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By Han$ Mon Sep 28, 2009 3:17 pm
ok so i let me introduce myself. im han$, a japanese american, 18 year old, living in tokyo, and im an aspiring hip hop producer. i dont have much money to spend at the moment because im currently jobless. I have around 1300 dollars to blow on the centerpiece of my home studio set up. ive been on a yamaha MO6 keyboard(baby motif) for a while now and was mainly focusing on theory and grasping some basic piano skills. at this point i have basically worn out its sounds (especially the drums!!) so ive been looking at expanding my set up. right now im on this shit PC set up riddled with viruses and all sorts of problems (too much porn) so i was considering buying a Mac, which i heard are great for music recording. The thing is, im a huge fan of hardware, and have always wanted an MPC, and i was at the yamaha store the other day jamming on an akai drum machine and i must say pads are GROOVY.

so now my question is, can i do everything, from sequencing to sampling to recording ALL on an MPC? as in ready to post online in an MP3 format? and ready to import onto my ipod so i can finally listen to my music? i am definitely going to buy a 1000 (JJ OS too) if i go MPC, and i was wondering what the drawbacks about 32 polyphony were? my MO6 has 64 voice polyphony and i hear people complaining about it occasionally, preferring the motifs 124, so how is 32 voice? If it is possible to have my tracks ready without software through an MPC then that is definitely the route i am going, and i will probably integrate software sometime later when i have some money. So what would you all recommend for me? i know it comes down to what i prefer but i would also like to hear your thoughts. thanks for reading this massive post!! ive been losing sleep over this decision
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By quietizkept Mon Sep 28, 2009 4:19 pm
Get the MPC 1000, AND Reaper (a DAW). No, the MPC is not a complete production center, but it's pretty tough. Take it over the edge with Reaper, free to install nagware. MONSTER DAW. There you go. I'd elaborate, but I gotta poop.
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By Doglamp Mon Sep 28, 2009 4:40 pm
Logic Studio + a Mac. Hands down.

http://www.apple.com/logicstudio/
More than 1700 sampled instruments.
Logic Studio is packed with beautifully sampled EXS instruments. Build your song with authentic strings, horns, woodwinds, guitars, pianos, basses, harp, choir, synthesizers, electric and pipe organs, acoustic and electric drum kits, orchestral percussion, world instruments, textures, and soundscapes.

You might be able to get a student discount.
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By quietizkept Mon Sep 28, 2009 7:44 pm
Yeah, if you got the cheddah, Logic is a known killer. Good job DL.
By Han$ Mon Sep 28, 2009 8:53 pm
aight thanks for the replies. so maybe logic is the way to go, ive been watching some youtube vids and it seems like it would be a great choice of software. would using my MO6 sounds in logic be difficult at all? and would getting an MPC now, learning it, then integrating logic at a later time be pointless? the main reason i want an MPC is to sample but i understand logic has its own solid sampler. also if i go MPC will i be able to use my MO6 sounds with it DAWless? i know DAW these days is a staple in the music production world but if theres ways around it id like to at least try. i feel like if i get logic, ill have a real solid library of new sounds, and the ease of "do it all". but with the MPC ill get the grimey sampled drums that kick and groove, that software jus cant seem to touch. anyways what you guys think? can anyone answer my questions? thanks for helping out btw
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By quietizkept Mon Sep 28, 2009 9:54 pm
There was one MASSIVE importance to acquiring my MPC. Its feeling. I still can't freak samples in my MPC like I could in FLstudio, but I was about to go berserk if I had to arrange another song on the PC. Pads are a blast. I arrange all my songs with the track mutes (a pad press cuts a part on or off, real simple).
And, the MPC sequencer is just fun. No, you won't need it, but it revitalized my interest in music, just cuz it's damn fun.
By inthemix Wed Sep 30, 2009 12:31 pm
Just a huge shame that Apple decided to abandon PC versions at 5 ! I moved over to Cubase and Nuendo and I haven't looked back since.

However, as Logic now runs on Intel Macs, I think it won't be too much of a stertch in code terms to bring out an all PC version of Logic ? Would be nice ... I'd adopt it.
By Automageddon Wed Sep 30, 2009 12:49 pm
A good alternative could be Ableton, the most flexible thing out there, and could use it exactly in the same way as you would usa an MPC.