Ok, I messed around with the MV-8800 sequencer for the past two days. I’m confident I got my mind wrap around the function of this baby. I think Roland made this thing a little crazy but that’s what makes it great. Drum machines are my first love because I love taping pads to create my foundation. I play keyboards as well and my weapon of choice is the Fantom S. It took me a few years to master the fantom and the only reason was because I’m a long time MPC user. The Fantom sequencer is totally different for the MPC 2000XL. I decided to learn the Fantom sequencer because I got bored with the MPC. After that, I discovered that the Fantom’s sequencer is amazing. Really tight timing compared to the MPC. I know I could get some flak for saying that but it’s just my opinion. I was under the impression the MV-8800 is like the fantoms sequencer because they got the same resolution. Man, was I wrong.
The MV-8800 has 3 different ways to quantize and that’s what made things confusing. I could not figure which one to use. Thanks to forums like MV Nation, they put me on the right track. It was still hard because cats on the forum gave different perspectives to attack the sequencer. I just said fuck it and played around with the box till it made sense. I discovered that Track Parameter is where the magic happens. I wish cats on MV Nation had screenshots of where to look. All the descriptions are in text so I had to crack open the manual to figure out what they were talking about. I’m a guy that’s use to recording quantize as I play especially on the Fantom S. The MPC 2000XL is a different story. I had to erase all that I knew about the Fantom and MPC just to understand this box. Track Parameter are great because you can change quantize in real-time. I know peeps in the DAW world could read this and say big deal but for a hardware guy this is amazing. So I don’t quantize going in to record. I use Track Parameter for everything I need done. Now the MV-8800 reminds me of my fantom because now I get the timing like it. Also, Midi Tracks, Instruments and Phrases are another thing I had to come to grips with. If you come from the Fantom world, unlearn anything you learned on there to understand this machine.
I can see why people diss this Drum machine. It’s not easy to just jump on and get busy. I know many got discourage and said forget it. I didn’t care it was hard because I got other gear and I’m not totally dependent on it but that is slowly changing. I hit a couple of glitches with the OS but I think I need to update it. For $600 USD this thing is worth a try and I’m glad I did.
Well, this thing is not a MPC but I think once a person masters it, they won’t miss the MPC. As I get more comfortable with the MV, I will post some beats to give cats a listen. Like everything Roland makes, this thing is discontinued but it’s still modern. Stay tuned.
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ok bro ill keep in touch when I need some advice. You should record a sampling tutorial and put it on youtube
@lil mojo That's a good idea. Will do.
yea thanks. any advice helps. im learning sampling now. Im gaining more knowledge by the day. I might try my hand at vinyl sampling because I think my aunt has a bunch of old records at her house from waaaaaayyyyy back in the day lol. shes 75 so she has a lot of the good stuff
@lil mojo Vinyl sampling is all I do on my MPC and MV. Grab your aunt records and start sampling. I have a big record collection and I was able to get many records from craigslist ads. I bought over thousand mixed genre records for $100. You can always find deals if you look around.
Hey j ham. Long time lol. I love my ren but now I'm thinking about getting an older standalone drum machine just to get that standalone vintage feel when I don't feel like dealing with my computer. Like an mpc or MV
hi @lil mojo. It's been awhile. Sorry for my late response but I've been busy with a ton of stuff. As far as stand alone machine, look and see if you can get a deal on a MPC 5000. Those are good. MV is good too. MPC 4000 is a beast aswell. You could also check out the MPC 2500. I prefer the MPC 5000. Hope this helps.
hey j ham I made a leap of faith and bought komplete 9 from native instruments to use with my ren. I hope I don't regret it!
and I checked out a website studiolinkedvst.com that has hip hop kontakt libraries I might get an extra llibrary what are your thoughts on that. the libraries seem good. check it out for yourself and let me know wat u think
@lil mojo Native Instruments make good plug-ins so you doing good getting those to use with Ren. Komplete 9 should keep you busy for a long time. You won't regret it. Also, I checked out studiolinkedvst.com. Looks like they're Kontakt libraries are good. I didn't have a chance to thoroughly check them all out but the ones I did hear sound good to me. The Ren should be able to handle any plug-in you throw at it.
I made the leap of faith and bought a MV-8800. Ive had the unit for about a week now and I absolutely love it!. The OS is STABLE!! Not one crash!!! I find it very intutive even after using a MPC Ren for over a year. The features are great and Im really enjoying learning how to use this drum machine in general. I ordered a 160gb hdd to replace the stock 40gb drive this week. Im now looking for the wooden side panels to replace the stock plastic ones. Thanks again for your advice!
@chino Good to hear. I'm glad I was able to help. The wood side panels are nice. Definitely get those. The MV-8800 is a solid machine and I still get good use from mine. If you have questions, let me know.
Wassup j ham I'm finally using my fantom sounds with my ren. I am very happy with my ren. Now I just need to get more virtual instruments and it'll be official!!
@Lil Mojo That's good to hear. Glad the Ren is working out for you. I knew you would figure it out. Check out Arturia Analog Lab and Predator-PL. Those are dope plug-ins. Also, you can find tons of free VST synths out there.
My main issue with the MPC Ren is the software instability. I constantly have issues with the Ren software crashing & disconnecting and freezing up. Although the software has improved since I started with version 1.2, its still not at the point where I trust to use it live. I use Scratch Live, Studio One, Mix Emergency , Serato DJ and Serato Video programs. The only program that I constantly have issues with is the Ren software. I had high expectations from Akai but I was disappointed with all the software crashes and the lack of basic features. Akai just now added step edit with version 1.6?! There is no multicore support, audio tracks or real time time stretch/pitch. Its 2014 so I expected more from an industry leader such as Akai. Even my Roland MC-909 has real time time stretch/pitch and its over 10 yrs old!! I use Studio One as my main DAW with a Tascam FW-1082 I/O firewire interface. I dont have the number of freezes and crashes as I have experienced with the Ren software. I also tried the Maschine MKII. That is much more stable than the Ren software BUT I dont like the workflow. My options now are to either stick with the Ren or try something new. I just put the Ren for sale on ebay tonight. I figured I would give the MV or an MPC 4000 a try. I just want a stable drum machine that has great features and fun to use. Maybe Im just expecting too much?
@DJChino I understand where you coming from. You are doing the right thing. Well, MV and MPC 4000 are superior machines. The MPC 4000 can do sample rate at 96khz plus 24bit. The MPC 4000 is the ultimate MPC. The MV is good for live use. I like one mode in MV where you can trigger patterns from pads you created into a live set. I would never trust the Ren in a live setting. You can't go wrong with either choice. You can get a used MV cheaper compared to MPC 4000. If you find a MPC 4000 under $1000 in good condition, I suggest you get it. You can usually find MV 8800 for $500 or more. Good luck.
@J Hamilton. I find myself ready to buy a MV-8800 after using the Ren for over a year now. Although the Ren hardware is solid, the software has been EXTREMELY unstable. I run the Ren on a Mac Book pro with 8 gigs RAM(OS 10.6.8) and I have been reporting bugs since I began using it. Although I do love the workflow, the software instability and lack of some basic features has me considering purchasing the MV. I recently purchased a Roland MC-909 and I instantly fell in love with it! Im hoping that the MV-8800 has a similar workflow, features and most important STABILITY!!. Akai has also dropped support for 10.6.8 with future updates. That is another reason why Im considering going the harware route.The Ren is my first experience with drummachines. I chose Akai thinking they would stand by their product BUT my patience with them has run out. I tolerated Akai's buggy MPC software for over a year so now I am willing to learn a new product/workflow as long as its stable!! I would greatly appreciate any info and/or advice that you can offer about the MV. Im considering selling my Ren and purchasing a MV-8800 this week. Thanks - DJ Chino
@DJChino Sorry to hear about your issues with the MPC Renaissance. Wow, I didn't know Akai dropped support for 10.6.8! Well, I can understand your frustration with the Ren and Akai for the matter. I have my issues with the Ren but I have a few workarounds I use to get by. The MV-8800 is real fun to make beats with. I like that I can have full control of quantize settings. The MV is a really good machine and highly slept on. As far as selling the Ren for the MV, I guess that would be a good move if you really want the hardware experience. The MV has a warm sound quality compared to Ren. Also, the MV is very limiting compared to Ren. MV has 1 MFX FX and 1 reverb and 1 Delay. You can only assign 1 MPX on 1 track so the big thing to do is resample. Thats annoying but you can experiment to see what you can come up with. One thing I don't feel comfortable about MV-8800 is that the OS, Patches and samples are all on IDE HD. One thing I suggest is to upgrade IDE HD to compact flash drive and buy a 64gig compact flash card. Compact flash card can serve as HD. I hate those spinning HD, they always die. The best thing about hardware is that you can use it for a life-time compared to software where you have to constantly upgrade. One thing I like about Ren is that I can export wav stems and import them into a DAW. Recording tracks from MV into a DAW can be frustrating if you don't have multi-out expansion and multi-input audio interface. Some users say they can get around without using extra outs. You can use Ren in so many different ways. Both Ren and MV have their pros and cons. What problems you having with Ren if you don't mind?
Thanx bruh I'll keep in touch
Hey I finally got my renaissance and it is a beast. I'm using my fantom as a midi controller for it. now I just need to figure out how I use my fantom sounds with it.
@lil mojo congrats. If you want to use Fantom sounds, you will have to record them in your DAW. You can use the Ren to make sequence. You can also sample riffs you play if you want. It's up to you. I use my Renaissance to control my hardware synths and had no problem. You will figure it out.