Ca.2002 Akai MPC 4000

The Akai Professional MPC4000 Plus Music Production Center combines a 128-Track MIDI Sequencer and a 64-voice 24bit Stereo Digital Sampler, with 16 velocity and pressure sensitive rubber pads, providing rock solid sequencing and drum programming combined with extensive sampling facilities in one extremely powerful desktop unit.

Designed for professional audio production, the MPC4000 Plus offers all the advantages of dedicated hardware, features a large LCD plus the computer interface power of akSys PC/Mac control and networking software. And to make sure all this power runs smoothly, at the heart of the MPC4000 Plus is our new custom designed LSI sampling engine which, coupled with a high performance Intel™ Strong Arm CPU provides ultra fast audio processing.

More than just a sampling drum machine, for the first time, the MPC4000 Plus supports not only conventional Drum programs but also gives you the choice of selecting Keygroup programs allowing you to play 'conventional' multi-sampled sounds such as piano, bass, strings, synth, etc., from a keyboard just like our rack mount samplers. Furthermore, it is compatible with the largest variety of sound libraries: Akai S1000, S3000 and XL series, S5/S6000, Z4/Z8, MPC2000XL, MPC3000, Roland S700 series, and EMU 3 and 4 series.

Sample recording can be performed even while the sequencer is running, from digital or analog inputs, including a RIAA phono input for direct connection of a turntable, or from the internal CD drive, and the MPC4000 Plus can also resample its own stereo output.

The MPC4000 Plus shares all the sample-manipulation functionality of the Z series, including looping, time-stretching, pitch-shifting, slicing and dicing.

New filtering is provided by way of 6-pole digital dynamic filters. The new filter design not only supports multi-mode filter types, but also new variations such as the triple filter consisting of three independent 2-pole filters.

Filter modulation is part of the 64-point APM (assignable program modulation) matrix which has more than 30 modulation items freely assignable as either source or destination. Modulation items also include 3 independent envelope generators and 2 syncable LFOs. Furthermore one source can be assigned to multiple destinations and likewise multiple sources can be assigned to one destination just like on a vintage synth matrix patch board.

Four internal effects processors can be used simultaneously, including a wide range of effects algorithms, such as reverbs, delays, chorus, phasers, flangers, 3-band parametric EQ, compressor/limiter, distortion, pitch shifter, wah, and more.

Real-time control is provided by two note variation sliders and four Q-Link knobs. These can be separately assigned to allow flexible real-time performance control of a wide variety of selectable parameters including level, pan, filter cut-off and resonance, tuning, LFO speed and depth, all effect parameters and more.

Each assignable Q-Link knob can generate MIDI controller data so that all performance information can be recorded and played back from a within a sequence, and the Q-Link sequencer allows cyclic modulation programming.

Of course, as all MPCs, the MPC4000 Plus provides both pattern-based and linear sequencing, with the added capability to play simultaneously a pattern-based song and a linear sequence. Improved sequencing functions include resolution up to 960ppq, and a sequence data clipboard allows you to create a phrase library.

As on the legendary MPC60 and MPC3000, 2 MIDI ins and 4 MIDI outs also come as standard on the MPC4000 Plus enabling 64 external MIDI channels operation, but in addition, the MPC4000 Plus can control its onboard sampler over up to 128 Parts, allowing to assign a different program on each of the 128 track.

The large LCD also allows an unprecedented view of sequence data showing data as a piano roll or as a drum machine 'grid'. Continuous MIDI data can also be shown (and edited) graphically.

The MPC4000 Plus comes with 272MB of onboard memory as standard that can be expanded up to 512 MB of RAM using a standard DIMM. It is equipped with internal 80GB Hard Disk and CD-RW drives.

The MPC4000 Plus also includes a 50pin SCSI interface and a USB Host port for connection to external drives. The USB port can also be used to connect an ASCII keyboard for easier file naming.

A USB slave port allows direct connection to a PC or Apple Mac for use with the free akSys software.

As well as editing, this graphically rich remote control software allows you to transfer files between the MPC and your computer for efficient organization of sound library, etc., and for speedy integration with your favorite computer music software. Samples can be edited as standard Wav files and sequences as standard Midi files.

The included Pad editor allows you to drag&drop samples directly onto the Pads with 4 adjustable velocity layers.