Plugins for your beats in Logic with the MPC1000

I usually just play around until everything sounds pretty good, this technique isn't really working for me in the long run and I would really like to learn how to fully mix and master my beats using Logic Pro 9.

My setup is that I have connected my MPC1000 via the digital signal to my Mbox2 and then I can record my beats syncing with midi as well, so what I have done the past year is that I just play around until my sound sounds perfect, but this is something that takes me a great amount of time, I would really appreciate some tips and trix, and also which kind of plugs that you use to make your beats sound so clean, I mean with the sound quality being clean.

Appreciate every kind of help!

I think most guys here would agree that mixing is an on-going learning process...you always pick up new tricks as you go along to achieve the sound you are after. I am by NO MEANS an expert, but I always try to learn something on every mix that I do. Watch videos, read articles, read books, apply, and you will pick up things. The most important thing is to start with a good audio source or you will never achieve the sound you are after. Another key point is knowing how all of the tools in your mixing arsenal work....this means not only your plugins, but your DAW tools as well. Know what slow attack and release on a compressor do....learn how to cut certain frequencies in your sample so that your snare can breathe and cut....learn how to set up sidechain compression , etc. With that said, here are a few of my favorite plugins.

Compressor:
-Waves API 2500. I love this on my drums and master bus. It adds a nice tone. I plan on adding a hardware 2500 in the future.

Reverb:
-Universal Audio EMT 140 Plate Reverb. This just sounds awesome on EVERYTHING. My go to reverb. Trust.

EQ:
-Waves SSL Channel Strip. For a hardware emulation EQ, this is my favorite right now. It has a low cut filter, and offers a low/low mid/high mid/high freq. cut and sweep. Nice plugin.
-Universal Audio Pultec EQ. It's simple. It offers a Low/High knob, it's simple, and is awesome on kicks.

Tape Sim:
-Universal Audio Studer A800/ Ampex 102. The studer sits on each track, and the ampex on the master bus(last thing before my limiter). Blows Waves MPX away, and Waves MPX is a VERY good plugin, so that's saying a lot.

Limiter:
-Waves L series. I just like them, and I'm not a mastering studio, I just use them to get my tracks to a listenable level so that's all I will say about this.

Hope this helped!

Just saw this now, thanks for the tips, I think it's time for me to apply to some classes so I can really in depth, would appreciate if you could point me to some good youtube clips on the subject using mpc 1000 jjos2xl with logic 9

i dont know if you will find alot of videos specifically for the mpc1k jjos with logic 9, but as far as mix tips.

start out just mixing levels, make sure everything sounds good level wise, put your favorite track, or a similar sounding track on and listen to how loud their instruments are in relation to each other, then apply that to your track.

good practice is to get your beat as loud as you can without clipping ever.

after you do this, add some compression (look up videos on youtube "insert instrument here" compression tips, and youll learn alot)

remember that reverb adds space, think of it as a way to make your stuff sound like its in a certain. for example, if you want your drums to sound like their all in one space, use the same reverb for all your drums (maybe switch a main reverb during the chorus) another good tip, please learn it. use the delay time calculator 60 divided by bpm x 1000 that will give you a whole note, divide it by 2, half note, divide it by 2, quarter note, divide it by 2, 1/8th note, divide it by two 16th note. ect ect. now time your predelay in your reverb to this value. i cannot stress enough how much better your reverb sounds when you do this.

also be aware that after you mix all your levels dry, when you start adding your effects, you will have to re mix all your levels because they will change the dynamics of your track.

another logic exclusive thing: always put the level meter plugin on your master bus, its much more precise than the regular meters in logic. another thing you should do is go to logic>preferences>display, then change your meters from exponential to linear. for some reason logic uses exponential metering out of the box, youll get more precise metering using linear. set this and forget it. pretty much every major DAW besides logic uses linear metering, who knows why they set it to default to exponential.

more about that here:
http://600hz.blogspot.com/2009/12/look- ... eters.html

some great plugins in logic:

space designer reverb (this is by far the most natural sounding reverb, you can even make your own out of any room you are in, if you want to look how to do that, some people pay upwards of 500 dollars for a convolution reverb plugin, its really nice they gave you one)

fat eq and channel eq: there is a frequency analizer on one of these, i dont remmber which one, its the one with the colors (thats the one i like more) and not the all blue one (but this is an alright eq also)

i actually kinda dig logic's stock compressor, the platinum one is what its called i think, if your learning about compression, check out the presets and modify from there.

tape delay/echo: this is the only delay i use usually, this plugin is golden imo.

hope that helps.

the tips are golden! thanks alot!

http://varietyofsound.wordpress.com/

these are great.