MPC 2000 or SP-404?

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dthmn

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Hi!

What would you guys picked between an mpc 2000 and a sp-404? I have read that Madlib only uses an sp-303 and another sp. Does anybody have any knowledge about this two? And how they are working with beat-makeing/sampling?On the 404, is it possible to make a whole song and just put it on the memory card? The 2000 is quite outdated or?

So MPC 2000 or SP-404?
 
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Cruz619 said:
2000....i've had both and found the 404 too limited
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But isen't the 2000 quite outdated? And with zip-disks, rather then a memory-card. How is it to make a beat on the 404 compared(sorry if wrong) to the 2000?
 
well the mp is more user friendly, has more features...you could pick it up fairly quick....regardless of it using zips and floppies you could make some good tracks on it if you put time into it....i would say get the mp and a zip drive....but from my personal experience i dont think you should spend 4 bills for a 404 when you could get a mpc 2000 classic for the same price......if you can try both and decide for yourself
 
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Hmm, I will go for the 2000 then, I think I can get one for around 300$ used(some years old).
 
The 2000 is definately not more user friendly. The sequencer is more forgiving for those with poor rhythm...but thats about it. Ive had a 2k and I currently use a 404. I like the 404 alot better. But they are 2 very different machines. It really depends on your preference. The MPC has one of the best featured sequencers out there and really nice pads. But in my opion it lacks in every other field. The sound is not as fat as the 404s..especially in the low end. and it has a crappy filter and no FX. The 404 has a very basic sequencer. It gives you one track, quantization up 32nd notes and real time sequencing only. The patterns will automatically sync as you hit the pads they are assigned to, but there is no song link feature. The 404 has a more full sound to it. Plus it has alot of good FX that are really helpful. Plus its battery powered and small enough to fit in a backpack. And it has a few hours of sampling so you can store tons of sounds on it. Neither machine has a way to save the audio file of your song onto a card. The SP-606 and the New SP-555 have built in USB interfaces though. I would try and mess with an MPC and a 404. Bring your MP3 player and sample some stuff into them and give them a go. Also, maybe check out mpcforums.com and sp-forums.com So you can see the 2 forums dedicated to both machines.
 
I would use the sampler to sample jazz and soul/funk mostly, but isen't the 404 quite hard to choppe up sampels on? It dosen't have a function to choppe auto like mpc 2000 or?
 
Autochop is for untalented people who need a machine to decide what sounds good, most of these people use quantize to make a beat and have no idea how to keep a rythm on beat, no wonder our elders look at most of us and just shake their heads, if you call your sampler an intrument then learn to play it like a drummer learns his set, it may take you longer to learn an sp-303/sp-404 but in the long run you will have gained more skill and in turn be able to showcase more originality in your compositions, have you ever wondered why people talk about an mpc's sound, it's because they make such similar beats no matter who uses them, except for a few really talented people who would be good on any machine and genuinely like mpcs beacause they've tried everything else and found their machine, not because someone told them to buy it cause it'll make your beats hot, talent makes beats hot not samplers.
 
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werd... thats the truth. But Ive used both...and maybe its just me, but the SP series is by far the most simple samplers to use. I find chopping to be a breeze on the 404. You sample with the mark button and then fine tune wit the knobs. So basically... its by feel and rhythm rather than by sight or by having a machine do it for u.
 
good man,
You should have a lot of the fun with this wonderful machine and if you have questions,you can check this wonderful forum

www.sp-forums.com

I'm also getting one pretty soon and I can't wait!!
 
Dj Frantic said:
It gives you one track, quantization up 32nd notes and real time sequencing only. The patterns will automatically sync as you hit the pads they are assigned to, but there is no song link feature.
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Frantic, so the sequencing on the 404 is much like the Zoom Sampletrak then?
 
Hey Matt,
I'm reading the pdf manual and it's about the same except for 6 voices of polyphony or 12 mono.
Like Frantic said in an earlier post that those two go very well together.
 
I got a 404, its all I use, I'm strictly sample based. Primarily simple chops and looping so it works for me. You should make inquries about the MPC 1000 though I hear the drums are excellent. Sp's still great if your just sample based. You must be a digger to eh?
 
Mpc's sound emaciated and could never compare to D/A converters in an sp-303/sp-404, the only thing mpc's have on an sp is the sequencer and if you sequence your beat you're not making sh!t. Definately drop by sp-forums.com.
 
The sampletrak is 24ppqn...so basically with quantize off your always sequencing at 16th triplets. The sampletrak has better sequencer features but I prefer the feel of the sequencer on the 404. Its a bit more natural to me. One thing I really like on the 404 that I wish the sampletrak has is the patterns auto sync to each other.
 
Dj Frantic said:
The sampletrak is 24ppqn...so basically with quantize off your always sequencing at 16th triplets. The sampletrak has better sequencer features but I prefer the feel of the sequencer on the 404. Its a bit more natural to me. One thing I really like on the 404 that I wish the sampletrak has is the patterns auto sync to each other.
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Sometimes I use 64th notes(hi quantize), and double the bpm.
So by doubling the bpm you get 128th note quantize with the Zoom at 48ppqn.

Do you ever double the bpm? I find it sounds alot tighter, and swings much better that way.

The patterns not syncing is silly to me. They put all these tempo sync options on that lil box, but not during pattern playback(of patterns) lol.
 
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ya I know...the 303 had the same thing. wierd. But ne way, i never techincally owned a sampletrak but used one for a few months. So I never got to get as in depth as Ive gotten with my other gear but no, I never really liked using double tempo in genral. I know alot of people did. but I prefer the slow tick... its almost soothing to me while im programing...thats prolly wierd tho..lol
 
You've gotta use double-tempo for jungle/drum'n'bass music but I didn't know people in other genres did it. You learn something new every day!
 
Yeah it's just a trick to fit samples to your drum sequence or get a tighter feel on the hi-hats because there are more places the note can fall into the groove and still be quantized.
 
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