Does the 1k sound the same as a 2k classic, or even an XL?

Hi

Tried a quick search, couldn't find the answer (probably wasn't searching the right words)... anyone able to shed any light?

They use the same engine?

Do the 1000, 2000, 2000XL, and 4000 all sound the same (assuming you're using the 4k @ 16bit 44.1khz)?

Thanks

People on this forum SAY no.

But I don't know for sure.

I've owned a 2KXL and a MPC1K, although not at the same time. I prefer the sound of the 1K but cannot say whether that's due to a change in taste.

To these ears (and with the aid of some sonic memories and old tracks I did way back) they do sound different.

One mans better is another mans worse so make sure you check 'em out yourself if you can.

G4s

this is nearly irrelevent if you take your beats to a professional level and master them outside the box like it should be done

Antonym wrote:this is nearly irrelevent if you take your beats to a professional level and master them outside the box like it should be done

yes, through a Neve mixing desk. (joke )

ok, more seriously, i hear the 2k and 4k at my mate's, i don,t think they sound exactly the same, but they all sound good to me = punchy + tight bass. (speaking strictly of the sampling and playback engine, not the filters or effects).

I noticed that the 2000xl sounds more punchier (more fat) then the 1000.but the 1000 i think give the sample a clearer sound (closer to what your actually sampling).i used both machines they are both really nice sounding but with little differences

At least thats what I noticed

i own both i think the 2000xl sounds better but my workflow is faster with the 1000

ive had both as well, they sound very different to my ears. the xl was slightly mushier in the low end and the highs were just a tiny bit mellower compared to the 1k. the 1k's bass is kinda gigantic, like almost too much so. the highs - one wasnt really any brighter than the other but the highs were different.

i had the 1k first, then an xl, then back to 1k cuz i just liked the sound better. i ended up missing the huge bass. although the bass on the xl was much easier to manage in a mix, which is a very big deal.

im an engineer for a living so i may be pickier than a lot of people. because of that i also missed the quicker workflow of the 1k, i felt the xl was too clunky to be speeding along with during a session. the xl's buttons and pads were nicer. the tilt screen was pretty wicked too.

ah here's one, i hate to say it though but it's totally right on. in regard to eq and dynamics, the xl sounded just slightly vintage (ewwwww) and the 1k sounds just slightly more modern.
to me right there that is the perfect way to describe the 2 sounds.

I can't comment on the 2xl, but I owned the 4k too, and I gotta say the 1000 and 4000 have completely different sounds. Not just in the way they actually sound, but also where the sound is placed time wise in the sequencer is different. There is positives and negatives to both. It's basically preference.

Right now I am having mixing issues because I use a Triton Extreme along with the 1k, and both are very warm and chunky sounding. I record on a DPS 12 multitrack which tends to warm things up even more, and again even more when bouncing tracks. My tracks end up sounding way too warm and bassy. I have to bring my tracks into the computer just to cut down the bass and warmth.

I don't really mind this too much because it's always better to have to cut than to have to add when it comes to EQ, but it's still an issue nonetheless.

recently i realized that i lose all the beef when i use the digital outs on my 1k. so even though i lose a generation, im recording the analog outpts now. much better! for me anyway. usually.

like id do a beat, bounce it out thru SPDIF and be like whereTF did all the A$$ go on this beat?!?! this thing's got no A$S now?!?!?! haha

so now i just record the analog outs and i keep all the original thump that i put into the beat to begin with

seems relevant i guess??
maybe not....

i have both and IMO they sound almost the same.

the 1k sounds more clean than the xl.

wait wait wait man

recently i realized that i lose all the beef when i use the digital outs on my 1k. so even though i lose a generation, im recording the analog outpts now. much better! for me anyway. usually.

like id do a beat, bounce it out thru SPDIF and be like whereTF did all the A$$ go on this beat?!?! this thing's got no A$S now?!?!?! haha

are you using a good spdif cable?! in my opinion using real cables the sound is FAR inferior. the spdif does something amazing to the basses, too - crisps em up.

if anything, i'd say choose what you like more and i won't criticize your volition - but make sure you're using a good spdif and give it another shot

also, when tracking out, spdif some things and not others. softer melodies, use analog. basses, etc, try using spdif. use it as an effect! you might like it.

thanks for the suggestion ant

but yeah actually i am using a very high quality cable. it has nothing to do with that. it has to do with the analog outs are colored a certain way. so what happens is, when i record the 1k thru the digital out, all of a sudden im not hearing the beat i did anymore. cuz then it's colored a totally different way. if im recording a beat, i wanna record what i put together, not something with a slightly different color ya know what i mean?

yeah i know what you're saying, definitely.

tiger vomitt wrote:thanks for the suggestion ant

but yeah actually i am using a very high quality cable. it has nothing to do with that. it has to do with the analog outs are colored a certain way. so what happens is, when i record the 1k thru the digital out, all of a sudden im not hearing the beat i did anymore. cuz then it's colored a totally different way. if im recording a beat, i wanna record what i put together, not something with a slightly different color ya know what i mean?

i guess you could try monitoring thru the spdif, and then tracking thru it too, see if that makes a difference.