MPC 4000 VS MPC X SE AUDIO COMPARISON

In this video Grammy Winner Snipe Young compare's the MPC X SE to the MPC 4000. You can see the actual metering on each pass through AKAI's Converters.
LINK TO THE FREE HIGH QUALTY SOUNDS BELOW
theproducemrkt...

[@streetlife20]

I got em both…… out the box with the same drum samples the 4000 got a knock u can “feel”. 4000 is a beast

[@TheProduceMarket]

yeah its a beast beast man !

[@titanjake8640]

Yup! I have the 4k. It is my fav. The 2k classic then the 3k. I copped the One I am not impressed. The wf is just like the touch. All over the place for me but it is cool.

[@TouchToneDSG]

I like the clarity and openness of X. I like it better at least for my taste. Thanks for the video

[@LoRdeShellz-ff4vi]

FaQ

[@image66media]

I find that clarity and openness to be quite a bit friendlier to file compression.

[@Altruwest]

Good work Snipe! This experiment really showcases that each machine will have the potential to better serve us in different subgenres and use cases. Its always going to be about choosing the right tool for the task and that comes with experience and exposure. Thanks for providing the wave files for this experiment so that we can all have a proper reference to analyze in our own studios.

[@TheProduceMarket]

@altruwest salute !!!! Thanks doc !

[@officialbestkeptsecret]

Altruwest we love you brother. Great experiment Snipe

[@RickyTinez]

I noticed when I compared the 4000 to a few samplers that the 4K shaved off A LOT of high end, almost everything past 10,000 was faded away haha. Making it sound “warmer” but compared to other it loses clarity.. but it still sounds good? They all do! Great video

[@JRosevelt]

Dope take, yeah it almost gives like a bit crushy type that dulls off the highs and puts that grit on the mids and lows.

[@dleonardrandom3416]

Thanks for the comparison. The consumer only cares about the end results. In which we all going to daws or through some board anyways. If you truly ran everything dry and even across the board, the mpc x se actually sounds fuller and open. Once you go to master a song, you wouldn’t be able to tell the difference unless you have physic powers. Birmingham Alabama stand up!!!!

[@TheProduceMarket]

BHAM !

[@dleonardrandom3416]

Yes sir. I see you 👀

[@rawedginnah]

I heard the difference pretty much the same way you described it. The machines sound good in all three scenarios, just a bit different. Different but workable. Juice it up with some good outboard, get the workflow down, and make it happen…🔥💯😎👍🏾

[@NetterForest]

What I hear is greater clarity and higher headroom on the X. The 4k sounds crunchier and more compressed resulting in softer but slightly beefier transients. Whether either sounds better is really a matter of taste

[@HubertCopeland-mu3eh]

Professionally!!!! done video out of the rest of videos based on the Vintage MPCs vs the X SE on KZbin keep up the good work,family 👍

[@bparkpark1764]

I appreciate the time you spent on this.

[@bulletheadbeatz2296]

I have the 4k, 60, 2500, Live ii retro, Key 61, and the MPC X...Each of the legacy units have a place in my studio and my production, BUT, I prefer the sound and workflow of the current generation of MPCs...It really just depends on the type of beat I'm working on. If it's hip hop based tracks or Lo Fi, then its the 60 or the even the 4k. Not saying you can't get a dope hip hop based track from the newer units, because you can. Especially using plugins like Flavor Pro or utilizing different EQ techniques. Dope video Bro! Most people are level matching when in fact that does a disservice to the X/X SE...If' the outputs of those units are hotter than the Legacy units, then that's a characteristic of the current generation of MPCs that shouldn't be ignored.

[@OWOspirit]

sru tu tu tu majtki z drutu

[@kannon3979]

I got the Akai Z4 midi to my MPC 3000 and oh Lawd that combo sound is unmatched. The dynamic range is out of this world.

[@TheProduceMarket]

I want to grab a 3k so bad man lol !

[@gus_bro]

I never tried to midi my Z4 and Live 2. I just sample from the Live 2 into the Z4. Gonna try midi now. Thanks.

[@CreamOfBeats]

I'm still trying to hear how bad the X is, because to me, it sounds damn good!

[@TheProduceMarket]

lol Its all in preference man to be honest with you! Its just color choices some like red and some like green.

[@streetlife20]

It’s def good!!!! Just not as good as the 4000 ;)

[@MrIAMLEGENDstudios]

To be honest, there's nothing on the SE, that couldn't be achieved on the 4000

[@A_Class216]

From my understanding it's not that the x "sounds bad" it just doesn't sound as good as some of the og models. Such as the 2000 series, 60, 4000. Part of the reason is the X doesn't use the same converters as the og models. BUT there is a company called black Lion Audio that has service where they can upgrade the internals. It is kinda pricey at 800+ again if sonics are important and you have some extra cash that's definitely a option.

[@Craftmaster3]

@@MrIAMLEGENDstudios there absolutely is. Try clipping the outputs of a current mpc and the 4k. It's not a 1 v 1. It doesn't make the new MPCs bad by any means but we can't as honest men pretend that they don't sound different.

[@image66media]

I'm finding that the KZbin compression algorithm tends to either neutralize the differences or it will respond to certain traits that will give opposite results. We see this with the HydraSynth in a huge way. The sound we hear in the studio monitors coming from the DAW is not the same sound that plays on KZbin. I'll be honest here and say that my mostly great hearing has a hard time determining any distinct advantage of one over the other, but will say that the way KZbin is presenting the audio seems to favor the X to me. Granted, the overall levels are ever so slightly hotter in the X, so it is sounding better, but even discounting that, I'm hearing mpeg style artifacts (swirling) in the 4000 audio that isn't in the X audio. I've also noted that with other legacy MPCs. And this points out the under acknowledged problem--what we hear in our studio monitors may be radically different than what the consumer hears in the distributed song. When we compare source audio, that is the proper thing to do, of course, but we also need to be very aware of how mastering and distribution affects the audio.

[@TheProduceMarket]

Yeah totally KZbin delivers the audio at MAX bit rate 320KBPS smh ! Thats the main reason why I put the files in there for a free download so people can actually listen to them in the environment they are use to ! Great Ear man !!!

[@64hapz]

Well said @K Norton 👏🏽

[@reverendcarter]

the 3000 is a personal favorite, last one with sync outs for tape machines, they were mandatory for old school synth workflows and many non hip hop uses. the midi component gets overlooked a lot but thats where the real muscle comes from with these things you could get a whole room of keyboards drum machines and sound modules running along with the samples and sync to the tape machine. if you have a tech, get them to check out your 4k because gear gets old and electrolytic capacitors dry out over time.

[@TheProduceMarket]

I want a 3k so bad !!! Thank for the heads up about the capacitors drying out!

[@nine27]

wish I never sold my 3k.. best mpc by far

[@dubmaverick69]

Yes the fact that everything synced up was the most important thing, the X is doing a good job so far with 4 midi in standalone and USB, but 3000 is something else

[@jayjs3000]

i feel like the 4000 not only sounded better, but had a better bounce/groove/feel as well.

[@NimbleX-MC]

Great comparison. It’s great to hear a straight side by side. The MPC X SE seems to have a lot of punch and clarity in all ranges in your comparison.

[@Spasciz]

That MPC X SE banging harder then the rest to me!!!

[@seekingtruthonly.4299]

Snipe, Thanks for the comparison and thanks even more for the uncompressed audio. Have you ever compared using the converters to bypassing them and using the software? It would be greatly appreciated if you could add the high quality files of the direct export tracks as well. (Then we could see what the MPC D/A converters are doing to the sound. I'd then be able to see how the converters on the X and 4k compare to my Apogees for drums.

[@chadpescod-realtor3308]

The X has greater clarity. Whether that's good or bad depends. I love my Live I.

[@LoRdeShellz-ff4vi]

Me too

[@kentrelltaylor6551]

The x se has more clarity . Both machines sounds great .

[@LoRdeShellz-ff4vi]

@@kentrelltaylor6551 FAQ

[@THA-REAPER]

Crazy how all this didnt happen in 2017. Im not really all that concerned to be honest. My thing has always been shaping the sound on the canvas anyway.

[@dasdabeatjunkie]

The se just sounds slightly brighter. Like you can hear the highs pop out a little more. You can even see a slight difference in the waveforms. But I just always prefer the sound of older machines personally. The dirtier the better

[@dopesnare]

I feel similar it's like the MPC X has greater frequency response. Which to my ears literally sounds better. . and modern.

[@3trakman3]

The X SE is a tad bit louder and definitely clearer.....to my ears they both got that classic Akai thump. For some reason that beat at 6:00 sounded so much better on the 4k. Didn't hear any difference in the 4k and the SE thru the 4k. Great comparison.

[@unworthyServant08]

After listening to it in Logic Pro on my laptop (level-matched), The X has more subbass and more highs. And the stereo width is wider too! I personally prefer that sound to that of the 4K, as it gives me more to work with, and edit to my heart's content.

[@unworthyServant08]

Rather interesting, though, when you listen to the drum break from the X through the 4K, it retains the stereo width of the snare rather well. Doesn't make sense, though, as those are the sampled from the 4K that you uploaded to the X...

[@johndude70]

Interesting to compare the x with the provided MPC 3000/60 emulation plugin on the main output?

[@Dewane1511]

MY GOOOD the 4k the last love letter before AKAI got bought out 😒

[@TheProduceMarket]

😒 yeah man one of the remailning artifacts of that golden era smh

[@buzzmusic7039]

Think all this controversy stems from a high expectation of the mpc ‘xl’ which we daydreamed about roger lynn getting involved and having a totally new unit but instead got an upgraded ‘x’ with a paint job. I got the original live and am going for an x. It doesn’t sound as punchy as older units but got everything needed to us to make it so.

[@leogolive]

You hit the nail on the head. Some people made assumptions about whatever the next MPC was gonna be and then it didn’t. They kind of brought their disappointment upon themselves.

[@REMRODFILMS]

LIVE 2 is the best mpc Produced to this day! 💯

[@Crookedletta601]

I may have to agree..... I love the 4k though..... 4K sounds better but the workflow on the newer MPC's.

[@MSXIISound]

THANK YOU FOR THIS! SNIPE FOR PRES!

[@TheProduceMarket]

😂😂😂

[@kolorboy8470]

The X sounds better imo. Thanks for the video.

[@TheProduceMarket]

no problem man

[@Mr.Gump5780]

Does anybody remember when the MPC 2000 first released and people complained about it sounding too clean? I remember it like yesterday. Now it’s legendary

[@leogolive]

Human beings have it bad about using revisionist ideas after the fact. Something can be considered horrible in its time, then after some years we like to start romanticizing shit.

[@glyndwr15]

I still think it sounds too clean lol

[@moneyball1318]

YOU WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO TELL LISTENING TO AUDIO COMPARISONS ON KZbin. Also its not what you hear, but What u FEEL.

[@TheProduceMarket]

correct thats the exact reason i put the download files in the description !

[@chadpescod-realtor3308]

You say that but a lot of music is consumed on phones through KZbin these days so maybe it's an ideal test.

[@DaMixWizard]

​@@chadpescod-realtor3308 4real 💯. I never thought KZbin was bad for listening. Billions of people are listening via KZbin

[@streetlife20]

That’s what I said lol!!! Stand in the room with both of em and it’s easy to tell the difference! 💯

[@image66media]

We MUST be very sensitive to the final consumption. It matters not what it sounds like in the studio if the end result that the listener hears is compromised. This is why good mastering engineers are so important--they know to tweak the files for each distribution system.

[@iwillnevergetone5]

our MPC's have now entered the argument club of all amazing instruments: Does the modern Minimoog D reissue bump like the Minimoog from 1970? Does the modern Custom Shop Stratocaster sound/play like one from 1961? Does the current Prophet 5 rev4 sound like the OG Prophet 5 from 1978? at the end of the day, as long as the music we're making SLAPS when it comes thru our headphones, amps & speakers, then boom. also, the current gen MP's definitely have more headroom. and that allows us to make all types of sounds and music, beyond just Bap. it's a good thing. my Live II revolutionized my entire workflow with all types of music and routing other instruments thru it

[@TheProduceMarket]

😂 good point!

[@Johnny-Hash]

None of this matters when the end-listener has more options to listen to a mixed/mastered song produced on any one of the MPCs. Solely speaking on the medium the end-listener uses. Playback via DAWs is different than what the end-listener hears via streams thru the hundreds of different bluetooth speakers or earbuds.. or wired earbuds.. or wireless headphones.. or wired headphones.. etc. There is a reason Spotify, Tidal, Apple Music etc have certain "standards" when a song is submitted.

[@TheProduceMarket]

Yeah thats true as well, you just wanna have the best possibilities going in from the jump. So even when its dialed back for streaming or "lil bobby" listening on his earbuds will still has some type of texture to it . Because we have all heard poor quality become worse after the compressions from these streaming services.

[@Johnny-Hash]

​@@TheProduceMarket Digital Service Providers (DSP) charging for different tier lvls benefit us. I use to sell pro audio & I would do my best to avoid MPCs.. when it comes to production & post-production, the end-listener can never tell the difference. Theirs a much larger sonics debate to be made being that everyone has the ability to create. MPCs don't even make up a full 1% of that conversation. If it was, one can argue that MPCs don't hit the same due to what medium (speakers, headphones etc..) the end-listener was using back when hits were being sold at the MPC 4000's peak era. When you can Stream HiFi LoFI mixed in Dolby Atmos using spatial audio/ULTRA3D audio, you know we about to embark on something much bigger than how the MPC used to sound.

[@Mr.Gump5780]

I 100% agree

[@R.G.777.]

Im no expert but in my view it would have been a proper comparison to sample the same sound directly into each unit and then compare the output or am i missing something? Ive seen other comparison videos where rhe X SE sounds completely different i.e lower quality but it was being compared with a 3000 which is an altogether different beast

[@gwsound]

the Mpc-X has a bit more mid/high focus. The 4000 sounds overall better, more in balance over the full frequency spectrum.

[@TheProduceMarket]

Yeah the 4k is not a punk at all!! I mean i have one so thats understood lol

[@CDMESD]

Bro, I really dig your sound packs. THe X SE sounds good. I want to get one. I hope everyone sees this. This has been a big complaint over the pass couple of weeks. That Satin Looks is amazing.

[@TheProduceMarket]

Thanks Bro !!!

[@CDMESD]

@@TheProduceMarket kzbin.info/www/bejne/aHzKlJ-tqcied5o

[@VinylWave11]

In the beat patterns the MPC X sounded much crisper and seemed to actually hit harder. The 4000 almost sounded dull in a way.

[@TheProduceMarket]

thats the difference in the clean and grit some prefer the grit side!

[@chadpescod-realtor3308]

Ya I don't think I would call that grit on the 4k. More like a lack of clarity. I didn't hear any saturation or distortion or coloring of the sound, just rolled off highs. Not bad just different. All MPCs are amazing.

[@VinylWave11]

@@chadpescod-realtor3308 I totally agree. I like all of the MPC standalone instruments. I have the MPC ONE and MPC X SE. I had an MPC 3000, it was expensive to keep it running, I had a motherboard go out. Maybe someday I'll get an MPC 2500 just for fun. But I am very addicted to the MPC X, I love the layout, q-links and I only use a computer for mastering and some mixing now.

[@LoRdeShellz-ff4vi]

FaQz

[@lionelluney3063]

The 4 by itself was 1.5 DB under the X so this is a crap test

[@marcusholder495]

I feel the 4000 hit harder

[@streetlife20]

It does lol!

[@TheProduceMarket]

I can hear it on the vinyl samples way better though and the acoustic driven drums

[@pawnotdaw4559]

Hello. What sample rate are you recording?as the 4000 can record at 96k higher than the X

[@qurtismaxwell1679]

I was thinking the exact same thing!

[@antraxraptuga]

Both of the are perfect mpc , of course mpc 4000 is legendary 💯🔥

[@arrakian]

The X is more open up top and has more bump. I wonder if the 4000 was redone with new caps and internals, would it retake the lead?

[@bangmateo7481]

The difference is with sampled vinyl

[@dsteelemusic]

Science!

[@SabcatPrinting]

Interesting stuff. I would have put a test tone in each programme to ensure I was driving my DAWs inputs/pre amps the same… however.. In this “big converter discussion” we are all overlooking processors and maths algorythyms. I only thought of it whilst watching your vid. Two samplers generations apart, may not be using identical maths. Years back… some people swore that different PC processors sounded different (in context of a final multitrack render). Floating point maths errors is a real thing but people argue is too small to hear. (The errors should be smaller than the resolution of 24 bits,). Anyhow.. i hit the subscribe button! Thanks.

[@TheProduceMarket]

Thanks for subscribing. Yeah I purposely didn’t go the test tone route I wanted to show the perks in both units Headroom is a perk in the newer units as the gritty sound is a perk for the older one. Great observations !!!

[@SabcatPrinting]

Theres certainly no denying different converters sound different. Another thing to bear in mind.. a twenty to twenty five year old peice of kit.. its components maybe well now be out of specified tolerance… sometimes thats gonna be pleasing. Sometimes it will stop working 🥲🥲🥲

[@RCutOffakavEM]

In my humble opinion, the MPC X SE has a "hi-fi" quality. The sound has more depth, and you can really hear and feel the space through the panning. The stereo field translates very well, and both loud/quiet (close/far) elements are clearly distinguishable. The MPC X SE also handles transients nicely, making it punchier than the 4000. The 4000 is a great machine too - its sound is punchy, balanced, and cohesive. However, the transients feel a bit smeared compared to the X SE, not as sharp or spiky. The 4000 gives off a vintage vibe and delivers that classic hip-hop sound, with everything glued together and saturated. It's the signature MPC tone. It's not really a matter of one being better or worse in terms of sound; they're just different. Plus, there's over 20 years of development between these models. Great video, and thanks for comparing them!

[@michaeltrenier]

People are never happy smh The X Se sounds phenomenal. The 4000 sounds like a 4000. They both sound great but for the money I’m going with the X. Cleaner AND maintains the punch now if you wanna run it through outboard for more character then do so. This whole debate is nauseating if you came from a Casio keyboard as a starting point 🤣I LOVE the current gen of equipment now this is the literal golden age to be a producer. Analog. Digital. You have access to whatever tickles your ear. Great vid!

[@X-101]

You've got vu meters but not matching the levels?

[@TheProduceMarket]

The reason I didn’t do that is I didn’t want to take away a perk from one unit to appease the other. If one has more headroom I wanted to show that benefit. That would’ve been like me beefing up the x with tape saturation to try to make it warmer so they are close in that area but that would take away from the perk of the 4k. So I just did it matching the exact pad levels and program levels all dry as well as max the volume knob on both. I could’ve even beefed up the mpc going through the 4k with record gain but that would be an advantage as well! . I just didn’t want to take either units advantages away.

[@larrytan73]

@5:49 the illest shit i've in years!

[@Soundvisionbeatz]

That reverb on the X SE got my attention most…..

[@gus_bro]

Got to use the Compressor/Limiter on the 4K. The SE can’t stand up to that

[@ameeqalli4248]

Wouldn’t you want to sample them in to hear the converters?

[@cardbored_]

People on their iPhone: wow yeah I really hear such a big difference

[@HOLLASOUNDS]

Might of been a good idea to gain match because I cant actually hear the difference correctly because the X is louder then the 4000 so kinda makes it doing this a bit pointless.

[@TheProduceMarket]

That is a perk of the X SE just like the perk of the 4k is percieved punch .I didnt do matching on purpose if I match to benefit one I have to match to benifit the other. Turning down the SE takes its perk away to make the 4k happy.It is just a head to head fight same size gloves but each has its own fighting style and size. I also provided the actual audio for a easier listening experience.

[@jimroseberry5608]

MPC X SE has greater clarity and separation. One would expect that given more modern converters/etc. With outboard gear, you could get the MPC X SE to sound a bit more like the MPC 4000 (add slight compression, a little dirt, etc). With some outboard EQ, you could get the MPC 4000 to sound more like the MPC X SE (boost the upper Mids). In the end, what’s clear to me is that the MPC X SE certainly doesn’t sound bad. I’d liken the difference to a Rickenbacker 4003 bass vs a Fender P or J bass. The Ric will have a touch of dirt/grit without adding any processing. The P or J bass will be naturally more clean sounding. With the P or J bass, you can add some dirt to get it to sound similar.

[@marcusholder495]

May Yahweh bless you brother thank you for the video also peace out to E A ski

[@TheProduceMarket]

lol nah man SKI the homie bro haha

[@marcusholder495]

@@TheProduceMarket yep he is a very down to earth person, also I loved this video it was so cool.

[@simex909]

The one with the old, out-dated DAC sounds less clear. I'm actually surprised how much of a difference there is, and it makes the nostalgia cultists even funnier. For $10 a pop I'll make your DAW tracks sound like this by applying a slight lowpass filter.

[@stevekirkby6570]

X has more punch (probably the headroom) - it came across better on YT and played through laptop. So, if I had a choice I'd go with the X over the old 4000. I have the keys 61 and it sounds great too.

[@BigBrotherMotown]

The SE is definitely louder.... and you can even see that the WAV is slightly BIGGER.

[@TheProduceMarket]

Yeah but is it just louder or is it actually bigger hmmm lol

[@BigBrotherMotown]

@TheProduceMarket if I had to describe the sound I would say the SE was a little louder and a little clearer in the upper and mid ranges. The 4000 had some "grit" to it that a lot of producers favor. I personally like a clean sound...I can add the grit in post production.

[@nrgskillmedia]

the audio from the MPC X SE seems like it's going through a compressor. less dynamics and more volume.

[@dubmaverick69]

The sheen, the high frequencies we can do without on the X, this is why so many PRO' s dont like it, but some sound out from output 3-8, they are a joke compared to 3000 or 4000, if this is suppose to be the work horse, then its it for work flow but the rest we can do without, think about it, everything has brightness to the nTh degree, we have to spend so much time in the studio roll of the high end, if we sampling vinyl that means we want that vinyl thump and the highs to be rolled off, we want it exactly what we hearing on the vinyl, not something that feels it was Eqd, just look at what Rossum is doing with the SP1200, so it means it can be done, and Akai sells more than what Rossum sells, so they could have just done the same converter and blue print as the 3000, it would actually cost the same or less, because they can move quantities, so dollar cost averaging would be more money in the bank for them, but no, the converters they using and the architecture is the new stuff, which actually no one uses. Just check out the converters on the Dave Smtih, and Moog synths, that is what we are talking about. For all the crappy plugins and filters they have on the akai mpc series, if they could make less off that and work on the actual machine they would be way better off.

[@qurtismaxwell1679]

Most people that like the crispiness of the X may not have been in the studio during a mixing session and you have to hear them put all the instruments in their right frequencies and everything on the X starts to sound thin and you put it against that 60, 3000, 2000xl and 4000 and you hear the real!

[@CMedia87]

that 4000 got so many features and filters was everything dry for sure from the 4k?

[@TheProduceMarket]

Yeah every thing was dry on both units.

[@DaMixWizard]

I've been telling people that MPC X SE knocks and sounds good. Don't knock it before you try it. I'm sure once b4, ya boy or someone told you a movie was garbage, but once you saw it yourself, you thought it was good

[@CMedia87]

@DaMixWizard ots not that the new mpc don't sound good but if you really know sound the older mpc specifically the 3000 stood out as the most hot, punchier, and grit that's why is the ultimate one to do a comparison with.

[@DaMixWizard]

@Storey Media yeah when that 3000 came out, I was 14, still living with Mommy😄. Doing music was nowhere on my mind, I was into sports. I had the other ones tho, 2000XL, 4000, 2500, 1000. So I never tested the sound of each unit. One sampler that was amazing that no one ever talked about is the Yamaha SU700 Sampler. That thing makes your drums knock when sampled them. When you sample a loop, it automatically loops it on beat for you. The reverb in that sampler was amazing. That sampler came out, and then it disappeared quickly

[@larrytan73]

your patterns are insane..you drum sound amazing!... fire!@5:49

[@TheProduceMarket]

😂thanks man !

[@88mokeyz8k]

I of this fuss about the sound of the older MPC vs the Newer MPC X or Later The newer version sounded better to me. The 4K sounded good but I will take them both. X is God KING! Snipe Young!

[@Bezowinz]

I would've liked to hear this level matched.

[@TheProduceMarket]

Well, the reason I didn’t do that is I didn’t want to take away a perk from one unit to appease the other. If one has more headroom I wanted to show that benefit. That would’ve been like me beefing up the x with tape saturation to try to make it warmer so they are close in that area but that would take away from the perk of the 4k. So I just did it matching the exact pad levels and program levels all dry as well as max the volume knob on both. I could’ve even beefed up the mpc going through the 4k with record gain but that would be an advantage as well! Trust me I debated it in my head over and over 😂😂😂😂. I just didn’t want to take either units advantages away.

[@Bezowinz]

@@TheProduceMarket I wouldn't equate headroom to level. Level can easily be raised or lowered with the fader once recorded in the DAW. Much different than headroom or saturating a recording.

[@TheProduceMarket]

@@Bezowinz ok im saying headroom as the general thought of head room one max volume ends at a certain point with no more room to go any higher the other maxes out and is louder that the other....... Headroom is basically the available space in dB between your loudest peak level and 0 dBFS . My thought it this If you run the 40yd dash in 4.2 sec and I run it in 5.0... But we race head to head to see who is the fastest....it would not be accurate in reading if you ran a 60 and I ran a 40 in that same race with the finish line being the same I would win BUT you were given a -20yd disadvantage so the race seems closer than what it actually is by looking at it.Turning down the X to match the 4k defeats the purpose of a basic muscle flex because they will match in level BUT one is playing at 50/75% of the amount availble while the other is maxed out.True leveling and saturation are different but I only said saturation for the warmth it could provide to offset the warmth of the 4k.

[@tylerdurden9765]

Well done video. I prefer the X. I can get character from vinyl or the recording process. I don’t need extra artifacts. The current MPCs are just brilliant samplers that sound 3d, punchy and vibrant. Exactly what I want. The only ol’ school samplers I like sound wise are the ASR-10 and the SP1200. I don’t like the sound of the older Akai’s, with the exception of the MPC-60, Particularly the MPC 3000 which sounds overly compressed, 2d and dull imo.

[@sadghostband]

You should adjust for clip gain and see how close you can get to phase cancellation.

[@johndude70]

Comparisons like this are the way forward. People are comparing the 3000 so don’t know how that compared to the 4000?

[@13thbunkerstudios]

The X sounds brighter and 4000 sounds warmer but with the proper eq and compression on the X you can accomplish the same sound as the 4K , fyi I own the 4K and live and at one point had the 60mkii, 2000XL, 2500

[@hailnaryproductionz3661]

I wanna hear the sound comparison between 3000 vs 4000

[@TheProduceMarket]

That would bill fire !

[@OnReaAl]

Do a full beat with pad layering!!.. thats where the new MPC seam to hit a dynamic limit.. and the 4k 3k 60 accelerate.. and use split screen for visualation

[@OnReaAl]

And you might want to add to this a render from the softwhere version only /bypassing the rasberry dithering /audio compression,.. and sample the source material to include the input quality /vinyl preamps

[@Gabrielrose.mp3]

You should play at same time and reverse polarity on one of the channels and see what artifacts are left over

[@jeromelester8]

I will stick with my old 4000. Louder is always better (samples aren't level matched, 2db is a lot). You can connect any interface (DA/AD converter) to the 4000 with ADAT, if you don't like the integrated converter. For me, there isn't much of a difference if the samples are level matched.

[@mattyg499]

Apart from the sound the 4000 has an incredible modulation matrix.X cant touch it.its a synthesizer/sampler…..

[@tyshekashay]

Both are cool, but the 4000 has that dark kinda tone that's nicer, I own a mpc live it just has to bright of a sound like the x I like the live but thats the only flaw 2 me is that bright tone....

[@soundoracle6651]

Yessir 💎💎💎

[@Spasciz]

My guy!!!

[@TheProduceMarket]

What’s up bro !!

[@lionelluney3063]

Why is the 4K 1-1.5 DB quieter and why you have a limiter on all channels which is going to kill the 4000s clarity because you smashing what’s already there

[@TheProduceMarket]

I dont have any thing on either machine there isnt a limiter on any of the channels.All the signals and. channels are dry. The 4k is quieter because the X SE has more headroom.

[@BoogieBangBeats]

I feel 4k hit harder

[@TheProduceMarket]

It definiterly performs better to me on the gritty stuff like the boom bap vibes!

[@dunndoula7373]

Special edition mane anybody thinking the older mpc sounds better just stuck in the past and getting left behind it’s a new age and new sound

[@DaMixWizard]

In this video, you thought the 4000 hit harder or you talking about your personal preference? Because what I'm hearing, the X SE had them drums hitting really nice

[@image66media]

I struggle with this analysis because what I personally describe as "hit harder" was the X, not the 4K. I heard a lot of artifacts in the 4000 audio, but at no point did I hear anything that I personally preferred from the 4000. However, that is probably because the bulk of everything I have is current and I've been DAW-based since 1993.

[@aerznights3713]

The MPC X sounds bright crisp & clean. 4000 has a punch but at some points of the video was a little dull with certain samples.

[@tobiaslofi]

Seems like the MPC X has more high end ..... making it sound more crisp but on the border to over processed ..... kinda like comparing NI Maschine to MPC X (Maschine sounds usually have crazy over processed transients / high end)

[@TheOwlHead]

Its simply hi fi vs lo fi. Are classic cars better than modern cars? Depends.

[@BORN7SUPREME]

On the MPC 4000, the bigger difference in sound comes when you clock out @ 96.0KHz.

[@3rd_eyevision]

Level matching??

[@RoomAtTheTopStudio]

Definitely needs it

[@Lofilegacybeats]

Once you put any sound into a DAW its lost to 1’s and 0’s unless you record in all analog

[@Sample_Props_Official]

If you dont set a tone by +4dBu at 0dB=-6dBfs=+16dBa=-22dB to record stage... with 440hz sine wave... by unity gain - means +4dbu output stage... otherwise cannot hear anything

[@WaynePryce]

I'll never talk shit about my X again, she held her own, though I literally just bought a used Z8 for 400 off ebay

[@dmoe5000]

I think the 4k is a tad bit deeper hit but not a loud difference to complain about it, i also think the SE is alittle more crisp and cleaner sound. No distortions. The x is fine bruh

[@RickRijuanaPro]

"I must say its kinda interesting" lol Through my monitors I liked the XSE better. Same punch with clarity. I like that you actually ran the beats through them for this whole debate though. My things was damn y'all don't know how to shape the sound of your beats 🤷 Also I never used a 4000 so do/did producers mix every in the 4000 with no other processing??

[@TheProduceMarket]

well in theory the debate is that the 4k sounds better out of the box and added processing enhances that. When I used all hardware early on my processing was in this order from the unit to dbx compressors to the mixer to a delta 1010 interface. This was way before we had plugins that were capable of much lol

[@clarenceharris524]

I don't hear a material difference between the 2. I have heard comparisons between new machines and the mpc 3000 were i could her a slight difference. I used to have a 3000 , but sold it. I used to have a 2000xl as well. Currently got a 2500, ren, Key61, live2, and x. The new age mpcs are the truth and historically use to say the 2500 was my favorite. These new machines can do so much, and with the price compared to getting a vintage machine that costs more but does less, it is not worth it to me. If you want that vintage sound, you can probably run it thru some other old school gear that is not as expensive. I recently made a beat by initially starting it off in the ASR-10 to get that old school sound, but the I sampled it and chopped it up in the MPC X to finish it up.

[@jakejesuss]

On this Video and Bolo’s.. i prefer the sound of the X 🤷🏾‍♂️. Noah “40” shebib said it best. I’d rather use the clean sound as a starting point, THEN color and saturate as needed. It’s easier to gritty a clean sound than it is to clean a gritty one… if that makes sense

[@TheProduceMarket]

Yeah thats a cool perspective as well !

[@emanuelwhitehead6039]

Every time I mix my tracks on the ssl console. No matter where they come out of It seems to me that the console takes over the sound anyway so it don’t matter unless you’re not getting your stuff mixed on an analog console

[@RoomAtTheTopStudio]

@@emanuelwhitehead6039 TBH the mastering engineer is going to make it sound great if they are a great mastering engineer. They can make an eight track hard disk recorded mix created on MTV Music Generator using Play Station sound better than a big track recorded on two inch tape and made in Cubase

[@streetlife20]

The 4000 on 48 or 96?

[@TheProduceMarket]

I had it on 48k since it was gonna go to youtube anyway lol

[@DT1One]

@@TheProduceMarket Also no choice because the SE can’t do 96khz in standalone

[@micro1603]

Proper! 🔥

[@John-lv6uj]

Raleigh Simmons coached by Fred Tex Winter. Soundcloud "HEBREW I AM" The MPC X SE is a better-sounding Drums Machine hands down. Could you stop playin' around? LOL. MPC X/MPC X SE is the TOP LINE MACHINES. However, the MPC 4000 is still a BEAST don't get TWISTED ON THIS. I have the MPC X and I am GLAD and HAPPY I DO.

[@crazzylee]

X hands down. It’s very obvious in my headphones 🎧

[@Firetracks]

Sounds like the SE bangs harder on some joints!

[@therainmaka6455]

Nice 👍🏾

[@benumusicofficial]

6:27 😮🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@thefunkymunky9084]

The X overall showed WAAAY more dimension, basically all the clips. You could "hear the air" in the room much better, and the stereo separation with the X was very noticably better. This doesn't make the X necessarily better or worse than the 4000-but rather, perhaps more appropriate to some styles than to others. I found it to be a more "Hi Fi" sound, but also not at all sterile (which surprised me). No matter what: IMO, the undeniable loser of the three choices was the X into the 4000. Everything just became completely flat. Pretty yucky. Good comparison-thanks much!

[@bunmifasheun]

The moc 4000 sound Dope Than mpc se

[@RoomAtTheTopStudio]

The X sounds louder on my headphones. That defeats the purpose of the test. If they were the same level then I could compare them better.

[@GOSHacid]

All that trouble and you didn’t bother to level match 😂