Akai MPC3000

MPC3000

The MPC3000 improved upon the MPC60 by adding 16-bit 44.1 kHz stereo sampling, increased memory, 32 voice polyphony, filters and effects. It was released in 1994.

Released 1994
List price $3,500
Estimated eBay value $???

Features

• 16 velocity sensitive pads
• 4 pad banks (64 voices per program)
• sampling rate of 16-bit 44.1 kHz stereo (freq response 20 Hz - 22.1 kHz)
• 2 MB sampling memory (22 seconds), upgradable to 32 MB (officially stated as 16 MB) (6 minutes)
• 32 voice polyphony.
• 2 MIDI inputs, 4 MIDI outputs
• 20 songs, 99 sequences, 99 tracks, 75,000 note capacity
• timing resolution of 96ppq (parts per quarter note)
• syncable via MIDI Time Code, MIDI Clock, FSK24, SMPTE, 1/4 note click.
• SMPTE supported frame rates: 24, 25, 29.97 drop, and 30.
• 8 assignable outputs + 1 stereo + 1 effects send/return
• Internal 3½" floppy drive
• SCSI

DJ Quik on MPC3000



DR. Dre speacking on MPC3000 in a 2004 interview with Scratch magazine

Can you talk a bit about some of the equipment you use?

I love using the MPC3000. I like setting up like four or five different MPC3000's, so I don't have to keep changing disks. So I have them all lined up, and I have different drum sounds in each one, and then we use one for sequencing the keyboard.

Can tell me a bit about your process of recording drums?

We really take a lot of time on getting the right drum sounds. We EQ the drums before we sample them into the MPC, and then once we come up with the track, we spend a lot of time EQing the drums before we record them into Pro Tools. We take quite a bit of time to get that right, because I know it's one of the things that people like about my music. I've used the same drum sounds on a couple of different songs on one album before but you'd never be able to tell the difference because of the EQ.

You can read the rest of the interview here.

Hi-Tek making a beat from scratch on his MPC3000


Inside Mobb Deep studio, Havoc speaking on his equipment