Quality Would you consider this product to be made well? How dependable? The hardware unit itself is rock solid. The software is another issue. When I unpacked the Ren, I was highly impressed with the hardware. Akai/Numark went to great lengths and put a lot of brain power into the build of the Renissance Features What do you consider to be the best features of this product? What features would you add to this product if you could? I have had this unit for 5 months and recieved all the updates as they come out but as of now (os 1.3) they are still behind the power curve. They are making great strides with the software but with companies like Ableton and Fruity Loops leading the DAW charge...Akai is far behind. This unit is exactly what the industry was calling for 10 years ago. But they are working hard to catch up. Ease of Use How easy is this product to use? How easy is the product to use with other products? Did it take long for you to learn to use this product? Was the manual helpful? How playable do you consider this product to be? It is actually a very simple unit to use but with the advances other DAWs have made, it makes the MPC way seem very outdated, arcaic, and slow. But they are working hard to catch up. Sound How is the tone? This is where they make up for all the software short comings. The sound is super solid and you can actually feel the music as it come thru. Whatever A/D converter they put in this thing; that was the greatest choice they made in the entire project of the MPC Ren. General Your general opinion of this product. A very solid unit but unfortunantely at the pace of the updates and the pace of the other DAW companies releases; it would be best to wait until the price drop happens. Around that time is when the software will be right. Value Was this item an overall good value? Think about it....$1300 is a lot for a controller with limited software.

Quality Would you consider this product to be made well? How dependable? At this point I would consider the Renaissance hardware to be extremely well made. Feels sturdy and built to last. Being as though the hardware is interactive with the software you may run into some issues with the computer freezing and becoming unresponsive. I believe that is only due to AKAI needing to work out the bugs that still exist. After all, it's still in it's earlier stages and hopefully the udates will continue to come. Just be sure to save your work frequently. Features What do you consider to be the best features of this product? What features would you add to this product if you could? Even though it can be buggy at times, the software is the best feature (besides the actual hardware). If you are inclined to using hardware, you can work that way because the software doesn't interfere with the workflow. If you are more inclined to using software then you can work that way too. It's easier to see what you're editing and mixing due to the computer screen being larger than the MPC display too, that always helps. The sixteen q-link knobs are not too shabby either... I wouldn't add anything, I think AKAI got it right. Ease of Use How easy is this product to use? How easy is the product to use with other products? Did it take long for you to learn to use this product? Was the manual helpful? How playable do you consider this product to be? The Renaissancee is as easy to use as any other MPC and just as compatible. Once you move past the fact that you have to be connected to a computer to operate the hardware, there should be nothing but good music on the way. Once I read the quick start quide and skimmed through the PDF manual I was able to lay down the foundation for some pretty decent beats. If you need more information and tips there are many people with videos on the internet that could help. Sound How is the tone? The tone? It's all MPC all day. The sounds are precise. General Your general opinion of this product. It's the equipment to have. After I consulted with two people (one engineer/producer and one artist/producer) it was clear that this was the product to get. Overall it's an amazing piece of equipment only lacking slightly in the software department due to it still being kind of in the early stages of development. Value Was this item an overall good value? Overall I strongly believe the value can't currently be beat. Hardware combined with software and the workflow that set the standard.

Quality Would you consider this product to be made well? How dependable? Yes Features What do you consider to be the best features of this product? What features would you add to this product if you could? Everything about this is great. I love the MPC Ren. Ease of Use How easy is this product to use? How easy is the product to use with other products? Did it take long for you to learn to use this product? Was the manual helpful? How playable do you consider this product to be? I have owned every MPC except the MPC 500. This is at home to me!!! Sound How is the tone? Puts out great sound what I put in. General Your general opinion of this product. I have waited years for Akai to make something like this and I am glad that I can get back to my roots. Every producer needs one and nothing else. Value Was this item an overall good value? Very good value. I thought it would be a bit cheaper however I would have paid more for it.