MPC 500 For Live Use

Well you have a 4000(judging by your name) and as you stated in your previous post you don't really care for the live mpc, turntablist kind of stuff. I think it really comes down to if you can relate in anywayat all to the person that is preforming at the time, are you impressed at all with how he or she preforms/uses their instrument.


I use to think more like yourself untill just recently I was fortunate enough to see a dvd where 5 DJ's all worked together in sync along with a live drummer to compose in my opinion one the most expressive and captivating preformances i've ever seen from any turntablist or groug of turntablists'.

really been edging closer to buying a 500 so I've been lurking here for a minute... had to dredge up this old post to add on, hopefully y'all won't mind.

gotta co-sign on some points. a few wicky-wickies with a live band is wack as is pressing play and nodding your head. I'm looking at the 500 as a baby bro to my DAW and ASR-X setup, to make beats while traveling and to take on stage to play live.

These cats are my inspiration:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=pRhOO-mzxvs
(I was at this show. check out more vids in the 'Related' section)

For me, here's where pad slapping becomes compelling:
- recontextualizing stuff you know in real time/live remixing
- virtuoso playing of the machine
- making s**t you can dance to but throwing in embellishments that are impossible if you're just playing a recording.

4000is1monster wrote:I never understood the appeal of watching someone hit pads live on stage. To me this type of gear is studio equipment.

I mean how exactly does it work? Are you on stage by yourself or with a band? How elaborate can the beats you make "on the fly" be? are you building up layers upon layers as the sequence repeats its self? Are you just using it to trigger special sound effects on stage while you play another instrument.

and whats the point? If it sounds the same as if you had sequenced it yourself at home why would someone want to watch you hit pads on stage.
And ive seen Hip Hop set ups where the guy with the MPC just basicly hit the start button and bob'd his head while the rapper rapped.

I could maybe understand if it was techno music or something, where it might be 1 guy on stage and he starts out with a simple sequence then the guy starts layering more and more stuff on top of the sequence untill it builds and builds.

its kinda like when back in the late 90's when some new groups where trying to be Rock/Rap groups like Surgar ray or 311 or Limp bizkit and they would have a "DJ" in the group with a pair of turntables just to scratch the record like once or twice during a song, it seemed kinda lame and like...."whats the point" ?

I like techno/dance, as well as hip hop (I actually like anything that sounds good to me when I hear it, I'm not hung up on restricting myself to certain genres, or dismissing others, in an attempt to seem cool to my peers).

Many techno/dance artists take out their gear, hit play, and then do a live mix, with a large mixer. Underworld and Chemical Brothers come to mind as a couple of the more mainstream acts that do this, and I enjoyed their shows.

I don't care if they press play and jump around, or if they play everything live, all that matters to me is if the sound going into my ears makes me feel good.

I'm not there to watch what they do, I'm there to enjoy the music they are making (and with techno, to enjoy jumping around like an idiot myself).

I don't see what the problem is, if you want to see a guitar based rock band, then go see that instead.

I'd much rather see an act bring out their gear, hook it up, and have the sounds paying from the source, rather than off of vinyl/DAT/CD/etc.

I don't know what you expect them to do, turn their sequencer/electronic based music into something that can be played by a guitar-based/traditional band, to please people like you...I've seen that done enough times, and that to me is lame.

Deleted Double Post...Forum is **** up, only posted once, appeared twice a little later.

DJStylus-I've been lurking around these parts since the 500 came about. I have the MOTIF ES Rack,ASR X,Kontrol49.When the 1000 first came to earth I was hesistant to buy after reading about them damn pads.Never have had my own MPC to bang on...never was brave enough to make the jump when you have cousins with gear u can "borrow". Really considering the 500. I don't know y'all tell me. The "real" pads and portability of the 500 ? Or more features and crappy pads of the 1k? Or fugg it spend the dough on the 2500 fully loaded and never sleep (Possibly getting divorced,losing the kids and the house.)?Deep within' I'm thinking 2500. Yet,damn.I visit the damn 500 board daily and for the most part you folks with the 500 are happy campers.Come the first paycheck in January,...I'll be a 500 Dude....or a 2500 Dude. I'm for sure not tappin' on the 1000 and to hell wid a MV8000. Thats the only damn thing I am sure of other than death and taxes.VST got a decent price on that 2500 loaded. Yet payments through americanmusical would make my old lady happy.Decisions,decisions.DAMN.

LOL.

It's like these modern Guitar Hero guys that are absolutely amazing guitar players and have amazing technical skills but their music f-king sucks because every piece of music or song that they write is essentialy just another excuse/oppurtunity to show of their skills. The music has no soul or any emotial aspect to it that a listener can grasp onto and the only people that can bare to listen to it are other guitar players that have a hard-on for these guys because they wish they could play like that.

that describes most people on this forum.

i hear u "4000". put it to you this way...there is a subculture for everything. as much as what they do is or isn't music (and who are we to judge), there are people just as ingrained in the art that will pay $10 bones to go see it. for ex, I hate when dj's over juggle a record...i'm like 'youre fukin up the song dude!' until my boy explained to me that the entire point was juggling records to create something entirely new...which makes no sense sonically to anyone like me just trying to hear the record, but is amazing to them and anyone who hears it like them. to each is own.

just make good music people.

what's your goal?

I love my ASR-X but the sequencer is crap and I used to slave a Korg d8 from it for vocals and such. I use Cubase now as my sequencer and multi-track recorder. Problem solved. I've got an XP-30 that I use for synth/keyboard stuff so it's even more important to have a good MIDI quarterback to keep everyone in order.

So most of the features that I'd take advantage of in a full size MPC are already being taken care of in my current setup. I need something to carry around to increase my productivity and open up more options in live shows. Watch me be that dude chillin' at the coffee shop editing samples in CoolEdit, exporting them by USB and banging them out on pads.

Sounds like you're looking for your "alpha dog" so to speak. Got anything you can sell to ease the impact of copping that 2500? I'm using a $100 copy of the most basic Cubase and it's phenomenal. Rock solid, intuitive and feature rich. There's gotta be some good share/freeware sequencers out there too. I now find myself arranging songs as I'm making beats where before the arranging was a whole seperate and time consuming task.

I get the feeling that you're more drawn to the unique work flow and feel of the MPC line though. How are the pads on that Kontrol49? I've never owned or used an MPC but it does have a heavy mystique. Just looking into them more as I contemplate this purchase has made me realize how a lot of cats I know pull off certain signature elements in their tracks because they're directly tied to MPC functionality (i.e. Kev Brown bass lines!)

sorry for the post-jack... didn't really mention anything about live usage.

SamOwen wrote:DJStylus-I've been lurking around these parts since the 500 came about. I have the MOTIF ES Rack,ASR X,Kontrol49.When the 1000 first came to earth I was hesistant to buy after reading about them damn pads.Never have had my own MPC to bang on...never was brave enough to make the jump when you have cousins with gear u can "borrow". Really considering the 500. I don't know y'all tell me. The "real" pads and portability of the 500 ? Or more features and crappy pads of the 1k? Or fugg it spend the dough on the 2500 fully loaded and never sleep (Possibly getting divorced,losing the kids and the house.)?Deep within' I'm thinking 2500. Yet,damn.I visit the damn 500 board daily and for the most part you folks with the 500 are happy campers.Come the first paycheck in January,...I'll be a 500 Dude....or a 2500 Dude. I'm for sure not tappin' on the 1000 and to hell wid a MV8000. Thats the only damn thing I am sure of other than death and taxes.VST got a decent price on that 2500 loaded. Yet payments through americanmusical would make my old lady happy.Decisions,decisions.DAMN.