Only thing Better Than an MPC

sequential Circuit
Studio 440

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... eName=WDVW

i dont see how this unit is better than the mpc...............

At least it's older.

cux it's vintage

could be nice to add to a setup, but better than an mpc.....not to me, that's jus my opinion, i think it's more of a history of hip hop production thang

i didn;t even know what it was until recently, apparently rza used one at some point

it would be fun to use though

no compareson the pads on the mpc are way bigger, the mpc looks simpler
plus the screen is bigger on the mpc and lit up,oh and it swivels up and down.

yeah i'll give it that it's older, but that does not make it better some things are better older like tapedecks and amps and sh!t but this i dont think so.

pads on the 440 are sick. I don't belive any of you have used one of these. So, thusly not qulified to comment. The sound of the 440 is un matched. beutiful 12-bit drum sounds.

IMO nothing is better than mpc4000

not having used one doesn't make us unqualified to comment, based on the specs alone i wouldn't say it is better than an mpc, prolly would be nice addition and cost way less that an sp-1200, i'm sure if somone had acces to it they could freak it, but if i had the money and had to choose i would go with the mpc, if all i could afford wat the studio 440, i'd cop it and learn how to use it

i bet it does sound nice, but that don't make it better

i still wouldn't mind usin one

RZA USE TO USE IT

I've used one, they are great for the sound, the tuning knob works right with the sample you are hitting, kinda like auto NV assign. The pads are really mushy, your finger leaves an imprint. I'm not a big fan of that, but it is usable. It can have problems of overheating but it does do a lot for such an old piece. I would say it surpases the SP and 60 in many ways, but not as a sequencer, it works, but it is much harder to get around than the 60, but not hard compared to the later MPC's.

it's a tight machine, and much better than a lot of the other 12 bit machines, especially with the resonance mod, but at the pricve they go for, it isn't worth it. It certainly couldn't replace a 60 or any other MPC as far as being the center of your rig, but you can make good music with it. I think some DnB cats rock it.

http://www.mpc-forums.com/viewtopic.php?t=18963

an s900?

lol

That's what Dan the Automator uses... it sounds dope.

For those who're really in vintage wore...

STUDIO 440 FEATURES & SPECIFICATIONS

SAMPLING:
-8Sound Channels (voives) 12bit linear recording 768 kBytes (512 WORDS) of sound RAM
Sampling rates and maximum recording time:
15.625kHz rate: 33,5 seconds - 6kHz bandwitch
31.250kHz rate: 16,7 seconds - 12kHz bandwitch
41.667kHZ rate: 12,5 seconds - 18kHz bandwitch

DIGITAL SAMPLE EDITING

*Scale: ability to change the amplitude of the original recording (including forced clipping).
* Copy/Append: allows transfer of one sample to another (empty) sample location, or the splicing of two samples together. The "splicing" of sounds can be crossfaded or abrupt. Also allows reversal of the source material before appending to easily create spécial forward/reverse sounds.
*Looping: Forward or bi-directional sustain or release loop; linear or equal power crossfade looping (forward or bi-directional).
*Mix: Allows the "merging" of two samples digitaly.
*Direction: Forward or reverse playback of sample data.
*Start Mod: The playback start-up point of the sample can be controlled by velocity.


ANALOG CONTROLS

Separate VCF and VCA per voice, VCF is lowpass 24 dB/octave.

Outputs: Each (up to 32) sample assignable to any of the 8 outputs; or, assignable to any one of 32 pan (stereo placement) positions. Stereo placement can also be a fonction relative to the sample's pitch.

Envelopes: ASR type, 2 per voice (VCF,VCA) DIR type, 1 per voice (BEND)

VCA attack can be exponential (positive values) or reverse exponential (negative values-typical of reverse sounds).

Attack and release times can each be fixed from 0 to 120 seconds.

Sustain time can be fixed (from 8 milliseconds to 120 seconds), or GATED, which sustains the sound for as long as the pad is held.

Special BEND envelope to create pitch sweeps upwards or downwards from the original pitch. Can be set to occur immediately or upon release of a pad.

All envelope settings (attack rate, sustain time, release rate, and bend depth/rate) can be set to track pitch and velocity.

MAPPING OF SOUNDS: Sound mapping is done per MIDI channel and is over an 88 range, from LowA (A1) to HighC (C7). All samples can be mapped to one MIDI channel, or distributed throughout the 16 MIDI channels.



SEQUENCER

8 tracks

32 channels of MIDI information per track (16A, 16B).

400k Bytes of sequence RAM, equivalent to approximately 100,000 MIDI events (50,000 notes).Sequence RAM independent of sample RAM.

99 sequence locations. Sequence length from 1 to 999 bars. Number of repeats per seq. 0 to 254 or INFINITE.

12 song locations. Song length from 1 to 500 steps. Number of repeats per steps 0 to 31.

The ability to mute or unmute selected tracks can be entered as steps in a song.

Auto correct Resolutions: 4,4T,8,8T,16,16T,32,32T,OFF.
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Tempo range is 40 to 250 beats per minute (BPM). Tempo is also displayed in frames per beat (FIB).

SMPTE types are 24,25,30 Drop and 30 non-drop Frames Per Seconds (FPS).

INTERFACES, INPUTS, & OUTPUTS.

Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) : 2 lines of 16 characters each.

DATA ENTRY SLIDER

8-SOUNDS PADS: Velocity & Pressure Sensing, assignable.

AUDIO OUTPUTS: 8 separable audio outputs plus stereo outputs (also act as headphones or mono mix out).

MIDI: IN, OUT A, OUT/THRU A, OUT B.

TERMINAL SYNC IN & OUT.

CLOCK SMPTE OUT: Logic Level Signal of +5 volts DC.

CLOCK SMPTE IN: Tape or Logic Level.

TAPE SMPTE OUT: An AC coupled signal for printing sync tones on tape.

SCSI: 25 pin D-connector Small Computer System Interface for connection to HD and future storage devices such as CD-ROMs.

DIMENSION & WEIGHT

22"1/4 Wide x11" Deep x4"1/4 High
Approximate Weight: 17 pounds.

This Drum machine is real vintage... I wouldn't compare to any 16bits MPCs, but if I have to with 12bits samplers like S900, SPs & MPC60...

To my mind, in this area (440 cames out in 1986), engineers and comp. were on a "musical creating search", as much as sales... They would produce a finished tool with deep features... when others corps. starts to do money by selling in option something that should come "outtadibox"!!!

the.....Studio+ Options

The way of thinking "Pro" tools was way different from today and our MPCs!
Despite all this the 440 is ttoooo expansive nowaday!!!

Its seems to be a great tool, that looks like allow you to go way deeper (for sampling edition) than i.e an S900/950, SP12/1200 and probably MPC60...
I don't know about sounding, never own one, so I can't say if it's "BETTER" than an MPC ! But it should be nice to try one add to my set-up!

Peace!

Yo! Philly S., ya drop the name, but ain't say why, it's could be better than an mpc? What's your statement? You just drop the nama or have a real opinion on it ??...

Amp filter and pitch envelopes? c'mon that's wicked fort a 12 bit oldie like that!

the 60 has a better display and interface, but the 440 sampler kills the 60 and the sp-1200.