Discuss the various methods you use in music production, from compressor settings to equipment type.
By mwalker Wed Mar 24, 2004 8:13 pm
i do own an mpc2000 for about 4 years. i have a hardware studio and software studio but i am mostly software now because i could work any where. i could work in my basement, living room, bed room anywhere. ok for my point "not the end of the mpc but for $2400 one could have a monster software setup" which is more powerful than a mpc based studio anyday. therefore, if you buy a mpc, hardware sampler or tone modules setup the software setup will last you much longer than a mpc based studio. ableton live 3 will handle all of your looping, midi and tracking needs. you could trigger loops from a controller. it matches tempo of loops in real time. just load and play (has effects), reason has synths, samplers, dr rex a loop player and effects. what more do you need? this is not a flame but the truth. also, the setup is great for live performance and portable. one could transport there studio in a back pack. how do you transport your current setup mpc setup. i know i will get negitve feed back from the people who can not afford this set but if you could it is a monster.

computer (laptop) p4, 1 gig of ram, 2.8 processor, 30 gig harddrive - $1000 (compusa)

echo indigo i/o soundcard -$150
controller keyboard (oxygen) - $130/akai pd16 - $200 (if you cant live without your pads

firewire harddrive (160 gig, for our loops) - $130
abletion live 3 (host app/audio app) - $299
reason 2.5 (rewire to live 3) - $330
recycle 2.1 (chop your loops up) - $169
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By Smoove03 Wed Mar 24, 2004 8:25 pm
im sure your right. that sounds like a tight idea. but i think it all depends on the person. it might be easier for some folks to bang they beats out usin pads. it might allow them to be more creative when writin beats. but if you find it easier and better to do it using software then that means it depends on the person. but your right. software is definately gettin more powerful every year.

:D i agree
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By Iceberg-Slim Wed Mar 24, 2004 8:54 pm
You act as if you have just struck gold

Im pretty sure people already know this, and people like me already have software, and I use the conjuction of hardware + software, so your really not telling us nothing new

I use a mpc 4k btw
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pcs

By binger0 Wed Mar 24, 2004 9:14 pm
Whatever floats your boat homes. I use a PC for editing, but not making music. I like pads and keys and knobs. Not mouse clicks To each his own.
By mwalker Wed Mar 24, 2004 9:45 pm
you could use akai pd16 to control everything in the ableton live setup. the only differents is that you are trigger the samples for ableton live and reason not from the mpc. you just load your mpc samples in reason redrum. what is the different? and for the guy that has the mpc4000, big deal. i never heard of you and you never heard of me, so who are we (in the game)? i was just talking about if you are new to the game ableton live setup is worth every penny. plus, i think you could produce better cuts using the ableton live setup than your mpc4000. i believe the ableton live setup may cost $1500 less than the mpc4000. i would spend that $1500 on samples for all the samplers in reason. not such a good choice. uh
By roxstar Wed Mar 24, 2004 9:59 pm
" if you buy a mpc, hardware sampler or tone modules setup the software setup will last you much longer than a mpc based studio."

while there are many advantages to using computers and all that other stuff, nothing beats simplicity.. people pay extra for it all the time in any way of life. I love the fact that my mpc doesn't have a bunch of options. My ASR can blow the MPC out the water, but I barely touch the ASR cuz it's almost too much to learn (I use the effects, and re-sampling, and that's all). I know the mpc like the back of my hands, and it feels good when I make a track and know I'm working the shiznit out of the machine. If I have a super computer that can do a million different things, then sure, you can make a good beat, but it's kinda like sleeping with a hot chick with a 2 inch penis.. your not doing anything to her., and you won't either! :) Plus, limited machines increase my creativity. There's so much that the mpc simply can't do. When you put some 'REAL' time into a beat, twaek, re-sample, and get everytihg just the way you want it, it feels so good. I wouldn't want an 'instant gratification' drum-machine. There's no fun when you don't search for samples, use other hardware to do certain things, etc, etc.. that's why the music on the radio sound so blah! If you buy a Triton, you can do the same garbage on the radio. If you buy fruityloops and gigasampler, you can make some great techno, or whatever kind of music you desire. Just like buying sample cd's with loops.. can a person really feel like they created something using them? It's bad enough that we can make music sitting on the toilet without any skill playing an instrument, but computer make it too easy.. That's why there are producers giving beats away for free.. the market is flooded. If you tried to charge $50 for a track, I guarentee somone would say ,"I know someone that gives them away for free." I guess it's all in the way that you use em, but it just seems like being a producer is the new hobby that took over stamp collecting...everyone's doing it.

. ..roxstar. ..
http://www.soundclick.com/creamofbeats
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By DOVESKI Wed Mar 24, 2004 10:14 pm
mwalker wrote:i do own an mpc2000 for about 4 years. i have a hardware studio and software studio but i am mostly software now because i could work any where. i could work in my basement, living room, bed room anywhere. ok for my point "not the end of the mpc but for $2400 one could have a monster software setup" which is more powerful than a mpc based studio anyday. therefore, if you buy a mpc, hardware sampler or tone modules setup the software setup will last you much longer than a mpc based studio. ableton live 3 will handle all of your looping, midi and tracking needs. you could trigger loops from a controller. it matches tempo of loops in real time. just load and play (has effects), reason has synths, samplers, dr rex a loop player and effects. what more do you need? this is not a flame but the truth. also, the setup is great for live performance and portable. one could transport there studio in a back pack. how do you transport your current setup mpc setup. i know i will get negitve feed back from the people who can not afford this set but if you could it is a monster.

computer (laptop) p4, 1 gig of ram, 2.8 processor, 30 gig harddrive - $1000 (compusa)

echo indigo i/o soundcard -$150
controller keyboard (oxygen) - $130/akai pd16 - $200 (if you cant live without your pads

firewire harddrive (160 gig, for our loops) - $130
abletion live 3 (host app/audio app) - $299
reason 2.5 (rewire to live 3) - $330
recycle 2.1 (chop your loops up) - $169


neh. monitors give me a headache.
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By MANTIS69 Wed Mar 24, 2004 10:19 pm
I'M ALL ABOUT HARDWARE, WORKS FOR ME.

By mwalker Wed Mar 24, 2004 10:31 pm
ok, i have been using midi since cubase 1.0 was out (1982 aroud), i have a mpc and 12 other modules from roland r5 to korg m4r to roland 220 to ... get the idea. imagine, recording 80 gigs of beats (i do not know how long that would take) and separated each cut by track ie highat folder, bass drum folder and so on (i am talking about audio files). how long on a mpc would it take to load a bass loop from last march and highhat from last month and snare from last week and all these loops are at different tempo to put a cut together? with the software solutin, you would have all your audio files on a firewire hard drive and the software will match the tempo. i am not a professional producer but i think producer job is more listening than anything else so. so what is wrong with putting you cut together faster? the producer job is the ear more than anything else.

do not get me wrong but i write beats on my mpc 4 to 5 times a week. record the the beat, put it thru recycle and load reason.

also, i am not a hip hop producer, i love it but. i am into funk, straight up funk. i do not have ableton live (a friend has it) but i do have reason. my main setup is:


cubase sx 2.0
stlyus
trilogy
atmosphere
battery
fm7
lounge lizard
reaktor 4
b4
model-e
ppg wave
sampletank 3xl
hyersonic
virtual guitar electric edition
pro-53
reason
wave gold bundle

my friend has shown that all of that software is a waste and you need is reason and ableton live 3. and if you need your pads use akai pd16.
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By Iceberg-Slim Wed Mar 24, 2004 11:39 pm
mwalker wrote:you could use akai pd16 to control everything in the ableton live setup. the only differents is that you are trigger the samples for ableton live and reason not from the mpc. you just load your mpc samples in reason redrum. what is the different? and for the guy that has the mpc4000, big deal. i never heard of you and you never heard of me, so who are we (in the game)? i was just talking about if you are new to the game ableton live setup is worth every penny. plus, i think you could produce better cuts using the ableton live setup than your mpc4000. i believe the ableton live setup may cost $1500 less than the mpc4000. i would spend that $1500 on samples for all the samplers in reason. not such a good choice. uh


Believe me when I'll tell you, you dont know what your talking about, there isnt anything in ableton live thats going to give you better sounding tracks that cant be done with my mpc, unlike you just getting the program and being fasinated with it, i've actually used it with PT for quite some time, when they gave PT rewire, the money argument is tired and wasted considering I will buy what I want regardless of the price long as its reasonable, whats a great choice in my eyes is not the same for someone else

Basically Im telling you, your wasting your time with this argument, We already know, and regardless if you said you could space travel with software, alot of the people (especially on this site) are not going to stop using their MPCs for the sheer fact, Im having fun on my MPC unlike my computer........
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By Iceberg-Slim Wed Mar 24, 2004 11:54 pm
mwalker wrote:ok, i have been using midi since cubase 1.0 was out (1982 aroud), i have a mpc and 12 other modules from roland r5 to korg m4r to roland 220 to ... get the idea. imagine, recording 80 gigs of beats (i do not know how long that would take) and separated each cut by track ie highat folder, bass drum folder and so on (i am talking about audio files). how long on a mpc would it take to load a bass loop from last march and highhat from last month and snare from last week and all these loops are at different tempo to put a cut together? with the software solutin, you would have all your audio files on a firewire hard drive and the software will match the tempo. i am not a professional producer but i think producer job is more listening than anything else so. so what is wrong with putting you cut together faster? the producer job is the ear more than anything else.


rofl, Im not trying to be an **** but ok sowhat you record 80 gigs, that isnt going to affect loading time as long as your organized

If anything it sounds like you havent even made a song yet and just want to argue, if Im doing a project Ill put everything involved in one folder with each instrument clearly labeled and just load the whole folder... not hard at all

You have single loops of just hi-hats, snares, and kicks all by themselves? Dude you suck, seriously, looping is for noobies dude, if you wanna loop shit, then acid and live are perfect for YOU, unlike you alot of us actually play out our shit and have talent rather than just stacking loops and time compressing (MPC Time compresses as well in case I wanted to get a loop into my song to fit perfect), on a firewire drive? wtf is the emphasize on the firewire drive, when I have internal, and can add external drives?

Your not a professional producer? sounds like your a newbie with no idea what your talking about quite frankly just based off this statement

mwalker wrote:also, i am not a hip hop producer, i love it but. i am into funk, straight up funk. i do not have ableton live (a friend has it) but i do have reason. my main setup is:

cubase sx 2.0
stlyus
trilogy
atmosphere
battery
fm7
lounge lizard
reaktor 4
b4
model-e
ppg wave
sampletank 3xl
hyersonic
virtual guitar electric edition
pro-53
reason
wave gold bundle

my friend has shown that all of that software is a waste and you need is reason and ableton live 3. and if you need your pads use akai pd16.


You don't own Live 3, yet want to preach it down our throats, and your friend is either an idiot or a newbie considering all of those programs have there particular uses, its not a waste its just you don't know how to use them

So please save the praise the almighty software for some other board, cause we really don't care here
By mwalker Thu Mar 25, 2004 12:22 am
who are you? God forbid if i die today and you lived a billioin years i have more talent in my left nut than you will ever have. by the way, i do play the drums for more than 35 years and i would run rings around you using my mpc. any day of the week including your birthday. now for some facts, hiphop is looped base and in cubase an individual save an arrangement which includes midi and audio. so, from that arrangement i would make some loops from the drum track, perc track, bass track and so on (individual tracks hihat, bass and so on). the purpose for this is the re-mix, just incase the singer does not like the beat, groove whatever. the software is used to make the process of creating loop base music faster. period. i wish there was a way where we could make some beats here on the spot so that i can should you a few things about music, beats, groove, a total education. oh yea i forgot, the firewire drive makes me portable. how does it feel to lug a desktop around.

last but not least i play drums on the last bobby humpry cd.she is a jazz artist. next time you are in nyc look me up and i will invite to one of my shows and skool you on the mpc. and i mean skool you. no software just hardware. just look at my racks i have akai s2000, s01, s3000, 950. i been in the midi game for a while and you sound like a clown. just come to nyc. and i will show you about music, music making, theory, mixing, mastering, arrangments, producing and play some shit live.

by the way, i am at the island in the kitchen waiting for dinner, with my lappy, ozone and making beats while reading your pity shit.

musicaly, i will take you on anyday, even at your mom's house (no disrepect to your mother). just because you have a few piece of musical equiment does not mean you could tell someone they do not know shit. i could talk because some of my shit is nice.
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By DSTRUCT Thu Mar 25, 2004 2:09 am
damn you seem tense. you come to a site that primarily focuses on hardware (the mpc) and start talking about how software is better and all this sh!t. we dont wanna hear that. we use the mpc. now alot of us use it in conjunction with software but hey to each his own. I mean were we supposed to read your post and just sell our mpcs??? nah man. We might checkout the software youve suggested but there is a reason we own mpcs. We just like the way it feels man. Oh yeah i do transport my mp and its not a big deal.

By elmacaco Thu Mar 25, 2004 2:15 am
I disagree that a computer and software will outlast hardware.

My oldest piece of gear is 26 years old, I have friends with older gear. My MPC 60 is a workhorse. Computers are not built to last like that, and as soon as you want new software and all that, you end up having to upgrade your computer if it is more than 3 years old.

Software conflicts, bugs, viruses, unexplained crashes, carpull tunnel syndrome, I deal with it for what I need to use the computer for, but computers require a lot of maintanence. Compare that to your S950, it may need some repair, but many keep truckin' for a decade without problems.

In the subjective world, the end doesn't justify the means, you need to work with instruments that bring the best out of you.

I started on software, and there are some programs I love, (hello nuendo!)

but computers do sound like shit compared to tape, but the hassle isn't always worth it.

I'll end this with a quote from the MPC 60 Manual

"...I like to think of the MPC 60 as the piano or violin of our time, and of you as an MPC60ist. In the same way a violinist's style is identified by his or her vibrato and phrasing, your MPC60 virtuosity may be identified by your particular swing settings, your creative use of note repeat, or your real time use of the note variation slider. As an MPC60ist, if you find the instrument useful in your creative process, please let the world know. Next time you perform on a recording, ask to be credited not with "keyboards played by..." or "programming by..." but rather with "MPC60 played by..."

Thank you for your continued support of the MPC60. I hope you enjoy playing it as much as we have enjoyed developing it.

-Roger Linn"

By average Thu Mar 25, 2004 3:03 am
I have basically every piece of equipment and software everybody just mentioned.....And the MPC is the shiznit. There's nothing like bangin' on those pads.....And yes, I have the Mpd 16 pads. I've used it with reason, and there's just no comparison. The quantizing and swing of the MPC is killing reason, for real. I'm not just saying this to be argumentative.
The MPC RULES, but, to each his own.