"Sound" of the 60.

So, I hear all this stuff about how the sp1200 will transform a sample when you throw it in there. Especially with drums and what not. But I've ALSO heard MPC 60 owners saying that this is bullcrap. And that the MPC 60 also adds a little magical touch to the samples, but it's not as lo fi as the 1200. I've watched so many MPC 60 videos on youtube, and even though the video quality wasn't Grade-A, I could still tell the 60 had it's own unique characteristic.

Your opinions, please.

The sp1200 sounds way crunchier, grittier, and knocks harder than the 60, point blank period.

I used to be really into the record label Grand Central Records and I know their artists almost always exclusively used the MPC 60. I think the enhanced 12bit adds a distinctly sweet sonic to drums etc.

I remember reading an interview with Aim and he was saying how the MPC 60 was nice for layering up drums (sometimes 6 sounds to make up a snare hit), whereas the SP 1200 would hit like a sledgehammer with one snare.

Very interesting.

[quote=" whereas the SP 1200 would hit like a sledgehammer with one snare.[/quote]

Don't get to caught up with all this sound thing... just stay to your setup.

DJ Supreme wrote:The sp1200 sounds way crunchier, grittier, and knocks harder than the 60, point blank period.

I'm in agreement with the sp1200 sounding way crunchier and grittier but as knocking harder I think not.
Both of these machines bang ridiculously especially for drums. If you sample stuff speed up on the mpc 60 like alot of sp users do you can make your samples crunchier and grittier. But it's not going to sound as aggressive as a sp1200.

`TK wrote:Don't get to caught up with all this sound thing... just stay to your setup.

gold words right here!

i had a 2000 and i used software for a while...

now i got a 60 and it bangs and its a DOPE drum machine/sampler...


the 1200 does have the more "12bit" sound... but the 60 is a killer in its own right...

hmmm 60 or the sp1200
well if you got one rock it!
i think this is a 60/3000 forum right... we all know the hype of the sp1200 and the quality of the 1200
but dont get it twisted the 60 rocks right next to it neck and neck....

I have the 3000 and the asr 10 16 bit both..
to me they sound almost the same.. both very good.

I also have the 60 and the sp 1200..
The sp is def.. alittle more dirty then then the 60..

But its what you put into the machine.. the different in sound is to little for me..

But its what you put into the machine.. .[/quote]


True indeed.......

the akai s950.....best of both worlds

It really depends on the type of AD/DA converters in the machines which makes a difference, soundwise.

If you have descent components every step of the chain, meaning : descent source material, descent preamps, descent cables, descent recording medium .. etc.. you will most likely get a descent sound .
If one component is not so good it can mess up your whole chain...

But really, it's all about vibe and WORKFLOW .
Whatever works for you, you should stick with. Don't get caught up in gear, techniques etc... in the end it's all about what works well for you.
Of course it's sensible to get proper knowledge and gear, but that's relative to workflow again.

Example : you can have all the nicest preamps , console, converters, musicians, cables, microphones etc..
But a small thing like lighting or smell can mess up the vibe for the musicians and they will not perform well, ending in a well recorded sheiss.... just something to think about..

Same goes for your setup, you can have a maxed out mpc 4000 with a octo-core mac computer loaded with all the software ever created, running a SSL 9000 going through some apogee rosetta's converters .... but still, if you can't work in that environment it's not going to happen musically....

Nice... !

Get/keep what you like..........