Akai Updates the MPC2000

(Click for a close-up)

Akai Musical Instrument Corporation will formally debut their new MPC2000XL at the Audio Engineering Society Convention in New York City at the end of September, but the new unit is available now.

Building upon the ease of use and versatility of Akai's MPC2000, the MPC2000XL adds a host of new hardware and software features making the world's most convenient MIDI production center even easier to use. The MPC2000XL combines a sampling drum machine and a powerful 64-track sequencer to create a unique musical instrument. Designed to function as the centerpiece of a MIDI studio, the MPC2000XL is the ultimate composition tool for track creation.

The MPC2000XL features 16-bit stereo sampling and 32-voice polyphony and comes equipped with 2MB RAM, expandable to 32MB with widely available standard SIMMs. Each voice features dynamic resonant filters, new time stretch capability, graphic cut-and-paste sample editing and resampling capabilities. The MPC2000XL also includes built-in flash ROM for the operating system. In addition, it is easy to download new operating system files from the Akai website and load them into memory.

The MPC2000XL's 16 velocity and pressure sensitive drum pads can be programmed to four separate banks providing up to 64 sounds per program at the touch of a button. Selecting and building drum programs has never been easier with the addition of four dedicated bank keys on the MPC2000XL's control surface. Enhanced real time controls also include a Next Sequence Key, Track Mute Key, and a large (248 x 60 dot), hinged LCD for greater visibility. New software tools include timestretch, resampling, device naming capability, MIDI soft thru, multitrack recording, simultaneous playback of a second sequence and powerful file management options.

The MPC2000XL is fully compatible with all MPC2000 disks and offers an amazing array of sample library options. The MPC2000XL can load samples from the vast Akai S-Series Sound Library as well as the Akai MPC60, MPC60-II, MPC3000 libraries, E-Mu EIII and Roland S750/S760 CD-ROM libraries. The MPC2000XL also supports 16-bit 44.1kHz uncompressed .WAV files from IBM formatted disks - making it easy to work with downloaded uncompressed samples from the Internet, or to save a newly created sample to an IBM formatted disk and email finished creations around the world.

The MPC2000 can record on all 16 MIDI channels simultaneously and users can freely assign any MIDI input channel to any internal MIDI channel to transfer sequences from an external sequencer in a single pass. Volume and pan controls are included and the MPC2000XL supports Akai's advanced SampleVerb 4-bus digital multi-effects processor -- allowing users to work with up to six different effects simultaneously. Effects can be routed to the stereo outputs or as stereo pairs to any of the individual outputs of the optional Multi-8D/m.

SampleVerb offers two multi-effects channels that include distortion, EQ, flanging, chorus, phrasing, stereo pitch shift, ring modulation, auto-panning, rotary speaker emulator, delay/echo and reverb. It also provides two reverb only channels, for a total of four reverbs. SampleVerb provides 100 user programmable presets (50 multi-effect and 50 reverb) all of which can be extensively edited and saved. Offering a wide range of storage options, the MPC2000XL supports a variety of devices via the high density 50-pin SCSI port on the rear panel. Supported external devices include hard drives, CD-ROM's and a variety of removable media such as Zip or Jaz disks for larger projects.

Akai also offers optional equipment for the MPC2000XL, allowing users to configure their MPC to specific tasks. An 8-channel parallel analog output and digital S/PDIF I/O is available as well as a 4-bus multi-effects processor allowing the creation of complete mixes entirely in the digital domain. An optional SMPTE board is available for multi-frame-rate timecode reading and generation and users can add their favorite samples to the optional flash ROM memory card for on-board access.

The MPC2000XL is available now at a suggested retail price of $1649.00.