Is it worth it to buy an MPC if I have Maschine already?

Mannas

Mannas

New member
I've had Maschine for some time and really enjoy it but I miss using hardware and being away from the computer. I have thought about getting either an MPC 2000XL with a card reader or a 1000. I can get either one for about $400. With having Maschine is it worth it to pick up an MPC or would I just be stepping backwards? I don't want it to just take up space. Also, which would be the better MPC choice? I like the 2000XL but didn't know if I would be missing out on features. The pads seem better. Lastly, if there a difference in sound in the two MPCs? I know there is for the older ones but wasn't sure about the 2000XL.
 
Never used Maschine, but you know someone's gonna say you can do everything you can on the MPC and probably more, so let's get that out of the way lol. I'd say get the 2000XL over the 1000 cause of the pads. Idk all the features it has, but if it has timestretchin which I'm pretty sure it does, you should be good to go. That's if you get the card reader, I couldn't imagine usin floppies, but shiiit whatever works. If you got the money I'd say go for it..
 
Mannas said:
I've had Maschine for some time and really enjoy it but I miss using hardware and being away from the computer. I have thought about getting either an MPC 2000XL with a card reader or a 1000. I can get either one for about $400. With having Maschine is it worth it to pick up an MPC or would I just be stepping backwards? I don't want it to just take up space. Also, which would be the better MPC choice? I like the 2000XL but didn't know if I would be missing out on features. The pads seem better. Lastly, if there a difference in sound in the two MPCs? I know there is for the older ones but wasn't sure about the 2000XL.
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In my opinion, if you're asking the question then it is definitely worth it. Good thing about MPCs is that you probably won't lose any money if you find out it wasn't what you wanted.

But I would buy it, see if I preferred one to the other, or see if I can make use of both.

Honestly, the only thing keeping me from buying Maschine, is that it is not an audio interface. If the controller could also act like an audio interface, I'd have one.
 
I had an MPC2000XL with card reader and after sold it i had the MPC1000 red and blue with pad upgrade...
Now i have Maschine and i find that is a superior tool compared to the MPCs that I had.
But, just like Mannas said, I miss some little things of the MPC: the track mute game and the different layering of the same sound in the same sequence instead of the pattern mode in Maschine.
You can do the same things in Maschine but in a different way.
One of the diehard MPC user is jermaine Dupri; if you search on youtube "Living the life (studio time)" you can see him using Maschine slaved to his trusted MPC60II.
And for Mannas choice between 2000XL and 1000?
MPC1K is faster and has more features but I prefer the feel of the 2000XL and not only for the better pads, but it's just me!!!




 
I had Akai S950 sequenced by the Roland MC303, Roland SP808 (great hardware!!!) shitty 8 channels mixer and a portable Sony DAT.
In the 2002 I had a Mac G4 nootebook with logic 4.8, some years ago Fantom X6 (amzing tool but not Emagic Logic friendly) and after sold the SP808, MC303 i had the MPC2000xl for a while.
After sold for a good price the Fantom X6 i picked up the Motif XS6 (the keyboard with my favorite sequencer) and an MPC1000.
I sold the Motif XS6 with tears on my face because i needed cash to replace the broken G4 with the iMac running Logic 8.
After sold the MPC1000 I bought NI Maschine and I'm very satisfied.
I hope Roland makes a modern version of the SP808 but it's just a dream...
 
karledwards said:
Never used Maschine, but you know someone's gonna say you can do everything you can on the MPC and probably more, so let's get that out of the way lol.
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Only people who've never used Maschine (and jealous MPC fanboys) say that lol. It's actually the other way around. Maschine can do all that MPC does and more. And it's just way faster.

 
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You do know those guys get paid to endorse these products?

1. It's the future of making music...I swear by it
2. It does everything that an MPC....does...you know...but faster
3. My drums are the tighest since I been on a physical drum machine
4. Now that I got a Maschine...I had to retire my MPC
5. What suprised me about Maschine was the number of stock sounds that I actually use..

lol

And it depends on which MPC you are comparing Maschine to. While Maschine can accomplish things than an MPC can't, the same is true the other way around. Maschine does not sample, sample edit, or sequence better than an MPC.
 
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jahrome said:
You do know those guys get paid to endorse these products?

1. It's the future of making music...I swear by it
2. It does everything that an MPC....does...you know...but faster
3. My drums are the tighest since I been on a physical drum machine
4. Now that I got a Maschine...I had to retire my MPC
5. What suprised me about Maschine was the number of stock sounds that I actually use..

lol

And it depends on which MPC you are comparing Maschine to. While Maschine can accomplish things than an MPC can't, the same is true the other way around. Maschine does not sample, sample edit, or sequence better than an MPC.
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I always felt it was kinda unfair towards the mpc to compare it to maschine since one of the key determining factors to product comparisons is price.

Maschine coming it at a price of $500.00 usd can only be compared to the mpc500 (which still comes in at around 100 dollars more at $599.00 usd)

when compairing the Maschine to the Mpc500 maschine mops the floor with it in regards to features and flexibility.
the maschine even goes toe to toe with the Mpc 1000 ($999.00 usd)
Maschine finally has to bow pretty hard when it comes to the superior Mpc 5000 but at $2000.00 usd its hardly a fair product comparison.

Also of note is the fact that people often leave terms like "portable" and "travel size" pretty generic. while both the 500 and the maschine are lightweight and able to be carried easily between destinations, the 500 is the true standalone product. (you can use it on the back of a bus if you wanted if you had a pair of headphones) not even close for the maschine.

always felt the similarities between the two products stopped at the pads.
 
These comparisons will never end....lol. One thing that makes me scratch my head is when people say that they can use maschine and not have to look at the screen. As a MPC 2500 owner, i often wish it had a vga output like Roland put on the MV. When i demoed maschine at GC, i often found myself looking at the screen quite frequently and used the keyboard and mouse quite a bit, but it was by choice.

Because of that, it makes me sometimes wonder if it would be right for me, or if a pad controller would be sufficient. I still prefer linear sequences, but i could probably get used to the maschine work flow.
 
joey tunez said:
Maschine finally has to bow pretty hard when it comes to the superior Mpc 5000 but at $2000.00 usd its hardly a fair product comparison.
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Nonsense. "Superior" and "better" are entirely subjective.

joey tunez said:
Also of note is the fact that people often leave terms like "portable" and "travel size" pretty generic. while both the 500 and the maschine are lightweight and able to be carried easily between destinations, the 500 is the true standalone product. (you can use it on the back of a bus if you wanted if you had a pair of headphones) not even close for the maschine.
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Ever heard of iMaschine? Also, Maschine Mikro and a 11" Macbook Air is also super portable and insanely more powerful and versatile than a MPC500, not to mention way longer battery life that's actually usable.
 
I have masxhine but seriously thinking of ge tting a mpc 2000 xl just because I believe recently that looking at a computer can some how blunt your hearing as gar as knowing and finding your creativity. Maybe not for some but my teacher at audio school pointed this out when eqing in software visiualy. For some reason ur vision,is taking over rather than ur ears which were focus needs to be. I tied on maschine with a off moniter and my hearing was more open but like some ppl say you still have to look at the screen at some point and do things in software. Hardware to me is more felt and no need for me to spend big money on a mpc 5000 cause sampling is insane on maschine still
 
noborders said:
Ever heard of iMaschine? Also, Maschine Mikro and a 11" Macbook Air is also super portable and insanely more powerful and versatile than a MPC500, not to mention way longer battery life that's actually usable.
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This is actually on my wishlist of things. I've been planning on getting an 11" Air for a while, and the new Mikro is perfect. I don't make beats as much as I used to, but with the Mikro I can afford to get back into it.

As for the original question... when I had my MPC I always dreamed of features that eventually came out in the Maschine. You can literally finish a beat on the Maschine in the time it takes to load the CF card, chop samples, and assign to pads on the MPC. I know. Been there, done that.

The MPC is still cool, but it has been replaced. I did always want a 2500 though. if I was shopping for a MPC, that would be the one I would get. 2000XL is too old, 1000 has the pad problems and the fixed screen, the other ones are too expensive.
 
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