godlike wrote:Don't waste your money on the MPC 3000 unless you are just collecting. The novelty of using the 3000 will wear off quickly and you will be back on your MPC Renaissance.
I own both (3000 & Renaissance). Started on the 3k / 60II. There are pros and cons to both.
Warning this is my biased, but honest opinion.
Ren -- ProsFast and powerful editing capabilities. It's got everything you need in theory such as effect plugins, even vintage hardware emulation. File management is easy including loading and saving. Bonus audio interface if you don't already have one.You're only limited by your 'puter.
Ren -- ConsRen is great if you use it as a suedo standalone by dedicating a computer rig and setting latency to the lowest possible (64 samples). Using the Ren along with a DAW will drive you mad due to induced latency via plugins and etc. You can freeze tracks to keep latency down to a minimum in your DAW; but you're dealing with freezing and unfreezing all the time. What if your *gasp* your 'puter freezes? Then you're facked either way aren't you? Workflow, homie... workflow.
Understand that the REN is basically a midi controller & audio interface combined. MPC Ren= Midi Production CONTROLLER. It's not a standalone unit, so in some ways not a very fair comparison to be honest. MPC-X is more comparable to a 3k since they are both standalone units.
3000 --ProsZERO latency, rare to no- crashing while you're working, and classic sound (subjective). Built like a tank.
I use the arm rest and it feels like i'm not gonna break the damn thing as opposed to the REN. 3k can definitely take a beat-ing.
3k -- Cons3000 is for the real mo'fuggaz who don't wanna fack around with software non-sense. They are usually people who like to sample off real vinyl. Chopping by numbers forces a user to have to use their ears (go figure), instead of a visual waveform. To some users, not having a visual editor is a deal breaker. Cost of maintenance can set you back since they are vintage hardware units. 20+ year old units.
Too lazy to type anymore. Hope this helps...