MPC 3000 vs. Sp 1200.

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lvngdead

New member
Have not worked with either, but would like the opinions of people that have worked with both. thank you.
 
With the SP1200, you are limited with sample time. With the MPC3000, you have more sampling time and options of freaking your samples. The SP1200 has that grittyness for your drums. If you can purchase both, do it. If not, go with the MPC3000.
 
I have used neither. But, I can tell you that the SP1200 is acclaimed because of its legendary sound and workflow. The MPC3k Is much more feature packed. Specs wise its a better machine. I would tell you to go out and try the 2 but thats not really an option :) Check out youtube vids and watch how people work em. That should give you a good idea.
 
monogee said:
With the SP1200, you are limited with sample time. With the MPC3000, you have more sampling time and options of freaking your samples. The SP1200 has that grittyness for your drums. If you can purchase both, do it. If not, go with the MPC3000.
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You could get a used 2k, and an Emax rack(basically same engine as the sp) for less than either the 3k, or sp1200, and still have money left over to take your girl out to Ruby Tuesdays, and buy her some new shoes at the mall!
 
Youtube videos, definitely, haven't checked out any videos for the 3000 though. Man, in every video they tease me with those fat ass 808 drums coming from the sp-1200.

Ruby Tuesdays, pshhhhh, can someone say Sizzlersssss? Me looking middle eastern and ****, they'd prolly kick me outta Ruby Tuesdays. They'd be like, nah sand******, no fine American burgers for you son.
 
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Never used an SP1200; but a buddy used to own one. He said it was fun for about 10 mins then he got pissed off with its limitations & flipped it.

I have the 3000, and am very happy with it, sound, workflow etc etc is top notch.

Only my opinion, the 3000 is more versatile & probably suited to a more 'modern way of working'. I grew up with samplers in the 1980s - so my techniques are more old school... I'd probably love the sp1200.

Maybe next year i'll grab a 1200 if i see it cheap enough.
 
^^theres periods where for a few days the pirces will be much lower than usual. I'm guessing becuase all the people that can afford one at $1200 already bought one and all you're left with are the poor cats like me. So all these poor cats end up bidding like 900 bucks.
 
If you can score one for $900 - thats a good investment. Sell it over in Europe and you will double your money :)
 
lvngdead said:
Stupid question but, which has more sample editing and warping features, the 3000 or 2000xl?
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The 2000XL. It's newer and therefore has a graphical display for editing. It also has time stretch, although I've been told this takes forever and isn't worth the wait.

That said, the 3000 is a better-made machine.

Both are good and can make good beats.
 
I have a 2000xl, I'm just gonna go for the sp-1200.

this thread really didnt go all that in-depth.
 
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lvngdead said:
Stupid question but, which has more sample editing and warping features, the 3000 or 2000xl?
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Yeah like Big Ryan said the 2kxl has more editing, but I classify neither a sampler that lends itself to warping sounds.

RS7000, ASR-X, or even a Roland MV for warping stuff.
The 2k is just too limited in what envelopes, and filtering you have available. A simple attack/decay, and one 12db low pass per sample.
No tempo sync, or anything fancy.

A boss sp, or zoom sampletrak would work well for warping sounds too by the way.
 
lvngdead said:
I have a 2000xl, I'm just gonna go for the sp-1200.

this thread really didnt go all that in-depth.
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I think you will find very few people on this forum who own or have had sufficient experience with both of these machines to give the kind of answer you are looking for :) You'll find 3000 users, and SP1200 users - but most amatuer producers are unlikely to own both. I guess thats just simple economics ;)
 
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I've owned both, simultaneously (well, OK, one was an SP-12 but close enough). If you're only getting one, get the MPC3000. Much more full-featured and you can get some gritty sounds out of it... much more "general purpose" grit in much the same way the S950 is general purpose grit as well. SP grit is not always appropriate in every case.

If you decide to get an SP later, you can trigger it from the MPC3000's sequencer.
 
BigRyan said:
I've owned both, simultaneously (well, OK, one was an SP-12 but close enough). If you're only getting one, get the MPC3000. Much more full-featured and you can get some gritty sounds out of it... much more "general purpose" grit in much the same way the S950 is general purpose grit as well. SP grit is not always appropriate in every case.

If you decide to get an SP later, you can trigger it from the MPC3000's sequencer.
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What was the SP12 like? I've seen a few quite cheaply - and was wondering if they were a viable alternative to an SP1200. Dont they use 'proper' 'floppy' disks from the old Commodore 64 computer?
 
sammyb90 said:
What was the SP12 like? I've seen a few quite cheaply - and was wondering if they were a viable alternative to an SP1200. Dont they use 'proper' 'floppy' disks from the old Commodore 64 computer?
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Exactly, and is both nice (availablility) and annoying (takes really long to load and save).

The SP-12 has the same converters, same analog filters, same workflow, same sample engine as the SP1200.

Main differences:

- Floppy disk (as you mentioned)
- Has half the sample time (about 5 seconds as opposed to 10)
- The SP-12 has built-in drum samples on 3 of its 4 banks (but these can be copied over with user samples)
- The sample rates are *slightly* different: 27500 hz on the SP-12, 26040 hz on the SP1200

The guy who bought my SP-12 had an SP1200 years before. When he tried my SP-12 out, he said it felt and sounded close enough to the same that he didn't need to seek out an SP1200.

If you get one, don't use it without some other kind of complimentary sampler.
 
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The chassis and button layout are exactly the same, save for the color choices.
 
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