Can somebody help a complete beginner?

I've been producing for a couple years using only daws and midi controllers but want to switch to an mpc. when i do get one i'm planning on getting either a 200xl or 2500. but mainly what i wanted to know was what kind of turntable would people recommend and also what other equipment would i need to sample? i always see stuff about preamps and mixers but i have no idea what the hell people are talking about because i haven't used any of that before. would anyone be willing to not be a dick and help me figure this out? thanks in advance

For turntable choices I'm not an expert but a lot of people recommend older technics tables, direct drive if possible (meaning a little motor turns the record directly, as opposed to belt drive which has a motor turning a little rubber belt which turns the record). brand name won't tell you everything though, i mean don't pass on a dope sony table to pick up the crappest technics in the world..

if money is no issue then the technics SL1200 is kinda considered the go-to classic choice. but I'd just look all over craigslist and local flea markets, check any you come across on google to see if they're considered good quality or not.

i'd say try to avoid people that are like "i just found this under my bed probably it works" or whatever, best to buy from someone who uses their table regularly and has replaced the needle and maintained it over time etc.

for most turntables you need a "phono pre-amp" (there are different types of preamps, make sure it's specifically a "phono" preamp) to make the signal from the needle loud enough to sample into your MPC. DJ mixers often have this built in i believe. i just bought my first turntable and it had this built in so i can't offer too much help on specifics there.

i just googled and came across this page http://turntablelab.com/pages/beginners-guide-to-turntables

SO yeah there's not anything else you really need though i guess, just a turntable and a phono preamp and your MPC and some audio cables. if you're going from computer-only to an MPC you might have to look into how you're going to play sounds from the MPC out of your speakers, and how you're going to record your final song into the computer at the end of the day too

thanks for the advice. money is kind of an issue because i'm a broke college student, but i'll try to look around. i have a sony usb turntable that i use to sample now, and the sound quality is just terrible. and as far as using a computer, i'm really tired of using daws and using the mpc as a standalone is what i want to do. the only time i'd use a daw is to add some instruments from vsts.

No need for a turntable when you can sample the headphone out of your laptop.

Use one of theseand you can sample any sound.

If money is an issue, thats what I'll do. Way **** cheaper too.

Ill-Green wrote:No need for a turntable when you can sample the headphone out of your laptop.

Use one of theseand you can sample any sound.

If money is an issue, thats what I'll do. Way **** cheaper too.

not really sure what you mean, but i'm trying to avoid using a computer in this process, and i wouldn't be able to sample vinyl without a turntable

As far as cheaper tables go... the Numark PT01 is kinda the go-to. Has pitch control, small, $100 new.

ill is saying that you can get that cable so you can still get to work without breaking bank. No DAW needed just using your PC as a sample source. You could score an MPC and that cable, start learning that way while you learn more about turntables.

medearis wrote:As far as cheaper tables go... the Numark PT01 is kinda the go-to. Has pitch control, small, $100 new.

ill is saying that you can get that cable so you can still get to work without breaking bank. No DAW needed just using your PC as a sample source. You could score an MPC and that cable, start learning that way while you learn more about turntables.

i get that, but i want to sample vinyl.

you don't need a direct drive tt for sampling. direct drive is only required for djing, when you are touching the platter to manipulate the record.

as for pre amps. a cheap source is old amps (pre 1990s). any amp that has a button saying "phono" will do the job. look for NAD, maraantz, harmon kardon. $50 should sort that out. people throw them on the streets around here as they don't have a digital input for flat screen tvs.

visionquesting wrote:I've been producing for a couple years using only daws and midi controllers but want to switch to an mpc. when i do get one i'm planning on getting either a 200xl or 2500. but mainly what i wanted to know was what kind of turntable would people recommend and also what other equipment would i need to sample? i always see stuff about preamps and mixers but i have no idea what the hell people are talking about because i haven't used any of that before. would anyone be willing to not be a dick and help me figure this out? thanks in advance

I started with a DJ mixer, Roland 202 sampler and an alesis drum machine. If you have an MPC, you can hook a basic Turntable up and send it into the MPC. It should be as simple as that. You may not even need a DJ mixer depending on the turntable. You may be able to ground it right on one of the MPC Screws. I did this for my MPC1K and now my Ren is hooked up that way. I always liked a drum machine to accompany my MPC. I use the E-Mu MP-7 Sound Module. You could probably find one for like 250 bucks. Possible cheaper. Let me know if that helps at all. Peace man.