How to Make Hip-Hop Beats With an Akai MPC 2000XL

The Akai MPC 2000XL is designed to replace the PC for sequencing audio. The driving bass line is the essence of the hip-hop beat and XL samples percussion, but you have to load it with the audio samples you'll need. From sequencing and trimming to fadeback and echo, the Akai will provide you with all you need to pound out some masterful hip-hop beats.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Create the bass line for the hip-hop beats. The Akai MPC 2000XL cannot perform some of the more advanced functions of a PC, so bass beats should be manipulated before adding them to the Akai MPC. The bass holds together the other audio elements of the hip-hop tune. Develop a strong bass line that integrates with the other rhythmic aspects.

2. Let the bass player fill out the hip-hop beat. Playing bass for the hip-hop tune requires an accomplished musician. Samples from a good bass player are enhanced by the Akai MPC. The XL sequencer memory has been increased from 100,000 events to 300,000 so there is a wide range of possibilities.

3. Record the hip-hop beats to an external drive. The number of sampled audio files are severely limited by the 2000XL's small storage. Hook up an external drive or a SCSI PC Card drive. This gives the user increased freedom to experiment with numerous versions of the same beats without breaking stride to move them over to a PC for storage.

4. Finish sequencing the beats on the XL by mixing the bass elements to the same rhythm as the higher frequency instrumentation. Afterward, dump the results onto your drive and finish in the PC by seaming everything together tightly with special effects and smooth out the rough edges using the mixer and equalizer. The Akai MPC 2000XL is one of the premiere sequencers and the MIDI format has not changed much over the years, but the XL really expands on the audio characteristics of the old workhorse format.