time 4 sum new sh**!

sup y'all, i need some opinions from you mpc users, i got a korg karma and a motif 6, i've been wantin some new gear, and the mpc 2000xl has really attracted my attention. I've heard the sh** that can be done with the 2000xl and was comtemplating if i should buy the mpc, & get rid of the karma. OR use the sampler on the motif and just keep the karma. the motif is a better soundin board & karma is coo, but i love the way the drums sound on that mpc, plus i like how you can really fuq with tha samples. i hope some of y'all with an mpc wouldnt mind spending the time to give me some of yo advice.

the whole thing about the MPC is that its all sample based so if your used to just having your sounds available your gonna have to get used to loading everything and sampling everything or having pre-sampled drums.. however, asides from the sampling, i use my 2000xl as a midi sequencer alot of the time and it works real good doin that.. i would say if you really wanted to get all into sampling/midi sequencing/drum machining.. to ditch the karma and get the MPC.. tho i've heard alot of good things about the karma.. ya might wanna consider keeping what you got and just saving up for the MPC.. because the karma is supposed to be DOPE. dunno if its as dope as my triton studio 61 but dope nonetheless..

What's up fellas.

I run an MPC and a Karma side by side, and I love them together. Jus got an S2800, too, and will be making use of it soon.

The Karma has deadly sounds on it, deep, deep programmability and sound editing, effects out the ass, and of course the KARMA performance engine. The sounds on it are the exact same waveforms as the Triton, and most of the stock programs and combis are exactly the same, only programmed for KARMA playability. The Karma doesn't have a ribbon controller or touch screen, but it has more FX routing than the Triton LE and it has the KARMA engine which kicks the ass out of any standard arpegiator, or Motif's MOTIF engine, which is really just a way of playing back meta-midi files that were recorded by real players anyway. With KARMA MW you can create your own programs, combis and KARMA effects and beats incredibly easy. Of course, my shitty computer won't run KARMA MW, as I've spent all available cash on audio gear. If you have any machine from the past couple years you're set.

I use the Karma standalone sometimes, but the sequencer on it is not as friendly as the MPC, for sure. At least not for drum programming. A lot of times I'll use the MPC just for programming drum tracks ON the Karma's sequencer, or I'll program drum loops on the MPC and sequence piano and whatever else into the MPC using the Karma as the tone generator.

Karma fills in blanks when samples and drums alone won't cut it, and the KARMA engine is just so powerful, it'll kick the crap out of any randomizer or arpegiator or "humanize" function on the planet.

I've got an example I recently did, a 2 bar loop on my site at www.thynctank.com that uses a drum sample/sequence from MPC-Tutor's very own Breaks N Bass collection, some bass I sampled and programmed on MPC, and the piano which I played using the KARMA function to spice it up, all sequenced into the MPC. Check it out if you've got a chance, top right of the front page.

As far as sampling engines and so on are concerned, I've never used the Motif, so I can't speak for it. I have heard lots of praise for its built-in sounds, however.

If you're looking for an all-in-one machine, I've been seeing a lot of good things about the newer Roland Fantom-S boards, they've got MPC-like velocity sensitive pads and good sample time, sweet sounds and so on. Check em out.

romerom is right when he says you're going to have to get used to loading up and sampling things on your own, because it is a lot more time consuming then just booting up your keyboard and thunking away. It's also often more rewarding in that you're making something new from something old, or making something new from scratch rather than just tweaking someone else's samples or synth knobs.

Anyway, that's my 2 cents.

-tank

DAMN! good lookin' out thynctank & romerom! thats some real sh** that y'all are sayin' i was actually lookin at that fantom-s (thynctank) so you kind of read my mind on that one. And romerom, you're right, the karma IS DOPE....so i might even think about keepin it AND buyin an MPC. I am aware that you gotta load all your sounds on tha MPC, but sh** who gives a fuq! I think thats only gonna help me with my creativity and besides I know the MPC can do some fu**in pheonominal sh**! Again, i appreciate the input, that was exactly the type of advice i was lookin 4.