For discussion about setting up your studio and advice on the gear and equipment within it.
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By Dr.Foo Mon Jun 09, 2003 6:36 pm
I notice on here, alot of folks talking about how they like this gear and that gear, now I'm not knocking ne1's choice of gear, horses for courses and all.

BUt I was wondering, how often do you actually use all that other gear?
I rememeber when I started, If I wanted to get a pile of instrument samples, I didnt spend time sampling on the mpc, I just went out and copped a sound module or keyboard.
Then I hit an epiphany, I have the MPC< and why not just try and use it to do instrument samples. That was when I found the Tutor site, as I was looking for a way to loop and set up live instrument samples on the MPC.

Basically this epiphany was the start of my "use the mpc for all" philosophy. I look at it like this, With all of my work contained in the mpc, all I need to do anything is right there in front of me, instant gratification.

Basically, my point is, how often do you use your sound module or non-sampling keyboard (like a trinity or triton le w/o the sampler upgrade)?
how often do you sample and map across your emu sampler or do you just do in on the mpc?

Is it cost effective for you? IE if you have a esi 5000 that you use for instruments do you use it once per song? once every 3 or 4 songs? basically for what you pay, do you get the proper use out of it? Think hard b4 you answer this. I would say a sampler that cost 500 dollars that you use on every couple of tracks is not cost effective since you are paying what? 50 dollars per track over 10 tracks to have it, but sat a sp-202 that you pay 100 dollars for and use daily as a sketchpad when away from the mpc is very valuable since you pay 100 dollars and use it as a sketchpad to come up with ideas for say 15 tracks, thats a "cost" of less then 10 dollars per track/

this is more geared towards those who dont have acces to the loot they need to cop mad gear see as a dj, my vinyl comes first still. So when its the end of the month and I am looking at getting some new kit, my funds are gone from the vinyl hunting.

so basically, when I look at the gear I use, I have a tx16w, but I rarely use it, not beacsue its not useful, but becasue there are more useful things in my rig. basically, my rig is the decks, the mpc and the computer and I think I do fine with it. How many others out there get it poppin fresh with just the MPC and a recording source?

By ezv187 Mon Jun 09, 2003 7:47 pm
Well said Doctor....I am like you: the decks, the mpc and the computer are all I need!
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By Ron Mon Jun 09, 2003 9:53 pm
I have to say that I use my Triton Pro X on every track with my MPC. During production that is what works for me. I layer sounds. Sometimes samples with keyboard sounds. Some times several keyboard sounds. I love the filters and FX's. But since I got the MPC, that is my sequencer of choice. The Tritons seq dose not compare (but I can use it very effectivly). I hardly ever used the sampler fuction on the Triton - just didn't feel it I love sampling on the MPC. After that it gose into my computer thru a focusrite Penta to my US428. I Have to say that I do not desire any other equiptment period.
I have the opertunity to use all sorts of gear on a daily basis. Sessions bring all kinds to have me mix it and record thier vocals. I can say I was not impressed with anything else enough to want it. I am not knocking other equiptment. I just don't need it. Nothing - I mean NO-THANG else can do any thing I can't. This gear has paid for it's self close to 50 times over. This is what I use to feed my children, Pay child support and keep a roof over our head. That is the bottom line concerning me.
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By eightsixteen Tue Jun 10, 2003 4:41 pm
I have to agree with you Dr. Foo. I used to own a maxed out Titanium PowerBook with Reason, Recycle, ReBirth, Logic Platinum, etc. and the Oxygen8 controller. I wrote some nice stuff, but felt overwhelmed by the options offered by all those programs, options I payed for but barely used. I felt like I was wasting money if I didn't use every effect in Logic Audio. I felt like a painter with every color available to him within reach, but just couldn't be inspired to paint. I realized then that everything I wanted to do I could do on the MPC. So, I sold the TiBook to buy the MPC and ended up saving cash and becoming much more creative. I stopped using the computer for everything other than recording audio from sequenced tracks from my Roland Juno 106 (antique). Even then I just record short phrases that are then loaded back into the MPC. I don't even use Recycle anymore, it feels like cheating on my main b*tch, the MPC.

When you have limited tools you tend to be much more resourceful with what you have. To me (I can't speak for anyone else) limits are what incite creativity. Basically all I use is the MPC, my Juno 106, a Mackie VLZ1202 mixer, a few guitar pedals and a Mac G3 for recording sequenced tracks to audio. I am definitely developing a technique now which utilizes the MPC as the center of the production environment. Everything I do is sample based, I refuse to record full tracks in audio. I was considering buying a second sampler, but I've created work-arounds to what I would use that sampler for. I want to be able to do everything live with these limited tools and record to a 2 track analog deck. I know it sounds like I'm living in the 80's or something, but I grew tired of all my songs sounding like everyone else's who uses Reason.

By the way, ezv187, who are those guys in that photo? It cracks me up.
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By Dr.Foo Tue Jun 10, 2003 4:52 pm
word. I feel like y'all cats. I got an ASR-10, and all it does is serve as a nice midi controller for me. I dont even remember the last time I tried to sample with it (matter of fact I prolly even forgot how to use the ASR's sequencer by now) basically, when you made the artist with paints analogy it was on point.
the MPC is like having acces to only the "primary colors" you can blend and tweak them to make any of the millions of other colors, (since all colors come from the primary colors) but you still have acess to the basics. I would say there are 2 kinds of studio rigs, those that try to get as many little tubes of colors as possible (sounds) so that they dont have to spend as much time mixing colors, and those who feel that mixing their primairy colored paint is the only way to get that true color, ie a color that nobody elese can make, its not store bought, it comes from the dome.

I prefer the latter. And I find that the workarounds force me to be creative. again, this aint to say that those who got large studio's dont "mix thier own colors" I just like to start with a basic palatte for my work and flesh it out from there

IM THE BOB ROSS OF THE MPC!!!!!!!!!!

By ezv187 Tue Jun 10, 2003 5:41 pm
Dr.Foo wrote:
IM THE BOB ROSS OF THE MPC!!!!!!!!!!




lol

By KoolSha178 Tue Jun 10, 2003 5:54 pm
I bought too much stuff once I came into some money and quickly realized all i use is he mpc and my hardware eqs and compressors were taking all the life out of my sound. i couldnt agree more dr. foo, now i just use my records, mpcs, and the ms2000 for the occasional lead sound or bass line. no midi.

By brainwashcloth Tue Jun 10, 2003 6:13 pm
i use plenty of stuff but the only thing currently collecting dust is my electrix moFx rack effects unit. i wanted the filterqueen and they didnt have it and I bought this instead, and have never gotten much use out of it. maybe I will ebay it.

I am the diana ross of the mpc!!!!!!!
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By Dr.Foo Tue Jun 10, 2003 6:56 pm
word. Yeah, I went through "gearitis" in the eary stages too. I copped some gear that wound up on ebay when I had my revalation. Basically, alot of people I know that have phat studio rigs never seem to make any music (at least complete any music) they spend time trying to get all the gear to do this or do that and dont focus on just making funkay traks.
Or they have so much gear they are swamped.

My buddy has a nice rig but to start it up takes like 10 minutes. He has alot of cool stuff well organized for working, but when he wants to test an idea its, push this button, turn this knob, rotatae in chair, push this button patchbay, push this buttion, turn knob, get up and figure out why sound module is not responding to midi, check stuff etc. push this button-audiion idea-dont like it-reverse and undo all steps, hope you dont miss one.

for me its just, turn on mpc, load samples/sample samples, manipulate beat.
I dont mess with midi and that saves me a major headache, but I can 100% see where midi is useful, I would like to get ahold of a mo phatt and sample a couple of the precussion sounds I heard @ guitar center, they were phatt, but I'll just stick to the MPC guerilla style.
basically, to quote ODB

"MIDI is good, but MPC is Better. MPC is for the children"
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By jorge guzman Tue Jun 10, 2003 7:22 pm
i mainly use my mpc, chop up drums, strings, keys and play em out but when i was just a newbie like 8 months ago i was using my roland jv880 to make my tracks which is my only module. i still use it ocassionally to play some dark keys or heavy string parts but mainly im just sampling to get my sounds, but im contemplating hard on getting a minimoog or the motif rack since i hear is pretty crazy...then i think... imagine all the records i could buy with that money. 1

By KoolSha178 Tue Jun 10, 2003 7:32 pm
A vintage analog synth is definitely something i am considering picking up though, a nice little moog or maybe a pro-one or some fender joint, something i can just turn on, tweak, and record to mpc or daw.

and its funny how much better my tracks sound now minus the useless stuff.

By Ares 12 Tue Jun 10, 2003 10:37 pm
I don't need anything except my computer, MPC, and vinyl!

By oceanstatekillah Wed Jun 11, 2003 5:17 am
yeah i am good with just a xl and vinyl , the 4000 and vinyl is also pretty ill and my mac with pro tools digi 001.



MPC 2003 JOHN CAKES BAKES MPC CAKES

By D_Samp Mon Jul 14, 2003 7:24 pm
while i applaud and dig the "back to the basics" approach you all embrace some things concern me...

"my hardware eqs and compressors were taking all the life out of my sound"

thats a bit of a stretch man. no disrespect but you actually have to learn how to use them. everyday we use outboard gear such as compressors and eq's and exciters and gates and limiters and harmonisers and lots of crazy shit. its all just knowing its use and place


anyway before i hang myself on my gear lust lemme say how much i dig MPC's for downbeat stuf. im not a hiphop head like lots of you, im more up on a Ninja Tune vibe, got my music released on the aussie version of ninja tune and so on. Mr Scruff, Prefuse73, Dj Shadow... all MPC masters. check their stuff its well done on a lo-fi tip


but as for gear... well apart from the studio work doing engineering im a sound designer which is quickly becoming more of a career focus for me and i use an extended amount of stuff to do this sound design caper. Gear lust is not really an issue as i reinvest my music income (as any sane studio muso does.. dont raid the piggy bank, just spend on music what music earns you!)

things i wouldnt want to be without though:

Roland SPD20 and my Conga (which replace my drum kit... neighbours dont appreciate drums at 3am so its all digital now)

Reaktor - im a maths freak. Reaktor lets me get all geek like god intended without blowing any more cash on building my own hardware.

Rode NT1 condensor mic. great mic, large open condensor... mmmm.

RNC Compressor.... best in its price range. half RU size and truly incredible.

Access Virus C - best hardware nasty synth ive touched, just slightly outshadowing the Novation Supernova2 bandmates own for me... just sly evil synthesis... maths heaven.


thats just some of the "junk" but the essential stuff. i learnt the hard way, as we all do, while young about gear lust, and luckily sold off most of the extraneous stuff at a good time. it didnt help that i was dealing in music hardware for a while (buying at local auctions and garage sales and selling on ebay for heaps).

so i guess im reaching a moral.... take the middle ground. dont be scared of new gear, it can open wonderful doors or inspiration, but dont get lost in sales hype. have a read of DUBTRIBE website, even sunshine jones got carried away.