Akai MPC-2000XL

easy as any pro piece of equip. this is only my second drum machine/ synth sequencer <the other is an mp 7> but i have to admit i have hardly had to use the manual at all. chopping sounds and assigning to pads the way you want is simple and straight forward. im working with v. 1.14 i think it's the latest. i have also been using an asr x pro and although the pro is really easy to use i must admit the big wave editing screen on the mpc helps a ton. don't be scared of this thing!

i think it's 32 poly right? i don't have the effects board but i can say i've heard it and although i would recomend having it, i've heard much better. midi seams good although i'm not well versed in midi i did get it to play my mp 7 no prob. what your buying this for is for the sequncer the sampler and the drum pads as a whole. and i can tell you this thing kick in those departments. super fun!

i must say the pads and drums i get out of this are super hot. most of the time now i sample my mp 7 into the mpc cause i like the drum pads so much more and you can make them sound nice and gritty so they don't stand out like a shinney rock on the beach. when you sample you have a nice frequencey filter to chop some highs off wich is great for drum layering or getting a smooth piano sound. the only thing i have a prob with is i wish i could chain more pad mutes toghether... maybe i just need to find a better way to do it. thats the great thing about this. you don't have to play it one way. i have 3 friends with mpc and we all take a different approach to making our beats on this thing. wish it had the lfo's and effects of the asr x though.

i have had minimal probs.... i've only had it for a little under a year though. when i bought it it wasn't working cause some one tried to install a zip drive in it but didn't put the cable in properly. it was an easy 5 min fix! now i'm banging on it like crazy and no faliure. i did have a prob with static in my sounds once but i made a ground to the machine to my mixer and all is good now.

haven't used. but i have a akai dps12 and they helped me with my probs on that pretty fast so i give them high marks

i would def. buy another. i got mine for 100 bucks so you can't beat that <plus it's a limted edition paint scheme!>
i look at the asr x and the new mpc 1000... theyre both looking good and i'll prolly get an asr x pro also but i would say the mpc is still the standard.... never slept upon! wake up 302!!!

Very intuitive, super easy to use. READ the manual, there is even a forum dedicated to the machine to help you out.

Auto-Chromatic!! Chopping, MIDI KING is what it is, the name says it all MPC and it is the center of ALL my tracks. I have an ext. CDROM and INT. Zip (100) and 32 MB memory, installed all myself.

Excellent, forget the MPC3000 hype. Once you have the MPC in a Mixer you can warm up the sounds. Or Protools etc, everything goes through Protools now days, so I don't worry about Pre-Production that much.

Yes, its great!!

Don't know, I go to mpc-tutor.com, I don't need Akai for anything.

I love it and will keep it forever along with my software.

My MPC was the first thing I ever bought and at first there was a bit of a learning curve but once you get your head around it its fine. I still have not been able to figure out step editing function though so I dont use it,as far as Im concerned it looks like a bunch of numbers to me which mean nothing and I aint no mathematician. I dont know if it is necessary as I seem to do alot without it.Pitch control affects tempo which is pretty stupid.Its taken me about two years to really grasp what I acn do with this machine and I still find new things.

Sequencer is great and easy to use.32 mb of ram is enough for my needs. 32 note polyphony seems to be enough for me also.Full level function is good as you only need to touch the pads to achieve full volume which you can adjust later when you mix. The mixer is pretty basic, not all that good-only has volume and panning.Being able to assign an effect to a sound using the slider is good.The built in effects are nothing to write home about, i havent upgraded to the effects board yet as its pretty exy at $800 aus. and I havent heard any good reports really either.I have upgraded the output though so now has ten altogether but havent used them yet.You can assign a sound across 16 pads in chromatic scale which is good for doing basslines etc for house/dance. But I have become somewhat confused trying to assign across all 64 pads. The tap tempo function is great.The floppy disc is pretty useless, not enough room, I use zip 250 drive.

I use for funky house type music and have been amazed at what I have been able to do.Its very hands on and fun and somewhat addictive.You can get some really good dubby type effects out of it.Of course there are no built in sounds as it is a sampler so it depends totally on how creative you are to get a good sound. Akais cd is not all that good, Ive downloaded heaps better stuff off the net.There is no end to what you can do with it if your creative and have time.I think it would work well for any kind of contemporary music.

Ive never used for a gig, I prefer to keep it safe at home but its very dependable, has only crashed a few times, usually when pressing too many buttons at once I think.Also the backlight died on me which was not cheap to fix.I save everthing to zip every 20 minutes as I work just to be safe.

There is only really one place in Sydney to get fixed and get advice and they seemed quite helpful although I have heard akai are not doing so well and waiting times for repairs will be longer.

It was worth the money I paid, I love it. I might get something else if it were lost or stolen.Perhaps something with a synth onboard and more effects.I was a total novice when I bought it and I was confused and overwhelmed by too many choices and conflicting oppinions about different gear. In the end I think I was talked into getting this Buy a sales person but Im happy with my choice.

This thing smokes more than me. I paid $1650.00 3 years back. The vol. 1 disk is okay I found that if you tweek the samples to the way you want it works preety good, but hey get your sample on make your own drums. Some people cant open a door without a manual, I say play with it you cant break it and if you get stuck then hit the manual.

The 2kxl will have you looking at new ways to make music. For starters the pads are not set like a keyboard but for the people who like it like that you can set it like that. Mines came fully loaded the fx board is cool. I use it when its time to master that way I dont use my other resources on the music. The 8 outs are a gift for the lord above. When its crunch time you can tailor each track to your liking if you have a board that has the room for it. It expands to 32mb. If you need memory send me a line and we can talk. The sequencer is the best that I have worked with it is very easy to use, if you can scroll down this page you can do it

You can set this unit for anything you like all types of music. "DO NOT BE SCARED COME IT TO THE LIGHT" The sounds depend on you but as for me my library is massive I have sampled just about all my keyboards and put the in the closet

I can depend on it more than a lot and yes there is no need for a back up on the road she is all you really need

Never used the customer support I never had a problem with it

Yes I buy it again if I lost it or it was stolen. I have been making music for 13 years on my own. If anybody needs help or sounds or memory or parts drop me a line
beatzbyphatz@aol.com

Wow,this machine is awesome.I have just got hold of one of these things and it grrroooooves in all the right places.I am a mag G4 with logic and reason user with loads of analogue synths and drum boxes and have got one of these to take a live set out into Dance clubs I mainly create breakbeat music.Let me tell you this machine simply puts funk in your head man I love it it allows you to create some really funky grooves that are so sexy and have a certain shuffle and feel to them.If you see one for sale get it,it is easy to use,allows you to create tunes in a totally different way to logic and computer based systems and the sampler is crisp and bright and seems to add bite to whatever you put in and the sequencer is sooo sexy man if it was a woman it would give you a boner just by hearing her.
the bottom line is get one,I also want an sp1200 but i may get an s950 or emu emax 1 for that 12 bit sound and sequnce it off the mpc.
Peace.Steve Porter.Synaptic Gap.

All depends on the sounds you put in this momma.

Definitley gig with it.

had no dealing with Akai.

I would not part with this baby,she is so dammed sexy.

Software version 1.14 (May, 2001). Very easy to use, with an intelligently configured front panel. The manual is only fair, and leaves out some important details. The website provides little information. I haven't used most of the features, and this review is intended only to address the MPC's usefulness to rock/pop music home studio production, for which I think it is very good.

I use only a single track of the sequencer for laying MIDI drum tracks to pop/rock demos. (See other reviews if you're interested in using it for hip-hop--its primary market--or for it's other features). The MPC easily synchronizes to the computer via MIDI clock, MIDI Time Code, or with the optional SMPTE IC chip. I use ProTools LE's MIDI Machine Control to control the MPC, which locks or shuttles reliably to any insertion point, start/stop, or marker. A sequence can be 999 measures long. ProTools LE will not record-enable any device, so this has to be done manually during count-off (which I don't mind). The MPC's dual MIDI I/O (2 ins & 2 outs) is very handy for allowing sync from one device while inputing from another. I play drum parts live using a Hart Multi-Pad controller (six large triggers), a Pintech kick trigger, and a Roland Hi-Hat controller into a Roland TD-10 V-Drums controller/module to get MIDI data into the MPC (while listening to a guide track in ProTools). The MPC's most important feature for my purposes is its natural-sounding quantization algorithm, which makes my drum performances groove much better. I've gotten a lot of positive feedback about my drum tracks since getting the MPC. The quantization percentage is not very tweekable (50-100% swing, or OFF), but it almost always does the trick. It's much better than any software sequencer I've used, and has a better feel than the sequencer in the Roland TD-10. It is especially good for laying back on the beat (or back OF the beat, perhaps). MIDI data goes in and out of the MPC with very low latency, or delay, compared with some other devices I've used. It has a built-in metronome whose click can be either an internal "blip" or any of the drum-pad sounds. It comes with a SCSI port for connecting drives and CD-ROM, but I don't use those features. A stereo output is standard, but this can be expanded to eight, and a SP/DIF digital I/O is also an option. With only 32MB sample RAM, and 32 voices, it is a very limited sampler by today's standards (I use the Akai Z-4, which allows 512MB RAM and has 64-voice polyphony). The sound library that ships with the MPC (AND the one that comes with the Z-4) is mediocre.

Best drum sequencer I've used. Brilliant, though limited, quantization algorithm. I don't know how many rockers are using the MPC, but I highly recommend it to non-drummers and drummers alike who record their own tracks.

It's fine so far (two months).

I've emailed the company a couple of times with questions but haven't received any replies. I suspect the tech support crew are too busy playing with themselves, but maybe they're just overwhelmed with requests ;-)

I love the MPC because it contributes greatly to the quality of my home-produced rock/pop demos. It is essential, and I would buy it again. I've read that the out-of-production MPC3000 had a better "groove", but I haven't verified this. A friend who borrowed my 2000 a few times recently bought a 3000, but he hasn't noticed a striking difference between them, judging solely from memory rather than a side-by-side comparison. I wish the MPC were a real sampler (I guess the 4000 is the real deal), but I guess it's not supposed to be.

my mpc 2000xl is very easy to use, and the sequencer is very easy to use and learn, let me tell you if you are using any other drum machine or sequencer...you're making music the hard way! The preset sound are kindy dull but can be used as some small background sounds. The manual is boring, and it is explained like a person who just bought an mpc knows how to use it!

My mpc did not have an effects board installed when bought it, so.
the expansion is great i just ordered the 32mb upgrade kit i can't wait to get it and next im gettin a cd-r drive or a zip drive which one is better? the midi is the shiznit, i use 4 different sound modules and the mpc keeps all my sounds sweet and clear!!!

i've had my mpc about 2 months no crashes no nothing but, hard work.

i don't do gigs, but my mpc will not leave my studio, unless i got some bigggggg money on the line.

if it got stolen, i would make sure im on the next thang smokin to the music equipment store to pick up another akai mpc2000xl.

i have been making music about 6 1/2 years, and the mpc has made my production skills and love for music increase. i also own a roland fantom keyboard which is the shiznit, 4 roland sound modules, fostex fd-4, beringer mixing board, art mic pre-amp, ensoniq asr-10, boss dr-5 drum machine (good for beginners), akg microphone, and i record on cool edit pro, but i'm thinking about swicthing to pro tools, not sure yet? please email me and let me know why you think pro tools would beat cool edit? email add. below

This thing is pretty easy to use right out of the box. The manual could be a little more in depth, but check out MPC-Tutor.com for some good tutorials. It's pretty easy to navigate after constant use as well. The hardest thing to set up is the MIDI, and the fact that the pads do not have a certain order is kinda crappy.

I like the 8-outs and digital in/out but I would really like for the Flash ROM to be standard, as well as the effects. It has a dry sound.

Hasn't crashed yet, almost froze a couple of times, but it always comes back. Sometimes it gets weird errors though, like the samples will come in fine, but upon playback they are messed up, I am sure its not my RAM

Awesome! You should get it.

This machine was very, very easy to use. I just read the manual on starting it up and I was making beats. I do rap music for a lot of southern rappers mainly in Memphis, TN, using the Korg Triton and Yamaha Motif and I was in the market for a drum machine that could keep my drums very tight. I am probably the biggest drum freak around when it comes to the sound being a little off here and there. I want the music to make you nod your head when you hear it and not hesitate for the snare to come in a millisecond later. The preset sounds that come with the machine are very basic. Editing is a breeze with this machine. The manual is very straight forward.

I did not play with the effects because I knew right off that this machine was not what I was looking for. This machine was supposed to be an upgrade from the MPC 3000 Roger Linn, (which everyone is using by the way). I don't know all the technical jargon, but there is SOMETHING that makes the MPC 3000 groove better. Just take my word for it.

The sounds are very good and crisp right out of the box. CD-quality!

I'm not able to judge the liability of the machine because as I said, I am sending it back.

NA

This machine is good if you are on a budget. I could do everything on my Triton or Motif and it would be just as good or better. For those of you who want to know which machine to buy MPC 2000XL or MPC3000. Hands down, go find if you can an MPC 3000 in mint condition. You will not be disappointed! I have made a lot of songs for a lot of different rappers and everyone is using the MPC 3000. To my ears, the MPC 2000XL just doesn't have that MAGIC if there is any that the MPC 3000 has. This was the best review that I could give of the product but each person has his or her own opinion.

The MPC is sooo easy to use! The manual is clear, expressed well and with diagrams and step by step methods. If youre not bashing on those pads within a few minutes, you manual is in the wrong language!

The best two features of the MPC are its drum pads and its sequencer! They are just so easy to use and powerful at the same time. The machine is expandable: you can get the EB-16 FX processor (which i have and i think is average) and extra memory and outs. Its got good MIDI capabilities apparently, but i dont use MIDI, so I cant be sure.
The on-board sampler is powerful in its sampling, but weak in its editing. Its the same sound engine as the S-3000 and all that, but the editing facilities dont touch that!

The sounds that you sample in come out just beautiful. There is defenitely a 'sound' to this machine. It just makes everything sounds nnnnice. However, if your layering too many sounds, they do tend to get swamped....so of course you'll need an outboard mixer/computer set up if you want to take your music on a more professional level...but the MPC is a good place to get your ideas down...

You can alway always always depend on the MPC!! Ive had mine for 4 years now with no problems....i ve had to replace my Zip drive twice already though!!

I dealt with Akai Customer Support before and it was adequate.

I would definetely buy one again (infact i am so i dont have to share ther machine with the other producer in the band!) and i have been playing on this one now for 4 years all the while patiently building up our studio to make our sound more solid and professional.
I didnt compare it to any other products...i knew this was exactly what i was looking for...it is the centrepiece of our production set-up..we make basic versions of our songs on the MPC, get down ideas, sometimes even arrange the whole song using the SONG feature, and then transfer the audio files to a G4 Mac with DigiDesign ProTools and engineer and add final touches there....without the MPC, i'd be nothing!!!! by the way check out our new single "VividDreams (sweaty night)" by MUDDYLOOP on the CHEZ NYC label coming out late april in all good DJ/Record Shops!!! This song was made iusing the process i have described.