I Know The MPC 4000 Is A Full Blown SYNTH & All But...

B

Beatz Galore

New member
It was absolutely GARBAGE to play strings, basses, pianos etc. on the 2000xl's pads. Are u guys telling me it's that much different playing chords on the 4000's pads? Cuz if that's the case, I'll kill my FANTOM dreams and just get a 4000 right now.

I won't front, the 4000 is ugly but INTRIGING as hell. Recently alot of the features have captured my interest plus the fact that I'm already used to the 2000XL.

I still want a MPC 3000 mainly due to the SOUND, SWING and the fact that I always wanted one (plus it's ROGER LINN DAMMIT) but the 4000 sounds like the PERFECT mpc honestly. Plus it has a ton of filters (And i'm assuming it has a high pass filter) so that would sell me right there.
 
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what do you mean?

you can plug a simple MIDI keyboard to ANY MPC... and you can then play full chords, string melodies, etc.

the 4000 is different because it is a "Real" keygroup-based sampler... this means that you can load fully multisampled instruments with complex programming, and it will feel like a sound module (Essentially this is how sounds in sound modules are made).

it is *not* a synthesizer, however (mistake in the title you wrote)
 
mano 1 said:

it is *not* a synthesizer, however (mistake in the title you wrote)
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i did a search for mpc 4000 threads on here and a couple of folks said the mpc was a full blown synthesizer and that u could play strings, keys, etc. on here and here alone. that's the impression i was left with
 
It is a full blown sampler. Traditionally, when you think of a synth..it will have onboard waveforms which you can use to create patches.

The MPC doesn't have any waveforms on on board sounds. You can load up multi-sampled instruments and play them back like a synth. You can not do this very well with other MPCs when it comes to more complex instruments like strings.
 
So u tellin me, if i found bass sounds or string sounds on the on-line, i could just connect a midi keyboard to the mpc and pretty much have a synth!?!

If that's the case, what would be the purpose of me buying a fantom x??? lol
 
So u tellin me, if i found bass sounds or string sounds on the on-line, i could just connect a midi keyboard to the mpc and pretty much have a synth!?!

If that's the case, what would be the purpose of me buying a fantom x??? lol
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With the MPC 4000..yes!

The Fantom X has waveforms/presets sounds and expansion boards. It also has the ability to record audio tracks.

With the MPC, you have to add/program you own patches to load up everytime you use it.
 
jahrome said:


With the MPC 4000..yes!

The Fantom X has waveforms/presets sounds and expansion boards. It also has the ability to record audio tracks.

With the MPC, you have to add/program you own patches to load up everytime you use it.
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ok, the fantom wins on that count..

I have to sit back and think about this one though..

As much as i love chopping samples and just adding basslines...I do like percussion patches and synth patches on workstations..

ahh, I may just get both...I didn't realize how incredible the 4000 was until I actually let go the idea of getting a 3000 lol

Honestly, I'm thinkin' I might be set just with the :

4000
Turntable (already have)
Midi Keyboard (already have, but i wanna replace this korgkontrol with somethin else)
Laptop (can buy one off ebay for $300)
Powered Monitors (already have)

Would I need a audio interface too?
 
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You can't go wrong with any of the two...but you will have to invest some money for sounds for the MPC in order to match the soundset of the Fantom.
 
jahrome said:
You can't go wrong with any of the two...but you will have to invest some money for sounds for the MPC in order to match the soundset of the Fantom.
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hell, if i could get a roland xv-5050 for $400 off ebay, wouldn't that just about do the trick?

I'd send my Korg Microkontrol back for another midi keyboard with more keys..maybe 49 keys like them m-audio joints.

My next question would be, which has better effects, the fantom or 4000? The reason I kinda DON'T wanna get the fantom is cuz I hate that linear sequencing ish. I know I could sequence on the 4000 but I'd be saving an extra $2000.
 
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the 4k effects are decent for the job, there are better, but with that said I have seen some amazing things done with them. you don't get quick results with them, but guys who have have there 4k's for a few years can really freak them out and make it happen, but with the 4k you have an all in 1 workstation. I prefer the 1k becuase I can get samples based work done quickly, but when I need the strings and pad a good bass, the 4k wins hands down due to all the options. If you get a 4k and really get inside of it, you will find it to be superior to just about every other machine. It might be slow in some areas and faster in others, but still the 4k is the king of the groove box market for a reason
 
bhunt said:
the 4k effects are decent for the job, there are better, but with that said I have seen some amazing things done with them. you don't get quick results with them, but guys who have have there 4k's for a few years can really freak them out and make it happen, but with the 4k you have an all in 1 workstation. I prefer the 1k becuase I can get samples based work done quickly, but when I need the strings and pad a good bass, the 4k wins hands down due to all the options. If you get a 4k and really get inside of it, you will find it to be superior to just about every other machine. It might be slow in some areas and faster in others, but still the 4k is the king of the groove box market for a reason
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I can dig it..

I'm really over here debating...

Cuz really I feel like a Midi Controller + Roland XV-5050 + 2 expansions would just about do the trick. I like the fantom, it sounds amazing but it just seems like a new car that'll be replaced in a few months.

I just ain't interested in the fantom's sequencer.
 
if you get the 4k I still recommend having a sound moudle around it. You have to load all of your programs to into memroy which can be a pain. but what I usually do is load a bank of sounds that I know I will be using wiht the sample. Like if I have a jazz or blues sample I will load up the EMU vintage bank or something along those lines, but in the end a decent, but not expensive module is good for a strach pad to get ideas down. So I would go for it, but I got a 3080 for a little more than 400 and its better than the 5050.
 
Yo what up i got the Mpc 4000 and the Fantom X6. I'd go with Da Fantom just cause u got more sounds. But if u into samplin then you could go with the mp But S*** u could just get Sony Sound Forge Or Cool Edit Pro.


But i say u go with the Fantom that S*** is on POINT
 
Djswiffbeats said:
Yo what up i got the Mpc 4000 and the Fantom X6. I'd go with Da Fantom just cause u got more sounds. But if u into samplin then you could go with the mp But S*** u could just get Sony Sound Forge Or Cool Edit Pro.


But i say u go with the Fantom that S*** is on POINT
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nah, i'm straight on that software ish...

this is how i feel :

I don't like the fantom's sequencer (i don't like linear sequencing), I'm used to the mpc's sequencer (pattern based) being that i've owned a 2000 and 2000xl. As dope as it would be to have a Fantom and all those new features, all I really need is the sounds. So getting a roland xv3080 or 5050 would just about solve that problem. Since the 4000 has a nice amount of features, I don't need the ones on the fantom. Although that Super pass filter sounds DISGUSTING lol.

My only issue is, since I've never DEALT with midi, when I turn my mpc and roland module back on and load up a beat i've made and saved on the mpc, does the roland load all the sounds to the program/beat also??
 
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When you use the sound module with the MPC, it is best to put it in performance mode. There you can assign pacthes to the 16 MIDI channel that you will use to create songs in your MPC. The sound module will allow you to save this performance internally. There should be plenty of room to store performances internally but eventually you will have to erase some performances or store them on a disk, which you will have to load.

So to recall your track, you have to load the sequence in the MPC and locate the performance saved in the sound module.

The other alternative is sampling your sound module directly into the MPC 4000 to build songs.
 
jahrome said:
When you use the sound module with the MPC, it is best to put it in performance mode. There you can assign pacthes to the 16 MIDI channel that you will use to create songs in your MPC. The sound module will allow you to save this performance internally. There should be plenty of room to store performances internally but eventually you will have to erase some performances or store them on a disk, which you will have to load.

So to recall your track, you have to load the sequence in the MPC and locate the performance saved in the sound module.

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sounds like a pain in the ass...u say eventually i'll have to store them on a disk..do u mean I'd need to connect the module to some sort of drive? hard drive, zip etc.?
 
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sounds like a pain in the ass...u say eventually i'll have to store them on a disk..do u mean I'd need to connect the module to some sort of drive? hard drive, zip etc.?
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It depends on the sound module you use. The Fantom XR has 64 user performances and 64 preset performances that you can overwrite. If I have the PC card installed, I can save alot of perfomances there as well. The Fantom XR will allow you to select performaces on the card without loading them. Using USB and the Fantom's editior software, you can edit performances and patches and save them on your PC. Other sound modules have more/less places to store performaces internally. They also have different media to save performances/patches to.

You can learn how to use the MIDI bank and program functions of the MPC to select patches/performances from your sound module. If you learn these functions...you will not have to save performances in your sound module. But the other way I mentioned before is easier to me.
 
jahrome said:


It depends on the sound module you use. The Fantom XR has 64 user performances and 64 preset performances that you can overwrite. If I have the PC card installed, I can save alot of perfomances there as well. The Fantom XR will allow you to select performaces on the card without loading them. Using USB and the Fantom's editior software, you can edit performances and patches and save them on your PC. Other sound modules have more/less places to store performaces internally. They also have different media to save performances/patches to.

You can learn how to use the MIDI bank and program functions of the MPC to select patches/performances from your sound module. If you learn these functions...you will not have to save performances in your sound module. But the other way I mentioned before is easier to me.
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I got u...

Mannnnnn...

What would U do?

I pretty much just want the EASE of programming on the MPC with the sounds of a workstation. Really I could go either or, MPC4000 + Module + Midi Keyboard or Fantom X6 (until I get enough dough for the 4000). I can only afford one right now. Some of the things I hear about the Fantom turn me off (ex. pads feel wack, linear sequencing) but it also got some crazy features too plus 90 effects (I think it's 90). For the last 3 weeks I been back and forth on different set-ups and as soon as I think I got the perfect set-up, something come up and change my mind.
 
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Honestly, if you pick one of these and start making music, you will be happy with anyone of them. If you stay in the forums like many of us do talking about your gear, you may never be happy with your purchase. As an MPC fanatic, my vote will always be an MPC and a sound module plus a controller over just a workstation. But a workstation will do you justice as well.
 
jahrome said:
Honestly, if you pick one of these and start making music, you will be happy with anyone of them. If you stay in the forums like many of us do talking about your gear, you may never be happy with your purchase. As an MPC fanatic, my vote will always be an MPC and a sound module plus a controller over just a workstation. But a workstation will do you justice as well.
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I feel u...

Honestly, I much rather have a MPC & sound module.

QUESTION if u know..

Can u hook up a turntable to the FANTOM without a mixer like u can with the 4000?
 
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