to my previous reviewers comments because i simply love this machine. I also began with hardware sequencers (Korg M1 which you could remove notes in real time by holding a button and pressing the appropriate key- never found in a DAW). I do feel that i may have wasted years in software (until i discoverered Live4.0 which i now use for capture and mixing). It may be a cliche but something feels right about output of this simple machine. I bought battery and converted it to 16 bit and placed on the MPC'c harddrive as a library, drums sorted the rest of my studio is hardware and this is the sequencer that creates the workflow. How you work is the most important element in creation and somehow this helps me.

I'm on the free JJ os still but it is such a great improvement over Akai OS that i haven't missed new features.

Considered upgrading to MPC2500 but just had a son.

If your not retarded...

Thanks JJ...

OK. Everyone agrees a sampler sounds as good as the sounds you put into it. WRONG. The akai MPC 1000 is the least dynamic, most flat sounding piece of a sampler i've ever used. And that's including a Dr. Sample. Sure, i use it to sequence my emu 5000 ultra and yamaha a 3000 but i'll never waste my time putting a sample on it again. That upside down smily face EQ is a big fat frown.

Wish my pads still worked. At least the sequencer does... Whoever hasn't had this thing glitch or freeze never worked it very hard.

I wish i wasn't too stupid to just do my sequencing on cracked software on the computer. I'm feeling generous, i'll give it a five.

Using JJ OS2 V1.18 This machine is beastly. My first MPC was a 60mkII, then I upgraded to a 3000. Got this last year. Its an MPC, thru and thru, no matter what people say about those classic models. They sound very good, but so does this. It sounds like an Akai, which means punchy midrange and midbass. Its almost like an inverse smileyface EQ is applied to the outputs...

Very very easy to understand the basics and use it, although, JJ has added so much functionality that you really should study the manual. Once you have an understanding of the newly added features, you'll soon come to appreciate the manner in which they're implemented, because they fit right in to the workflow. And boy can I fly on this machine!

See, I've used both Logic and Live extensively, and while the MPC1k can't compare on the basis of features, it wins hands down on workflow! And not only that, but I find that the best music I've made has been on this little wedge! Screw features, its all about the music.

JJ has added :
a full ADSR

simult pad (from the older models - don't know what Akai was thinking leaving it out)

simult sequence

Global Program Edit (edit programs in a table layout, edit one parameter for all pads, etc.)

grid edit (similar to the MIDI edit screens in DAWs)

editable track overview in the Main screen (see and edit the notes as you record/play them)

additional Q-Link parameters (including Q-Link to MIDI CC)

an improved Chop Shop with your choice of destructive or non-destructive chopping

the ability to hear your sample in context while in Trim mode

additional sample editing features like fade-in/fade-out

Audio tracks (record and play back long samples)
a track mixer

instrument programs (for multi-sampled instruments)

.........

You get the point. This little sucker is a powerhouse thanks to JJ!

The basics: 2 MIDI ins/outs, 2 audio ins (with input monitoring capability) and 6 audio outs, USB to computer for file transfer, HDD capable (up to 120GB I believe), standard PC100/PC133 memory (256MB gives you 128MB of RAM, however), CF slot (up to 2GB although users have reported cards as big as 8GB working), 32 note poly, 64 tracks per sequence, 99 sequences, 99 Programs, song mode to chain sequences, MIDI Clock, MTC, and more...

The original pads suck, but the Akai pad-fix (which come on new machines since last Nov.) installs the tried and true pad design that's been used since the very first MPC 60. They left a little space between the rubber pads, and the sensor board, but if you stuff some thin pieces of paperboard (or cut squares out of a record cover) under there, then they're perfect. Everybody won't like the pads, because they don't give like e.g. the Korg PadKontrol, but once broken in (not sure if its the pads or your fingers that get broken in....) they're extremely responsive, and JJ has included some options that allow you to highly customize pad response.

The sequencer? Best hardware sequencer ever! The only downside (for some, not for me) is the resolution of 96BPM. Other than that, its the fastest and easiest to use, and it inspires more creativity than any other hardware sequencer I've ever' used (which includes Roland MC-50, Yamaha QY100, EMU MP-7, and several integrated workstation sequencers).

Has that signature Akai sound, dry, unflattering, a little grainy, mid-forward. Really, its funny that based on that description, the Akai's seem like samplers to avoid... But in the real world, it works. Damn well.

I don't know what it is, but I could build the same pattern in the 1k and in Guru, and I would prefer the one in the 1k 9 times out of 10. I've concluded that the Akai sample engine is just very well suited to drum and vinyl samples. As for multisamples of acoustic or other instruments, if I was going hardware, I'd most likely choose a rack sampler from EMU or someone else, but the MPCs hold their own very well in the sound category because they work well with drum hits and phrase samples...

I also own an Ensoniq ASR-X (best of the 90's 16 bit samplers soundwise) which is very different sounding than the 1k (and the older MPCs) but very very good in its own way. Actually its the perfect complement to the MPC, because its sound is more mid-scooped, with extra emphasis on the lows and highs (and boy does it sound creamy!). And its effects trounce anything Akai has done to date (except maybe the new MPC5k - which I suspect is using Alesis' filter and effects algorithms).

I've never even had so much as a hiccup from any of the MPCs I've owned. Akai is doing something right.

Customer service, in my mind, is more than just warranty service... It includes maintaining a product and its user-base over the lifecycle of the product. Akai gets a 10 for finding JJ, a 0 for dicking JJ, and another 10 for allowing JJ to develop his OS. So I'll give them a 6. Haven't dealt with them personally.

Man, I can't imagine life without my 1k. It will leave my grasp when rigormortis sets in...

I've owned several other hardware samplers and sequencers:

Samplers:
EMU EMAX, E64
Yamaha A4000
Akai MPC60, MPC 3000, S900
Ensoniq ASR-X
Roland S-550, JS-30
etc.

Sequencers: Roland MC-50, Yamaha QY100, EMU MP-7, several workstation integrated sequencers (e.g. Yamaha MOTIF).

All in all, the 1k is not the best sampler of those listed above, but it holds its own when it comes to vinyl, drum, and phrase sampling. But it is by far the best sequencer of the ones listed.

It inspires, in ways that are hard to describe, and you really need to spend some time with it to understand how it happens. And this is the thing that all those DAW converts who dismiss the MPC as antiquated seem to miss. What they all seem to miss is that features don't make art, artists do. So, using the paintbrush that allows you to make the best painting, as opposed to the 'best' paintbrush, just plain makes sense to me. But to each his own.

Anyway, if you're reading this (sorry for being so long-winded - but this machine deserves it...) then I'd guess you're either already an MPC user or considering it (as a side note, its funny that it took for me to buy Guru before I even considered the MPCs) so this is an argument that I don't even need to make to you...

With the original AKAI software a lot of things can be very tedious indeed. Step editing is very limited. So I got myself the JJ OS, version 4, which turns this thing in another beast altogether. It's up to par with the MPC-2500 now, minus some in an outputs. I now have a fully fledged MIDI and grid editor. Not that I mind programming most of the beats in real time, but when I need it it's there in abundance. Without the JJ OS the machine would rate a 5.

The pads are pretty stiff and don't always respond accurately to what you play. Often you get nothing and sometimes you get it double. The polyphony of 32 voices might also be a bit on the low side for people who like to to full-fledged productions on one piece of hardware. I think it's okay though, since I usually just program beats, which I then turn into full productions on my computer.

I got me the 128 Mb extension and a 80 Gb hard disk, which I highly recommend. I can now carry a pretty big sample library and don't have to use USB for loading sounds all the time.

This machine sounds as good as the sample you put in it... and then some. It has the MPC sound: punchy and full. It also has the typical MPC swing, which has gotten famous through numerous hiphop productions (and which you can turn off, of course). It's not the machine for people who like all their sounds to be pristine. It adds a bit of grit, especially when cranked up high. But I love that... and with me a lot of other people.

It's build like a brick. The plastic data dialer looks a bit flimsy though.

No dealings with them yet.

I would definetely get me one again if this one would get stolen. It's an MPC, no more or less. It does all the stuff you'd expect from an MPC ... and that's pretty impressive. It's a highly professional piece of gear and a real asset to my otherwise PC-based studio.

I don't mind the preset sounds as much as other people who posted. Most of them you will not use, but there are a few kicks and snares i use regularly and have gotten few complaints over it. The manual is not very useful for a begginner such as myself, but once you get rolling, it gets a little more helpful

I'm not crazy about the effects, they hardly make a diference. However, this culd be attributed to me still learning how to use and utilize the machine. The filtering and capabilities to alter samples are awesome.

Reacts fairly good to my touch. There are time where I swear I'm playing the sounds perfect on the sequence/loop, but when it plays back, it sounds nothing like what I just played. Again, not sure if it's me or the machine. I use it for hip hop mainly, but can see someone doing reggae and r&b on it as well. Italso seems like it ouwld be great for house and techno.

Seems very reliable thus far. It is very sturdy and I'm amazed the wheel has broken yet, I spin that thing pretty hard and fast. The buttons also feel incredible and strong. I punch the heck out of the pads and my finger tips hurt before the machine does.

I would defintely repace it it were lost or stolen. It was well worth the price. I've only had it for 5 months, so I am still learning. But I am very pleased thus far. I purchased FL Studio software to see if it would be easier to make beats on the computer with pre loaded sounds . . .and it wasn't! It is a pain loading drums and wav files in here, that's actually what I hate about this machine. However, it's just a part of life and once you find a core group of sounds and drums you like to use, the rest is fun. Sampling is great and the samples come out crispy!! I wish it had more memory in it, only 5MB to save sounds in the unit. Also, the RAM upgrade is hot, but I wish it came with the option to buy it already upgraded and pimped out

it s really easy to program and play this sampler as it is very
musical to hack the pads and record what u re playing...

the best live sampler ever!!! very good workflow, usb, hrddisk,
take it in the train and compose traxx, sound is really good, dark,
it s build like a tank, metal case, but not big, if u want to get independant from laptop on stage that s it....

super sound quality!! as it has it s own sound caracter, not the boring hifi roland sound or the typical computer vst sound....

very reliable, never crashes on stage, rock like timing,
big sequencer...

forget the akai os2.0 get the jj s os ver, 3,5
with enormous more funktionality!!! grid editing more stable,etcm akai to ver 2,0

if stolen i must have it again one of my central peace of gear.

using software 2.10... and 128mb ram
erased all presets
the manual is good

easy to get started with, if you can work a tape deck, you can work with this too

64 note polyphony
the stiff pads don't always react as they should, heard many people complaining about this...
the sequencer is very easy to use
love the note repeat function

its a sampler, so the sounds are yours... the samples given with the mpc are allright..., i use it for hiphop and rnb and it works fine... gives a groove to your tracks

never had a crash... i would use it on a gig without backup...

i had a problem with the OS 2.1... once installed my screen was blank...
i phoned akai... they had no idea but were friendly
i mailed akai... never replied

luckily somebody on the www.mpc-forums.com helped me out by telling to press power + erase

i gave it a 2 because the guy on the phone was friendly, although he didn't know $%^& about my problem

its an allright machine, fairly limited sampler, but good to get started... if it got stolen i would replace it, maybe with a 2500/mv 8000

I bought the MPC1000 in August 2005, so I'm on v1.07. The manual is decent, but because this is an entry-level sampler/sequencer, unless you are not smart at all it's pretty self-explanatory. The mode key is color coded to the various sub folders on the pads. Just get used to the MPC terminology (sequence, program, autoload, etc.). The presets honestly suck. I made 5 decent beats with them and quickly deleted them and made my own samples and dowloaded some. Free hip-hop style samples are available for free from various sites, and give a good starting point.

As several others have said, the polyphony is a little unreliable. I've discovered that sometimes longer cymbal samples or my longer vinyl samples cut out well before the polyphony max given by Akai. And almost undoubtedly while a sequence is playing and you switch to the sample recording screen, a long sample WILL drop out. The 2 main outs and 4 assignable outs are nice ideas but the 4 assignable outs are virtually useless because of the difficult mixer section. However, the sequencer is reliable and plays back almost always exactly what you play (but I'm a drummer with accurate timing so...)and the beat locking is very solid with a option for 50%-75% swing or triplets. The full volume feature is very useful for not having to break your fingers on kick and snare parts. Definitly get the 128MB expansion.

The sounds, as stated before, are horrible, but this is a sampler so get your own sounds. I am happy with the sound quality for the 900$ that I paid. Overall very clear. The pads can be set to a velocity curve and sensitivity that fits how hard you play. This is very good, as the preset curve is not optimal. Don't use this machine expecting to produce anything besides rap, or at a stretch drum n bass or dance music. The effects are good with 2 assignable fx, and master compressor and eq, but the assiagnable effects are hendered by the complex mixer but not as much as the mix outs are. The assignable fx are still usable.

It is simply an entry level sequencer. It freezes if used too long; I think the freeze glitch occurs usually when recording one track of a sequence, not stoping playback, and then recording the next track. When you press stop, there is a 3-5% chance the MPC will lock up like a Linn 9000 (Old schoolers know). And this glitch combined with the long-sample dropout problem, is not very reliable. Sure you can sequence on it, and it is portable, but own a MPC 2500 or 4000 also. This is like your iPod and your larger MPC is a Desktop. Cosmetically, you should get a case or the red side panels WILL fall off. Mine are held on by duct tape right now.

I haven't needed assistance, but they gave me a free 128MB expansion, which I appreciate. The upgrades are all on the internet and they have samples of classic drum machines. Seems ok to this point.

If it were lost or stolen, I would get the MPC 2500 which was not out when I bought my MPC. If you travel, you might want a 1000, and if you are just starting out it will be good enough. Just take the video game strategy and save often, as freezing after recording 8 tracks of custom samples can be dangerous for any people who may be around you at that time. If your beats are centered around vinyl samples you might be frustrated with the lack of timestretching. Personally as a keyboard player I should have saved a little longer for a Triton or Fantom X, but if your beats are less melody oriented and more about ryhthms and simple bass, this should be enough for you. I suggest a small midi controller with the MPC1000 for trying to do chords of any kind.

(Version 1.07 software. My machine has the 128 MB RAM upgrade).

I never use the presets, although they do sound OK in a generic way. I built a collection of drum samples and use MIDI to trigger bass and pad sounds from my main synth.

Its not difficult to start making music with the MPC 1000 (especially if you're familiar with old-school hardware drum machines and sequencers) and the manuals (it comes with a Quick-Start guide as well as the full Operators Manual) are decent.

But, when it comes to actually constructing a polished arrangement (rather than jamming on the pads to make simple patterns or loops in real-time), the process is slow and unnecessarily labor-intensive.

The build quality of this box is truly pro-spec. It's chunky, heavy and all the knobs, buttons, connectors etc inspire total confidence. No Radio Shack feel here.

The pads feel great, although I did have to mess around with the various velocity curves and sensitivity settings to get them working properly for me. According to online folklore, Akai's pads actually need to get "broken in"... As far-fetched as this seems, I did find that they got more expressive with time - so it could be true.

Another huge plus (for me anyway) is the number of audio outs - a total of 6 (arranged in three stereo pairs). This was the biggest single reason I picked this box over Roland's MC-909. MIDI works fine.

Sadly though, all of these studly features can't make up for the Achilles heel of this machine - the sequencer. While real-time programming is easy and fun, step editing is a real drag. Even the most basic functions in Step mode are incredibly long-winded and tedious. Worse still, some functions (such as the ability to move an event around in time) simply cannot be achieved at all.

As someone who (almost literally) grew up with hardware drum machines and sequencers, I think I'm more patient than most modern musicians, but these limitations drive me nuts...

This is a sampler/sequencer, so discussing the sounds doesn't seem appropriate. Audio outs are quiet and clean.

As far as "expressiveness" goes, the pads are a real plus - specially for building drum parts. Also, the famous Akai timing makes for a more organic feel than other sequencers/beatboxes I've owned.

Absolutely dependable in my experience. I haven't gigged with it, but I would have no concerns about doing so without a back-up.

No contact with them.

Akai's MPC products have full-blow cult status and thousands of professional DJs, producers and performers around the world make a living using them. However, the MPC-1000 simply hasn't worked out for me.

If it were lost or stolen I would not buy it again. In fact, I've listed it on eBay to clear space in my studio for something else - either an MC-909 or a software-based solution like Reason.

LOVE: The pro construction and audio quality. These things alone probably justify the price of the MPC-1000.

HATE: The limitations and unfriendliness of the sequencer. For me, these issues get in the way of making music. And making music is the whole point - right?