Discouraged, how long did you take?

Well i've had my equipment up and running for about a week now. I've probably been on it for about 8 hours total and i havent made a single thing im pleased with. Im really feeling shitty about this, i just want to know how long it took for you guys to really get the groove and start sequencing properly. I dont mean learning how to do it properly, just if you liked whatever you were making or made. i feel like im just all over the place, not focusing on the music

thanks!

2 years a reckon if you put you heart into it

a lifetime bro....be patient, you just got it,
treat your mpc like a your first love, respect her, get to know her, treat her right, and eventually she'll let you get freaky with her

Took me more than 40 hours of work, during several weeks. That is, when I got my MPC(2500). Read the manual, bought the MPC2500 Bible, made the decision not to hurry. I had used drum machines before, I play guitar, bass and keyboards, I'm trying to learn some drumming basics, I've done some studio work and live mixing - all that helps.

I'd never used a proper sequencer/sampler before, it took me 3-4 months to really start to understand what I could possibly accomplish with the MPC. It is quite a deep machine... I made some simple sequences during the first couple of weeks, just for practice. They were not very good

I've been working on the MPC for almost a year now. I still learn something new every day.

It might help if you just concentrate on learning the basic use of the MPC first. Get the MPC Bible:
http://www.mpc-samples.com/section.php/ ... tutorials/
study it, do the tutorials one at a time. Do not expect to be able to write your masterpiece right away

get what u give. give it time and you will get dope shit eventually. it may not be consistent at first as you are learning the eqpt and developing the techniques. but eventually u come into your own. takes time patience persistence and dedication. think of when u began to drive... were u comfortable and totally at ease in the first day? probably not. for most ppl it takes time to get use to the feel of the vehicle and the road. keep at it

OP I don't know if you are doing this.... but don't compare yourself or work to others especial pro level guys. Learn the basic structure of music make what you want and have fun with it. Once you learn the basics began to manipulate them. As I stated here before, I have been making music on and off since 2004. I played trumpet for about 6 years straight in concert bands so I learned to read music etc. I have had my MPC since early February 2011 and I spend about 2-3 hours a day or more on it.

Find your style and stick with it, develop your sound and you will fall into a groove. Don't try to put everything into one beat... there is more to be made save some of that magic for the next track. Also spending money on equipment/software will not do it, it's the user. This applies in all facets of life when it comes to hobbies etc.

keep banging bro.

biggamehit wrote:I have had my MPC since early February 2011 and I spend about 2-3 hours a day or more on it.

Okay, hold up just one second there, pal! Aren't we still in early February 2011? Don't move... I'm checking the calendar.


Alright, I'm back. Okay well I stand corrected... Turns out we are now technically in mid/late February 2011. I guess you're off the hook.

Yes sir we are still in Feb 2011 lol. I really hope I didn't appear to be bragging I am not at all. I just watched tons of vids and read alot before buying my MPC.

That was an ill-conceived attempt at incorporating a bit of humor into the thread... In hindsight, I realize I came off as a prick. My apologies. Your original post was well-written and you touched on some excellent points. Considering that you are new to the MPC, as is the thread-originator, your input may very well be of more value to the kid than advice from someone who has been doing this for a while.

Cheers, bro! Have fun with that MPC.


-K Loco

Ahhh not at all brother lol no offense taken. I have been on forums for years and it was indeed funny. I was just making sure I was not coming across as a jerk lol.

Your 110% correct I felt I could help since im new at it as well.

thanks for the responses fam! ill just keep going at it and it is a pretty DEEP machine in terms of all the different effects and stuff. i still continue to watch these youtube videos of people like Jaisu, Damu the Fudgemunk, Disko Dave, and a lot of other dudes cuz they have that sound im trying to get, smooth jazzy kinda hip hop.
its good to know other people went through it and it wasnt a case of having magic fingers! ill definitely keep at it and continue to learn, this is actually my third mpc, went through a 2000, didnt do much work on it, then a 1000, had to sell it to pay off some stuff, and now my 2500 which im going to cherish forever and give to my kids! i never took the time to read through this forum back then but now i come on here everyday and just read through threads. glad theres people out there willing to share some knowledge!

thanks for the tips, im gonna get on it just now!

oh and nice car biggamehit! i do some track racing in the summer with my STi but havent attempted drift yet, maybe the next car will be rwd and tuned for drift, boooooooost

DjSkruff wrote:i still continue to watch these youtube videos of people like Jaisu, Damu the Fudgemunk, Disko Dave, and a lot of other dudes cuz they have that sound im trying to get, smooth jazzy kinda hip hop.

what matters is if the video is a helpful tutorial showing how to do things, not the sound

you can still learn techniques from people's videos even if you don't really like their music

I can see why your discouraged, you bought all that gear and expected your studio to be Coney Island overnight.

One piece of gear takes at least a month to master, so its gonna be a year or so before you can reap your rewards. Take it easy and focus on your machine's capability rather than make hot tracks. You know what hot tracks are, so save that energy and make beats just to explore your gear. Doesn't have to be good either. In time your machines will be a third hand and fire can be made blindfolded.

I dunno. I started off with an Akai XR20, flipped it as hard as I could, then bought an MPC 500. Starting off with an MPC is not technically the best idea, but it does offer a great level of flexibility. Problem being, so flexible that newbies will have a very hard time learning how to do everything. Best piece of advice anyone has given, read the manual to figure out what you KNOW how to do, then start from there.