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Recently converted from a software to hardware setup, and im loving the way its now making write my tunes; its forcing me to use my ears rather than my eyes when it comes to nearly every part of putting a tune together, from selecting sounds and arrangeing beats, to mixing and fx (any smart ass that tells me to "close my eyes" when i sat at a pc for the same effect gets one in the kidneys )
My setup is based around an mpc2000xl, with some nice extra's like a waldorf pulse (read that vex'd use it for most of their bass sounds and bought one on the strength of that, am now totaly in love with it) and a novation bass station (would have liked the super bass station but this does subs niiiice and never found myself wanting the extra filters found on the super).
Anyway, im interested in people thoughts on the mpc, either as the heart of a studio or an expressive tool within a studio.
Who else uses one? Whats peoples thoughts on its pro's and con's as a sampler or drum machine? Whats the good and bad of it as a sequencer? Do you work it with software or a computer based set up or do you use it (as i am) as the main brain behind your beats? Any particular issues arise from mixing down from the mpc? Any issues with using it and just rack synths or tone modules, do you feel something like an mpc needs a keyboard or computer to get the most out of it?
Thoughts and suggestions to the usual address

i agree with the comment on hardware means you use your ears - whenever i try out bits of hardware i can just jam for ages, but when in front of a computer it's a lot harder.

the mpc is the shit mate, I dunno about midi synths for yr subs, I'd resample the sound n run it from the mpc as midis timing is shit house ...

I don't sample into my comp. anymore ... vinyl + mpc =

Yeah granted on the mpc's timing, though sometimes you get more organic sounding results by using an actual VCO rather than a sampled one. For subs this can be a good or a bad thing....depends i guess on the requirement.
DJ Shadow did the whole of endtroducing on an mpc60 and two turntables

yeh Shadow is the man, its funny as soon as he opened up his production techniques he got alot less intersting musically ... oh well.

... but yeah really, for 80 % of blines midi lag prob jus helps it swing a little, but I've found with the sub its almost like an extension of the drums as well and really needs to be on point, and in phase ... esp with the kick.

doomstep wrote:yeh Shadow is the man, its funny as soon as he opened up his production techniques he got alot less intersting musically ... oh well.

Plus the fact that record hunting has gotten sooo important the past 5 years or so.Alot of samples that would seem as if they where un earthed simply are not, because people are finding them and using them.

Not to hijack, just kind of a sore spot for me.

used to have an MPC 4000, had to sell it to pay rent etc....
i was f**kin screwin, beat bit of hardware ive ever had....

just got a 2000xl again, its been like 5 years since i used one... yay

I agree with what your saying doomstep, the sub should ride the kick like the bass player of a band should play as part of the Rhythym section, not the guitar section. The bass is the voice of the kick drum.

I wrote hiphop beats on an MPC2000 for a year or two, really enjoyed it. I try to be really creative and musical with samples, so it took lots of trial and error with timestretching and shit.

I love the feel you get with it, the slightly quirky timing it has now & then, and especially the gritty sound of the sampler.


I wouldn't want to write dubstep solely on an MPC, but they're wicked for writing really intuitive loops and beats.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1Ea1QJcMxo

that guy is a BAAAAAAAAAAAD man on the MPC!!!

akai all the way im afraid peeps for me...

sad i know but i just like the little lcd display ya can detach and take anywhere


within a metre anyway

I don't understand why you guys are suggesting that the MPC has problems with MIDI timing when using it to control external hardware synths. It's probably going to beat any PC-based system hands down. Hardware all the way!

aircooled wrote:It's probably going to beat any PC-based system hands down.

No probably about it mate

The MPC slews any computer for midi timing, but midi is inherantlly lethargik, and carries an amazinglly small amount of data . . . fuckmidi.