I want an SP 1200 but damn!!

v00d00ppl wrote:I saw a Midas Venice 16-FR for sale for 1100. Is that a good deal?

In my opinion, YES!!! Try talking him down further tho, never hurts... offer 900?

Seriously, you get another world of quality (very clean mixer, very clean pre-amps that you can drive A LOT witout getting ugly distortion). It's a BIG improvement over a Mackie entry level mixer.

EQ's are much better too, yet it must be said, the low freq EQ (fixed at 80Hz) isn't optimal either. Still, another world compared to mackie.

With that said, it has a clean sound, NO noise. Some people don't like that. I've read that many people prefer mackies in combination with the SP1200 (people write all kind of bull on the internet, who knows if it's true). From my own experience, drums from the SP can sound nice on the mackie when you crank up the pre-amps a little too much (but the limit is very narrow and it's soon too much and starts to distort in ugly ways).

Also, some people say the midas venice is complicated when it comes to FX routing/aux sends. I didn't run into any problems tho, i use it for all my gear including effect units, compressors, etc... no problems or headaches, the direct out for every channel alone is a godsend compared to the mackie...

EDIT: Not sure what model you are speaking of. The midas F-16 is the new model made by Behringer. This one can be bought NEW for about 1'600 bucks. The one i meant is called Midas Venice 160 (older version still made by midas before they were bought by behringer). I've listened to audio comparisons, the behringer version sounds just as nice. Functionality wise the newer behringer version is probably better... i personally just would never ever buy something made by Behringer.

@jibber sounds like a plan. I have a behringer 8 channel mixer and an emu 1616m to hold me off until the price goes down.

I am looking forward to hearing how this pans out... also makes for good talk here on the forums.

http://m.ebay.com/itm/111546942158?nav=SEARCH

That was the model I was talking about. I'll look for the older ones on eBay also. Old tridents are hard to find. Maybe someone on gearslutz will unload one soon.

SP1200 on ebay for a reasonable price. Happy bidding!

http://www.ebay.com/itm/E-mu-SP-1200-SP1200-drum-sampler-/151561562806?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2349c5eab6

http://mpc60champ.tumblr.com/post/108893820921



So I ended up getting an SSL X Desk as my mixer for the SP1200. Wow. The headroom and just the automation of the channels sound great. Way less noise than a behringer. I was close to getting a Midas Venice 160, but lost the auction. Was then gonna get a Toft 8 channel, but the build quality is from China. So I ended up getting the SSL instead because you can simply run your soundcard through it to have a nice analog summed mix or you can use it as a regular mixer before going into your recording device, plus you can upgrade to different EQ and compressor using either the x rack or 500 series boxes. This device is a stripped down mixer with the same circuitry as an AWS just without the preamps, EQ, compressor, VCA master buss compressor, etc.

Dope!!!

Lord Finesse The SP1200 Project 2014



SP1200 related Jibber

peace

mcroepster wrote:Lord Finesse The SP1200 Project 2014

SP1200 related Jibber

peace

Got that covered...

If you have an SP, this little box is almost a must have:



You can sync synths, sound modules, samplers, etc. It's a little complicated to figure out how to use it, and it has limitations, but it enables you to sync a bassline and some lead sounds or whatever on top, and then trigger an S950 or ASR too... all synced by the SP1200 thanks to this little box.

I have been wondering exactly how that box changes the functionality of the SP1200.

You can send out MIDI note on/off messages, and sync, to other gear without it, what does it change/add in terms of functionality?

Well, i'm not really good at explaining these things, but i'll try...

First of all:


And to try and explain it:
The SP Midi box uses pads D7 and D8 of the SP1200 to emulate 2 note polyphony (per step in the sp sequencer) on midi channel 1. Then pad D1-D6 to emulate 6 note polyphony on midi channel 2. On midi channel 3 it sends out pad information of the SP so you can also trigger a sampler like ASR from the SP1200.

So what does this mean in practice?
I can connect my JV2080 and use it in performance mode. Set channel 1 to a bass patch, channel two is a rhodes patch, channel 3 is turned off in the JV2080 but midi through goes to ASR to trigger ASR from SP1200. Now i can make my drums on the SP1200, chop a sample on ASR and trigger it. Then i can record a bassline from the JV2080 (quantized from SP1200!), and then record some chords on midi channel 2 with the rhodes patch (this has to be in hi-res mode because of 6 note polyphony and how the SP midi box handles note on/off simulation for the played notes in the chords).

It's not just like sending out a sync signal from SP1200 to an MPC. It actually records the notes you play on an external synth in the SP sequencer/steps!

It's like syncing an MPC 60 to the SP1200 to then use it to sequence external synths, but in the case of using the MPC60, the external synths will be sequenced by the MPC60, with the timing of the MPC60, quantization of MPC60, etc... plus you have to put an MPC60 next to the SP, which is a big ass MPC compared to a small box like the SP Midi. And when you use the SP midi box... you HAVE THE SWING and QUANTIZATION of the SP1200!!

Hope that makes sense...

Also:
http://www.otbelectronics.com/support.php

jibber wrote:It's not just like sending out a sync signal from SP1200 to an MPC. It actually records the notes you play on an external synth in the SP sequencer/steps!

Doesn't the SP allow this anyway, just on a single MIDI channel?

So, it is using the normal MIDI note on/off output from the pads on bank D, which would normally be output on a single MIDI channel, and rechannelising that output over 3 MIDI channels?

You can't sequence external synths with the SP, no. You can only trigger a sampler/sound module with the pads and only one shot. You can't play a bassline with a keyboard/synth/master keyboard and sequence that with the SP1200. It's a very limited machine regarding midi.

That's why people use an MPC or a DAW, to send out a time sync from the SP1200 and be able to start/play a sequence. But this way you have to replicate the SP1200 sequence in the MPC or DAW, make it same lenght and find some kind of quantization/swing % to make it match the swing of the SP1200 more or less. When you want to change a sequence on SP1200, you have to make a 2nd sequence on the MPC too, and again match it in terms of bars, time sig, swing, etc. When you switch sequence, you have to do it manually in real time on the MPC too. It's cumbersome and you lose the SP sequencer groove for all the external gear.

Really, the SP midi box is not a simple concept. If you want to try and understand it better and why it's quite revolutionary and a game changer in regards to working with the SP1200, please read the manual from the site of the guy who makes it.

Be warned tho, the manual isn't very good/detailed. Some details and functions are not explained at all or very cryptic. It took me and my friend five hours to really figure it out. For example, if you delete the recorded performance of external synths, it will not delete the midi info in the SP1200 where the note was in step sequencer, you don't hear it play anymore, but the midi info is still there and will mute any new notes you try to record. So you have to delete that sequence (to get rid of recorded midi info) then make a new sequence and try again from scratch. This isn't mentioned anywhere in the manual and will frustrate the hell out of you until you eventually figure it out yourself.

Like i say, it's not an easy to understand little box. It's amazing tho how the guy was even able to accomplish this, seeing how it's almost impossible to do this with the SP1200. For example: A note you play in the keyboard is recorded in the SP1200 like this: When you hit the key, it puts a one shot note on message in the step sequencer which gets sent back to the keyboard/synth to trigger it... then when you release the key, it records another note on message at velocity 1 (basically muting the first note on one shot message). The SP1200 is only capable of one shot midi messages, so it has to "simulate /cheat" note off functionality.

Told you i'm not good at explaining this stuff... please read the manual.

Once you understand what it does, you will understand how awesome it really is.