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GEARED: What's Hot - NAMM 2008 |
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Friday, 01 February 2008 |
The National Association of Music Merchants winter show has just finished in Anaheim, California. Now truly international, NAMM is one of the largest musical instruments trade shows in the world, drawing exhibitors from all over the world. Indeed, most of your local retailers sent representatives over there to keep an eye on all the exciting new products. We here at Geared are endeavouring to keep you updated too. Enjoy the deluge.
 AKAI MPC5000
Music Production Centre
A few of the most exciting things for me to come out of this NAMM were the new product announcements made by Akai Professional. The MPC series set the standard for producers making beats around the world, especially in hip hop. DJ Shadow produced his seminal Endtroducing using only an MPC60 and a basement full rare vinyl. The model numbers have increased considerably since then, but the iconic design on the unit and Akai’s quest for innovation remain unchanged. The new MPC5000 is the result of dozens of engineers, 20 years of experience and a new synth and drum sampling engine unlike any MPC ever.
The MPC5000 is the first MPC to include eight-track streaming hard disk recording, a 20-voice, three-oscillator analogue synthesizer with arpeggiator, a new sequencing engine with 960 PPQ resolution, pad and track muting and mixing, 64 continuous sample tracks and 12 Q-Link controllers. There is even a new FX engine with 4 FX buses and 2 FX per bus.
The MPC5000’s virtual analogue synth eliminates the need for external analogue synth modules or buggy software based synthesizers. The new eight-track direct to disk recorder lets musicians produce whole songs in the MPC and then mix them down with the internal sequenced programs and any input through source. Add the optional CD/DVD drive and producers can then burn an audio or data CD to the mix. More than 650MB of premium-quality sounds from Loopmasters are included to get musicians up and running with pro-quality production in seconds.
The display is twice the size of the MPC2500 and MPC1000, so waveforms appear crystal-clear. Integrated Chop Shop 2.0 now supports stereo chops and patched phrases. The MPC5000 is also the first MPC with random and cycle sample playback added to the zone play, and a turntable preamp. Start saving.
 AKAI MPD32
Software Pad Controller
The MPD product line is a descendant of the MPC, but instead of storing samples within the hardware itself, the MPD’s assignable pads, faders and knobs functioned as software controllers for programs such as Ableton Live (and dozens of others). This made the MPD24 arguably the cheapest and most versatile sampler on the market, and now Akai has unveiled the MPD32, their new flagship pad controller for musicians and DJs.
Using a USB cable to connect to a PC or Mac, the MPD32 hardware is perfect for control of popular music programs such as Reason, the aforementioned Live and the Mac’s own GarageBand. The MPD32 is the only pad controller on the market to feature the renowned MPC note repeat with swing and gate time parameters. Additionally, it is the only pad controller that can also work as a master clock for MIDI sequencers. With the built in tap tempo button musicians can control tempo in real time during performances.
Sixteen velocity and pressure-sensitive genuine MPC pads provide the finest in feel and expression. Akai produce (again arguably, there’s always a few bad reviews) the best quality pads on the market, and an unprecedented number of assignable MIDI controllers, including eight assignable faders, eight assignable switches and eight assignable 360° knobs. Three selectable control banks extend the number of available faders, buttons and knobs to 24 each (72 total controllers). Four pad banks allow for 64 total pads.
The MPD32 also features transport controls for interfacing with DAW/sequencing applications like Sonar, Cubase and Logic. The MPD32 is a fully programmable controller and multi-functional control surface that fits perfectly within any production or performance environment.
 AKAI XR20
Beat Production Station
The XR20 is one product I’m surprised Akai haven’t made before. It’s a portable beat production station, loaded with a sound set that is geared towards making hip hop and R&B beats on-the-go. More than 700 pre-loaded sounds cover a range of drums, percussion, effects and instrument samples, while an integrated effects engine includes reverb, EQ and compression, enabling musicians to make complete backing tracks. A microphone input is included for mixing vocals over patterns. Bright, backlit pads provide visual cues for added beat precision.
The XR20 features sounds of standard and electronic drums, single (one-shot) hits, bass and synth sounds to easily create the maximum mix in minimal time.
New Akai Professional products ship in Q2 2008. The MPC5000 carries a MSRP of US$3,499 (approx. AU$4000); the MPD32 and XR20 are both suggested at US$499 (approx. AU$560). For more information, visit their web site at www.akaipro.com
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 04 March 2008 )
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