MPC for psychedelic / pop / ambient / drone

mr_debauch wrote:I suggest an mpc or roland MV and a kaoss pad (kp3 or kp2 if possible)

you can grab a roland mv-8000 for like 500 bucks these days... I got one last year for 450 used from the original owner with the VGA expansion and all the original box and manuals and paper work.

so yeah, thats my vote... electribes are cool but if you want pads then get pads.

Thanks! Never tried an MV-8000 but they look quite beastly! Yeh I think it's got to be pads for me right now, much more comfortable for live work I think.

Jamon wrote:MPC is not expressive as live instrument. It is best for slow thoughtful composition. You want something more like the SP-404SX or microSAMPLER.

Thanks! Yeh I tried the microSAMPLER but I just don't 'get it' so much, maybe I'm just too obsessed by pads! What is it about the MPC that make it "best for slow thoughtful composition"?

jmeager wrote:

Jamon wrote:MPC is not expressive as live instrument. It is best for slow thoughtful composition. You want something more like the SP-404SX or microSAMPLER.

Thanks! Yeh I tried the microSAMPLER but I just don't 'get it' so much, maybe I'm just too obsessed by pads! What is it about the MPC that make it "best for slow thoughtful composition"?

well it isn't a work flow where you record right to pads and you are looping right off the bat like some other samplers... you gotta go to a window to record and then trim the recording followed by assigning it to a pad... it is more designed for production.

the outcome is a bit more premeditated if you kinda get what I mean.


however you can do all that and not even use the sequencer.. you could just hit the pads live and set some things (the drones for example) to just continuously loop when holding the pads... and what not.

you see the only reason I suggested the mv8000 is because of the price for the amount of ram... which it sounds like you might need. you can load up an entire set's worth of samples in one project so you wont run into a brick wall later. if you could grab a 4000 that would work too...

thing is, your workflow means you gotta figure out what tool you need.

maybe grab a 1000 or 2500 if you want full pads and see how it goes if you want to go the akai route.

mr_debauch wrote:well it isn't a work flow where you record right to pads and you are looping right off the bat like some other samplers... you gotta go to a window to record and then trim the recording followed by assigning it to a pad... it is more designed for production.

That's interesting to know... I am looking to do things a bit more on the fly, although I'm not sure if that'll necessarily be used live. I intend to record some loops at home and use them live...

mr_debauch wrote:however you can do all that and not even use the sequencer.. you could just hit the pads live and set some things (the drones for example) to just continuously loop when holding the pads... and what not.

That's exactly how I want to use it.

mr_debauch wrote:thing is, your workflow means you gotta figure out what tool you need.

Yeh sadly I think I'm going to have to have try both out with my material before I can make a call...

+1 for the ESX.

i've done ambient/drone and noise sets with just an mpc2kxl, micro q and an external fx box. but like everyone else has said, it all comes down to your work style.

but you could set up separate sequences for each song with some pre-recorded sample data and both mute/unmute on the fly as well as play other stuff over it. one tip, however - label your pads, or you're going to be up the creek with no paddle.

Stick with the 404 and get a nice synth.