Sampling live drums into MPC

I have an MPC 3000, sp 404, and vestax mixer, a jazz drum set, and bass guitar with a turntable. I would like to know what would the best kind of mixer be for me to get in order to sample live drums and bass. I was thinking about the Yamaha MG16/6 with compression, but I'm not sure how to go about it. I would like to use all of my tools together if possible. If anyone could offer advice I'd greatly appreciate it.

I am using an Allen & Heath ZED16-14FX (+ mics) and FMR 'RNC' to get my drum kits into my samplers/looper.

Pretty simple setup. The 404 catching everything from the mixer's "Monitor" or "Record" outs (since they are phono). The compressor comes before the outputs so I can compress to taste.

I used to catch all the audio on my MPC so I can chop it, etc. But it's easier for me to hit "RECORD" on the 404 and play the f*ck out of my drums.

The real question to ask yourself is how good are you are recording live instruments and how good you plan to try and get.
That will put your overall investment in perspective and create a realistic budget.

If you are talking about testing the water to see what you can accomplish then the Yammy and some cheap mics would be fine.

If you are after more useable, quality results then go for quality in channels instead of number of channels.
You also want to try to invest in mics that don't make you end up chasing your tail trying to fix their inherent flaws.

Don't misunderstand what I am saying to mean go out and spend a ton of cash.
What I mean is get the most bang for your bucks.

Gearslutz has a section that focus on gear with a small price big return which could be very helpful to what you are trying to do.

@ THE ADVERSARY I've never done this before, so what I am going for is a DRDK 4 piece mic set. And what would you suggest as a mixer for better quality? And I will check out that gearslutz page.
@medearis Say money isn't an object, would you suggest the Allen & Heath ZED16-14FX with your compressor over the Yamaha MG16/6 which already has compression knobs?

I think what THE ADVERSARY meant was: If you want the best quality, don't rely on the pre-amps of a mixer, and use dedicated pre-amps (obviously the most expensive route).

Generally speaking, his post is very sound advice tho.

If you want to go for an analogue mixer (more channels, inferior pre-amps), i would consider looking for something like the recommended A&H consoles, Soundcraft, Mackie, or if you wanna spend a tiny bit more and get a mixer with better pre-amps, look for a used Midas from the Venice line... they are surprisingly cheap these days.

Also, the tip about gearslutz isn't a bad one. I would read up about drum mic techniques, etc. Certainly it will help to know a little what you are doing to help get the best results, so read a lot on the subject would be my advice.

@Jibber thanks, I appreciate it.

In the end you have to ask yourself how much is it all worth to you, and what are you doing with it in the end.

I started with an mpc500 and a pc with a soundblaster card. It sounded allright. Then i got an mpc2500 with an apogee interface. It sounded better, but still like homemade amateur beats.
After that i got all kind of samplers and mpcs, bought a mackie mixer, studio monitors, tape machine... all in the pursuit of better sound (also i really needed a mixer anyway, there's no way around it if you want to mix analogue). It sounded better, but still like homemade music.
i recently bought a midas mixer (that's why i can vouch for the good sound and they really are a steal right now), i paid less than i paid new for the mackie... and while AGAIN it sounds BETTER than the mackie did... my music still sounds the same.

I could someday buy an SSL mixer/console, or a Neve console... (if i win the lottery), i could buy a Studer tape machine, etc... my music would sound better again (not a lot, you pay stupid money for the best of the best and it sounds maybe 2% better than simply very good gear). But even if i buy the best of the best, my music will still sound the same... amateurish.

I still am an amateur at making beats, and more than anything, i still am an amateur at SOUND ENGINEERING and MIXING! I think this gets overlooked a lot.

If you know you want to record drums (and other things) for a loooooooong time. You will still do it in 10 years from now... then buy something decent, pay a little more... this way you won't buy twice. But more than anything, learn how to get good results. Study the craft.

I do this all as a hobby, i get better, but very slow because i don't spend endless amounts of time making music and learning the craft. I take small steps and over a long time. As a result, my beats will sound like this... compared to lets say Damu the Fudgemunk, who can make a beat sound a million times more professional using a cheap ass mixer and standard mic (i don't know his setup, just a wild example i'm making). This is because he knows what he's doing, and i don't.

So is it worth it that i spent all this money on my gear. It sounds maybe 10% better than what i started with, and the average listener doesn't hear a difference at all. I make music as a hobby... i spent well over 10k of money on it. For me it's worth it... i don't care if one other person listens to my stuff, i just love music, things that make music, and i like when it sounds good (even if the mateial sounds shit, like my beats compared to the real good stuff). Is it worth it for you? That's something only you can decide.

If you really want the best results, study the craft of recording stuff (drums in your case) with microphones... and buy something decent but not expensive. You can get really good results with low price stuff (low end board on gearslutz).

My 2 cents
Peace.