thinking of going back to hardware sequencers (mpc 2500)and outboard gear

dmajor100

New member
Over the years I've had a ton of hardware synths,drum machines and controllers from akai to native instruments. Never have I used a mpc and have it been my main focus mainly cause I had already gotten into maschine and sounds selection was too much of a convenient thing in software so I ditched all my Mocs the 4000,3000,1000 and back when it was new the 2500 which I never used. Now having been using all the maschine a from mk1 to the studio which I have now and still gets used sometimes the software plug ins is too much for me and can never focus on just making music not to mention hardware sounds much better and I'll argue that fact. As a teen I started on a triton but didn't know what I know now and how to use it and kinda tempt d on getting a decked out mpc 2500 maxed out with Jjos with the xl screen as a primary for my fast hardware workflow at least on my motif. So am I taking a big risk with this theory that I'm ready to make the switch back to hardware and limit myself a bit well not that much but still it's a lot from having endless modern sounds to dated motif sounds unless I buy more hardware synths?
 
what this one producer told me.... "end of the day, its all wave files" ... do what you think is best. i use a MPC before cool experience but i ain't no ****in way in hell im tracking them out one by one when i can just click click "Export bounce" them ******* and hardware or waiting mins for a ****in sample to load lls to me don't sound better idk i was on a MPC 1000 crazy because maschine and a mpc would be using the same converter quality. now again i do notice different samplers have different quality build to them by features. so you might want to experiment around before making that move. but again end of the day they all going into a daw for processing or export how you produce with what is your preference. if you got both use both hell. i own a MK2 and i refuse to sell it even tho i still use battery and other samplers.... you sound like to me you need the program Reason lls

i own a fantom and Emu modules and i ain't selling them for a damn just for the fact the shit they convert in software form ain't touching the actual hardware IMO wit there weak ass emulations.
motif are keepers in my book , trition never own one other then the Krog wavestation plug in and its all i need from them
 
what this one producer told me.... "end of the day, its all wave files" ... do what you think is best. i use a MPC before cool experience but i ain't no ****in way in hell im tracking them out one by one when i can just click click "Export bounce" them ******* and hardware or waiting mins for a ****in sample to load lls to me don't sound better idk i was on a MPC 1000 crazy because maschine and a mpc would be using the same converter quality. now again i do notice different samplers have different quality build to them by features. so you might want to experiment around before making that move. but again end of the day they all going into a daw for processing or export how you produce with what is your preference. if you got both use both hell. i own a MK2 and i refuse to sell it even tho i still use battery and other samplers.... you sound like to me you need the program Reason lls

i own a fantom and Emu modules and i ain't selling them for a damn just for the fact the shit they convert in software form ain't touching the actual hardware IMO wit there weak ass emulations.
motif are keepers in my book , trition never own one other then the Krog wavestation plug in and its all i need from them


I a actually have the newest reason as well I've had it for a few months and reason was to collaborate with another producer who had it as well but he's not that good. So it's just been here getting no play at all and I also think the sound engine sucks and sounds horrible with all the dry sounds and plus I just don't feel like learning reasons complicated workflow unless I had a dedicated controlled to speed up the workflow
 
Not a hardware[unless talkin about controllers] fella but that is preference based. The sounds in digital and hardware devices can be created via sound design but from the description it seems like you are talking about built in sounds/kits/presets and not custom sound design etc.

I think it seems like you'd rather just stick to hardware man. All the other daws are capable of what reason is and hardware is just the literal physical not digital version of a rack of modular like motu or mulabs or fl studio's patcher modular rack.

I'm not sure what the mindset is, but it takes a lot more than just getting a piece of kit to do something because most daws are built to be able to do everything a daw needs to do in the box.
 
Sound design has its advantages but chances are there is a sound I'll have in my entire collection which I'll need for a song so having more dedicated time for sounds design no thanks. Now when it comes to hardware looking back at everything I've sold which would be thousands of dollars maybe I have to account for paying more for a stable sequencer,mixer and then there's the saving of songs which would have to be on multiple machines unless sampled into a mpc but that'll take up memory too. So it's almost like a cycle I mean I got what I need to make amazing beats but idk I'm just looking for a on the go process but maybe it's just a mental illusion. Logic,maschine,motif,access virus,reason 8 and a ton of software synths is I guess more than I need I guess.
 
Last edited:
Man that's a lot of stuff but I also have plugs I don't use, mostly things that was bundled[not optional] with audio interfaces and korg nano series items.
So far I tried almost every daw under the sun's demos on the side for years before sticking to reason/s1.
Cubase ai...That's I think my favorite sampler tool which surprised me heavily since I don't use it as a daw. Ableton is probably the closest to mpc style beatmaking I've seen in the digital realm.[launching sequences with pads]

Then again if you're a hardware guy [not a controller dude who likes software more] then it'd just be best to stick to hardware before the ren/ren2.
Never touched a maschine but certain it's an mpc that does not allow power to the device unless windows/linux/mac power it.
 
I can relate to your dilemma. I started on hardware, before there was many realistic software options and I am at least twice as fast on hardware as I am within software. I also started on an MPC. As t how that will translate into your current setup, I do not know, but you can always make it work. I feel like theres many advantages to working with a hybrid setup instead of either/or.

I think this comes down to personal preference but it does sure help to have tangible tools and not stare at a screen all day. Also agree with limiting your options because when your choices have no limits, it can become a scenario where ideas get lost in the ether.

My personal philosophy is that I would rather have a few tools and be a master of them all, than have thousands and know none of them properly to where I can't apply complex ideas and innovation into.
 
Back
Top