Exchange tips and tricks for the Akai MPC4000
By dBd Sat Mar 12, 2005 10:45 pm
how does every1 else take their tracks from the MPC to CD's. I use an interface to my pc, which sounds wack at the end when I put them on CD's. bad low sound quality. i wanted to know what other ways people use to make a CD?
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By juniorcartel Sat Mar 12, 2005 10:56 pm
bounce track from protools then to an R/w with nero

.

By dBd Sat Mar 12, 2005 11:29 pm
good lookn

"then to an R/w with nero "

wat u mean?, im a beginner wat is that?

By misterv Sat Mar 12, 2005 11:53 pm
he means that after you recorded your beat with Pro Tools, you write it on a CDR under whatever software you find the most convenient (Nero is a popular CD/DVD burning software)
By dBd Sun Mar 13, 2005 12:17 am
damn im dumb, but Protools is to expensive I bet the music sounds good after, when its on a CD, but I dont got Protools why does my finished CD have bad sound quality? It sounds nothing like when its on the MPC? some sounds are louder than the others.

Does this have to do w/ me mixin the track? Is the interface I use wack or wat?
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By charlieocali Sun Mar 13, 2005 12:17 am
Track out through variouse pres, an di boxes, into pro tools.MIX. then BTD. Then burn disc with either jam or toast.
By dBd Sun Mar 13, 2005 12:27 am
Im a beginner wat u talkn bout? I dont have pro tools. Whats di boxes, various pres??
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By Blue Haze Sun Mar 13, 2005 6:40 am
dBd wrote:damn im dumb, but Protools is to expensive I bet the music sounds good after, when its on a CD, but I dont got Protools why does my finished CD have bad sound quality? It sounds nothing like when its on the MPC? some sounds are louder than the others.

Does this have to do w/ me mixin the track? Is the interface I use wack or wat?


Sounds like you just got in the game. Please read and study this thread it is very useful and deep http://www.mpc-forums.com/viewtopic.php?t=11515 :D

By quest5 Sun Mar 13, 2005 1:17 pm
Yo dBd,
Ok, you've got a fat beat running in your MPC. Now..breaking it down..
You have several options to get that beat/tune/song into the computer (mac/pc) to burn it onto disc (CD) depending on what options your MPC has.

1- If you use the analogue outs.. you can sync your mpc up to your sequencer in the computer (pro tools, logic, sonar, acid, ableton etc...) via midi so when you hit play on the mpc, your sequencer starts at the same time in syncronisation. Your MPC should be hooked up also to your computer using a lead that connects your analogue outs from the MPC to your soundcard. (if you have an 8 in/out soundcard and the optional outputs on the MPC (additional 8 outs) you can 'fire' 8 tracks at a time into the computer instead of just 2. (this saves time but is not necessary if on a budget). Now, with this method, at this point, if it sounds sh*t when its in the computer, the most likely candidate is a poor quality soundcard (I mean really poor... Im not sure if there is a soundcard sh*t enough out there nowadays to make things sound as crap as your suggesting though.. Ive heard 'appogee rosetta's' £1500'ish against 'M audios cards' £150 and yep, the appogee's well better but not £1300 better if you know what I mean).
So, next make sure your cables connecting to the computer are superior quality. Make them yourself if you can. Its relatively easy when you get the hang of soldering and (a personal tip from me).. always use Silver solder, not the multicore stuff magazines etc recommend. (the difference is immense).

2. If your using the digital connections from the MPC (s/pdif/adat) into your soundcards digital connections, the transfer should be sample accurate and have no loss of quality (makesure your lightpipe(toslink) cables are of the highest quality and that the wordclock in the MPC and the computer are in sync).

Ok, which ever way, we now have the beats from the MPC in your computer. All should be sounding good. Note: when recording into your computer from the MPC, either by using analogue or digital, the way your sequencer encods the data (music/beats) will change the sound slightly from what you were hearing in the MPC. Ive found that logics algorithm sound far better that cubase (just a little anal mention), but all sequencers nowadays are good and shouldnt be responsible for making things sound rubbish.

Onto the burn, I use ITUNES in my mac to burn my tracks but have heard from people that there are better programs to burn cd's with (like roxia toast on the mac). Im cool with 'Itunes' and Im sure on the pc theres a wealth of burning programs out there to try. I dont think any burning programs out there today should wreck a track though.

so, When burning your tracks to go onto an audio cd from your computer, always use the highest quality of cd you can afford. Do not use budget ones if you intend on releasing (impressing people and yourself). Pay for good quality Audio cd's with a gold laquer (it makes a big difference) + do not burn your tracks at maximum speed (x48 or x12 etc..), burn them as slow as possible, (x2) is preferable.

Ahh, what are sundays for... hope i havent gone off topic?.. I love a ramble.. and yo, Peace out to lampdog, read that incredible thread the other day on the forum and was moved by the whole affair. Glad your safe man.
By dBd Sun Mar 13, 2005 8:26 pm
i needed to know all that.

By rexze Mon Mar 14, 2005 6:31 am
:D Word !
Onya Quest5.
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By IE Mon Mar 14, 2005 7:23 am
im recording to cubase and adding some vst/vsti's. crunching bits w/ my 303.

By quest5 Mon Mar 14, 2005 10:04 am
Yo glad I can help,
Just a little note to all you producers. If your not going the s/pdif/adat route into your computers, do please try an make your own cables if you feel up to it.
For approx £100 or say $170, you can get all the kit you need to go make pro cables. This would get you a soldering iron, cable, some jacks and xlr's (neutrik or switchcraft), a desk clamp to hold your cables/connectors whilst you solder, a conductivity meter, and some silver solder etc...(can post up a concise list if wanted).
The point is, shops on the whole sell v.crap cables, but more to the point, they cost about 3 times as much as you making a pro quality cable. Also, the pleasures of burning in your new home made cables is real sweet and certainly gives at least me, great pleasure in putting sounds down and through them. Note,
-new cables need to be burned in (just like with hi-end hi-fi equipment). cables do start to sound better after about 72 hours of noise/sounds has been put through them. The best way to do this is when you go to bed (if you ever do!) or when you are not in the studio. load up a sample of white noise in your mpc and send it a low-medium volume to your mixer/ speakers. put the mpc on loop and just let it run all night. do this to all your new cables. burn 'em' in. (if you have the additional 8 outs, do more at a time.)
(this way when your working and designing your most dopest sound to date, the cables are at top working condition and arn't 'breaking' in whilst your great, hard-worked sound is being produced).
peace.