If i want to start making beats, is mpc the first choice?

i was at a store that sold them, and they basically said that i should crawl before i walk.

they then proceeded to show me a smaller, cheaper drum machine, dont remember teh manufacturer, i just remember the model numbers like 300, dr-770, etc.

they say that it's a bit easier, just not w/ many features. it ran like almost around 3-400 dollars.

do you guys agree, or should i just stick to try getting just an mpc?

get the mpc, if u aint got the cash, work and save for one, the next step is of course which one do you get, i personally run a 2000xl expaanded, meaning 8 outputs, efx board, internal zip, and memory expansion. which is quite good, but i got all tht really cheap. its a very good machine and i would never sell it. bulit like and tank and does what it says on the tin.
the 1000 is nice, but for me the 4 out (i think) seems too limited, but the quirks of usb and flash card are nice.
me personally if i was starting out and was serious, i would go for the 4000. tht is proper.
if u want there is the mpc 60. but those are for true to the game hardcore lovers of this machine. no joking around bussiness there.

You might as well get the mpc first time around........

yeah, get the mpc, you won't need to get another machine

your wastin money if you get one of those other ones because you can never get the money back that you paid for it. Get the best thing first, so you dont have to keep exchangin and payin more money.

The most important thing to remember when you're an aspiring producer: Do not listen to the salesperson when buying instruments.
Do your own research. Search the internet for reviews of gear you're interested in. Read magazines. Talk to friends that make music. But never listen to the guy in the shop, they don't know sh&t about drummachines or how to use them.

I see you have a computer how else would you be ^posting obn this board so my advice is if you have never ever tried to make a beat is to **** around first with a free tracker program like modplug or renoise and see if you like to make beats. In the mean time you can save up for an MPC because that is what you will want once you get really interested in beat making.

yeah but i think it is a good idea to get a piece of shit sampler so u really gotta learn it good. then if u think if u can hack it upgrade to the mpc. Korg electribe es-1 is an ill lil sampler drummachine that will teach u the ropes. i think that an mpc is very overwhelming to a new producer. I learned on shitty gear and thats i learned how to program beats, midi, looping, chopping, sampling, and all that goodness. I would get a lil one first yo. yes u wont get as much for it when u sell it, but the lessons learned will be invaluable.

back in the days i was told to crawl before i walked too. i was advised to get a drum machine & learn drum programming & basics of sequencing on it first while saving up for something "real".

that was back in the days though. what i would do in this day & age is download fruity loops or something & see how you like it & then move up to hardware. or hell, stay of fruity loops for all i care!

if you know for sure for sure that you want to make beats then i say go all out & get a "real" machine. even if you end up giving up on it the re-sell value of your machine will still be high. but in some ways i agree with the post above me... some people might benefit from starting off with a cheaper sampler. if you dont know jack about how beats are made & you dont have anyone to show you stuff then pro gear might blow you away. however, i wouldnt spend more than a couple hundred.

there's a dvd called "so you wanna be a producer" thats really good for people who dont have anyone to show them the ropes. they cover hardware & software. high end & low end equipment. theres a (supposedly) cheap lil phrase sampler on that video that is kinda ill. i woulda started off with that if i'd known about it!

i started out with a Boss Dr5. I simply didnt have the money for an MPC or else i wouldve bought one first. But I can say, the lil Dr5 showed me the concept of making a beat, and sequencing my own drum tracks and sh*t, so I am glad i crawled for about half a yeah before i walked. Im runnin now though, man. Wait till i start sprinting

yeah I was told that and ended up with FL, soundcard and a midi keyboard. I didn't get any progress. I decided to get a MPC, and this is no bullshit. In a week, I wasn't scared to let people hear my beats, and my sampling skills jumped up. So go with the MPC, ifyou don't have any loot, get a turtable and start diggin and listing, then get the MPC, THis is the advice I wish somebody would have told me

bhunt wrote:yeah I was told that and ended up with FL, soundcard and a midi keyboard. I didn't get any progress. I decided to get a MPC, and this is no ****. In a week, I wasn't scared to let people hear my beats, and my sampling skills jumped up. So go with the MPC, ifyou don't have any loot, get a turtable and start diggin and listing, then get the MPC, THis is the advice I wish somebody would have told me

you guys are helpin out alot, i appreciate all of the advice. is there a certain place online that sells mpc's and sp12's cheaper than other places?

bhunt, how's japan? have you lived there all your life?

i plan to visit/live there eventually.

nah try using a cheap free sequencer on a pc and see if you like composing...many people make the mistake of thinking it will be easy for them to translate their ideas and get quickly frustrated so before shelling have a go at doing it on a softseq...if you like doing it the transition to the mpc will be a beautiful one...

greg

Word to the wise dubmunkey I used to fsck around with software sequencers and switched to the mpc and it's the best thing that ever happened to me music wise that is.

go with the mpc 1000