Custom Akai MPC 2000XL Drum Machine Series by Big Noise MPC
It’s a pleasure to announce the launch of our re-branded Custom Akai MPC 2000XL series. Since its first release about a decade ago, it’s clear the public loves our designs; we dedicate a lot of effort to deliver these workstations. While the first designs are no longer available, fans can still expect get their hands on the newer versions of Akai MPC 2000XL. We get many inquires about purchasing the wood skins separately. The original bezel designs were extremely detail oriented with high tolerances, and required drilling into the MPC enclosure to bring everything together. We felt the assembly was too complicated for the average MPC owner.
The black unit below was customized for a customer in Texas in 2019. It incorporates a 2 tone vinyl theme, accented with billet aluminum side rails. We’ve been experimenting with a new design that will allow us to sell MPC embellishment kits to the public and install them at home. The new designs are form fitting and sleek. There will be different material types you can mix and match to add unique flavor to your MPC 2000XL.
When it comes to music production, storage plays a big role in saving your music. With the MC-2000XL v.2 SD and Flash Card Reader, you can easily store and manage your files to SD or CF cards, compatible with the MPC. It’s fully Hot Swap capable, easy to use, and cuts your workflow in half. These vintage units are limited edition and come in both Ivory and Black.
At the previous lab, Studio 914, you see the MPC alongside some classic outboard gear. Below we suggest some gear to improve the sound of your music while working with the MPC. When it comes to creating great sound, everyone knows analog gear plays a crucial role.
The Analog Hardware:
First, we have the Sans Amp (Tech 21 VYC). It’s a clean bass preamp that can be used on many sounds, including drums and bass to create both crispy top-end and big bottom, accompanied by great presence. Rza from the Wu-Tang Clan is a highly recognized hip hop producer. During his MTV crib tour, one of his rooms had a setup that features a Sans Amp PSA1, 2 ADAT’s, a turntable, a mixer, a BRC synchronizer and an MPC. It goes to show the history of Sans Amp equipment, used to create signature hip hop music.
Next, we have the Vintech Series which includes the X73i MIC Preamp. The Preamp stands out when it comes to recreating the legendary Neve EQ. Also, it is able to deliver amazing sound due to its famous circuitry and its input/output transformers. There is no denying the quality of the sound enhancement you experience when you turn a Rupert Neve EQ knob. It goes to show that analog equipment delivers unique audio quality, as opposed to the in-the-box plug-ins. Nevertheless, you can always use these units with the MPC to produce great recordings. In addition, you have more control over the sonic image of your sounds or tracks, as well as their tone.
Bill Putnum Sr is responsible for building one of the most prestigious companies in the recording industry, Universal Audio. The company is responsible for the UAD 1176LN, a FET based limiting amplifier that graces some of the most exclusive studios around the world. The reason for such dominance is apparent, its ability to manage dynamics along with its characteristic sound is unmatched in the industry. Also, the equipment allows for dynamic controlling of both vocal samples and instruments recorded on the MPC. We just modified a pair of the units by adding Triad A-57J transformers to the outputs, 1960 iron core units used in the LA2A.
There are several programs like Wavelab, Pro Tools and Cubase that allow you to capture sounds from your vintage hardware using a DAW. With software, you can micro-chop or edit the sounds with precise truncating features. Powerful time-stretch and pitch plugins in these programs sound better then the MPC’s algorithms. Also, effects like Reverb, EQ, Compressor, Stereo Image and Echo provide unique flavor to your samples. Finally, you can download our free MPC 2KXL App to arrange, manage and save the samples to Akai MPC programs on SD or CF media via your computer. Afterwards, you can transfer them to your MC-2000XL equipped MPC loading samples to all 4 MPC banks, exactly as you set them up on the App.
The Next Custom MPC Series:
Below is our latest addition to the Custom MPC series, the new flagship for our exclusive drum machine designs. This unit will be released around October 2019. It will incorporate materials like plastic, wood, metal and phenolic. You will be able to purchase the bezels separately.
“Hip Hop Universal United”
Article: Thompson / Noiseman
Editor: Noiseman
Image: Big Noise
