How to make an MPk49 Operate like and MPC

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djmode5

Guest
I'm new at this whole producing game. Basically i know that an MPC is very essential to creating good hip-hop tracks. I was wondering if you can chop up and speed samples on a MPK49 the same way you would on an MPC... If not, can I use Pro Tools and a MPK49 together and it'll be the same thing as a regular MPC...
 
understand the mpk is just a controller. i've never used it with protools so I can't front and act like i can give you good advise. But with reasons, I can edit a sample then load it into recycle and chop in there. I then just load that into an nnxt and there it is. can use the pads to trigger them..the nnxt allows you to adjust pitch, speed and all that other stuff.
 
djmode5 said:
I'm new at this whole producing game. Basically i know that an MPC is very essential to creating good hip-hop tracks. I was wondering if you can chop up and speed samples on a MPK49 the same way you would on an MPC... If not, can I use Pro Tools and a MPK49 together and it'll be the same thing as a regular MPC...

There is so much wrong with this it almost hurts me to answer. A mpc is not essential to creating good hiphop at all so knock that rumor out now. ( same with pro tools ) Also no program + anything is a mpc except a mpc ...... period. A mpc is not a magical box that spits out great music. Can you use a mpk and a vsti to chop , transpose and build beats, sure. Pro tools is 1 option but it is not the only nor is it the best. Looks like you have ALOT of research to do before you spend a dime as you have your head filled with industry hype. What gear do you actually own for starter?
 
i own nothing..what do you have spectrum... what's your non hyped answer on making great hip hop...
 
well 10 years of being a dj then pratice is my non hyped answer to making good music. a degree from 2 schools in audio engineering and another 7 years at that. ( im 29 by the way ) so experience man. Nothing wrong with a mpc but its not the answer to hiphop music, i would suggest actually trying some gear first before you jump to pt and a mpc. i really like ableton live and my asr-x but its really a prefrence thing and what you get comfortable with. I dont make much music anymore anyway i own and run a mastering house in south carolina and spend most my time there, or feeling way to damn old when i get on these message boards lol. You got to lighten up man and not take things so personal its a forum if i say anything that sounds sarcastic its just due to the fact i have seen way to many young people buy and sell more gear than they should have to because they dint do there research and could of been ahead of the game if they took the time to figure out what would work best for them or you in this case.
 
I just need to cosign everything FullSpectrum has posted in this thread.
 
Industry hype? I’d call it the weight of history. You can’t change historical facts just because a lot of cats now use Fruity Loops, Live, Sonar, etc. You see full page ads in every music production magazine of Legendary Pete Rock holding an MPC with the quote something like “Every producer I know owns one.” In most every interview with a notable hip hop producer – an MPC is mentioned first.

In just about every studio picture POSTED an MPC is somewhere in the mix. It’s truly the idea of having an MPC and a computer is a studio, but a computer and a MIDI controller is not.

Every avatar is an MPC. Instant recognition and preconceived notions about your production. Company logos and studio banners. Nothing graphical relating to music production can escape those iconic pads.
Even dudes who are software based talk/dream about getting some hardware and it’s usually a ROMpler workstation or an AKAI product.


For software users…you get the forum hosted by the company. For MPCs, you got about a dozen different forums and websites dedicated to those machines. How many videos are there floating around of dudes getting busy on their MPCs? How many software companies use the MPC name to describe the abilities of their products? How many companies model controllers and surfaces to look like the MPC?


To discredit the popularity and legacy and foothold of AKAI products as industry hype is crazy. I absolutely, absolutely, absolutely agree with your statements about no gear or workflow being essential for ANY genre, but it is absolutely understandable to believe ‘to be a good hip hop producer’ YOU MUST HAVE AN MPC!


And it’s not just some imaginary industry- it’s the industry you want to break in to and be a part of. SP1200. ASR. Pro Tools? Ask FullSpectrum how far he would get with a Mastering House running ableton live. Obviously certain tools are better suited for certain tasks. It’s some cases it’s a perception, in others- it’s a fact.
 
Griffin is right on most of that, but the only problem i have is now with technology advances akai has not kept up and neither has pro tools ( they just got elastick audio this year lol ) I cant front and say hiphop is not where it is today because of the mpc because it would be a lie. EVERY video or doc i watch has its history deeply rooted in the mpc series but that stops at about the 4k. Even the new videos no one is rocking the 2500 or even touching this new 5k there dragging out. I think roland has the market for samplers right now with the mv-8800 and if i was looking at my next peice of gear for my studio ( if it was a eq or a new dynamic range controller ) i would want the best i could buy with the best results. Results are everything. If you can do it on a mpc hey thats cool im not saying dont buy 1 im just saying dont let hype make you buy 1. I think the new akai era is a dead one the classics will live on forever ( 60 , 3000 and 2k ) just like things like adat have gone you got to know when to move on to a better format to get better results.

In the end neither I nor Griffin or even anyone here should have a say in your gear, try it and see if it compliments your workflow and if your end product is something you enjoyed working on and if it will be useful for you in the future.
 
Just to add to the "MPC Hype" discussion. The iconic position of the MPC is undeniable, especially in rap/hip-hop.

I bought an MPC just so people would stop asking me if I had one, and then taking the (ignorant) attitude that somehow I must not be "fo real" if I didn't. So, it generally goes along with me and takes up space, but almost never gets used ... there are just too many easier/faster/better ways to do almost everything that an MPC does.
 
^^^ OUCH! That's why I bought Pro Tools. And you know what? I pointed to the Digi002 while I tracked their session on Adobe Audition 1.5.
When I opened my Humble, humble home studio and made little flyers- every phone call asked if I had Pro Tools. This was back when the MBox cost $500 and there was no M Audio tie-in.

The MPC 2000XL was actually a selling point too. Dudes didn't know how to track out their beats so I would load them up and dump. And they would use my unit to add additional stuff at the end.

I actually charged cats to come over and rock my gear. That ended with a few gear-abuse incidents. Blunt ashes inbetween the keys, missing property and broken knobs!
 
^^^^ A lot of that goes on ... "Sure we use ProTools!" means we really do all the work in our weapon-of-choice -Ableton Live, Sonar, Cubase ... whatever- and then dump the whole thing to PT so we can deliver a PT-format project file. PT has become the "Adobe Acrobat" of the industry, lol.
 
You messin with KORE yet?

Oh, I don't want a summary, I want your impressions...

Sounds, interface...and such.
 
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One thing I will add to this, is that IF u dont have your own equipment (Laptop, controller, keyboard, drum machine or sampler of choice) AND you plan on going into a real studio and doing anything, u will need to know how to use an MPC, at the very least or some other type of sequencer either on the workstation or on Protools/Logic/Cubase/Nuendo, which ever one u'r faced with.

So while alot of these things are hype, its become pseudo defacto standard in the major studios now, and thus u should be prepared to deal with it. Also, insert name of any other major piece of hardware in my statement above as well.

Sad but part of life
 
Actually picked up an MPC1000 and ProTools for very similar reasons as described above. Composing in Reason was very functional, but when you have MCs consistently looking for a certain setup it's hard to ignore...doesn't matter how hot the beats are. Funny thing is, once I started using the MPC I quickly realized how powerful it is...it's really like playing an instrument. I can get the same exact sounds/style out of Reason...I just tend to believe that art is an extension of the process. There was very little compelling about me clicking away with my mouse and a controller. Long story short, I have alot of fun with the hardware.
 
I am curious to know why you "can't believe people are still discussing this." Seems completely relevant to the thread? No...maybe you can expand on why you can't believe it is still being discussed and add some value. Thanks
 
i think hes talking about the million or so threads on here on whether or not you need an mpc and pro tools to make good music
 
weswook said:
I am curious to know why you "can't believe people are still discussing this." Seems completely relevant to the thread? No...maybe you can expand on why you can't believe it is still being discussed and add some value. Thanks

i just cant believe people arent getting sick of discussing "hardware vs software".. such a pointless discussion. use whatever works for you.
 
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