Getting the "distinct sound" of an MPC, with using a DAW?

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I can hear with my ears the difference in drums sound used through an MPC and used with a DAW, it almost sounds "thicker". Like for example, I can hear the difference in some Fantom X drums thats ran through an MPC vs run through a DAW. Is there a way to achieve the sound you get from an MPC on a DAW?
 
what you are hearing is the ad/da converters of the mpc..... really no way to replicate that EXACT sound, but there are definitely effects that can help mold your sound in that direction
 
baysick is right about hearing the mpc's converters...but as far as getting close to the sound, to start off, I believe the 2000 converts at 16 bit/44.1 kHz, you can use a bitcrusher plugin of some sort to get that rate, or just bounce your drums at 16/44.1 ...what DAW are u using?
 
Actually, this is all bull.

Unless you're talking about an MPC 60 or possibly 3000(even if you are), you're most likely hearing a "difference" in the mix and nothing more.

By the time levels are brought up, and the beat is mixed, so many other things are introduced that the MPC has no "distinctive sound". You do realize all the drums in your library that are professionally distributed and any live instrument you've ever sampled from a commercial release audio CD has been ran thru way better "converters"(notice the quotes)than you'll ever find on an MPC.
 
of course there is a difference !!!!
Its the analog sound you get out of the mpc...you are producing digitally...so no warming or subtile tube saturation...you can emulate that but run your whole beat through an avalon after its finished and you will get the same thick and warm sound !
 
people are funny...the mpc is not analog...it's digital....(ive opened a few up in my day...no tubes...just circuit boards like a PC)

you're soundcard has to be the quality of the MPC a/d converters....(not saying which one is better....sometimes lo fi sounds better than hi fi)

and it also depends on what mpc u are talking about....the 60/62/3000 sound different(warmer...more bottom) from the 2000/200xl(more crisp and clear).....im not sure about the later models....

and again...there is no distinctive sound....u get out of an mpc what u put into it....it's a sampler people....only the latest one has sounds built in...
 
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deRaNged 4 Phuk'dup said:
Actually, this is all bull.

Unless you're talking about an MPC 60 or possibly 3000(even if you are), you're most likely hearing a "difference" in the mix and nothing more.

By the time levels are brought up, and the beat is mixed, so many other things are introduced that the MPC has no "distinctive sound". You do realize all the drums in your library that are professionally distributed and any live instrument you've ever sampled from a commercial release audio CD has been ran thru way better "converters"(notice the quotes)than you'll ever find on an MPC.
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Totally agree.
 
Override said:
baysick is right about hearing the mpc's converters...but as far as getting close to the sound, to start off, I believe the 2000 converts at 16 bit/44.1 kHz, you can use a bitcrusher plugin of some sort to get that rate, or just bounce your drums at 16/44.1 ...what DAW are u using?
Click to expand...

I owned a 2000, and it was very clear, and accurate.
Not gritty in any way at all.
Misconception.
16/44.1 is what your cd's are you know.

Back in the day (excuse my old schoolness) Akai was considered the standard for getting what you put in to the sampler, and the 2000 was no exception.
I've even read where the 3000 had the same parts number for their convertors as the 2000!
So the may possibly be even less to the 3000 sound than people have been saying.
The s900 somewhat turned me off the idea of getting an mpc60 years ago.
The 900 was very clear, and clean at 12 bit 40khz, and reproduced sound very well at that sampling rate.
That happened to be the rate the mpc60 sampled at, so I knew they probably sounded very much similar.
The 900 was actually more desirable as a sampler since it could sample as low as 7.5khz(or something), and it did sound very raw at lower rates.
The mpc60 was stuck at that fixed 40khz sampling rate though.
 
100% Fact, there is no difference beyond human error that can occur at the expense of MPC use just as easily as it can at expense of PC use.

If you run an MPC(2000 or later models) full of 44.1/16 samples thru a digital output directly into your soundcard without any clipping using no FX, you will get the exact same results as you'd get running all the same samples on a PC.

Now, once fx are added, don't act like PSP Vintage Warmer doesn't give you a different sound than Waves L3, iZotope Ozone, or the MPC's built in FX. That's a difference in FX which is all left to preference. But MPC has no distinct sound that other digital workstations do not.

Trust me, I have one of the best ears for detail out of the engineers I associate with. If there was anything that great about an MPC, mine would still be getting used over Reason 4.0.
 
an MPC definetely sounds better to my ears.
 
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so let me see. everything that's 16/44.1 sounds the same.... NOT!!!!!!

thats like saying every speaker that plays 20-20,000hz sounds the same..... NOT!!!!!!

thats like saying all 4 string basses sound the same.....

in other words, several different electronic companies made ad/da converters that played 16/44.1...... some made high end products
and some made consumer grade products..... they all sounded different!
unless the same company were mfg the ad/da converters for everyone, i have know reason to believe that they sounded the same.... well they didnt to my ears....
 
deRaNged 4 Phuk'dup said:
Then you're doing something wrong when you're not using an MPC. Simple as that.
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So your saying its placebo, i'm not an mpc fan, not dogging it, just saying, that i can't say, i only saw someone use an mpc once in their studio if i'm not mistaken.
 
mjames4208 said:
so let me see. everything that's 16/44.1 sounds the same.... NOT!!!!!!

thats like saying every speaker that plays 20-20,000hz sounds the same..... NOT!!!!!!

thats like saying all 4 string basses sound the same.....

in other words, several different electronic companies made ad/da converters that played 16/44.1...... some made high end products
and some made consumer grade products..... they all sounded different!
unless the same company were mfg the ad/da converters for everyone, i have know reason to believe that they sounded the same.... well they didnt to my ears....
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Not exactly the same, but so close to being the same that it's a moot point.

Some time ago we had a comparison of samplers, and ran the same drum loops through them.
One of the forum members compared several of his samplers, and yes there was differences, but telling the source file from the mpc2000xl was not night, and day, and it did not favor the mpc if my memory serves me correct.
The s900 actually sounded more clean in mono than the 2kxl did.
I thought my Zoom sampletrak sounded better than all of those tested, but my signal chain was different too, so there are many factors.

In the end unless your after lofi, your sampler is a moot point in your resulting sound.
Lo-fi does not include any 16 bit 44.1khz sampler.
My old s900 had to go below 30khz to get anywhere near lo-fi.
My Sampletrak sounds nice, and gritty at 16khz, but not to much so at 32khz.
Your going to have to use lower samplerates for good lo-fi results.
It can be done very, very well with software too, but knowing what an actual vintage sampler sounds like is more than half the battle.
 
Once again Deranged just smacking down all conspiracy theories about a digital I/O having any different sound than another digital I/O.
 
deRaNged 4 Phuk'dup said:
Then you're doing something wrong when you're not using an MPC. Simple as that.
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Touchy subject I know.

d1rtynyc wrote on GS :

I am not certain if this has been said in another post...
I spoke to Akai a couple of months back and we discussed the output on the MPCs and he had told me the outs have a analog compressor on them.
That is why they get that sweet punch.
Click to expand...
I don't want to convince nobody, I'm out. Peace
 
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Your probably thinking of the compressor in the master effects section.
Either way woopy doo.
No way there is anything analog about the mpc.
I don't know of any companies making analog compressors today?........Or even 20 years ago?

Yes I believe there is some sort of compressor that can be switched on/off within the mpc effects section, and yes it hits before the sound passes through the convertors, but what does this have to do with the mpc sound?
 
there is a compressor on the outputs...but it deosnt make that much of a differece....if u dont believe me...try this yourself....

take one sample....load it into multiple samplers....make sure the signal chain is the same....and do a blind test....i bet money no one can pick out the MPC from just using thier ears...
 
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