Just starting out. Bought a MPC 5000. Is this too much?

Hi Forum,

I am a just starting out on the production side of music. Ive never worked with any music software, or played any instruments.
I have been rapping for years and years, and decided to build my own home recording studio. I have always liked the look of the MPC's even though I have never used one......LOL, except for a Akai S20 that I still have and never really played with yet. The guy at the place I bought it said the 5000 may be too much for me to start out with. The price difference between it and the next unit down was not much, so I decided to just go with the 5000. I started with the following equipment:

Apple I-Mac 24"
M-Box 2 - Pro Tools 8
Auto Tune EVO (the real software, not the 10 day demo)
ILok
Blue "Blueberry Mic" ----------------
Blue "Bluebird Mic" ---------------------------- I liked all 3 in different ways so I got all of them
Blue "Baby Bottle Mic" ----------------
Axiom 25 Midi keyboard (just to start out with)
Akai MPC 5000
Audio Buddy 48V Phantom Power Box (Just to have incase)
2 Sony External DVD/CD Burners- USB
I spent $1200 on Acoustic Foam for my Recording Booth
1 670 GB External Hard Drive
1 TB External Hard drive


All I had in my studio before last week was a Akai S20, CAD GXL2400 Condensor Mic, and a Gemini Mixer


Now here is a few things I want to get in the next week or two:

Pioneer DVJ Turntables (DVD/CD Mixing)
Motif Rack
Nice set of Monitors
Digidesign Control or something else compatable with Pro Tools
Another Recording Software Program (Maybe Logic?)
Waves


Any input on some other good equipment that I should get to have a nice home recording studio would be greatly appreciated.

I wish there was a book or DVD on how to use the 5000! The manual has helped a little but not as much as I hoped. I dont understand alot of the music terms used. I also want some add on stuff for my 5000. Im not sure of everything that can be added. Hopefully someone can chime in on what to get and where to get it. I want my 5000 to be 100% Fully loaded!

If there is anyone in the Maryland area who could teach me how to use this thing, Id pay for lessons.

Thanks in Advance, Lu

I think you should take some time into learning some of that gear you just bought instead of just buying more stuff..



if you never used any of that yet, explore it. it will shed some light on what you actually need.

Lu Scola wrote:Hi Forum,

I am a just starting out on the production side of music. Ive never worked with any music software, or played any instruments.
I have been rapping for years and years, and decided to build my own home recording studio. I have always liked the look of the MPC's even though I have never used one......LOL, except for a Akai S20 that I still have and never really played with yet. The guy at the place I bought it said the 5000 may be too much for me to start out with. The price difference between it and the next unit down was not much, so I decided to just go with the 5000. I started with the following equipment:

Apple I-Mac 24"
M-Box 2 - Pro Tools 8
Auto Tune EVO (the real software, not the 10 day demo)
ILok
Blue "Blueberry Mic" ----------------
Blue "Bluebird Mic" ---------------------------- I liked all 3 in different ways so I got all of them
Blue "Baby Bottle Mic" ----------------
Axiom 25 Midi keyboard (just to start out with)
Akai MPC 5000
Audio Buddy 48V Phantom Power Box (Just to have incase)
2 Sony External DVD/CD Burners- USB
I spent $1200 on Acoustic Foam for my Recording Booth
1 670 GB External Hard Drive
1 TB External Hard drive


All I had in my studio before last week was a Akai S20, CAD GXL2400 Condensor Mic, and a Gemini Mixer


Now here is a few things I want to get in the next week or two:

Pioneer DVJ Turntables (DVD/CD Mixing)
Motif Rack
Nice set of Monitors
Digidesign Control or something else compatable with Pro Tools
Another Recording Software Program (Maybe Logic?)
Waves


Any input on some other good equipment that I should get to have a nice home recording studio would be greatly appreciated.

I wish there was a book or DVD on how to use the 5000! The manual has helped a little but not as much as I hoped. I dont understand alot of the music terms used. I also want some add on stuff for my 5000. Im not sure of everything that can be added. Hopefully someone can chime in on what to get and where to get it. I want my 5000 to be 100% Fully loaded!

If there is anyone in the Maryland area who could teach me how to use this thing, Id pay for lessons.

Thanks in Advance, Lu

Try this as far as Tutorials go for the 5K!
http://www.mpc-samples.com/product.php/ ... e-mpc5000/

mr_debauch wrote:I think you should take some time into learning some of that gear you just bought instead of just buying more stuff..



if you never used any of that yet, explore it. it will shed some light on what you actually need.

I agree! But it sounds like you kind of have an idea of what you want but your not exactly sure of which brands of equipment to go with. The MPC5000 is my first MPC also. Some say that I should have gone with a 1000 but I liked the idea of having a synth attached to the unit, and the larger screen.

WTF? You hit the lotto? LOL

The 5000, and the Mac would have been enough. But you got the gear-slut craze. Chill out and start small so its less to read and learn. Once you recognize your limitations, you can figure out what you really need and have fun doing it.

I would max the 5000 out? black pads, memory, disk drive and maybe a couple cards too! : ) got the newest OS?

thats alot of nice stuff.. must be nice to just go cop all that at once..

I see NO mention of studio monitors other than you wanna buy some.
You didn't mention them in the list of what you already had either..

I would probably get some monitors before I got auralex.. if its just for the booth tho, I can see your intention.
As for speakers, If you have cash to burn, Ill recommend Dynaudio.. and also some of the higher end KRK stuff.
Im using yamaha HS80's myself and LOVE em.. and that is after trying ALOT of monitors, and I was willing to spend much more.

now wait.. 3 different mics? THAT sounds like 'too much' .. not the 5000..
AND 2 burners? You usually get to know the gear and create a finished product before a burner is even needed.
lol

in any case.. the advice you have been given about the tutorials is good.

Now that you have an mpc5000, where to you plan to get sounds from?

If you like spending money, (and who doesn't) maybe get some good sample discs, or some vinyl.
you can also find decent FREE tutorials on youtube..
Hell if you like spending money this much , give some to me.. Ill come and set up all your gear and show you how to use it all!!! And it wouldn't be the first time I have done it either. Had someone fly me to NYC to setup a D8B pro tools setup back in 2001, 3 weeks after the towers fell. cheap air fair, but had to have bawls of steel to wanna fly.. lol
goodluck

that contract extension musta been nice. id setup a brand new studio too.

holy shit man what you gonna have yao ming on the collabo?

Lu Scola wrote:If there is anyone in the Maryland area who could teach me how to use this thing, Id pay for lessons.

PM me your home address and when you're not working . . . so I'll know when it's best to drop by.

bedouin wrote:

Lu Scola wrote:If there is anyone in the Maryland area who could teach me how to use this thing, Id pay for lessons.

PM me your home address and when you're not working . . . so I'll know when it's best to drop by.

seriously. also, I`m allergic to some types of dog hair... not the short kind though. Let me know if I gotta take a pill first.

I have been messing with my 5000 when I could for few weeks now, and learned how to do a few things on it, but not as much as I liked. Ive gotten some new gear lately, and I should have my recording booth completely finished tomorrow. I didnt realize how much could be spent on gear so fast. Here's what I have acquired since my last post.

I went around looking at keyboards to make some nice samples with and I am going to get the Phantom G6 or G8 in the next week. I also bought a bunch of sample discs, that will probably take me a year to go thru (seriously). I am going to get the tutorial book you guys have mentioned above. I have trouble concentrating sometimes so I got put on Adderal to help soley with the MPC..LOL! I really did tho!

1- New Studio Workstation (Desk)
2- extra screens
2- 1 TB External Hard Drives
1- Blue Robbie Mic Tube Pre- Amp
1- Avalon VT-737SP Mic Pre-Amp Channel Strip, Comp, EQ (ordered)
2- JBL LSR4328P Monitors (has room correction mode)
2- Monitor Stands
1- Akai MPD32 Midi Control Pad
1- Digidesign 003 Control Surface with Plug-In Bundle
1- Akai EXM-E3 Memory Expansion Board
1- Akai CD-M25 CD/DVD Drive for the MPC
2- CF Cards
Komplete 5 Native Instruments Software
More gear coming soon, when I figure out what else I need

I decided to go with the Rane TTM-57SL and the Denon DN-S3700's instead of the Pioneer 1000's. I just ordered them so they should be here in a few days.

Here is a few pics I took about a week ago. Some of the gear listed above is not pictured because the pic was taken before some of it was delivered. Ill take some new pics after my turntables come in, and I have the rec. booth completed. Im going to give my control room an accoustic treatment, put bass traps up, and add a few more JBL 4300 series monitors, and a JBL Subwoofer as well.




[imghttp://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh121/stinkypinky112/103_0156.jpg[/img]

Here is the rest of the control room below. As you can see the glass desk to the right has been replaced with the new workstation.