Akai MPC 2000XL Review: Strengths, Weaknesses & Quality 2022

Read on for an in-depth look at one of the most sophisticated drum samplers ever created. Allow the MPC to take your production to the next level.

Manufacturer: AkaiPro

Price: zZounds

Strengths

It’s pretty straightforward. The manual is brief and to the point. The BPM feature is one of my favourites. It enables you to change the tempo of a sample while keeping the pitch constant. As a result, it’s magical. As if it were being played slower/faster. It also calculates the length to determine the BMP of the sample. You can create and save programmes, which saves all of the parameters, mixer, and effects settings, as well as the sounds and the pads to which they are assigned. Please keep in mind that you will need a zip/cd rom or hard drive to save to. The Akai MPC 2000XL itself is incapable of saving). The Akai MPC 2000XL lets you see the waveform of the sample you’re working with. Of course, you should listen to it to make sure it’s correct, but seeing it helps. The “before to” and “after to” options are available on the trim screen. Before to plays the sound before the sample’s set start point, while after to plays the sound after the sample’s endpoint. This aids in the creation of seamless loops. It has four pad banks (A, B, C, and D), each with a button directly above the pads, for a total of 64 pads. For each pad, you can choose between mono and poly. When you hit a pad twice in a row in mono, the first sound is cut off and the cycle begins again. The sounds overlap when using polyphony. You can also enable simultaneous play, which means that when you press pad A1, it will also play up to two other pads at the same time. The sequencer on the Akai MPC 2000XL is extremely tight. The Akai MPC 2000XL is far superior to using a computer as a sequencer, especially for drums. The “Resample” function allows you to change the sample rate (the quality of the sample) as well as lower the bit. The MPC 60 has a 12 bit resolution. All you’d have to do with the 2000xl is change the bit of a sample from 16 to 12. So you can basically do or sound like anything the 60 or 3000 would do or sound like. You can combine bit rates with the 2000xl, for example, you could lower the bit on your snare and kick to 12 bit. This will give it a rattling sound, making it sound more like real drums. Your high hats could then remain 16 bit. You can’t change the bit or sample rate on the 60 or 3000.

Weaknesses

You can’t use both the individual 8 outputs and the effects at the same time; it’s either one or the other. The effects can only be used through the main outputs. If you connect only a controller keyboard via midi to the Akai MPC 2000XL, the modulation wheel and pitch wheel have no effect on the sound. For instance, I have a sound module that lacks a sequencer. In addition, there’s a controller keyboard. I can’t make a piano, bass, or guitar sequence loop with the MPC’s sequencer. Is it possible that the MPC will be able to do it? You’d need a keyboard with sounds and a sequencer, which you’d then sync to the MPC via midi. Assume you had 12 different drum sounds and created a sequence, which you then wanted to play from a pad. This is what I mean by “resample,” and the Asr 10 and Asr x both have it. The Akai MPC 2000XL does not have this feature. For example, you could set the pad to mono and then simply keep pushing it over at the appropriate times to create a new sequence. It does, however, have some limitations. For compatibility, you should look into purchasing other equipment that you intend to use in conjunction with the Akai MPC 2000XL. They could add more functions for creating seamless loops, such as one that normalises volume or makes it louder in the middle of the loop and quieter where the start and end meet, making it sound more smooth.

Quality Of Product

The unit is sufficiently strong. You should not abuse the pads by slamming them as hard as you can. I mean, there’s a computer inside, and it’s a $2000 machine, so proceed with caution. It is made of high-quality, long-lasting materials. The cover plate is made of metal. Just be careful with the knobs sticking out; you don’t want to bump into anything while moving it. If you intend to use it live or move it frequently, you should invest in a hard case or padded bag. Simply use common sense.

Conclusion

The Akai MPC 2000XL is enjoyable to use because it is simple and straightforward. If you take the time, you can use it to create some very complicated and dense music. Also, pay attention to every detail in parameters, effects, bit rates, and so on. Just keep in mind that it is the user, not the equipment, who is at fault. This is a professional sampler with a lot of cool functions that can be used, but you have to know what you’re doing. You can’t just buy a guitar and expect to be good right away, and the Akai MPC 2000XL is no exception. The Akai MPC 2000XL comes with a single CD containing only drum sounds. You must load them yourself because there are no internal sounds. It will only play the samples you feed it. You will need to purchase two 16MB or one 32MB Simms memory chips, as well as a zip drive, cd ROM, flash ROM, or a computer with SCSI to save samples. All of this is not included with the Akai MPC 2000XL, but it is required for you to be able to use the MPC; otherwise, it will be inconvenient to use because you will have to start over every time you turn off the MPC. The Studio Plus version, which includes 8 individual outputs and the EB 16 effects, is highly recommended. However, you can always upgrade the lower ones. The only other samplers I’d get are from EMU or ROLAND.