Should I cop a Renaissance?

Alright so I want to get my first MPC pretty soon and I've looked at all of them, but I don't know what to get exactly. I'm coming from using a simple MPD18 ( that got stolen from me ) with FL Studio, I'm a really heavy FL studio user, but I've been wanting to step into the MPC world from the start, the only thing stopping me was the cost of MPC's. I know the Ren isn't stand alone which is a big turn off for most MPC users ( I think ), but that doesn't make me shy away from it entirely.

--What I really want to know is if the Ren is just a fancy and expensive MIDI controller that comes with software or if it is still much like any other more popular MPC's.

--Will I still be able to use the Ren like any other MPC would be used?

--What do other MPC's offer that the Ren can't?

Thank you to anyone who can help me out, this is going to be my first MPC so I really want to know ahead of time from people who have had more experience with MPC products before I go and dish out any cash.

Should you cop one? Well, I say no because a new Maschine and Ren2 will arrive within a year. Ren is already on its way to 2.0 and Maschine is working on a hybrid controller/stand-alone. So depends on your patience and spending ability.

--What I really want to know is if the Ren is just a fancy and expensive MIDI controller that comes with software or if it is still much like any other more popular MPC's.

The Ren and Studio are controllers for the mpc software. I would not describe them as 'expensive' controllers as IMO most of the money you spend is covering the cost of the software itself, not the hardware. The MPC Software is quite extensive now, so £280 for an MPC Studio is perhaps (IMO) £200+ for the software alone.

--Will I still be able to use the Ren like any other MPC would be used?

Yes, if you ignore the 'need' for a computer, you can treat the Ren or Studio as you would standalone MPCs, but of course with all the added benefits of integration into a computer environment, as well as the ability to use it as a plugin in your DAW etc.

--What do other MPC's offer that the Ren can't?

Too difficult to answer that in any great detail, everyone has different needs. Obviously the standalone element is always going to be a deal breaker for many, many will insist the older MPCs have better timing, reliability etc. Obviously the really old MPCs add some unique colour to the sound, but that's just what you get with vintage samplers, and you won't get that with the more modern standalone's anyway.

I think the question is more 'What can the MPC Software offer that older MPCs can't?'. That would be a very extensive list.

You need to ask yourself why you want an MPC and then look at which type of MPC is going to work best for you and your requirements.

MPC-Tutor wrote:You need to ask yourself why you want an MPC and then look at which type of MPC is going to work best for you and your requirements.

Yo thanks for the reply man Ima go ahead and get it, I think I was just overly concerned about the whole stand-alone hardware vs. Software aspect, but I think I've came to my own conclusion that the Renaissance is a nice combination of the two and since I'm already comfortable with FL studio I think the ren will fit nicely as the focal point into my new setup.