For discussion about setting up your studio and advice on the gear and equipment within it.
By Rolfjazzgård Tue Sep 10, 2013 6:44 pm
Hello! I recently bought myself a MPC 2000xl. But I feel like the sound isn't gritty/dirty enough. And I do love the sound of the MPC 60. But i feel like the its easier working on the 2000. So i thought i would buy myself an s900 or s950.

I've been reading some about it, and what i learnt (the most logical way). Is to chop, and play the samples via the s900, and then via midi trigger the sounds on the MPC. BUT I want to do all the work on the MPC and only use the s900 to change the sound of the sample. So i thought i could set it up like this: vinyl > djmixer>s900> mpc> speakers
and connect the s900 to the mpc via tele. So i wanna sample the sound that comes out the s900 to the mpc. Instead of trigging midi-information. Is this possible? will the sound be bad or weird?

Thanks. Sorry for my bad language.
User avatar
By Lampdog Tue Sep 10, 2013 7:04 pm
vinyl > djmixer>s900> mpc> speakers

This can work for sampling into mpc, yes.
2kxl line in only is active when in sampling mode, nothing else.

Your sample when played back on 2kxl will sound just like it did on the s900 just ever so slightly different, it won't even matter, it's nowhere near enough to be a bother.
2kxl is not an outright gritty machine.

Me, if I wanted to retain the s900 sound, I'd use it as a sound module (midi to mpc). S900 audio outputs would go to mixer (keeping the s900 sound). 2kxl audio outputs go to mixer. That's part of what the mpc's were made for, to control the hell outta midi.
By MaZe Tue Sep 10, 2013 7:06 pm
The s950 is no different than anything else that plays sound and therefor you can sample it into the 2000 just like anything else. There is no "thru" like function on the 900/950 so you will have to sample into the 900/950 and trigger it to sample it back into the 2000XL. I don't remember if the 2000XL can trigger midi while in sampling mode. You should look into that.
By Rolfjazzgård Tue Sep 10, 2013 7:13 pm
Thanks for the quick replies.

So i guess i should just trigger the sounds form the s900, with the mpc. But when only triggering midi, isn't the mpc just like a mpd, but standalone?

Sorry for my dumb questions :nod:
By ntalec Tue Sep 10, 2013 9:17 pm
Rolfjazzgård wrote:Hello! I recently bought myself a MPC 2000xl. But I feel like the sound isn't gritty/dirty enough.


That says more than you realize, get to know the XL before you start adding to it.
Learn to use resampling and the filter on the XL, or better yet throw a EB in the XL then learn to use those @ss backward EQ/Filters on the card with some distortion.

You would be real surprised at what you can make the XL sound like with some resampling, filtering, Distortion and EQ.

Real thing to understand the S950/900 is not a lot of fun to use.
By Rolfjazzgård Wed Sep 11, 2013 7:08 am
... i didn't even know you could resample on the 2000xl. In fact I googled it before and came to the conclution that you couldn't.. haha That is some bad google-skillz. I will definitely look in to that :x
By ntalec Wed Sep 11, 2013 12:23 pm
Rolfjazzgård wrote:... i didn't even know you could resample on the 2000xl. In fact I googled it before and came to the conclution that you couldn't.. haha That is some bad google-skillz. I will definitely look in to that :x


He XL doesn't resample the audio it allows you to change the attributes of he sample to give it character.

http://www.mpc2000xl.com/resample.htm

You can get the XL tomsound a lot better by using the resample function in conjunction with the filter on the XL.
Read the link and then experiment with the unit on your individual drums, drum loops or general samples to get some grit out of them.

To resample the audio you need a second sampler or some type of recorder, it still not hard to do.
By ntalec Wed Sep 11, 2013 12:31 pm
Also don't under estimate the usefulness of the tutorials sold here by Tutor especially for someone just starting out.
Plus they are cost effective. :wink:
By soundtech Wed Sep 11, 2013 1:42 pm
ntalec wrote:
Real thing to understand the S950/900 is not a lot of fun to use.



I actually quite like it. What rack samplers do different than mpcs is you can sample a new kick instead of another on the fly, without having to name the new sample or assign it to a root key again and so on. You do that on the fly. That is fun believe me.

It has a monitor volume knob, that is fun. Its quite alright for sampling instruments :)


Plus the pitch down is amasingly good

When things sound right its fun to use :)
By ntalec Wed Sep 11, 2013 4:30 pm
My first rackmount sampler was the S950 and when Ensoniq released the ASR10 rack I put the S950 in the corner.
That was a long time ago.
I still have a S950 and a v2 S900 that I use occassionally but I keep the ASR rack hook up because I will always find a use for it.

The ASR still remains the fastest gun in the west for sampling.
All the stuff you mentioned the ASR does automatically plus more.
It will continue to differentiate between samples as you keep sampling as well as allow you to sample in place.
Sample in place means you can tweak and adjust a sample however you like then sample into that location and the ASR will apply those setting to the new sample.

The S950 is useful but far from what people make it out to be.
Once you figu out how to set up a Program on the 950 to work with the MP for drums it gets netter but still not fun to use for what it actually gives you.
By soundtech Wed Sep 11, 2013 8:47 pm
Maybe you have a point sounds like the ASR is pretty nice i know people like it a lot i cannot say an opinion coz i havent used one yet. For sure its a geat sampler

About the 950 i'm quite comfortable working on akai samplers its simple yet powerfull if you ask me. I guess its just a matter of choice or convenience

Back to the topic 2000xl and s950 combo sounds good to me. Id have all percussion sampled in the 950 for sure though and everything else, just experiment i'd try both filters on for example bass and chords or any other sample, also pitching up or down and so on, experminent with them. Definitely good setup
By Rolfjazzgård Thu Sep 12, 2013 8:59 am
Thanks for all the replies! One question, if i would like do the drums with the s900, and the rest with the mpc. How would i save that? I mean, i would have the drums on the s900? and the midiinformation on the mpc? Can't really wrap my head around it really.
By soundtech Thu Sep 12, 2013 10:09 am
Yes you save the sequence or the arrangement on the 2000xl and the drum samples on an s900 disk.

The s900 needs to be told when to play and what to play. It has no sequencer like the mpc has. So the 2000xl will trigger the drum samples in the s900

Once you create your song on the 2000xl that arrengement needs to be saved via the 2000xl and of course save the samples from your s900 on a disk as well


Next time load everything back in the 2000xl and the s900 hit play and thats it
By ntalec Thu Sep 12, 2013 11:54 am
Rolfjazzgård wrote:Thanks for all the replies! One question, if i would like do the drums with the s900, and the rest with the mpc. How would i save that? I mean, i would have the drums on the s900? and the midiinformation on the mpc? Can't really wrap my head around it really.


Still think you need to get your head around the XL before even considering adding anything other than samples and electricity.
It's a trap many fall into now and it prevents them from getting the most out of their investment.
Give Tutor a few pennies for his XL tutorial, it will beat buying any other piece of gear at your current level.