What MPC Should I get?

Bog Roll

New member
Hi,

Firstly, please excuse my complete lack of knowledge and 'noobness', i am a complete beginner and i don't really know much about any of this at all.

I have no experience in music production and the use of mpc's & samplers but i'm very interested in getting into it. I want to firstly begin making hip hop, soul and jazzy beats and then hopefully eventually make some electronic beats. I want some hardware that is stand alone, relatively easy to pick up the basics, and inexpensive. It must be stand alone because im not interested in editing,or anything, using a computer or laptop. I want to be able to do live/freestyle sessions, not create songs, as this is just for a fun hobby.

Realistically, what is the minimum i can spend on this? I'm not looking for the best set up in the world, just something simple, effective and fun.
This is an example of the kind of thing i want to do. (with practice)
/watch?v=Xxq2k7jJDZg

Also, is MPC the general term or does it just refer to the akai series? I dont mind getting another brand if akai is not the best for beginners.

p.s. if you have any helpful tips or advice for a beginner, let me know :)
 
Where are you from and how old are you as age ain't nothin' but a number but it plays a role in understanding that there is a learning curve to what it is you want to know and/or accomplish. The MPC series is Akai.
 
The new MPCs actually need a computer to work. They do better than a regular MIDI controller, but you still need to use the software. They're also going to run you between $400 and $1,000.

You can also get an MPD32 for $300, which comes with Akai faders and q-link knobs. The q-link knobs are a BIG plus, because you can switch banks and turn them without ****ing things up. Instead of having a static value there are LED's around them to show where the knob is in relation to whatever it's controlling at that moment. These are really nice to have for a variety of other things, but you can get them on other stuff if you want to put it off now.

Now they also have the MPC element which is nice for a few reasons. It's just the pads as a controller for $150. It's the real MPC pads and there's a big difference between those and ones on other controllers, or even things like the Akai keyboards that use shittier ones. It's very small and instead of a computer you can use an ipad, so while it's not standalone, you don't have to be tethered to a computer if you go that route.

If you really want standalone, you can get a used older model, but the thing I'd warn you about is you probably will get to a point where you want the versatility of working though a DAW and just end up spending more in the long run.
 
Also, another quick dumb question, do you input mp3s to sample? if not, what file format is it? do i need to use vinyls?
 
It works basicly with a line input. So both will work. I send my line (vinyl or mp3) in to a mixer and then send it to the input of my mpc2000xl sampler.
 
Im probably late as hell but anyways I would suggest looking into the MPC2500 or 1000, (to me 2500>1000, but ive never used either of them, but i know the specs). With the JJOS you can do a lot + they're basically standalone (i was like you years ago and realized you kinda need the computer to mix shit + upload).

I use the MPC3000 but i also have a lot of gear to go with it, a mixer, a compressor, a turntable etcetc. Older MPCs dont have EQ's and Filters (besides a low pass filter) so you kinda need a mixer for that. A lot of people hype the 2000XL (which was my first one) but that model still needs a mixer to go with it.

Look into the MPC2500 or its little brother 1000, those are probably the most standalone and inexpensive models.


And if you wanna do quality music you should have quality sources -its hard to make shit shine, a kick from a MP3 wont knock like a kick from vinyl, but its all up to you.
 
Plese don't get the MPD32 because that midi controller sucks big time. The Pads are nothing compared to the old MPC series. If you want a simple controller go with a Korg padKontrol or Ni Machine.
Other than that the MPC5000 is very cheap nowadays
 
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