[HN Gopher] AKAI MPC 3000: The Best Drum Machine of All Time
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AKAI MPC 3000: The Best Drum Machine of All Time
Author : midislack
Score : 35 points
Date : 2022-05-29 18:32 UTC (4 hours ago)
(HTM) web link (audiojive.com)
(TXT) w3m dump (audiojive.com)
| smoldesu wrote:
| The best drum machine of all time is the Digitakt. Case closed.
| addajones wrote:
| I used to have 2 of these. They were amazing. I miss simplicity.
| parenthesis wrote:
| Ian Pooley is still using his:
|
| https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJv9nnnQHRs
|
| https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=huC-0InPdjY
| xoac wrote:
| These videos are nice but unless you are Ian Pooley who has
| spent decades working with his, it's probably going to be a bad
| idea for someone to buy this and expect that they're going to
| be making sick beatz like him.
| poisonarena wrote:
| TOTALLY DISAGREE..
|
| The MPC 3000 is not even a drum machine, and also for me, its the
| MPC2000XL or MPC60, colors sound much better, but if I want an
| MPC sampler that is STERILE like the 3000 I much prefer the
| MPC1000 (2nd generation without the pad issues) with jj os.
|
| I get people found out about J Dilla (mostly after he died), and
| he was a cool producer but the best tracks were made with the
| 2000s/60s and SP-12s. But in the mid 2000s when j dilla died I
| feel like the MPC community got PERVERTED by 'Dilla Fans' who
| found out about MPC's because of him, and changed the course of
| things quite a bit
|
| The rack mounted Akai stuff was better. I remember people
| bitching about the MPC3000 for more than a decade on
| gearslutz(sorry, i know we cant call it that anymore). But
| because J Dilla used it now its THE BEST OF ALL TIME. No way!
| [deleted]
| alfiedotwtf wrote:
| This. The 909 is where it's at... at least for techno!
| jacquesm wrote:
| I've had a request for a slider knob for one of these from
| someone and I have been scrounging ebay and local equivalents for
| quite a while now, they even go for good money when they're
| broken.
| vr46 wrote:
| I've just bought an MPC One recently and while it is very good, I
| don't share the fawning of the author for the Akai machines.
| Indeed, I always suspect that articles like this are there to
| push up prices of hardware by bigging them up with a fantastic
| mythology. It happens with cameras too. It's bollocks, quite
| frankly.
| xoac wrote:
| I suspect VCs have discovered old samplers and analog synths
| and are investing heavily.
| Sporktacular wrote:
| This reads like it's some oogoody boogidy magical audiophile
| hardware.
|
| "The timing on the MPC 3000 is extremely tight and about as true
| as you can get". What does that mean? The clocking of the 16MHz
| CPU makes it audibly more precise than a 8 MHz CPU? Even for a
| tune at 10 000 BPM jitter would sound identically inaudible. Turn
| off quantization and what's the difference anyway?
|
| "You can't really get a computer or any DAW to sound like an MPC
| 3000. Some claim its a matter of boosting the low end, and
| cutting some of the high end frequencies to match the sound of
| the 3000. This is simply false."
|
| This is just dumb snake oil level crap. All these things have
| transfer functions that can be modelled, if you really believe
| you can hear a difference, which you are almost certainly
| imagining.
|
| "The DAC on the MPC 3000 is extremely unique. It's a machine and
| it sounds like a machine, in a good way. In the best way
| possible."
|
| Writer sounds like a machine. Not in a good way.
| addajones wrote:
| Have you ever used it though? I've produced records on an MPC
| 3000 and then later in pro tools, logic, ableton, fl studio,
| etc. the MPC 3000 has its own unique sound and timing. If you
| actually used it , I'd understand your comment perhaps? Sure
| the writer is exaggerating a bit and glorifying, but it's
| amazing and you cannot compare the timing and sound of it to
| anything else. It is unique AF.
| abraae wrote:
| I feel you're just reinforcing the parent's points.
|
| > the MPC 3000 has its own unique sound and timing
|
| Why would I want "unique" timing?
|
| The article says "The timing on the MPC 3000 is extremely
| tight and about as true as you can get". Timing can't be both
| "true" and "unique", which is it?
| xoac wrote:
| This paradox is literally in every discussion about old
| MPCs and has been for the past 20 years that I'm reading
| these things. Part of the character was "the swing" but
| also the hardware wasn't exactly able to accurately
| reproduce the timing. I remember reading someone doing
| tests that the midi latency however was very low.
| Sporktacular wrote:
| I have used one. Sound was fine but nothing that can't be
| approximated. The advantages over a DAW have a lot to do with
| interface and tactility.
|
| Comment was about the article but can you elaborate on what
| you mean by timing? Jitter? Latency of the pads?
| xhevahir wrote:
| The obscurantism is typical of the discourse surrounding these
| machines.
|
| The creator, Roger Linn, gives a pretty good interview here:
| https://www.attackmagazine.com/features/interview/roger-linn...
| [deleted]
| whywhywhywhy wrote:
| Yeah, I totally understand a tool being better for creating
| purely because of the interface and feel of the device and
| other things that might not be understandable.
|
| But let's stop pretending there is some implementation tech
| magic that modern hardware can't replicate at work.
| khazhoux wrote:
| I haven't used one, but I'm inclined to side with article.
| Just because a signal path _can_ be replicated doesn't mean
| it _has_ been replicated. I have tons of music gear and can
| easily point you to the ones that inexplicably have a special
| something.
| boredemployee wrote:
| Nice to see one of J Dilla's weapons here. :)
| ls15 wrote:
| "Best Drum Machine" depends on genre and era. While legendary in
| many genres, the MPC never was a full replacement for a 808 or a
| 909 in their fields, even though there are tons of 808 and 909
| sample kits for the MPC available.
| poisonarena wrote:
| Its a sampler, not a drum machine
| baflow wrote:
| we need to define what best means. 808 it's not a sampler. mpc
| have a way more possibilities for shaping a sound.
|
| I believe that these two devices should not be compared with
| each other because they serve completely different purposes
| ls15 wrote:
| > we need to define what best means.
|
| I think we also need to define what _drum machine_ means. To
| me the MPC mainly is a _drum sampler_ , while the 808 is an
| analog drum synthesizer.
|
| > mpc have a way more possibilities for shaping a sound.
|
| And yet the 808 can make sounds that the MPC cannot make.
| Sporktacular wrote:
| Unless an MPC samples one.
| 8bitsrule wrote:
| If it does what you want, the 3000 is fine, but also take a look
| at the 2000. If you don't want many of the upgrades it's a _whole
| lot_ less.
| gtvwill wrote:
| It's a cool rig but all time best is a bit of a big call. Most
| famous yeah but best...eh matter of opinion.
|
| I really wish akai would open up the software on the latest MPCs
| a bit more.My 100% biggest gripe with 90% of music hardware and
| software companies is their lack of openness and through this
| their lack of connectivity. It's like every man and their dog
| wants to be a mini apple with their own closed ecosystem. So very
| far from the ethos of music is for all imho. MPCs could actually
| be the best rigs on the market today if they were a bit more
| open!
| 323 wrote:
| Most musical hardware being closed is a feature. It's what
| gives the "it just works" quality.
|
| Computer software can be open, and why it's difficult relying
| on a computer during a live performance, you never know when
| some weird incompatibility might occur.
|
| If musical hardware were open, people would install random
| stuff from GitHub on them, and then complain to the hardware
| maker that it crashed during a performance.
|
| Also, you can buy MIDI controllers if you are into open, you
| are not locked into anything.
| rektide wrote:
| This thesis would be more interesting if it had some actual
| examples & evidence of being true.
| gtvwill wrote:
| Yeah nah that's a a bit of a lie. I generally put a fair bit
| of effort into buying open and not locked down hardware.
| Saying my gear is gonna lock up during a 8 hour session
| because it's not all from some locked down ecosystem is porky
| pies.
|
| Your spreading fud. It generally winds up being if you think
| computers are unreliable for music production your probably
| just doing it wrong re. setup and config of your computer.
|
| Also just for anyone reading this into DJing but wants to
| avoid closed apps. Ditch serato and Pioneer, virtualDj is way
| more advanced software wise, way more polished and way more
| open. Give it a burl the AI stems are a game changer.
| 323 wrote:
| > _virtualDj is way more advanced software wise_
|
| Funny quote from their homepage: "There's a reason why
| everybody starts with VirtualDJ." So, they start with
| VirtualDJ, but what do they end with?
| gtvwill wrote:
| Started on VDJ about a decade ago because it was the most
| pirated easy to get run entirely on your PC DJ software.
| Got serato pro with a bit of hardware and it's incredibly
| underwhelming piece of software. Legit it actually sucks
| compared to VDJ. Half of seratos features are a paid
| upgrade, it sucks for supporting hardware, they basically
| ruined their DVS support. Not to mention like ultra basic
| aspects of programs arent even implemented. Serato...zero
| touch support, zero capacity to re arrange the UI, lol it
| doesn't even handle scaling well, can't read text on half
| the menus because they get pushed off screen by scaling,
| can't even resize them to fit. Lol serato is a joke so is
| the industries support of it.
| poisonarena wrote:
| I dont think it was the most famous
| kalupa wrote:
| I'd agree. The 909 or 808 is probably more well known.
| comboy wrote:
| Most music related hardware is in fact software nowadays. They
| won't give away the thing that they are selling. And regarding
| connectivity most have DAW integrations (MPC plays nice with
| ableton I think) and from there you can script whatever you
| want.
|
| FWIW I prefer if the industry goes more apple than linux way
| (and I'm saying that as a linux user). I'd rather create music
| than configs.
| MrMan wrote:
| The mpc 4000 is much better
| xoac wrote:
| This article is a joke honestly.
| jacquesm wrote:
| That may be so but then the burden is on you to show _why_ that
| is the case, not to just state it.
| xoac wrote:
| I'm gonna be Cartesian tonight and say that some truths are
| self-evident and one of them is that this article is a joke.
| As I said in the thread below, I've used this machine and
| many others and if you've done similiar it should be self-
| evident that this fawning click-bait article was written by
| some child.
| Sporktacular wrote:
| Agreed.
| E2EEd wrote:
| False. Akai MPC3000 was the pinnacle of rap/r&b beat machines
| in its time. The info conveyed is serious, not a joke. GOAT is
| an opinion.
| poisonarena wrote:
| It wasnt even the pinnacle of rap/r&b.. It was one of the
| least popular samplers from Akai
| Sporktacular wrote:
| Parent didn't critique the machine, just the article.
| pvg wrote:
| An unsubstantive one-liner doesn't meet the HN bar for
| critique
| xoac wrote:
| OP doesn't even meet the bar for toilet reading, I mean I
| would rather re-read the laundry detergent label.
| pvg wrote:
| You're welcome to do that, it's just not an interesting
| thing to tell other people on this particular forum.
| Sporktacular wrote:
| Fine. Parent didn't criticise the machine, just the
| article.
| xoac wrote:
| Ok and my opinion is that the article is a joke. Also you
| telling me that it was the pinnacle of beat machines of it's
| time is like apple conveying to us every time that this is
| their best computer _yet_ (an even more ridiculous joke). The
| OP is actually titled THE BEST DRUM MACHINE OF ALL TIME. My
| guess is that someone quite young wrote this.
|
| For example is this serious information to you?
| The Timing When you talk to fans of the MPC
| 3000, you hear them talk about "The Feel." They will tell you
| that the feel of the 3000 is like no other drum machine or
| sampler that exists. This is due to the timing that Roger
| Linn built into the machine. The timing on the MPC 3000 is
| extremely tight and about as true as you can get. It will
| record exactly what you play. Essentially, it is the essense
| of what a "groovebox" is. The sequencer on the MPC 3000
| is second to none.
|
| This is just false. The sequencer on it is good, but of
| course there are many vastly better sequencers.
|
| Disclaimer: I've used many sequencers including the one we
| are discussing.
| addajones wrote:
| It was a great sequencer specifically for some kicks snares
| and hi hats. Combined with the gritty sound it had, it was
| very pleasing. It's not the best sequencer. There is no
| best sequencer. Going from idea to completion is what
| matters most. I personally couldn't stand the Zip disks
| anymore with it.
| xoac wrote:
| But that's setting the bar a bit low? There are many
| things that could accomplish this task extremely well
| (sequencing some kicks snares and hihats). The problem
| here for me (aside from the terrible writing) is
| fetishization of old and hard to obtain gear. Someone
| then purchases it and it collects dust because it
| requires more effort to use, or you don't want to devalue
| your investment.
|
| I like the sound and some of records I like were produced
| with it.
| [deleted]
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