Purchased an Akai MPC X - Advice/Tips Welcome

[rob_lee]

Hello all,

I have an Akai Mpc X being delivered on Monday I'm wondering if there are any users here on KVR?
Iv'e only been on YouTube watching videos but maybe some people here with the hands on experience could give me some good tips.
I used to own the Akai Mpc 2000xl back in the day and absolutely loved it, I used to have a Novation Nova II XL hooked up to it back then but after reading the specs of this new Akai I decided to order.

I'm looking to make the Mpc X the centrepiece of my studio controlling my hardware synths as well as sampling and sequencing my gear. Oh and I see I can install a 2.5 Sata HD, what HD/SSD would you recommend me to buy for it.

Also any good links on YouTube showing it controlling hardware synths that Iv'e maybe not seen yet (links would be nice)

Thanks

Rob

[toonertik]

Impressive machine you got coming. Lucky Rob!
I saw maybe 2/3 vids, including sonicstate, I don't have any links but would imagine you have seen the basic introductory ones I saw. Not enough cv for eurorack to justify the cost for me, so passed... but ... what a machine.


SSD... reputation has Samsung a clear winner, especially the Pro series.

[rob_lee]

Impressive machine you got coming. Lucky Rob!
I saw maybe 2/3 vids, including sonicstate, I don't have any links but would imagine you have seen the basic introductory ones I saw. Not enough cv for eurorack to justify the cost for me, so passed... but ... what a machine.


SSD... reputation has Samsung a clear winner, especially the Pro series.

Thanks for the input mate. Yeah I had searched for months for a hardware sequencer/sampler but after waiting over 19 months on the list for a Cirklon I thought (Fook it) get something else. I was really impressed what Iv'e read so far about the MPC X I decided to go for it.

PS

Thanks and I'll look at the Samsung SSD drives tonight

Rob

[JCJR]

I've had 3 Samsung ssd one each in the desktop daw and two laptops. Several years use in each machine and none have had any problems or evidence of getting old/flakey. I shouldn't say stuff like that it is too much like famous last words. Hold my beer and watch this...

In addition to the 1 tb Samsung ssd C system drive in the daw desktop I have a 1 tb Crucial mx200 D data/files drive. It is also several years old and has given no trouble. I probably pump more data thru the Crucial than the Samsung. Supposedly write cycles eventually wear out ssd if you keep at it long enough.

At the time I got the Crucial rather than another Samsung because it was less expensive but had about as good user reviews.

Reading reviews can be scary because there are so many horror stories even with the better devices.

1 tb and smaller have got "affordable" but I wish prices would drop on the 2 and 4 tb ssd. I want at least one 2 tb ssd but don't want one bad enough to pay that kind of money.

[rob_lee]

I've had 3 Samsung ssd one each in the desktop daw and two laptops. Several years use in each machine and none have had any problems or evidence of getting old/flakey. I shouldn't say stuff like that it is too much like famous last words. Hold my beer and watch this...

In addition to the 1 tb Samsung ssd C system drive in the daw desktop I have a 1 tb Crucial mx200 D data/files drive. It is also several years old and has given no trouble. I probably pump more data thru the Crucial than the Samsung. Supposedly write cycles eventually wear out ssd if you keep at it long enough.

At the time I got the Crucial rather than another Samsung because it was less expensive but had about as good user reviews.

Reading reviews can be scary because there are so many horror stories even with the better devices.

1 tb and smaller have got "affordable" but I wish prices would drop on the 2 and 4 tb ssd. I want at least one 2 tb ssd but don't want one bad enough to pay that kind of money.

Thanks for that

Looking at the specs you'd think this thing would already come with a fitted hard drive but a copy & paste says this below.

• RAM 2 GB
  Storage 16 GB (user storage, 10 GB pre-installed content), 4 GB (MPC operating system)

I do like this part tho...

• (2) XLR+1/4” (6.35 mm) TRS inputs (Input 1/2)
  (2) 1/4” (6.35 mm) TRS inputs (Input 3/4: 1 stereo pair)
  (2) 1/4” (6.35 mm) TS instrument inputs (Inst 1/2)
  (2) RCA inputs (Input 3/4: 1 stereo pair, phono- or line-level)
  (2) 1/4” (6.35 mm) TS footswitch inputs (FS 1/2)
  (2) 5-pin MIDI inputs
  (8) 1/4” (6.35 mm) TRS outputs (Main L/R, Outputs 3/4–7/8: 4 stereo pairs)
  (4) 5-pin MIDI outputs
  (8) 1/8” (3.5 mm) CV/Gate outputs
  (1) 1/4” (6.35 mm) stereo headphone output
  (1) 1/8” (3.5 mm) stereo headphone output
  (2) USB Type-A ports (1) USB Type-B port
  (1) SD card slot

Also...

• (16) 360° touch-sensitive Q-Link knobs for parameter adjustment
  (1) 360° encoder for display navigation and selection via push
  (7) 270° knobs for gain, mix & level adjustment
  (63) dedicated-function buttons

[toonertik]

I do like this part tho...

• (2) XLR+1/4” (6.35 mm) TRS inputs (Input 1/2)
  (2) 1/4” (6.35 mm) TRS inputs (Input 3/4: 1 stereo pair)
  (2) 1/4” (6.35 mm) TS instrument inputs (Inst 1/2)
  (2) RCA inputs (Input 3/4: 1 stereo pair, phono- or line-level)
  (2) 1/4” (6.35 mm) TS footswitch inputs (FS 1/2)
  (2) 5-pin MIDI inputs
  (8) 1/4” (6.35 mm) TRS outputs (Main L/R, Outputs 3/4–7/8: 4 stereo pairs)
  (4) 5-pin MIDI outputs
  (8) 1/8” (3.5 mm) CV/Gate outputs
  (1) 1/4” (6.35 mm) stereo headphone output
  (1) 1/8” (3.5 mm) stereo headphone output
  (2) USB Type-A ports (1) USB Type-B port
  (1) SD card slot

Also...

• (16) 360° touch-sensitive Q-Link knobs for parameter adjustment
  (1) 360° encoder for display navigation and selection via push
  (7) 270° knobs for gain, mix & level adjustment
  (63) dedicated-function buttons

Yes, impressive list of features.
If I was still working mainly in the computer I would seriously consider it.
The way they have intergrated plugin editing with the encoders looks fantastic. (Although this tight integration might only be with their DAW). Also... the encoder oled's feed back>>> wow...


you gonna have some fun Rob


Need a studio re-wire...?

Had this come out in January... I might not have gone eurorack.
From the videos I saw... it really can be the control center of a system...


Now ... had they given 32 CV's and say 16 triggers/gates....


OFC... the problem with Eurorack>>> you can't make presets.. no payola hahaha

[tehlord]

RTFM

[rob_lee]

RTFM

[rob_lee]

Anyone recommend this SSD for inside my Mpc X?

Samsung
860 Pro Sata III 6GBp/s 64L V Nand 512Gb Solid State Drive

• Type Solid state drive - internal - TRIM support, sleep mode, 3D V-NAND Technology, Auto Garbage Collection Algorithm, eDrive, Samsung MJX Controller, Low Power DDR4 SDRAM Cache
  Capacity 512 GB
  Hardware Encryption Yes
  Encryption Algorithm 256-bit AES
  NAND Flash Memory Type 3D multi-level cell (MLC)
  Form Factor 2.5"
  Interface SATA 6Gb/s
  Data Transfer Rate 600 MBps
  Buffer Size 512 MB
  Features TRIM support, sleep mode, 3D V-NAND Technology, Auto Garbage Collection Algorithm, eDrive, Samsung MJX Controller, Low Power DDR4 SDRAM Cache, S.M.A.R.T., 256-bit AES, IEEE 1667
  Dimensions (WxDxH) 69.85 mm x 100 mm x 6.8 mm

Cheers

Rob

[toonertik]

Anyone recommend this SSD for inside my Mpc X?

Samsung
860 Pro Sata III 6GBp/s 64L V Nand 512Gb Solid State Drive

• Type Solid state drive - internal - TRIM support, sleep mode, 3D V-NAND Technology, Auto Garbage Collection Algorithm, eDrive, Samsung MJX Controller, Low Power DDR4 SDRAM Cache
  Capacity 512 GB
  Hardware Encryption Yes
  Encryption Algorithm 256-bit AES
  NAND Flash Memory Type 3D multi-level cell (MLC)
  Form Factor 2.5"
  Interface SATA 6Gb/s
  Data Transfer Rate 600 MBps
  Buffer Size 512 MB
  Features TRIM support, sleep mode, 3D V-NAND Technology, Auto Garbage Collection Algorithm, eDrive, Samsung MJX Controller, Low Power DDR4 SDRAM Cache, S.M.A.R.T., 256-bit AES, IEEE 1667
  Dimensions (WxDxH) 69.85 mm x 100 mm x 6.8 mm

Cheers

Rob

I'de avoid that at all costs...


I mean mm... wtf are they...


gimme inches... lots of inches, she screamed....


Truth... Been looking at that myself... just spending too much on my rack,

she smiled

[JCJR]

Well there is the 'pro' and then the reglar octane model that is usually less expensive but haven't checked lately. I think my earliest Samsung ssd was an 840 or something also available consumer or pro versions with a price differential.

The pro is sposed to be a little faster and a little more bulletproof and maybe last a little longer under heavy use like a server or engineering workstation.

You can get the pro if you want, nuttin wrong with it. But the cheaper consumer version is so nearly the same speed that it don't matter, specially since either one is light-years faster (and more durable) than any hard drive.

I think my oldest Samsung consumer ssd in the desktop daw is 5 or 6 years old no problems yet. I usually leave that one running 24/7, reboot maybe twice a month.

It doesn't do as hard work as a server, mostly idling. Just saying if I had paid an extra $100 for the pro version I wouldn't have got anything extra for the money after 5 or 6 years in my usage pattern.

Maybe the extra $100 wouldn't pay for itself til the 10th year or whatever but by then maybe we'll be using ten dollar, 100 tb dilithium crystals rather than ssd's.

Or maybe the pros don't have a price differential anymore. Back then IIRC a 1 tb 840 consumer ssd was cheaper than a 512 GB 840 Pro. Same with the later 850's.