suggestions for gear to process sounds goin in, eq etc??

hi there.

first off, this is my first post, although i've often checked this forum as i've long been interested in sampling, mpcs and hiphop/breaks production.

ok, so i've been making hiphop on my computer for a looong time, and bought an akai mpd24 earlier this year to try and emulate the mpc experience while layin down tracks, but as you know, an emulation is never as good as the real thing.

Now, i'm finally gonna get an mpc 2000xl, although i'd love a 3000, i don't have the dough for it right now, but the 2000xl will do. So i'm a huge fan of the production work of DJ Premier and Pete Rock, as i'm sure most of you are, and that is the sound i've always gone for. I'm aware that this type of proper boombap hiphop sound owes alot to processing the sounds going into the mpc, eq, possibly compression etc (btw might get an akai s950 also).

So i need you're help with suggestions for pre-production gear, remember i'm a noob on a shoe string budget. So what i've had in mind so far is a little mixing board (possibly a soundcraft, any suggestions??) with a few sweeping mid band eqs, and i wanted to shell out on a decent tube preamp for phattening up the sounds, but my budget will be lower than i thought, so i might get a li'l 'art tube mp' preamp (i think thats what its called, anyone use this?) as i can get one for less than 50, and i think this would be adequate for the purpose, unless you lot have any opinions or ideas? how do you phatten up sounds after eq?
what do you use to process the sounds as they go in to your sampler?

ok, next question might sound a bit stupid, but can i hook up my turntable directly to the mixing board? or would i still need a dj mixer, because the one i have is **** and i'm hoping i won't need to get a new one, as i want to have as much dough left as possible for some vinyl.

i read in an interview in remixmag that pete rock was using his gli pro dj mixer with 3 band eq to the sounds going into his mpc for 'nys finest' (although i didn't like it to much), so i was wondering does anyone here do it this way? is it worth getting a nice dj mixer with eq instead of a mixing board and eqing the sounds with that?

essentially i need budget gear to eq and phatten up the sounds going in, but with a decent sound quality that won't lose any frequency content going through if you know what i mean? like losing any top end, because i'm gonna get an ortofon cartridge for high quality output from the turntable.

Anyway, any advise or suggestions you guys can give me would be very helpful, as i'm gettin all the shit in two weeks, and any help you can give me might guide me on what to buy, so please , the more replies the better.

thanks people

you're right, you want eq and compression.

rather than get a pre amp and mixer. just get a mixer with a good preamps. a dj mixer might be all you need, especially if you're doing pete rock inspired beats. you probably don't need lots of inputs.
buying a cheap tube pre might not be the best idea. the warmth of tubes is in large part a result of the transformers. you can't get good quality transformers for cheap.

for a compressor, it sounds like the RNC (really nice compressor), is the best of the budget lot. or maybe get an old DBX compressor on ebay.

or you could look at buying a channel strip that has pre amp, eq, compressor/limiter all in one.
something like this:
http://www.zzounds.com/item--JOETHREEQ

thanks for the info,

any suggestions for a mixer with a decent eq and preamp i can get get on e-bay for under 200 british pounds? And would i still need a dj mixer before the mixing board?
I've seen a dbx 266 comp for 75 quid in a shop near where i work, anyone use one of these?

beach_break wrote:for a compressor, it sounds like the RNC (really nice compressor), is the best of the budget lot. or maybe get an old DBX compressor on ebay.

im buying the 2 channel vestax entry level dj mixer for teh eq and also pre amp for the tunrtable.... in regards to compression i have a dbx 160a that i use for vocals, could i use this in conjunction with the dj mixer to compress drums? and would u use it for instrument samples/ vocal samples/ loops or only for drums?

Im happy now finally i might get more use out of the compressor, i remember it was expensive when i got it a few years ago for vocals.

takkin wrote:thanks for the info,

any suggestions for a mixer with a decent eq and preamp i can get get on e-bay for under 200 british pounds? And would i still need a dj mixer before the mixing board?
I've seen a dbx 266 comp for 75 quid in a shop near where i work, anyone use one of these?

im in the same position as u. im just gonna get the entry level 2 channel vestax and i already got a dbx compressor, if u get the dbx u can also use it on vocals! but i'd say get a good compressor if ur gonna use it for vocals.

hello?...is this thing on? (tap,tap,tap)

i was hopin' for more replies, i really need some advice before i make my purchases, i wanna get off to a good start.

I thought you guys would love talkin' about your setups, and guiding a noob on the right path...

anyone?

takkin wrote:hello?...is this thing on? (tap,tap,tap)

i was hopin' for more replies, i really need some advice before i make my purchases, i wanna get off to a good start.

I thought you guys would love talkin' about your setups, and guiding a noob on the right path...

anyone?

bro, check this out: get an ecler nuo 2. i was going to buy a cheaper one but after consulting with several people its worth getting the ecler. good luck

thanks mate.

looks pretty dope, might get one myself. You reckon the eq will be ok? Do you know of any dj mixers with 4 or 5 band eqs in the same price range?

i got just over a week to decide, still looking for a lil mixing board as an option for 250 or below, but i'm worried in that price range it'll be noisy crap that'll ruin whatever i'm sampling.

takkin wrote:thanks mate.

looks pretty dope, might get one myself. You reckon the eq will be ok? Do you know of any dj mixers with 4 or 5 band eqs in the same price range?

i got just over a week to decide, still looking for a lil mixing board as an option for 250 or below, but i'm worried in that price range it'll be noisy **** that'll ruin whatever i'm sampling.

i havent seen 4 or 5 band eq, but do u really need that much?

in regards for quality the ecler is perfect...if u go cheaper u will sacrifice quality!

depends on ur budget, can u afford to buy it or can u afford to wait and save more, if not get something cheaper.

to buy an ecler i will ahve to delay my purchase of a mixer for about 2 months or so, but i think its better to wait cos i will use it for years.