Akai Pro got together with producer The Alchemist to discuss a number of topics including the origins of his name, getting involved in music, and his early use of the MPC3000 and Ensoniq ASR 10, and later move to the MPC. While it’s pretty much a big promo drop for Akai, it’s still a good read that’s packed with useful info.
Read the complete interview.
I think its funny that he’s doing all this promo for akai when the stuff that he did that earned him his dedicated fanbase was done on an ensoniq asr-10.
Kinda like, if Jordan switched to reebok after his long historic run with nike, and reebok did a press peice on how important reebok is to him. lol
I’m actually not sure why al switched, I suppose newer model workstations are more convienient but if thats the case why not just cop a laptop and load it up with all the stuff that he likes. I actually think al is waaay to chop happy with the mp, he’s just re-triggering stuff over and over just cuz he can or something, I dunno. I miss the old Alc
I TOTALLY DISAGREE . I FEEL YOU GOTTA RAISE THE BAR EACH AND EVERY TIME YOU COME THROUGH. A RAPPER CAN’T RAP TO THE SAME STYLE HE DID IN THE 90’S LIKE JAYZ’S CAN’T KNOCK THE HUSTLE IN 09 . EVEN BIG CHANGED UP ‘ DAMN TIMBALLAND DOES TOO ! LONGEVITY IS WHAT I CALL IT. THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST INTERVIEWS I’VE READ UP HERE. I LIKE THE PART WHEN HE SAYS ……………
Impersonation has gotten to extreme levels with regards to MPC with people trying to copy it but I think at the end of the day with the sound that comes out of it, I can usually call it. I can say, ‘that’s MPC, yo.’ There’s a lot of other technology that can let you make beats with a computer and stuff but I think it takes away from the live ability. In general the MPC is an instrument because of what you can do with it. I’ve seen guys treating it like a turntable. The turntable was made for one thing and you can make creative turntablism out of it. With the MPC there’s like a whole style of live entertainment that actually hasn’t been fully explored. It’s crazy. That’s what separates it from a lot of these new things. You can’t use your little computer out live and then treat it like an instrument – it’s a computer!
AP: Have you used any other Akai Pro equipment than the MPC?
TA: I go from the MPC right into ProTools. I don’t run it through too much. To me, because of the built-in compressor that it has and the effects, the EQ and master, I try to make my beats coming out of the machine sounding like the way I want them to be when I mix them. So when it comes time to mix, I don’t have to have the engineer do magic tricks for my beat. What I’m delivering him right out of the machine is pretty much what it’s going to sound like. So that way when I’m playing beats live, or when I’m playing beats for someone I want it to sound… you know, I spend time with the EQ, I spend time with the edit steps, I’ll move a kick one to the right if it’s too much, one to the left it’s too little, so it’s like I get it exactly where I want it to be. Especially with the new 5000 and the 960ppq [sequencer] resolution, I mean it’s crazy. It’s as close as you can come to a live drummer as far as the swinging. The closest thing to that is taking the timing [quantization] off entirely and just being Clyde Stubblefield on the MPC. You know what I mean? They got it down to a science now with the swing.
Its one thing to grow, its another thing to change. I think alc now is not as nice as alc then. Alc can talk all day long, and we can debate all day long but the proof is in the music. Just listen to his newer mpc stuff vs his ASR-10 Stuff and be honest with yourself. lol
I agree. ALC’s beats are no where as nice as they were when he was coming up. But when your making beats as good as he was, the only place to go is down. He’s still one of the top 10 in the game regardless.
youre dumb dog, alc is defiantly not going down at all anytime soon
man they are some real haters in here today
nah, not haters, simply stating my opinion. I probably have more alchemist produced songs in my iphone than most niggas have period. If I prefer “keep it thorough” to “chase the clouds away” then thats my opionion. I mean, Regardless I’m an alchemist fan. I just love the way he produced when he was using the asr as opposed to the mp. I think it has more to do with a change in workflow with the mp that makes his beats more focused on rapid re-triggering of samples where as when he had the asr he was flipping certain loops and programming it so it banged. Had that dark ominous street sound. I’m not hatin, I love alc, but I gotta call a spade a spade. When people who’s music you love starts to not do it for you anymore you cant pretend its not happening.
Hater is not an all inclusive word that means anybody that disagrees with you.
Alchemist is cool.
He only did this because they gave him a free MPC 5000 lol Big up The Alchemist Regardless!
GET OFF ALCHEMIST DICK!!!! IF HE USED A GARBAGE CAN HE’D PROB BE BETTER THAN U!!!!!! Respect. I fucks with the 2000 xl or 3000. Fuck all this new school ish. Its just easier to connect to the computer.
Truth is he got the 2500 and 5000 free from Akai.
He liked the 2500 for some features the ASR could not do when he got one just when it came out, but
he also said when compared straight out the box The ASR 10 sounds better than the 2500, but you can eq the 2500 in the studio to sound more like the ASR 10.
Honestly Al´s illest beats to this day have been made on the ASR 10.
There really was no need to switch, but he´s still making nice tracks with the mpc´s as well. You do your thing and let Alchemist do his!
I doubt he´s throwing his ASR 10 in the trash…
I still drive a ’79 Cutlass Switched up. But if i had the money i’d try out something new airbagged.Why Not? Style is a process to an appealing end.Hip Hop