starting out

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WonLuv

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ive been producing for a while but i think its time i start expanding, trying new techniques. i'd like to start sampling more, does anyone kno of a good mpc to start? id have to save up because i dont have much money right now, so the lower the price, the better. thanks
 
If you're just getting started with sampling, I don't think that I would be in any hurry to buy an MPC. My personal opinion is that making music is like riding a motorcyle - when you get started you don't want to buy the most powerful machine out there because it will impede your learning process and you could crash spectacularly........

I assume that you do most of your producing in a software world - why not get started with a soft sampler and go from there? What kinds of tools do you currently use?? If you use Reason, or FL (just examples), you already have samplers inside of those programs. Why not use what you are familiar with for awhile??

Someone is inevitably going to jump on me and say "Man, an MPC wouldn't impede his learning process! An MPC is the only way to go!" In my opinion, if you invest money in an MPC right now, you are going to have to learn two things - how to actually operate the machine, and how to sample. Many of the lessons you will learn from sampling in a software world can be applied to the world of hardware....

I also wouldn't suggest that you rush out and buy some hardware until you know that you are going to enjoy sampling. Like every other art form in the world, some people obsess over sampling and others don't get as into it. Why waste money on something you may not totally love??
 
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i'm sorry i shouldve clarified. i have reason, which i sample in occasionally, as well as acid, which i primarily sample in. i generally compose everything but ive been wanting to try new things out, such as an mpc. i have sampled, and i know how, im just wanting to try something new. im not trying to buy a 1000 dollar mpc, just wondering if theres something reasonable that i could try in order to get comfortable working with hardware rather than what i'm used to.
 
recycle + reason = all you need

hehe

oh sorry + audacity
 
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I'd just take the plunge and get an MPC. It's not like you can't sell it if you don't like it. And, if you buy a used one, there's a chance you can get the same amount you paid for it back when you sell it.
 
WonLuv said:
i'm sorry i shouldve clarified. i have reason, which i sample in occasionally, as well as acid, which i primarily sample in. i generally compose everything but ive been wanting to try new things out, such as an mpc. i have sampled, and i know how, im just wanting to try something new. im not trying to buy a 1000 dollar mpc, just wondering if theres something reasonable that i could try in order to get comfortable working with hardware rather than what i'm used to.
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you arent going to find a lot under 1000 in the mpc department... if you are going to get a drum machine, get the right one. its a big investement, and if you buy something cheap, youll probably regret it before long. save a little longer and get a 2000xl.
 
also look into the kurzweil K2000. I just discovered it online for myself and it has sampleing that competes with that of an asr-10. Its a keyboard which most of the time used come with great sounding chips in them. I have heard them myself and they are good. You can find one from anyware between 300-500 usd. I can wait to get mine=)
 
WonLuv said:
i'm sorry i shouldve clarified. i have reason, which i sample in occasionally, as well as acid, which i primarily sample in. i generally compose everything but ive been wanting to try new things out, such as an mpc. i have sampled, and i know how, im just wanting to try something new. im not trying to buy a 1000 dollar mpc, just wondering if theres something reasonable that i could try in order to get comfortable working with hardware rather than what i'm used to.
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You're not going to get away with much less than $5-600 for any MPC. They're too highly regarded (or hyped...) to go down in price much. It's hard to argue that an MPC2000/2000xl, in any configuration, is significantly more capable than an MPC1000 (about the only thing they have going for them is better build quality & an option for 8 outputs).

There's not a lot of gear out there that really competes directly with the MPC. You have the E-Mu ASR-X and ASR-X Pro which are superior samplers and generally cheaper (I've seen good setups go for $300-350 on eBay) but have weaker sequencers. You have the Roland MV-8000 which is a pretty high end piece of kit that competes against Akai's top of the line. There's the Yamaha RS7000 which is considered more of a 'techno' instrument than an 'hip hop' instrument but is a very capable device. Then you have the 'lesser' samplers, such as Roland/Boss' SP-x0x line (the 606, especially, screams out "My first MPC"). There's also the keyboard sampling workstations - everything from modern Motif/Triton/Fantom boards back to older W-30/EPS/ASR/Mirage gear.

People have been making beats since the first caveman hit a hollow log with a dinosaur bone. There's no silver bullet; you can use damned near anything and, with enough determination, get good results. Just look at the 'legendary' SP-1200 - it had 8 non-velocity-sensitive pads and a whopping 10s of low-fi sample time.
 
Ghowell said:
If you're just getting started with sampling, I don't think that I would be in any hurry to buy an MPC. My personal opinion is that making music is like riding a motorcyle - when you get started you don't want to buy the most powerful machine out there because it will impede your learning process and you could crash spectacularly........
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The 1000 have more applications than the 2000xl's (I'm told that they have more than the new ones as well) which makes me tight, because I have an old 2000xl. I'm not hating though. You could get into a MPC 1000 for about as much money ($1K, or less). The machine is easy as hell to use and the sampler is dope. Don't let anyone tell you different about MPC's.

I do agree with this though, don't rush into swithinc up. If you have reason get sound forge or whatever and sample in to that. Get comfy with sampling and using what you already got down. Only reason I said that is that one of my partna's on my prod. team tried to switch up from FL, against my own suggestions, to an ASR-10 and got frustrated as hell. Now he doesn't use it and had a hell of time getting rid of the $700 commitment. Once your ready though, Akai makes dope products.

diegoesk said:
thats not true... ive seen MPC 2k go for 750. **** even the 2k i brought from good ol' jahrome was $780... Ive seen a 1k go for 650...QUOTE]

Damn, heads no jahrome like that he sold me my 8 out. That ish is crazy.
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I Say U Should Go For Tha 1000 If U have Experience Sampling With Software Just Go For It..Im An Mpc 1000 Owner And I Love Tha machine Ive Messed Around With Tha 2000xl Way Before I Got My Mpc And Personally I Like Tha 1000 Better So I Think It Would Be A Good Step For U To take Man
 
I dont know if you already got the drum machine, but the ASR-X/Pro is the way to go cause you can sample into it, and edit samples on the pc if you need too, cause the sound you'll get off an asr over an mpc alone is worth spending 300-400 instead of 500-800.
 
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