As with any sampler, quality in means quality out. With the MV, however, you do get vintage drum kits and a built in synth that both sound excellent. This sampler has great punch and the sounds are highly customizable.

The VGA out is great. I would'nt go without it. The sample editing and chopping capabilities are superior to the MPC's capabilities (I used to own several MPCs) - it's no contest. The MV is built solid and you don't have to worry about loose pads or cheaply made boxes (e.g., MPC 1000). Roland stands behind its products and makes quality gear.

Look, I gave this a 10 because, like everything else, you MUST learn how to use your gear. Once you learn how to navigate the MV and learn how to optimize the quantize settings, the ease of use is a 10! Note to MPC headz, you MUST be willing to learn the MV if you are thinking about switching - the MV's features are much greater than the MPC's (including the 4K). Switch up, you won't regret it.

Roland's products are study and well built. Pads are nice and, most importantly, I don't have that uneasy feeling that I had when I owned my MPC's - that feeling of "I hope my MPC doesn't freeze or crash or break." Nice. Unlike Akai/Numark, Roland doesn't hide from customers.

It's a bit pricey, but far less than it's closest rival (the MPC 4K). Less money, VGA out, numerous effects, color screen, and a solid OS! The choice is clear.

Very responsive.

I own it. If you are worried about the sex appeal, you have bigger issues. Make music by any means.

hobbyist producer

hip/hop, rnb, latin

Having a two decade production history, I know a good sound when I hear it and the MV has it by the ton! The sound is very natural and organic, punchy and kicks thanks to the excellent filter section and effects. You can also degrade the sound (either going into it or after it's there) and give it that SP-12/1200 or Ensoniq ASR sound. I cannot see that anyone would be unhappy with the quality of this unit.

Not that features alone make a good bit of kit (it has to be easy to use or you'll never get at what it can do), but Roland really seem to have included everything you would need here. The once optional VGA & Mouse board is already fitted as standard and you also get a mouse and a mouse pad too, which is a nice extra touch. The auto-chop feature is amazing, not just cutting to a timing grid, but also being able to cut to waveform peaks (which makes getting individual beats out of a loop very easy). Turntable inputs (no DJ mixer required) are great too. Can't fault it at all. It has everything you need to make a modern music production and compete with todays software dominated marketplace.

If you've used a beat making machine like this before, then I don't think it's too difficult to get into at all. If you're from a more DAW software history, then I really would suggest adding a VGA display and hooking up the mouse, as it will make you feel more at home than just using the machines display. It's really like having the best of both worlds here though, and I've been trying for years to get the feel this machine has with pad controllers and plugins like Guru and Stylus RMX and all I can say is, forget it! Software is cool and gets the job done (eventually), but there is no real substitute for a machine like the MV (and I've used just about every software DAW there is). Roland also post easy use PDF books to download from Roland US, even one for MPC users that shows you how to move over to the MV with no stress at all.

FANTASTIC! Very high build quality (you will notice that the MV is made in Japan and not in China). All metal construction (except for the plastic sides), very solid (not to mention quite heavy, because of the build quality). Also, it's quite large, being a little bigger than an MPC4000 (though not in hight), which gives it a very "pro" feel, as you don't feel that everything is on top of each other. You have ample space to move around and the layout is very clear and well organized.

While the MV's not cheap, you do get what you pay for. Looking at everything that you get out of the box, the build quality, the features and the sound quality, it really is worth every the asking price. It's not something that's going to lose it's value overnight either, as the original MV-8000 was in production for 4 years and held it's price very well in that time.

After buying Roland products for 20 years, I can honestly say that I have never once had a problem with support. They've always been there when I've needed them and always gone beyond what most other companies would do to be of help to the customer. Also, Roland make regular updates available which are not just "bug fixes". They actually give the unit new features (look at the history for the original MV-8000 for proof of that), always giving the user as much as possible and they are always free upgrades too.

The MV is a very desirable product. It's sleek and great to look at (and after all, you will be looking at it all the time, if your a professional user, so you have to like looking at it, as it's part of what makes you want to use it). Great design (but then most Roland products are), velvet-feeling pads (which I think are way better than the MPC pads for feel, as you just don't get tired of using them and way better than the "harder" pads of the MPC1000 and 500).

Recording artist and producer

Electronica, electro and hip-hop

There's too much good features that I haven't used yet; However, I just got started! I thought it would be difficult to make a song. The MV-8800 is easy and friendly to use, I learned as I played more. I made a song within 3 weeks! I am very happy with the quality of this product. By the way, the features that I haven't used yet will emulate my song. The MV-8800 will take you on the right path.

The dvd really helps. YouTube can help you too on training.

Great selection of patches and drumkits.

Durable and reliable.

Yes, absolutely!

I haven't done that yet.

Made alot of friends.

Learning

Techno, R&B, Hip Hop.

Almost better than Microsoft-as far as computers are concern-but of course when it comes to music- it is rough and tough-to the point software-for making music-does surprisinly more...and still more to work with! This machine does not have an end point-it is open season for ideas! Very well designed for years to come-what esle can be done for making music?-perhaps have the ability to add a larger hard drive maybe- and 2 gig of RAM? This is a mean machine it will wear your mind out if one dosen't calm down and work with this thing bit by bit!

Perhaps more freedom with the software-in approaching "each catogory" with which this thing can do (it can do multi out of each!) also ability to switch (maybe there is) to larger RAM and on board hard drive.

Manual should be more striaght forward (instead of being "turbo" in their approach in everything)Sound is the bomb/best.Should have available more CD patches for system.So much info packed in this machine...should have a complete CD (atleast a dozen) on each catogory for what this machine can do. (three turbo CD on seq,three CD on sampling,three CD on song production,and production of different type of songs (also in each of these catogories)So much more this thing can do which is not addressed. Like Microsoft people...little is said with so much to do.

Almost to well made as far as markmenship and material,but what is inside,what the machine can do is fantastic...still alot of uncovered material which can be addressed bit by bit. i.e. like calling up each instrument to use on the machine,(a whole issue in itself...so much you can do just with this issue)or again... assigning instruments to parts-in midi-and in audio catogories...two whole new fields of ideas I'm working with...which takes weeks just to explore! The power for what this machine can do is very explosive! Watch...when people can figure out past the simple patches and assignment of intruments issues...let alone the basic of samples,patches,and sequencing-this thing haven't taken off yet!The idea of a simple small studio at your finger tips...at a moments notice? Wow!

For what this thing can do, it is very well priced...very well paced with the technology and like Roland is,will improve (I believe in the software side of things) on this machine-or another simpler to this one.

no repairs. Roland people are way way ahead in these areas...they just need to wait for peope to catch up with them!

It is very subtil and sneaky small but surprisenly strong and heavy...at first a bit ugly-like something missing-near the pads but after working with the machine, have a strong desire to hug" it more-not wanting to reveal what you already feel toward/about it (the machine.

Active musician,keyboard,trumpet,

all music

As a Hip hop producer the analogue quality of the sounds is what I like the most. Its THE BEST SOUNDING drum machine ive heard since the original vintage analogue machines i.e. 808,909,727 etc. I love it.

The time stretch is un matched, no one has done it that well in a unit like this yet and the 8 audio tracks are a godsend. All features are well thought out and are very useful. ps Plug in vga is all that.

Once you get used to the the navigation it very self explainitory and easy to use. Understand that there is more to it than your mpc 2000 or 2500 which I own both.

This machine is the sturdiest unit Ive encountered since the 4000.

I believe that you getting more for your buck on this unit(FINALLY!) It is more than worth the purchase can be easily sold for more but Im glad that the price meets my pockets very well.

Havnt had any problems with the unit yet so they get high grades just for building a DEPENDABLE UNIT.

I into more streamline designs myself but still this is a bold design for the unit. Although it dosnt look like the sports car model like the MPC2500 it still has that distinguished CAddilac look and feel to the machine. Very Masculin still.

Recording Engineer/Producer

HipHop / R&B

It sounds good, crisp and clean.

features on a groove box i would say this has the most, absolutly. the option for a vga is totaly bomb aswell with the mouse.

give it about 2 days to become natural hand movement over the controls. but then there are functions in this thing that after 5 months of use im still uncovering.

this thing is built solid. although sometimes the pads may double hit, but if you like your entire drum set that u just laid down, go to the grid and babing.

yea 10 for value, if you were to only have this and only have a new mpc 5000, this will take you much farther. the choping of samples on big screen, the roomy amount of sample time, yum. its a fun little f*** to knock some crazy sh** on

never dealt

niceer than the old one, that one was uglier

Producer and Audio engineer

Drum n Bass, House, Hip Hop and my own mental style

Samples are clean. This unit sounds great. I was thinking About Buying a Mpc 4000 but this totally changed my mind.It seems to always make samples richer and cleaner,

Rock Solid unit.

Dont get any other sampler. This is the best, plus it costs less than its clossest rival.

Roland has always been there for their customers.

Great looking, could be better though.

Producing for almost 3 years.

Techno, Hip Hop, Dancehall, Rock, Alternative

Have to tweak the sound after sampling, unlike the mpc4000.

Great features like real time time strecth, color screen.............but if your going to copy the MPC line then at least include the basics. 1) Can't even change the note assignment of the pads. Yes this is a pain when you try to control Reasons ReDrum and the first drum is triggered by the last pad of the first bank in the MV, the you have to switch to bank 2 to play the rest of the drums!!!!! COME ON ROLAND! 2)16 levels is only velocity, no tuning, etc. 3)Only 16 programs. 4)Output options are retarded, you have to buy the option card to get spdif input, and you get this stupid R-Bus (which you need to buy a V-Fire or the Roland's R-BUS to ADat converter!!!, anyone smell ROBBERY) instead of ADAT of just 8 outs would be ok, what a horror, WACK!!! 5)Too many damn menus. 6)And yes something is wrong with the damn timing!!! Don't give me the quantize works diff., or the 480 ppq BS(which should be 960ppq which is DAW stndard, which Roland is trying to implement)! I had the 4k, 2k, 3k, etc. 4k is 960ppq so if you play like crap on it, it would sound even more off than the MV (being ppq is the reason the Mv timing seems diff. according to some MV users). Even the pad response to trigger a sound has a slight delay. 8)Sampling should be 96k. 7) I could keep going, but I won't. The MV is hands down in the lead with the all-in one box with features, but they missed the basic, especially the TIMING!

There is a learning curve.

Built like a tank.

As always Roland is great.

If they fixed those minor issues i mention (and some others I didn't), I would get it again.

hobbyist

hip-hop, alternative

degrades your overall sound. However, its dope if you want a grity type sound...

ALOT OF FEATURES. if you have a PC with alot of softwarez, alot of the mv features will go unused. You will simply use it as a drum pad and sequencer. Might as well get a 2k with better timing.

I found the sequencer layout to be excellent.

Compared to Akai, Roland is light years ahead in terms of support.

The value on this machine will continue to decline. By summer 08' the mv8000 will be worth about 600 bucks and the 8800 will be worth about 900.

Never had to deal with them. MVnation.com is the best.

The way roland advertises, one would def want this machine. But knowing my needs in music and knowing what this machine has to offer, this machine doesnt fit my needs.

hobbyist

anything

God the drums hit hard!

Sampling couldnt be easier

Extremly hard to use!!!!

To many buttons and menu's

Worth every penny but time is a cost just learning. They should have classes available to take for this machine.

Support is one thing you'll need

The machine gets looked at a lot in my studio.

Black Wall Street Producer

Hip-hop, Pop/RnB

Never used this product, though it looks like an awesome product. I just wanted to take the time to express what I feel about Roland products: their quality is always top notch & never lets us down in terms of reliability, sound quality, and innovation. However, I HATE THE BLACK AND SILVER (OR GRAY) COLOUR SCHEME! It might look cool on Star Wars gear or what not, and it does have it's own style (typical Roland look), but it doesn't fit at all with my style and my gear in my home studio. Sorry, I know that tastes are personal, but I'm clearly not the only one who feels this way. I have a Roland RS-5 keyboard: unbeatable sounds for the price, beautiful build and quality (aluminum case) but again that black & silver scheme. I'm selling it now - I'll miss the sounds, but not the look. Same scheme on the Fantom G: black and silver Star Trek / Star Wars look. Some people might like it but for many it's just not cool. Everybody has their own favorite styles (I think the Korg Electribe MX looks amazing), but to be safe I suggest that manufacturers make their expensive gear JUST BLACK in order to satisfy (or at least NOT disastisfy) the tastes of the greatest number of people. Can't go wrong with just black. It may not be everyone's favorite, but very few (if anyone) will dislike it. Maybe add some old school colours in the scheme too, like on the Juno-G (super cool!). My current keyboard is a Yamaha S90ES, and one of the main reasons I chose this over others (such as the Motif, Fantom, etc.) is not because of the price but . . . yes, because of the look! If I'm gonna look at something and wanna be totally inspired, I wanna look at something that either looks awesome or at least doesn't drab or annoying. The MV-8800, in my opinion, just looks drab. Not ugly, not annoying, just drab: 7 on 10. Make it black, like the Roland GW-8, or maybe in the Juno-G style, and its market share would double. When you spend thousands of dollars on something and use it to express your soul, you want it to look very nice (at worse) or ideally even inspiring & visually stimulating. Even if we use it just for music, humans remain mainly visual animals. If I remember correctly, some scientists say that 80% to 85% of all our stimulations pass through our visual senses. Anyway, much respect for Roland, your products are absolutely amazing, and although they often look very beautiful, I just hope you can make them all (especially you flagship & expensive products: MV-8800, Fantom G, MC line, etc.) as beautiful as possible to please the most people possible so your products' incredible potential would not be limited by their sometimes bland appearances.

Everything

Sounds Great.. yes you can use it for more than just Urban style of music!

Thing has it all (about)! I love the features.

Real the manual and study it.

heavy and sturdy. great pad / knob feel.

well worth it

called them 1 time and talked to a human. he was very helpful

Well.. I do have it.