I have the MPC2500 for over 10 years now. Also had the Studio and the Live, but keep coming back to the 2500. Like you stated about the display: it's so nice and plain, that's how I feel about this whole machine and it's workflow; clean and focused. Resampling drumsounds through it's EQ and compressor can give greater results than you tend to think when you check them for the first time. If my house is on fire it will be the one and only thing I take with me.
I'm here for the classic mpc vids. The mpc 1000 and 2500 are very underrated machines. Controversially I think they are better than the 2000xl. It's amazing how people say the 2000 is the best and sounds the nicest because when it was released the popular opinion was that it sounded very flat.
Loving all the hardware discussion happening. It's hella fun to route audio, push buttons, tap pads etc. Just a different way of interfacing with your music.
Had three MPC 1000 models, loved them all. Just got an MPC 2500 with JJOS128XL, the big screen, fat pads and 128mb RAM update. It's phenomenal. Feels amazing to play, so much fun to interface with Ableton Live.
For me the beauty of using the old MPC units is their limitations and simplicity. Even with limited effects if you know how to use the limited effects you can make them hit above it's weigh. The 2000XL doesn't come with effects as standard but even without effects it's a great machine to use to build beats. Don't let your 2500 gather dust now you have the Maschine Plus lol.
I've been using this for about 5 years now, imo the mpc's edge is its limited functionality; it strips away all the bullshit and lets me focus and connect to the music.
I Just Copped the One and I’m in the process of refurbishing my 2000.. I had a 3000 and 2500 and these two are by far my favorites!! 💯👊🏽 The 4000 is pretty dope too...
I have the live and X. I miss my XL2000. But what I got now is totally enough for me especially with studio one or not. I got more than enough. Being able to stay organized is a great plus for me in today's world of production. What I use now is so helpful with that. Love the channel keep dropping the gems 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥✊🏿
I actually love having less RAM. I have a really good PC and can do all the processing I need. But sometimes that many options really throw you out of the flow or you don't get to make any choices because you could do always something else. Having a limitied Machine forces you to do creative choices and only stick with what is necessary. Thank you for the great review. I am currently waiting for my MPC One to arrive and I am really excited to get my hands on it.
Got rid of my 2000 a couple years ago and was looking for a new one but man the prices have doubled in the last couple years!! MPC2500 might be the way to go. Great video man!
There’s a big difference in upgrading for better quality (back in the day) VS downgrading for a more hands on simple workflow. A lot of people revert back to their DAW’s after downgrading. It seems romantic but many want to make music real quick with everything at hand. A simple template then becomes sufficient
I appreciate videos like this, I just started making music and being able to see the weapons the older producers that i enjoy is amazing its like a history lesson that can actually be useful. Thank you DJ Ave i would definitely like to see more videos like this.
Bobby G I bought this same machine which was previously owned by Travis Barker. I don’t even know where to start when I receive this but this review should help. Travis used this machine on some albums and did collaborations with other well known artists. Can’t wait to try it out.
I’ve just acquired one of these after many, many years of thinking about getting one. Despite it’s age and slow workflow, I hope to enjoy many hours of throwing beats and drum patterns together to feed in to my DAW.
@@MakingMadBeats what was your initial experience coming from an MK3? I own all the MK’s & have always wanted an akai MPC. Was the transition & learning curve hard?
@@64hapz Well, since I just started out making beats on the 1000. I get a basic beat structure done with it and it wasn' t that hard to learn the structure of tracks and sequences on it. It has less options compared but makes me more focused on the sound design aspect. Tracking out to the computer is going to be the next learning step to mee, though.
I just want to THANK YOU for letting us know about Juno Records. I bought a controller, a synth and a 16 channel mixer and ended up saving $300+ compared to buying from any store in USA. And that includes 3-day FedEx to Puerto Rico. To say thank you I just bought a shirt from your website. GRACIAS BRO!!! BTW...seems like most USA audio gear retailers are getting away with murder with their prices. Never again.
AVE got a special request. Your 3rd eye thumbnail icon for your channel, can you at some point get that to your store as a sweatshirt, t or Coffee Mug? if so, I will buy all three in one shot. ☮️ Your Bro Soundvapor!!! Thanks for this video.
I think they need to go back to these designs and thinking. I like the swing and feel of those older pads I remember making my first beat with one with my dad. Akai should definitely remake these with modern technology but classic feels n ideas
Just scooped the limited edition one from eBay for £500 it’s in good condition, already having fun messing around with it, yeah I can bang out beats a lot quicker with logic and Serato sample for instance but there’s something special about doing it on these old machines, i don’t mind the small screen and it’s simplicity. The aesthetic alone makes this a keeper.
Always regret selling mine! Lean times, so I had to back in the day. Had mine maxed out, too! CD drive, RAM upgrade, hard drive and largest flash cards! Something about the sampling at 16bit through those machines - Gritty! My opinion - Best design of the older MPC’s! 😎🙌🎶
Yeah.. but the 2500 isn't really known or loved for it's sound. Not like the 60 or s900 / s950. It's only been fairly recently that people started raving about the 2000/2000XL for it's sound. People trashed it when it came out for lacking that MPC character. Now, the 2500 has an even cleaner sound than the 2k/2kXL did. So, that got shit on as well. Long story short, the 2500 is not the machine to cop if you're looking for dirt, grit, or character of any sort. That's not to say it is a bad machine. You just have to know what to expect from it.
I agree about the sound. In fact if the system wasn’t used by Araab, most people wouldn’t even talk about it. The 4000 was the last MPC with its own sound. 4000 was clean sounding too but IMO it was the starting point for what the MPC X is now.
jmorrisey79 I agree about the sound. The 1000, 2500, and 5000 all had a similar sound. It seemed that Akai cared more about making the drums punchier and less about the warmth of the sound. IMO the 4000 was the last MPC with its own individual sound. The only thing that I hated about the 4000 was the bugs were never fixed.
@ 9:00 the display isn't bugged, use the "x2" scroll on the top right to stretch the waveform to make it more visible vertically. You recorded the sample very clean with no gain, so it did not record a thick waveform! Respect! 🔥
Those new school crybabies are a trip. I started with the regular memory and eventually bought the expansion (which was MAD expensive back then) and then it was the Greatest. If they can't get it done in 2Gigs, they just can't get it done. FOH... This video made me nostalgic. I want my 2500 back! #16PadLife
I had my eye on that before I went in the box with Reason. It's my dream old school MPC. An Akai MPC 2000/XL with 4 MIDI outs and up to 128mb was a big deal back then. I bought my MPC 2000 used with 32mb and 8 outs used
nice review and i appreciate hearing your thoughts. i agree that the 25 is better than the 2000xl. The 2000 and the XL were never good to me. they never sounded good, the 8 outs only came as an upgrade option, the shift button everything was cumbersome. the screens were terrible and everyone ended up with lines in them. they were the introduction to prosumer corner cutting vs the roger linn mpcs that were pushing things forward with technology as much as possible. it just put me off to new mpcs for a long time because they didnt fit with what I wanted out of an mpc. i eventually owned a 1000 with the jj os2XL or something like that and it was a pretty powerful little machine. i had it for being portable but eventually sold it and always considered using a 2500 in the studio because it basically was a bigger 1000. The 2500 layout is closer to the 3000. id say the 4000 and the 2500 are the only mpcs after the 3000 id even put my time into. the idea that 128mb isn't enough ram is crazy to me haha. maybe im just stuck in the past haha. ill check out more of your channel!
Jim Jonsin used a 2500 for his biggest songs ("Lollipop" by Lil Wayne and "Whatever You Like" by T.I., etc.) along with an Access Virus ti2 and Apple Logic
MPC eras: 1. Ancient/ Floppy era. X - Megabytes . MPC 60, 2000, 3000 , Floppy. Solid midi workflow, very limited for modern music, use it as "spicy" machine? 2. Mid/CF era/JJ - XX - Megabytes. MPC 500, 1000, 2500 , CF . Pretty limited for modern day production, but could be used for some specific task. For example mpc 500 could be used as a supplement for a drummer (with electronic pads), where you would get velocity layers, layering of samples and overall being pretty flexible in term of sound length, ability to edit sounds etc. Fast and simple to sample 3. Pre-Modern/ HDD era - XXX. MPC 4000 , has almost same OS as Alesis Fusion. Actually pretty cool machine and I can see it being used in modern day setting. 4000 has sound design capabilities on par with old S3000XL or similar. Ram is still pretty limited, but workflow is promising. A solid choice for a retro non-PC based studio 4. Modern/ SDD era. MPC live, X, One, Live 2 X Gigabytes. Live seems like a contender for a Korg Kronos for me. I wonder if I could load 400+ mb rhodes patch and 10 other sounds alongside clips. Could be ableton replacement after all. I cannot decide between Live, 1000 and 500. Live is 800 locally, 1000 is 550 (maxed ram), 500 was about 180 . Live would be a place I would write music and perform with; It has warping and accept midi controllers, which can pretty much eliminate external drum machines and digital sound generators for live use. 1000 seems like great live tool, playing back sequences and stems, 500 would be live sequencer, stem playback, albeit pretty unintuitive.
So dope brother! So glad u finally landed a classic machine! Man- now imma have to do a review of my 2000xl that I just got up n running. Good video. Peace
I love all the things Akai is going with the new Mpc/Force, BUT I believe that the Mpc X is the only one that will age well. I said that because it’s the only one with a adjustable screen that tilts, which I’m finding to be something I really need for my neck. 🧑🏽🦲🙄. I don’t care if I have to make super simple ass beats, that tilt screen is a MUST, LORD JESUS!!! 🧑🏽🦲🤦🏽♂️
Thank you for this great video showing the workflow on the Mpc 2500. I have both the Mpc Live2 and Akai Force. I want to approach this simple workflow to them. If I could get a Mpc 2500, I would because it my dream Mpc.
And also non negligeable to mention, 9th wonder beats kinda went generics when he dropped his 2500 for a maschine. It says a lot too. I own, 60, 3000, 200xl, 2x 4000 and the 2500. The JJOS 2500 IS one of the classics, on the con side though the 2500 is not made with love and craftmanship like the linns were and even the 2000(xl) and 4000. Definitly worth any prices right now as prices will just drive up consistently over the years from now on. Nice chat thanks for your video!
I love the old machines. They put that crunch on the drums. You’re making me want a 2500, Ave and already have a 1000. Also, it’s okay to be that guy. LOL
Next month I'll probably upload a few beats I make in the Free!!! Mpc beats just to share how much fun it is to make beats inside of Mpc free beats with my 2 cheap midi controllers nektar impact lx25 and korg nanopad2 they connected working grate also even with my still injury right thumb I'm banging on pads with my other 9 digits lol boom bap boom bap bap boom tic tic tic them hi hats 👍🏾🙏🏾👍🏾
If you think about the faders. They were pretty unique depending on how you assign them. They were basically mod wheels. Only real reason to get the new MPC is the chord templates, built-in synths, MPC Software, and flexible file system. Otherwise, if your good with playing keys and have gear. You can still do some amazing tracks.
Nice review as always. I would love you to review the 2000. I've been using daws in conjunction with cheap mpds to synthesize an mpg experience for years and am finally considering getting my first mpc relatively soon. The 2000 and 2500 seem like the best values for their prices because they''re just not as iconic as others. I'd like to know if the 2000 would be worth it because it seems easier to find those cheaper.
Hold Up Ave, I’m calling foul on the memory issue. First off we’ve move to 24/32 bit @44 to 96khz audio files which takes up more room that a standard Red Book Audio 16bit@ 44khz wave file. Second of all we’ve evolved from Monochrome LCD terminal screens to full color touch screen displays. Not to mention more advanced os, more storage options, etc which takes up more memory. Also you could upgrade the memory on the older MPC’s, you don’t have that option with the new ones.
The MPC OS (much like all OS) doesn't take much resources. Also, who the heck samples in 96khz for a hiphop beat. Most people people especially the lofi heads don't even want the sample to be over 22Khz (because it gives your more snap to drums and texture to samples). Hell, even the new gen house heads don't want 44.1khz . The screens on the new MPC aren't taking much resources either (as their using early versions of the ARM processor). The differences of the older MPC and new are night and day literally. Try doing a whole sequence of 7-8 tracks on 16 mb of RAM vs 2gb.... It's not even possible
Ave Mcree , I agree on the hip-hop and lofi aspect, but some packs do have 96khz sampled sounds. It’s also well known fact when stretching (pitch/time) audio files you want the highest sampling rate possible. Also higher sampling rates gives you a better stereo and reverb image.
So very true. The thing is - for me at least - limitations spark creativity. They force you to think about your music and music production in a different way. That's why I'd love to get a 500 too. Load it up, put batteries in it and work with whatever you've got.
Antoine Guignac I understand the “limitations” workflow theory and personally I don’t agree. That’s like telling me, you just have to live creatively with a minimum wage job. I like having options and I hate unnecessary limited workflows. For me it’s aggravation, which is time wasted on trying to figure out unnecessary puzzles. That’s why equipment and technology evolves to get around this.
One thing about the Free JJOS: It doesn' t get updated by JJ anymore. Last version was 3.16 and it was released in 2015. JJOS2XL for the MPC 1000 and JJOS-XL for the 2500 still get updates but these are the paid versions.
Im still rockin the MPC Ren, i would love to get a 2500 just for the feel but i can do a lot with the Ren and more, plus its probably easier to utilize along side FL studios than a 2500 lol
My first Mpc after the Asr 10. The 2500 on jj can be a powerful working horse but like you said "don't get it twisted, it's simplistic. I def got spoiled by the Ren, live & X
Dope review, Ave! Brightness of the screen can be adjusted on the Ren, too. Loved the Ren because its' 3000/60 look and better built quality than the X. This hurts because I love the X but it's true
Nice Ave, great video! I recently got the 2500.. unfortunately I have a bunch of buttons with bad connection, so I might need to re-solder a couple :/ .. but I’m really excited to start making some beats with it soon!
Man, I'm glad I don't need to replace much. I bought memory, SD card reader, new pads, and pad sensor for $120. You're overseas so it's harder to get parts.
Ave Mcree Sweet! Yeah, I know.. the shipping cost can be crazy, but I’ve found new buttons for cheap including shipping and I have a friend who is going to help me with the soldering.. I’m also thinking about replacing the buttons and the pads.
Love your vids bro! Quick question. Mine does have a cd/dvd drive, but i dont know how to use it or whats the purpose of it. Can you explain to me what i can do with this feauture?
Just got that free mpc beats man I been playing around with it all day long now I can really follow along with Ave when he be making beats in his MPC'$ I had to get this freebie no matter what tho
Ave Mcree Not sure about other JJOS versions, but OS3 has both envelopes, I use the amp env religiously. It’s one of the main reasons I prefer 2500 over 3000. Regarding fx, someday goodhertz going to base a series of plugins on them and the community going to rejoice 😂
Just copped a MPC 5000 wanted to get away from the computer screen and the billions of plug in options. The 5k has great onboard effects and the only old school MPC with a built in synth. Took out the old hard drive and run everything from the flash card, upgraded to the fat pads. There’s nothing software can do that I can’t do here except give way too many options. I get straight into HipHop mode as soon as I turn it on.
looking at ya old videos... where did you get that for $125?!?!? looking to get a mpc 1000 and came across this. im soooo mad that i had to sell mine years ago. at one point i had a korg triton extreme! that was a beast too!
Yo' Ave did you get that for $125 from the same guy you called a "sucker" that you sold the Machine to? LMAO. Great video. I remember back in the day People were selling their Souls for that Box (literally)!
The strong point in the 2000 and the 1000/2500 is the flatness and compactness/compression of the sound/beat.Rather than the new MPCs are missing.The raw sound/feel!!! Ive just got a Live 2 recently and a 2500 a few days ago.I can stop listening to the 2500!!!!
4 года назад
The most expensive used old mpc off all time is 3000 which will be between 3 to 5k for an older machine which I don't know why
I grew up with MPCs..and I was a fan. In the 80s and 90s, we didn't have much of a choice it was MPCs or nothing but when RL left the company AKAI went to SHIITT and so did the MPCs...I will only co-sign on the 60 and the 3000...if you are new to the game and for some reason feel like you need a sampling drum machine...smh, get a MASCHINE PLUS ...and just to be clear I have a MPC LIVE, ASR10, S950, MIRAGE, SP1200, EPS16PLUS, MASCHINE studio, SP404SX, BOSS202......and I've had a lot of MPCs too...so you can trust my advice don't waste your $$$$$.
The moment I saw Araabmuzik killing the MPC, I IMMEDIATELY begged my dad to loan me the money to get the special edition. I can't believe I had to let it go due to life. I didn't even get to learn it fully. In your opinion, or anyone that reads this, considering how advance the new Akai products are, do you think it would be a good idea to STILL get the 2500? I'm at a point where it would either be the 2500 (if someone explains why they are still good), the 1000 or the MPC Studio Black.
Get either. The mpc studio is in use on my channel. I also use the mpc 500 which is the small version of the 1000. I have videos of me using both if you need an idea of their capabilities. The 2500 is dope actually. Its the same generation as the mpc 500. Peace
Maybe the reason why your wave file doesn't show up in the Trim Mode screen is because the MPC automatically shows the left side of the wave file. You can toggle between the left and the right side of the wave, but this is not possible anymore once you're in the Chop screen. Since you only had an incoming signal on your right input when recording the sample, there simply is no right side to show. Maybe an input problem???
I was thinking the same thing. Ave look like you recorded only one side in stereo. I’m about to get a 2500 first one in over 10 years when I sold my 2500se
Damn, you bought that MP for a $125!? That’s one hell of a steal. And just cause of that, I agree with the approval as well.
I have the MPC2500 for over 10 years now. Also had the Studio and the Live, but keep coming back to the 2500. Like you stated about the display: it's so nice and plain, that's how I feel about this whole machine and it's workflow; clean and focused. Resampling drumsounds through it's EQ and compressor can give greater results than you tend to think when you check them for the first time. If my house is on fire it will be the one and only thing I take with me.
I'm here for the classic mpc vids. The mpc 1000 and 2500 are very underrated machines. Controversially I think they are better than the 2000xl. It's amazing how people say the 2000 is the best and sounds the nicest because when it was released the popular opinion was that it sounded very flat.
The new mpc are too colorful for me and the drums don't hit the same tbh
Yeah I love 2500. It is a classic. $125...😲 man that's like FREE!!!!! Insane!
Yea!!! Still can't believe he sold it that low!
@@AveMcree
I'm italian. I put the video back at least 5 times and then I realized I understood the first time well.
The 2500 and the 3000 are my favorite MPC's!!!
When you use gear like this it makes you appreciate the work pioneers did before us at $125 that is a sweet bargain I couldn't say no to that either .
Its the minds that use the machines not just the machines.
Deep
@@Claidheambmor and correct
I swear by this unit. Used it for the very first track on my new project. JJOS installed also. Dope vid Ave.
The MPC 2500 + JJOS makes it so much better. Just a solid combo.
true story
Loving all the hardware discussion happening. It's hella fun to route audio, push buttons, tap pads etc. Just a different way of interfacing with your music.
Had three MPC 1000 models, loved them all. Just got an MPC 2500 with JJOS128XL, the big screen, fat pads and 128mb RAM update. It's phenomenal. Feels amazing to play, so much fun to interface with Ableton Live.
For me the beauty of using the old MPC units is their limitations and simplicity. Even with limited effects if you know how to use the limited effects you can make them hit above it's weigh. The 2000XL doesn't come with effects as standard but even without effects it's a great machine to use to build beats. Don't let your 2500 gather dust now you have the Maschine Plus lol.
I've been using this for about 5 years now, imo the mpc's edge is its limited functionality; it strips away all the bullshit and lets me focus and connect to the music.
I Just Copped the One and I’m in the process of refurbishing my 2000.. I had a 3000 and 2500 and these two are by far my favorites!! 💯👊🏽 The 4000 is pretty dope too...
Ray Swift co-sign on the 4000. Clean sound but the most features of all the old MPC’s
I have the live and X. I miss my XL2000. But what I got now is totally enough for me especially with studio one or not. I got more than enough. Being able to stay organized is a great plus for me in today's world of production. What I use now is so helpful with that. Love the channel keep dropping the gems 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥✊🏿
Bruh!!! Man said "$125(£97.46). Wait wait wait. What!!!
Yeah, what?! Where?!
I actually love having less RAM. I have a really good PC and can do all the processing I need. But sometimes that many options really throw you out of the flow or you don't get to make any choices because you could do always something else. Having a limitied Machine forces you to do creative choices and only stick with what is necessary. Thank you for the great review. I am currently waiting for my MPC One to arrive and I am really excited to get my hands on it.
man love you , someone understands the way to write music , using your mind feel , and feelings, xx
10:52 “ boy it’s something about these old machines that take back to HIPHOP”👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿on the money 💴
Got rid of my 2000 a couple years ago and was looking for a new one but man the prices have doubled in the last couple years!! MPC2500 might be the way to go. Great video man!
There’s a big difference in upgrading for better quality (back in the day) VS downgrading for a more hands on simple workflow. A lot of people revert back to their DAW’s after downgrading. It seems romantic but many want to make music real quick with everything at hand. A simple template then becomes sufficient
I appreciate videos like this, I just started making music and being able to see the weapons the older producers that i enjoy is amazing its like a history lesson that can actually be useful. Thank you DJ Ave i would definitely like to see more videos like this.
Bobby G
I bought this same machine which was previously owned by Travis Barker. I don’t even know where to start when I receive this but this review should help. Travis used this machine on some albums and did collaborations with other well known artists. Can’t wait to try it out.
I’ve just acquired one of these after many, many years of thinking about getting one. Despite it’s age and slow workflow, I hope to enjoy many hours of throwing beats and drum patterns together to feed in to my DAW.
You named three of my all-time favs alchemist and 9th Wonder definitely and I always love how Araabmuzik kills those pads 🔥🔥🔥
I just wanna say Thankyou for this I just got my mpc2500 a couple days ago really needed this .
Dope, I wish I still had my mpc 2000xl.
You can look on eBay for the mpc 2000xl. I still have mine that I bought from eBay.
...same!... wish I had it back but I don't want to buy another one either though....
Lol I just bought one
I use the Maschine Mk3 but I wouldn't mind using an older MPC
sameeee
So do I, but I just bought the MPD226, and I absolutely love it!!
I switched from Maschine MK3 to an
MPC 1000 with JJOS2XL and murdered it out with spare parts from MPCstuff. Lovin' it!
@@MakingMadBeats what was your initial experience coming from an MK3? I own all the MK’s & have always wanted an akai MPC. Was the transition & learning curve hard?
@@64hapz Well, since I just started out making beats on the 1000. I get a basic beat structure done with it and it wasn' t that hard to learn the structure of tracks and sequences on it. It has less options compared but makes me more focused on the sound design aspect. Tracking out to the computer is going to be the next learning step to mee, though.
Damn!! You Hit a lick with that one Dogg!! For A hundred and some change!!! that’s the come up of the century Bro!!! ⚡️💯👊🏽
We need to get some more lights in the studio.
I just want to THANK YOU for letting us know about Juno Records. I bought a controller, a synth and a 16 channel mixer and ended up saving $300+ compared to buying from any store in USA. And that includes 3-day FedEx to Puerto Rico. To say thank you I just bought a shirt from your website. GRACIAS BRO!!! BTW...seems like most USA audio gear retailers are getting away with murder with their prices. Never again.
Told you so.. my pleasure
Wassup promo!
AVE got a special request. Your 3rd eye thumbnail icon for your channel, can you at some point get that to your store as a sweatshirt, t or Coffee Mug? if so, I will buy all three in one shot. ☮️ Your Bro Soundvapor!!! Thanks for this video.
Thats my weapon of choice right there
I think they need to go back to these designs and thinking. I like the swing and feel of those older pads I remember making my first beat with one with my dad. Akai should definitely remake these with modern technology but classic feels n ideas
125 bucks, damn! That's a steal... ALC still uses his 2500 to this day.
i used to want that 2500 so bad! i’d go to guitar center and just be like damn!! but i got the X now, so it was worth the wait...13 years later
Just scooped the limited edition one from eBay for £500 it’s in good condition, already having fun messing around with it, yeah I can bang out beats a lot quicker with logic and Serato sample for instance but there’s something special about doing it on these old machines, i don’t mind the small screen and it’s simplicity. The aesthetic alone makes this a keeper.
Another great video, thank you, I have the 2500, and saving for the Force cause of your other videos.
Always regret selling mine! Lean times, so I had to back in the day. Had mine maxed out, too! CD drive, RAM upgrade, hard drive and largest flash cards! Something about the sampling at 16bit through those machines - Gritty! My opinion - Best design of the older MPC’s! 😎🙌🎶
Especially the limited ed version. Definitely the prettiest design of all the MPC’s.
Yeah.. but the 2500 isn't really known or loved for it's sound. Not like the 60 or s900 / s950. It's only been fairly recently that people started raving about the 2000/2000XL for it's sound. People trashed it when it came out for lacking that MPC character. Now, the 2500 has an even cleaner sound than the 2k/2kXL did. So, that got shit on as well. Long story short, the 2500 is not the machine to cop if you're looking for dirt, grit, or character of any sort. That's not to say it is a bad machine. You just have to know what to expect from it.
I agree about the sound. In fact if the system wasn’t used by Araab, most people wouldn’t even talk about it. The 4000 was the last MPC with its own sound. 4000 was clean sounding too but IMO it was the starting point for what the MPC X is now.
jmorrisey79 I agree about the sound. The 1000, 2500, and 5000 all had a similar sound. It seemed that Akai cared more about making the drums punchier and less about the warmth of the sound. IMO the 4000 was the last MPC with its own individual sound. The only thing that I hated about the 4000 was the bugs were never fixed.
@ 9:00 the display isn't bugged, use the "x2" scroll on the top right to stretch the waveform to make it more visible vertically. You recorded the sample very clean with no gain, so it did not record a thick waveform! Respect! 🔥
you don't see the waveform because he recorded only the right channel. so the left channel (which is what's displayed in TRIM mode) is silent
Just bought mine 2 days ago. Fully maxed out with large screen and jjos.
Yessir, I’d love more reviews like this. I still have my 2000XL.
Those new school crybabies are a trip. I started with the regular memory and eventually bought the expansion (which was MAD expensive back then) and then it was the Greatest. If they can't get it done in 2Gigs, they just can't get it done. FOH...
This video made me nostalgic. I want my 2500 back! #16PadLife
Nice review. I still have my MPC2500 & 1000 both fully expanded (no JJOS installed).
The 2500 is a piece of hardware I regret not getting!
Hell Yea hope u do more reviews still got my fantom x6 , Mv8800, n White Motif Xf6
I had my eye on that before I went in the box with Reason. It's my dream old school MPC. An Akai MPC 2000/XL with 4 MIDI outs and up to 128mb was a big deal back then. I bought my MPC 2000 used with 32mb and 8 outs used
nice review and i appreciate hearing your thoughts. i agree that the 25 is better than the 2000xl. The 2000 and the XL were never good to me. they never sounded good, the 8 outs only came as an upgrade option, the shift button everything was cumbersome. the screens were terrible and everyone ended up with lines in them. they were the introduction to prosumer corner cutting vs the roger linn mpcs that were pushing things forward with technology as much as possible. it just put me off to new mpcs for a long time because they didnt fit with what I wanted out of an mpc. i eventually owned a 1000 with the jj os2XL or something like that and it was a pretty powerful little machine. i had it for being portable but eventually sold it and always considered using a 2500 in the studio because it basically was a bigger 1000. The 2500 layout is closer to the 3000. id say the 4000 and the 2500 are the only mpcs after the 3000 id even put my time into. the idea that 128mb isn't enough ram is crazy to me haha. maybe im just stuck in the past haha. ill check out more of your channel!
I have the mpc 5000 it's dope !!!!
More MPC 2500 videos ✊🏿🔥
Started on this thing...even fell asleep with it a couple times. Great machine!
Jim Jonsin used a 2500 for his biggest songs ("Lollipop" by Lil Wayne and "Whatever You Like" by T.I., etc.) along with an Access Virus ti2 and Apple Logic
I just bought a 2500 for $200. It has a few minor issues and blemishes but it works great.
MPC eras:
1. Ancient/ Floppy era. X - Megabytes . MPC 60, 2000, 3000 , Floppy. Solid midi workflow, very limited for modern music, use it as "spicy" machine?
2. Mid/CF era/JJ - XX - Megabytes. MPC 500, 1000, 2500 , CF . Pretty limited for modern day production, but could be used for some specific task. For example mpc 500 could be used as a supplement for a drummer (with electronic pads), where you would get velocity layers, layering of samples and overall being pretty flexible in term of sound length, ability to edit sounds etc. Fast and simple to sample
3. Pre-Modern/ HDD era - XXX. MPC 4000 , has almost same OS as Alesis Fusion. Actually pretty cool machine and I can see it being used in modern day setting. 4000 has sound design capabilities on par with old S3000XL or similar. Ram is still pretty limited, but workflow is promising. A solid choice for a retro non-PC based studio
4. Modern/ SDD era. MPC live, X, One, Live 2 X Gigabytes. Live seems like a contender for a Korg Kronos for me. I wonder if I could load 400+ mb rhodes patch and 10 other sounds alongside clips. Could be ableton replacement after all.
I cannot decide between Live, 1000 and 500. Live is 800 locally, 1000 is 550 (maxed ram), 500 was about 180 . Live would be a place I would write music and perform with; It has warping and accept midi controllers, which can pretty much eliminate external drum machines and digital sound generators for live use. 1000 seems like great live tool, playing back sequences and stems, 500 would be live sequencer, stem playback, albeit pretty unintuitive.
So dope brother! So glad u finally landed a classic machine! Man- now imma have to do a review of my 2000xl that I just got up n running.
Good video. Peace
Thanks fam
How did u pull that off, for only 125, that was a steal 😮😮😮 good job bro.
I love all the things Akai is going with the new Mpc/Force, BUT I believe that the Mpc X is the only one that will age well. I said that because it’s the only one with a adjustable screen that tilts, which I’m finding to be something I really need for my neck. 🧑🏽🦲🙄. I don’t care if I have to make super simple ass beats, that tilt screen is a MUST, LORD JESUS!!! 🧑🏽🦲🤦🏽♂️
Thank you for this great video showing the workflow on the Mpc 2500. I have both the Mpc Live2 and Akai Force. I want to approach this simple workflow to them. If I could get a Mpc 2500, I would because it my dream Mpc.
And also non negligeable to mention, 9th wonder beats kinda went generics when he dropped his 2500 for a maschine. It says a lot too. I own, 60, 3000, 200xl, 2x 4000 and the 2500. The JJOS 2500 IS one of the classics, on the con side though the 2500 is not made with love and craftmanship like the linns were and even the 2000(xl) and 4000. Definitly worth any prices right now as prices will just drive up consistently over the years from now on. Nice chat thanks for your video!
The 2500 is DOPE!! I have her Lil sister... The 1000 and I LOVE IT!
I love the old machines. They put that crunch on the drums. You’re making me want a 2500, Ave and already have a 1000. Also, it’s okay to be that guy. LOL
Yep....
Next month I'll probably upload a few beats I make in the Free!!! Mpc beats just to share how much fun it is to make beats inside of Mpc free beats with my 2 cheap midi controllers nektar impact lx25 and korg nanopad2 they connected working grate also even with my still injury right thumb I'm banging on pads with my other 9 digits lol boom bap boom bap bap boom tic tic tic them hi hats 👍🏾🙏🏾👍🏾
I got mine for $150 and upgraded to 128MB and 128GB SD a couple of years ago total $300 not bad for an OG with all those IO's.
I bought it for 300 euros I thought I was the king but you did a way much better
Yes, I want the adjustable screen on a new MPC, and somehow I'm missing the faders, despite a marvelous touch screen on my MPC Live! Great review!
If you think about the faders. They were pretty unique depending on how you assign them. They were basically mod wheels. Only real reason to get the new MPC is the chord templates, built-in synths, MPC Software, and flexible file system. Otherwise, if your good with playing keys and have gear. You can still do some amazing tracks.
You would probably like the mpc Renaissance OG
IDK if want to spend $600+ for a controller though... I might ask Ray Murray if I can borrow his one day.
Ave Mcree damn I paid 600 new back in 2014. Ain’t know they was still up there
I got to get my mpc 1000 fixed! I miss the OG beat making!
Sweet video. I picked one up instead of a 2000xl and yer video helped.
Nice review as always. I would love you to review the 2000. I've been using daws in conjunction with cheap mpds to synthesize an mpg experience for years and am finally considering getting my first mpc relatively soon. The 2000 and 2500 seem like the best values for their prices because they''re just not as iconic as others. I'd like to know if the 2000 would be worth it because it seems easier to find those cheaper.
Hold Up Ave, I’m calling foul on the memory issue. First off we’ve move to 24/32 bit @44 to 96khz audio files which takes up more room that a standard Red Book Audio 16bit@ 44khz wave file. Second of all we’ve evolved from Monochrome LCD terminal screens to full color touch screen displays. Not to mention more advanced os, more storage options, etc which takes up more memory. Also you could upgrade the memory on the older MPC’s, you don’t have that option with the new ones.
The MPC OS (much like all OS) doesn't take much resources. Also, who the heck samples in 96khz for a hiphop beat. Most people people especially the lofi heads don't even want the sample to be over 22Khz (because it gives your more snap to drums and texture to samples). Hell, even the new gen house heads don't want 44.1khz . The screens on the new MPC aren't taking much resources either (as their using early versions of the ARM processor). The differences of the older MPC and new are night and day literally. Try doing a whole sequence of 7-8 tracks on 16 mb of RAM vs 2gb.... It's not even possible
Ave Mcree , I agree on the hip-hop and lofi aspect, but some packs do have 96khz sampled sounds. It’s also well known fact when stretching (pitch/time) audio files you want the highest sampling rate possible. Also higher sampling rates gives you a better stereo and reverb image.
Mean Gene “ better “ain’t always better tho!
So very true.
The thing is - for me at least - limitations spark creativity. They force you to think about your music and music production in a different way.
That's why I'd love to get a 500 too. Load it up, put batteries in it and work with whatever you've got.
Antoine Guignac I understand the “limitations” workflow theory and personally I don’t agree. That’s like telling me, you just have to live creatively with a minimum wage job. I like having options and I hate unnecessary limited workflows. For me it’s aggravation, which is time wasted on trying to figure out unnecessary puzzles. That’s why equipment and technology evolves to get around this.
Brother, can you tell me how digital in works? What king of cable should I use? hug
Yeah we want more reviews 💪👏 and more light also 🛸
One thing about the Free JJOS: It doesn' t get updated by JJ anymore. Last version was 3.16 and it was released in 2015. JJOS2XL for the MPC 1000 and JJOS-XL for the 2500 still get updates but these are the paid versions.
dope review! Alchemist has made some pretty ridiculous beats on the 2500 in the last 10 years.
I might explore some of his track for future videos
I had the MPC 1000 and 2500 before the live lol. The work you had to do to make it fit wasn't a joke. But I do miss my 1000 with JJOS XL.
and 9th wonder be going crazy on Maschine
The 🐐 MPC
My new personal favorite legacy machine
I bought it when it can out.. I max it out and I love it... Only one I like beside this is the 3000...
Im still rockin the MPC Ren, i would love to get a 2500 just for the feel but i can do a lot with the Ren and more, plus its probably easier to utilize along side FL studios than a 2500 lol
Filtering on the 25hunned still blows my mind
My first Mpc after the Asr 10. The 2500 on jj can be a powerful working horse but like you said "don't get it twisted, it's simplistic. I def got spoiled by the Ren, live & X
Dope review, Ave! Brightness of the screen can be adjusted on the Ren, too. Loved the Ren because its' 3000/60 look and better built quality than the X. This hurts because I love the X but it's true
I have the 5000 model but still learning it
Nice Ave, great video! I recently got the 2500.. unfortunately I have a bunch of buttons with bad connection, so I might need to re-solder a couple :/ .. but I’m really excited to start making some beats with it soon!
Man, I'm glad I don't need to replace much. I bought memory, SD card reader, new pads, and pad sensor for $120. You're overseas so it's harder to get parts.
Ave Mcree Sweet! Yeah, I know.. the shipping cost can be crazy, but I’ve found new buttons for cheap including shipping and I have a friend who is going to help me with the soldering.. I’m also thinking about replacing the buttons and the pads.
You can bump up the ram to 128mb and you can use a 128GB SDHD cards with an SD to Compact Flash card adapter.
I’ve been wanting one forever
The best mpc for live Performance 😎⚡⚡⚡
Love your vids bro! Quick question. Mine does have a cd/dvd drive, but i dont know how to use it or whats the purpose of it. Can you explain to me what i can do with this feauture?
Just got that free mpc beats man I been playing around with it all day long now I can really follow along with Ave when he be making beats in his MPC'$ I had to get this freebie no matter what tho
Yeshhh more classic reviews please
thanks for the feed back
You about to make me jump all the way back into my MPC 1000 full throttle. Is nothing like that knock
JJOS program edit page is a beast, Much faster than modern MPCs.
Users can batch convert samples to 44.1 16bit using Reaper
No amplitude or filter envelopes though which hurts what you can do to drums. Plus the effects are pretty bad. Otherwise, it's a hell of a machine!
Ave Mcree Not sure about other JJOS versions, but OS3 has both envelopes, I use the amp env religiously. It’s one of the main reasons I prefer 2500 over 3000. Regarding fx, someday goodhertz going to base a series of plugins on them and the community going to rejoice 😂
@@AveMcree JJOSXL Has BOTH amp and filter env!
Just copped a MPC 5000 wanted to get away from the computer screen and the billions of plug in options. The 5k has great onboard effects and the only old school MPC with a built in synth. Took out the old hard drive and run everything from the flash card, upgraded to the fat pads. There’s nothing software can do that I can’t do here except give way too many options. I get straight into HipHop mode as soon as I turn it on.
I had one before. Definitely working on coping another one... my favorite #mpc besides the #2000xl and #4000
looking at ya old videos... where did you get that for $125?!?!? looking to get a mpc 1000 and came across this. im soooo mad that i had to sell mine years ago. at one point i had a korg triton extreme! that was a beast too!
Yo' Ave did you get that for $125 from the same guy you called a "sucker" that you sold the Machine to? LMAO. Great video. I remember back in the day People were selling their Souls for that Box (literally)!
i hope i can get mine tomorrow! 🤞🏽
update i got it. just need to get jjos for it. manifestation is real
another update: the person who sold me it sold me one where pads 13-16 do not work. smh
The strong point in the 2000 and the 1000/2500 is the flatness and compactness/compression of the sound/beat.Rather than the new MPCs are missing.The raw sound/feel!!! Ive just got a Live 2 recently and a 2500 a few days ago.I can stop listening to the 2500!!!!
The most expensive used old mpc off all time is 3000 which will be between 3 to 5k for an older machine which I don't know why
I grew up with MPCs..and I was a fan. In the 80s and 90s, we didn't have much of a choice it was MPCs or nothing but when RL left the company AKAI went to SHIITT and so did the MPCs...I will only co-sign on the 60 and the 3000...if you are new to the game and for some reason feel like you need a sampling drum machine...smh, get a MASCHINE PLUS ...and just to be clear I have a MPC LIVE, ASR10, S950, MIRAGE, SP1200, EPS16PLUS, MASCHINE studio, SP404SX, BOSS202......and I've had a lot of MPCs too...so you can trust my advice don't waste your $$$$$.
The moment I saw Araabmuzik killing the MPC, I IMMEDIATELY begged my dad to loan me the money to get the special edition. I can't believe I had to let it go due to life. I didn't even get to learn it fully. In your opinion, or anyone that reads this, considering how advance the new Akai products are, do you think it would be a good idea to STILL get the 2500? I'm at a point where it would either be the 2500 (if someone explains why they are still good), the 1000 or the MPC Studio Black.
Get either. The mpc studio is in use on my channel. I also use the mpc 500 which is the small version of the 1000. I have videos of me using both if you need an idea of their capabilities. The 2500 is dope actually. Its the same generation as the mpc 500. Peace
May Yahweh bless you may the blood of Christ jesus be with you we love you and thanks for sharing your wisdom with us!!! We love you!!
Maybe the reason why your wave file doesn't show up in the Trim Mode screen is because the MPC automatically shows the left side of the wave file. You can toggle between the left and the right side of the wave, but this is not possible anymore once you're in the Chop screen. Since you only had an incoming signal on your right input when recording the sample, there simply is no right side to show. Maybe an input problem???
I was thinking the same thing. Ave look like you recorded only one side in stereo. I’m about to get a 2500 first one in over 10 years when I sold my 2500se