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By Modus Sollers Thu Jan 27, 2011 12:20 am
Hi guys... i'm new here.

I'm looking for an hardware sequencer, i want something better than Cubase and Live (i'm for tight groove and strongly swinging rhytms) and... looking on internet, i'm discovering that the big fight about the most tight and groovy sequencer is between the MPC 3000 and the MPC 4000.

Before to buy one of this 2, i'm tryng to listen something made with both. Something techno or everything else in 4/4 style.

Do you know some famous producers, or maybe someone of you is producing this kind of music with an mpc 4000? Some links, grooves, tracks?

Hope to find some expert users of these two machines here... because i can't try this 2 mpc and because online i'm finding just hip-hop stuff...

thank's for your help guys!
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By krush777 Thu Jan 27, 2011 4:58 am
Grenozh wrote:I believe the 909 is for techno



Give that 909 to Hellfire and I bet you that he would wring some serious Hip Hop from it! It is my belief that the mind and hands determine what the tool does. Some tools may be marketed like that, but I think that the artist decides to "do", then simply "does".
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By patchen Thu Jan 27, 2011 6:39 am
ANY hardware sequencer that is sending sounds out through midi is not going to be super tight due to the limitations of the midi spec. the sounds from the mpc itself are another matter. These will be as close to perfect as makes no difference. my advice, grab an mpc1000 and install jjos. Sequence the drums and the bass as onboard sounds as these are the most important for the tightest timing, anything else can be sent via midi to your other synths
By Modus Sollers Thu Jan 27, 2011 1:35 pm
Thank you guys, my idea is this:

-produce sounds and one-shot-drums on Ableton live.

-sample it and load it into one Akai.

-arrange the track with a strong Akai quantization

-record the track again on the DAW, and finish the work on it.


I'm looking for one mpc because is mostly knowed for his powerfull sequencer, really tight. For dance music (not just techno, also house or everything else different from hip hop) i'm reading that the best are the 60/3000 or the 4000.

The new school Akai are not well appreciated (500 2500 1000 5000), i don't know why, maybe the numark is working differently from original akai.

So, my doubt is around a 3000 or a 4000... come on, i can't believe people just use this powerfull machines doing hip hop!! :D
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By Coz Thu Jan 27, 2011 1:52 pm
I believe Ableton has all those MPC groove templates that you're looking for. Also, the timing from any MPC will be no more solid than a DAW.

Seems like you're creating unnecessary steps in the process to be honest.
By Modus Sollers Thu Jan 27, 2011 2:17 pm
Mmm... yes, maybe i like complicated ways to work but... i really never read anywhere that a software sequencer can be tight and "strong" like an hardware, especially like an mpc. Believe me, i'm reading everywhere and everything from at least 10 days, a dedicated hardware sequencer is another world from a virtual. Also, Live is a great sequencer, no doubt on this, but... different.

The grooves templates are just an "imitation", they're not the real mpc or the real SL1200.

I want that solid groove with swing that just an mpc60/3000 (4000 too?) can have, so, i'm just looking for someone who work with them. Hope to find someone, but seems hard.
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By Pastor-of-Muppets Thu Jan 27, 2011 4:00 pm
Modus Sollers wrote:-arrange the track with a strong Akai quantization


totally pointless

Modus Sollers wrote:Mmm... yes, maybe i like complicated ways to work but... i really never read anywhere that a software sequencer can be tight and "strong" like an hardware, especially like an mpc. Believe me, i'm reading everywhere and everything from at least 10 days, a dedicated hardware sequencer is another world from a virtual. Also, Live is a great sequencer, no doubt on this, but... different.

The grooves templates are just an "imitation", they're not the real mpc or the real SL1200.

nonsense

do you realise a "hardware" sequencer is just a cheap piece of electronics running some software?

a modern computer is many times more powerful than any mpc, with a faster processor clock

Modus Sollers wrote:I want that solid groove with swing that just an mpc60/3000 (4000 too?) can have, so, i'm just looking for someone who work with them. Hope to find someone, but seems hard.


here's the man who invented the MPC discounting the "special" groove of an MPC:
viewtopic.php?f=8&t=139842

if the timing is off when you use Ableton then you're doing something wrong. maybe your computer is sh!t, or you've got too much cr#p running in the background

but hey, if you want to spend hundreds on a piece of gear you think will make a difference, go ahead
By Modus Sollers Thu Jan 27, 2011 4:36 pm
Richie today is enjoyng his money, he just play others music with an Allen Heat, a traktor and one maschine. His original music that made him famous was made with hardware, but that's another argument. :)

Well Pastor, i say you thank's for this link, it's a real light between all this legends about the MPC. Never tried one of them, just readed forums reviews and really poor videos on youtube so read some statements directly from the creator Linn is really interesting.

What i think now? I think that considering the price of an mpc 3000 or 4000 is around... 1000/1500 euros... maybe is better to wait more and spend 2000 for the last Linn work, the drum machine Tempest out this summer.

My attraction for this oldschool machines is still here, but i think i need to put my hands live on one of them to understand if they're really what i need.

ps
the mpc 3000 was used by Chemical Brothers and i think is still in their live setup.
pps
my ableton (and cubase) are ok!! http://soundcloud.com/modussollers/bomb ... hno-people :D
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By MPC-Tutor Thu Jan 27, 2011 4:41 pm
As people have already stated, all MPC's have tight sequencing, so paying the premium for a 3000 or 4000 when a 1000 (or even 500) will do the trick seems an unnecessary waste of money. Go beyond sequencing and you may need to think more carefully, for example if you need 8 outputs, or more memory or all the other things that make each MPC different to the other.

I also agree that you can get tight sequencing in a computer, as long as its set up correctly.