Let's talk about MPCs

For those of you who know about Akai MPCs...

1) Which model is thebest, in your opinion?

2) Which do you own?

3) What is the best thing(s) about an MPC, in your opinion?

I'm seriously thinking about swapping out some gear for an MPC. I'm sick of softsynth/softsamp/softseq crap.

1) mpc1000 with the memory upgrade + new OS + internal HD upgrade.

2) see #1 sans internal HD upgrade. someday...

3) the best thing is that it is an mpc and mpcs are good. well, seriously now, it's good for jamming around, notepadding. beats. i tap out a kick drum pattern i like, then as it loops i tap some snare, then as that loops i add hihat, then accents etc. when you get on a wave you can make killer beats just manicly stacking things. the fact that it has six outputs (new OS required to use stereo out as individ. i think, but not sure) is great, CF card is handy (fuck the USB thing it has it sucks). once you get your head around the mpc's basic, uh, philosophy, it becomes the ipod of drum machines. you just do something without thinking and it does what you want. only then do you realize, that's the first time you did that, nothing told you it would work, the mpc designers just anticipated where your finger would go.

on the other hand, editing samples on the mpc is a pain the ass. the fx are weak as are the routing options. new OS helps a bit.

  hahathhat said:

1) mpc1000 with the memory upgrade + new OS + internal HD upgrade.

 

2) see #1 sans internal HD upgrade. someday...

 

3) the best thing is that it is an mpc and mpcs are good. well, seriously now, it's good for jamming around, notepadding. beats. i tap out a kick drum pattern i like, then as it loops i tap some snare, then as that loops i add hihat, then accents etc. when you get on a wave you can make killer beats just manicly stacking things. the fact that it has six outputs (new OS required to use stereo out as individ. i think, but not sure) is great, CF card is handy (fuck the USB thing it has it sucks). once you get your head around the mpc's basic, uh, philosophy, it becomes the ipod of drum machines. you just do something without thinking and it does what you want. only then do you realize, that's the first time you did that, nothing told you it would work, the mpc designers just anticipated where your finger would go.

 

on the other hand, editing samples on the mpc is a pain the ass. the fx are weak as are the routing options. new OS helps a bit.

CF card?

compact flash -- memory card format. my digital camera uses 'em too.

they give you a 32meg one but that's limited... get a couple. you can get a bunch of 128 meg ones and keep projects on 'em etc

i have a 512 and a 4gig myself just usually leave one in

i use a card reader to transfer files. using the mpc's usb is a pain.

  hahathhat said:

1) mpc1000 with the memory upgrade + new OS + internal HD upgrade.

is 128MB really enough to do anything? if you use that up, how do you export and clear space?

128 meg is like the ram -- clears when you power it off. the CF, on the other hand, is like the hard drive. it's where you save your projects. you can get as many as you like delete files whatever.

you can have 128 megs of samples/sequences/tracks/etc. loaded at once with memory upgrade. i've never run out with 128, but i probably would with stock memory... 32 is it? yeah, i'd run out.

Ooohhhh, CF == compact flash.... i see. that's good.

now i just need to sell my sp-303 and PadKontrol

  blicero said:

Ooohhhh, CF == compact flash.... i see. that's good.

 

now i just need to sell my sp-303 and PadKontrol

yo I'm interested to buy a used sp-303. keep me updated when you're ready.

i'm after a mpc 500. if anyone is sellign one hit me up. also after a sp 404.

I've got an MPC 3000 on the way to me at the moment.. Now I can live out my Dilla/Dre fantasies all night long. It misses out a lot of the more modern features (predates the 2000), but I've got a computer for that, no? Just wanted something big and solid to pound out some beats on.

I've never had any kind of MPC, but I saw this one for a (very) decent price and snapped it up. If I don't get on with with I'll sell it on ebay for a hefty profit! Mwahaaha. Or if I do decide I dig the MPC vibes but want all the fancy pants stuff like uh, ram, and SD card storage etc I'll still sell it for a profit and get an MPC 1000 and JJOS to replace it. Everyone's a winner.

I had a 2000XL and it was a lot fun.

I'd rather have a MV8800 now.

Im hoping to working on building my own romplers, fuck you guys.

i record my tracks onto tape using a magnet glued onto the end of a pencil

selling my novation remote zero sl.

thinking of buying an MPD32 as its replacement.

not entirely sure though tbf, would rather have it over a UC33.

i think i've changed my mind. gonna get a NI Maschine instead.

ordered my mpd32, should be today.

yeo.

you guys!! haha!! >:U

ok, this is OT, but hat or somebody with an mpc1000 - do you know how to save the pad midi note assignments after changing them? and also how to copy/paste between different pads in grid seq? thankeee

to be on topic I didn't like the mpc at all a few months ago but I like it a lot as a sequencer now. it's definitely kind of uninspiring for sampling though... the workflow for sequencing is just much faster and upfront.

  spraaaa said:

ok, this is OT, but hat or somebody with an mpc1000 - do you know how to save the pad midi note assignments after changing them? and also how to copy/paste between different pads in grid seq? thankeee

 

to be on topic I didn't like the mpc at all a few months ago but I like it a lot as a sequencer now. it's definitely kind of uninspiring for sampling though... the workflow for sequencing is just much faster and upfront.

1) Program-level MIDI map is saved along with the program. Default, I THINK, will be saved if you save entire memory/project/and maybe the sequence. Dunno what you mean by copy/paste in grid.

2) When I sample with it, I usually just leave it on, in record mode, as I watch a movie or something -- that is, it's best for serendipitous sampling. If I want to bust out a break into individual beat hits, then I go to the computer.

ya I'm liking it more for sampling lately, really needed to just chop things into more useable pieces... I actually kinda like the mpc chop function. also really digging sample end on the q-link sliders. and got a new keyboard so the pad assignments are less of an issue.

what I meant with copy/paste though was to paste the sequence, say, from pad a02 to a04, if you want both of them to have the same timing & automation and everything.

  hahathhat said:

1) Program-level MIDI map is saved along with the program. Default, I THINK, will be saved if you save entire memory/project/and maybe the sequence.

FINALLY figured out that what was fucking me up was trying to change the notes on the MIDI/sync screen instead of the program screen. Going to the program, pressing window on the note, and hitting assign to straight was basically all I needed. Awesome.