MPC Studio setup poll

Being curious about how you use your MPC, I have created a simple poll to see how you use your MPC in your studio. Are you using the unit stand alone meaning that you only use the MPC to make music without a computer? Or to you interface with other devices using MIDI and if so has a slave or as a master. Please share your studio setups.

i actually fall under a couple of those things. i use a pc to chop and stuff like that. but i also have a midi keyboard. and i like working with sound modules, so i think i fall under mpc and pc and mpc and instruments. mpc as master.

In my case, I have a full keyboard Motif ES studio with built in Sequencer that I am currently using has a MIDI master with a Korg synth as a MIDI slave. I have an MPC 2500 on the way and will then decide if I will make the MPC a MASTER or turn it into a SLAVE. I still have doubts about my purchasing the MPC yet I think adding a sampler into the mix, I believed could tie the knot for me musically. It remains to be seen.

Otherwise, a personal computer may be the solution for me. A friend of mine will let me try out the M Audio fast track Ultra and see if the PC solution would be better suited but it remains to be seen. I really hope the MPC 2500 fits nicely in my studio that it provides a turn on and play solution as opposed to using a mouse/pad

well my setup isnt as simple as the poll.

for simplicity of explanation its like this
instruments (synths, drum machines, etc.) -

into mackie onyx mixer -

main out to mackie 8' monitors - alt out of mixer for recording said synths and turntable (accessed when you press the mute buttons) into either mpc 2500 (main mpc where i do all of my sequencing etc.) or mpc 1000 (my portable i take to work and tweak my tracks on my lunch break)

the mpc then runs back into my mixer and into the firewire of my mackie onyx into my computer.


the mpc/or keyboard controller is also set to control any of my said synths (nord rack 2x, moog lp, vermona etc.) and there are other things along the way like my alt out runs into all of my efxs and then into my mpc.

xibalba1875 wrote:well my setup isnt as simple as the poll.

for simplicity of explanation its like this
instruments (synths, drum machines, etc.) -

into mackie onyx mixer -

main out to mackie 8' monitors - alt out of mixer for recording said synths and turntable (accessed when you press the mute buttons) into either mpc 2500 (main mpc where i do all of my sequencing etc.) or mpc 1000 (my portable i take to work and tweak my tracks on my lunch break)

the mpc then runs back into my mixer and into the firewire of my mackie onyx into my computer.


the mpc/or keyboard controller is also set to control any of my said synths (nord rack 2x, moog lp, vermona etc.) and there are other things along the way like my alt out runs into all of my efxs and then into my mpc.

Interesting setup and workflow. What is the PC for? Simply for storing final song with WAV format?

pierreb wrote:

xibalba1875 wrote:well my setup isnt as simple as the poll.

for simplicity of explanation its like this
instruments (synths, drum machines, etc.) -

into mackie onyx mixer -

main out to mackie 8' monitors - alt out of mixer for recording said synths and turntable (accessed when you press the mute buttons) into either mpc 2500 (main mpc where i do all of my sequencing etc.) or mpc 1000 (my portable i take to work and tweak my tracks on my lunch break)

the mpc then runs back into my mixer and into the firewire of my mackie onyx into my computer.


the mpc/or keyboard controller is also set to control any of my said synths (nord rack 2x, moog lp, vermona etc.) and there are other things along the way like my alt out runs into all of my efxs and then into my mpc.

Interesting setup and workflow. What is the PC for? Simply for storing final song with WAV format?

yea i use my mac with logic studio (i record everything into there), i dont really use all of the indepth editing and capabilities that logic offers i mainly love it because its simple and i can see my tracks.

on the mpc i just get basic sequences and tracks laid down, logic is where i will get down to it (add things polish it up for example mute a certain part of the drums on 1 bar or pan things for another bar etc.) the mpc is mainly just the raw and rough portion of a song.

so for one song (as an example) it will get bounced around to my mpc 1000 and 2500 and it ends up like this

11 sequences (each has its own tracks) so one sequence like the intro has
two tracks, the 2nd seq has about 4 and so on

so seq 1 intro
seq 2 intro cont.
seq 3 verse 1
seq 4 verse 1 vari
seq 5 verse 1 vari
seq 6 verse 1 vari
seq 7 break/bridge/chrous
seq 8 verse 2 semi intro
seq 9 verse 2
seq 10 verse 2 vari
seq 11 verse 2 vari

i get the basic sequences then ill record them into my daw by tracks (so track one while the rest are muted) then track two etc. ill get maybe a couple bars for each section then copy and paste until i feel its the right lenght etc. (then if i want to polish a section ill convert it to its own "region") and that allows me to tweak etc. and so on until i bounce it down to a wav.

i just use my mpc1k with jjos still learning my box,i have a laptop with cubase and lexicon alpha interface, axiom 49 keyboard controller, a few stacks of vinyl and some nice monitors notin heavy....PEACE

This thread is like the pinnacle of "MPC Studio Environments".

How about MPC as a standalone with some other keyboards?

I use MPC as my master sequencer controlling waldorf micro q synth and qy70 module (which also has sequencer, but not as good as mpc imo). Cheap bush turntable. All outs through a (cheap n cheerful behringer) mixer to a BR600 for overdubbing audio and adding some cosm effects but as this has no midi I need to manually sync everything which is a pain in the ar5e! Sometimes divert audios directly into MPC for sampling - all routing done through (another cheap n chearful behringer) patchbay. Finally onto a crappy hi fi which actually surprisingly makes for a pretty detailed mix. Monitors next on my shopping list!

Bit of a crappy setup really but I have fun!

I use mine with my mac with Reason and Logic. I rewire reason in to Logic and bounce my track.

i do just about everything on my mpc
sampling, chopping, sequencing, blah blah
run the mpc thru a mixer and into a digital track recorder...
i mix on the recorder and then export the tracks onto my pc
where i do my mastering.

i have a keyboard that i used to use with reason
but i'm going thru a phase where
i just use strictly records...
a kinda fun challenge i guess...

I guess I would fall under the final category....but truthfully I use my Mpc in all of the described ways.

MPC2500;
Midi A Out -> Casio FZ-1
Midi B Out -> Midi to Sync 24 box -> Roland MC-4 -> Roland SH09
-> Roland TR808
-> Roland TR 606
Midi C Out -> Computer running Nuendo 3 -> Midi Thru -> Kenton Pro 9 -> Korg MS 20
Midi D Out -> Yamaha DX9
Midi 1 In <- Casio FZ-1

All audio outputs go into my Allen and Heath GS3 -> group outs 1 to 8 go into my RME Fireface 800.
I got outboard compressors DBX 118 and 119, two Urei/JBL 7110's on the inserts for groups 1,2,3,4,5,6.
My separate MPC outputs also go into the mixer (I have to make some space if I don't have any of the 24 tracks free) so I can process individual tracks through the compressors, Lexicon PCM 70, spring reverb (accutronics tank ripped from a hammond), Boss DD5 delay, Ibanez FL9 flanger, DBX 120A subharmonic synth, tube preamp. My aux sends are output to the sidechain of one of my compressors, the PCM 70, the spring reverb and a feed into the external input of my Roland RS09 which feeds the chorus ensemble. I also have the an output from the desk channel cue going into the external input of the SH09 so I can put stuff through the fat filter!

erm... there's more setups.... but I'm just rambling now.......

For the past few weeks I've been using my mpc kinda standalone and processing individual hits through my outboard and resampling, resampling, resampling back into it and doing loadsa layering.. very enjoyable

I voted slave to computer. But it's also converted to being the master or controller through midi patching on a motu mtp a/v.

jimmie wrote:MPC2500;
Midi A Out -> Casio FZ-1
Midi B Out -> Midi to Sync 24 box -> Roland MC-4 -> Roland SH09
-> Roland TR808
-> Roland TR 606
Midi C Out -> Computer running Nuendo 3 -> Midi Thru -> Kenton Pro 9 -> Korg MS 20
Midi D Out -> Yamaha DX9
Midi 1 In <- Casio FZ-1

All audio outputs go into my Allen and Heath GS3 -> group outs 1 to 8 go into my RME Fireface 800.
I got outboard compressors DBX 118 and 119, two Urei/JBL 7110's on the inserts for groups 1,2,3,4,5,6.
My separate MPC outputs also go into the mixer (I have to make some space if I don't have any of the 24 tracks free) so I can process individual tracks through the compressors, Lexicon PCM 70, spring reverb (accutronics tank ripped from a hammond), Boss DD5 delay, Ibanez FL9 flanger, DBX 120A subharmonic synth, tube preamp. My aux sends are output to the sidechain of one of my compressors, the PCM 70, the spring reverb and a feed into the external input of my Roland RS09 which feeds the chorus ensemble. I also have the an output from the desk channel cue going into the external input of the SH09 so I can put stuff through the fat filter!

erm... there's more setups.... but I'm just rambling now.......

For the past few weeks I've been using my mpc kinda standalone and processing individual hits through my outboard and resampling, resampling, resampling back into it and doing loadsa layering.. very enjoyable

Wow! Quite impressive. You do this for a living?