Akai
RX950 – Classic AD/DA Converter Review by Mathieu Demange
RX950 Classic AD/DA Converter by Mathieu Demange Review
If you do like myself have several Hardware Sampler in your studio this new plugin RX950 Classic AD/DA Converter by Mathieu Demange is an alternative to emulate an Akai S950 which is an iconic 12-bit sampler.
Installation
You receive after purchase a download link and you can download up to three times the tool for Windows or MAC. There are serials provided. However, I did not need to enter those credentials so far. It is available as a 32-bit and 64-bit VST plug-in for Windows
64-bit VST and AU plug-in for Mac, alternative as a Rack Extension for Reason 7.1+ (Mac & Windows). I did test the VST plugin version in FL Studio DAW.
Sound
This tool is close to a sound you get from a 12-bit sampler Akai sampler. The RX950 Classic AD/DA Converter supports that classic traditional 12-bit resolution. The developer emulated the 950’s audio signal path with changeable sampling frequency an and emulated steep 6th-order low-pass Butterworth filter.
User interface & Usability
The plugin is small and can not be resized, that makes it hard to read on 4k or 5k monitor or if you have eye sign issues. Besides being hard to read it has all the features you expect from an RX950 Classic AD/DA converter.
You can dial in the S950’s unique grit and warm distortion. Very powerful and makes the track stand out. There is a knob to control the target sample rate and analog-to-digital conversion circuitry. After that, you can dial in the S950’s notorious low-pass filter. Note that the developer included a mono button.
Rating: Four out of five stars
RX950 Classic AD/DA Converter has many features, it can add the Akai S950 grit and warm distortion, musical mangle the sound through the so often heard analog-to-digital conversation and comes with a low pass filter that is great to change parts of your song.
The Akai brand name is a trademark of its respective owner.
Akai
MPC Live II Mobile Practice Machine – During Convid-19
AKAI MPC Live II – The Perfect Mobile Studio
We are all facing difficult times, for many for several months. This is the new normal at least for industry-developed countries until the third quarter of 2021, in other places well into 2022. While the whole industry we are working in is changing we need to adapt to a new working together or on how we are collaborating on how we team with the client if we meet in person. I just want to highlight a key finding of mine when I did review the AKAI MPC Live II.
The new mobile music beat making machine help you always to improve your skills. Why not get better when you left your home and sit on the beach, or covid-19 conform somewhere on your outside. The new AKAI MPC Live II is your tool to work on your skillset everywhere. I did take the AKAI MPC Live II with me when I did go to the lake, letting the dog have some fun in the water. It has driven to a location outside, taking the device out of my bag and get started. No setup is needed or an external power supply is required.
When you meet with your clients, probably somewhere outside, you can share the project and get feedback while meeting the client and not being forced to a studio environment where your client may not want to visit you right now. It is a modern instrument you can take anywhere and use for 4-5 hours.
Akai Live II is one of the top mobile music production and performance devices in the market. A comprehensive upgrade from the legacy MPC Live. AKAI MPC Live II is unmatched in versatility and the ability to inspire you on the go. The MPC Live II is a fabulous mobile & DAWless MPC sequencer/sampler. The Akai Live II is an excellent entrance into the MPC range to leverage the MPC workflow.
Akai
Review of Akai MPC Live II & Akai MPC One
Akai MPC Live II & Akai MPC One Review
We covered in our MPC Live and MPC X by Akai Pro Review (2019) the previously released MPC machines. Both devices did already show back in March 2019 how far the non-computer or DAWless machines have developed these days. With an MPC Live or X, it is exceptionally agile and easy to produce songs without using a computer-based DAW.
These days you have the choice of performing with many instruments to perform DAW-less. Devices like the MPC Live II, which come with an included battery, have the edge during the pandemic where you may want to meet friends outside instead of sitting near in a cafe or studio with them.
AKAI MPC Live II – The Perfect Mobile Studio
When I looked back in 2019, MPC Live was the smaller device used mobile to produce beats and works just fine in a studio or on a live stage. The new Akai MPC Live II replaces the now discontinued MPC Live. Akai’s current MPC lineup currently consists of three well-defined MPCs: the MPC One, the MPC Live II, and the MPC X.
Soundbar Speaker
The noticeable update for the MPC Live II is the visible black built-in speaker. This speaker helps when you have no headphones with you when you are mobile. The included Live II’s speaker sounds good, giving average volume, a solid stereo image, and low-end ubiquity. The speakers are not an apparatus. They are ideal for an outside jam or with friends, and you all want to listen to the sound. You do not buy Live II for the speaker. You obtain it for the whole package.
MPC Live MK II Mobile Practice Machine – Convid-19
The new mobile music beat making machine help you always to improve your skills. Why not get better when you left your home and sit on the beach, or covid-19 conform somewhere on your outside. The new MPC Live II is your tool to work on your skillset everywhere. I did take the Live II with me when I did go to the lake, letting the dog have some fun in the water. It has driven to a location outside, taking the device out of my bag and get started. No setup is needed or an external power supply is required.
When you meet with your clients, probably somewhere outside, you can share the project and get feedback while meeting the client and not being forced to a studio environment where your client may not want to visit you right now. It is a modern instrument you can take anywhere and use for 4-5 hours.
Akai Live II is one of the top mobile music production and performance devices in the market. A comprehensive upgrade from the legacy MPC Live. Akai Live II is unmatched in versatility and the ability to inspire you on the go. The MPC Live II is a fabulous mobile & DAWless MPC sequencer/sampler. The Akai Live II is an excellent entrance into the MPC range to leverage the MPC workflow.
Ableton Integration
MPC Live II is Ableton Integration ready. WiFi (only available on the Live II) brings you tightly synced Ableton Link integration. ALS export makes sharing your projects super simple. Ableton Control means seamless clip launching and parameter control right from MPC Live II.
Ableton Live Control Features
- Matrix Tab – The Matrix tab displays an 8×8 section of Live’s Session View marked in the Live GUI by the colored session ring. Users have a complete overview of—and immediate access to—the scenes, clips, play status, recording status as well as control over playback, recording quantize functions, and scene/ clip management.
- Mixer Tab – The Mixer Tab provides instant access to Live’s key mixing functions, divided into three views for control of Levels, Main mixer parameters, and Sends. Using Force’s touch interface, control any slider/knob or bring up a full-screen editor for precise adjustments.
- Device Control Tab – The device tab controls the device on the current track at Ableton Live’s Blue Hand position, providing control and key visual feedback on Ableton Instruments and third-party plugins.
- Control Bar – At the top of the touch user interface, users can customize the Control Bar to display preset displays for Session, Arrangement, and Performance modes including BPM, Phase Nudge Down/Up, Metronome, Follow, Overdub, Automation Arm, and more.
Akai MPC One
The Akai MPC One is the most petite and most straightforward of the current MPC range. As it does not come with a battery – it is not a mobile performance system. You need to supply power while you use the device. Looking at a competition like the Maschine+, this device is half the price of a Machine+ and still substantially less than a Synthstrom’s Deluge and is coming with a different UI and the MPC software experience. The main difference to Akai Live II and missing an internal speaker is getting smaller pads and no battery & no Wi-Fi/Bluetooth support. You get more interface buttons with the One as its layout allows for more real estate. The extra buttons are helpful.
Eurorack and Semi-Modular Connectivity (MPC One & Live II)
Akai included CV/gate ports that you can use with your Eurorack, AE Modular, or Semi-Modular gear. No need to add midi to the CV device on top. The four ports need to be split by a cable in CV and gate. The Eurorack and Semi-Modular connectivity are essential when you want to use the device with your modular gear.
Touchscreen Akai MPC One & Live II
You can use the pad, knobs, and buttons, and in my experience, I used the touchscreen and pads at the same rate. The touchscreen helps when you want to make editing sequences, select notes/events, modify automation, enter parameter,s or enter a simple file name. The touchscreen is identical on both devices, and I used it a lot on the typical MPC workflow.
Rating: Five out of five stars
The MPC hardware Platform and the support software updates are getting better. With the new software updates, Akai is adding more helpful features to both devices. The Akai MPC One is a fantastic value for the price. The higher-priced Live II is your machine when you are mobile, especially in the current time where you want to meet outside. Both devices enable a whole new generation of beatmakers to produces beats and tracks.
Overall, with the MPC Live II, MPC One, and MPC X, you get your hands on a DAWless device without the need to run a computer while performing. The MPC lineup has you satisfied when it comes to sequencing your tracks and song, the fully grown sampler, recording, and editing abilities can be all used intuitively through the easy to use interface.
Akai
Beat Making with the New AKAI MPK mini MK3
Beat Making
Akai Professional released some weeks ago a new version of the best-selling MIDI controller, mini mk3 MIDI Controller.
For the beginner, MPK mini is a complete package with every tool needed to create hit songs from the start. For the working professional, MPK mini is the ultimate musical Swiss Army knife, packed with all the features to deliver on any musical task. From its inception, the MPK mini inspired a generation of producers, redefining how creators make music. MPK mini mk3 refines the tried and tested design of its predecessors with an updated feature spec that leaves any roadblocks by the wayside and places creativity firmly in the driver’s seat. Your hit song starts here!
-
Music Theory3 months ago
Unlocking Nature’s Harmony: The Power of 432 Hz Frequency in Sound & Music for Enhanced Living and Well-Being
-
Sound Design3 months ago
What Is the Difference Between a Sound Engineer and A Sound Designer?
-
Native Instruments Kontakt3 months ago
VOCAL AI – Animated Intelligence: The Ultimate Vocal Playground
-
Sound Design3 months ago
Why Sound Engineer
-
Expert Guides3 months ago
How to Become a Sound Designer for Film
-
Expert Guides3 months ago
How Do You Become a Sound Designer
-
Composing3 months ago
Drums in Trailer Music: The Impactful Sound of Cinematic Percussion
-
Field Recording3 months ago
Discover the Top Contact Microphones for Field Recording – Capture Crisp Audio Outdoors!