Making Your Own Beats Just Got Really Affordable

A pro-grade, portable beat machine with a bunch of great sounds!
The Akai XR20 is loaded with pro-grade, industrial-strength drum, percussion, bass, synth, sound effects, vocal and instrument hit sounds. Make your own beats with this machine that has the ability to lay percussion and other sound effects in a groove wherever and whenever you're ready, because inspiration can happen anywhere.Over 700 pre-loaded sounds, and an integrated effects engine for Reverb, EQ and Compression, put you in full control of your beat production. A microphone input is even included for mixing vocals with your patterns. Brilliant backlit pads provide visual cues for added beat precision.The Akai XR20 also features sounds of standard and electronic drums, single (one-shot) hits, bass and synth sounds to easily create your maximum mix in minimal time.

I just recently purchased this product while looking for a machine to help me get started with my own studio. I went to Guitar Center looking for a reasonably priced (used MPC) perhaps an Akai MPC2500 but none were in stock (at least not used) but while walking around the store I heard some very interesting beats coming from a maching that a little girl was tapping on so when she walked away from it I went over to see what it was and there it was, the Akai XR20 priced at under $300.00. So I toyed with some of the sounds it had and listened to some of the pre-set beats and I was really impressed with the way it sounded and thinking this was a good bargain for the money I purchased it. Once I got this home and really explored the sounds it had, I was floored by it! Not only was it a great start for putting my home studio together, it had sounds in it that I new I could use while deejaying! So I took it with me the very next time I had a gig which was about a week later and I used it as an effects unit in between and during my mixes, and the crowd loved it! People were coming over and asking me " hey man what are you using to make all those sounds we keep hearing? and I'd show them and say "it's a drum machine, but it does more than that!

This little wonder has greatly inhanced my performance as a D.J. and I think I'll probably use it whenever I gig up to the point where I've made my own beats to use at parties. By then I probably won't need to take it along with me any more. Everyday that I come in from work I get on this little maching and discover something else amazing that it does! Akai also makes a MIDI controller called the MPK49 which is a keyboard and MIDI sequencer all rolled into one

Adding this piece of equipment will certainly round out the what I'm doing as far as starting that home studio. And the total cost for both units together still comes out to less than what the MPC would have cost me by itself. The MPK49 is priced at around $300. to $400.00 also. and from what I've read it will make a perfect companion to the XR20. I'll have to let you read about the performance of this piece of machinery in a future blog after I get it and test it out. But of cource I intend to try it out in the store first if they have one on display. But I'm already pretty certain that me and these two items are going to be the start of a beautiful friendship! Although I'm new to making my own beats, I love what is being made possible with technology like this.

So if you've been already doing this for awhile, I'd love to hear from you for some good tips on how to make using this stuff even better! So until next time, Stay in the mix!