Reviews and questions about the entry-level MPC500
By BuleriaChk Tue Jul 06, 2010 6:18 pm
Hi, all,

I've been waffling for some time about purchasing the MPC-500, and have been RTFM'ing as much as possible, but I do have a question:

Does the MPC500 have a pattern play mode; i.e., can one assign sequences to pads that will adhere to a global tempo (like, say, the DR-670, or Ableton Live (computer) with a controller?) I'd like to play different loops live while hitting pads, keeping the same tempo......

(I suspect not, since I don't see it mentioned in the manual, but I hope I'm wrong......)

Thanks,

Chuck
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By NearTao Tue Jul 06, 2010 6:27 pm
This would probably be what you'd use track mute for. Not quite what you're after though...

Otherwise you'd need to render your patterns down to samples so you can trigger them with the pads.
By BuleriaChk Tue Jul 06, 2010 6:41 pm
Thanks, I was afraid of that.

What I REALLY want is drum machine that allows me to use a few sounds of my own (preferably with guitar input with effects included). The DR-880 is so far the closest, but no user sounds, of course, and the lack of a global tempo is a deal killer for me (WHAT were they THINKING?)

Oh well, guess I'll wait for the BR-800.... (if it has ToneLoad, like the BR-600/900CD)
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By NearTao Tue Jul 06, 2010 7:02 pm
Well it might be worth checking out the 500 anyways, I'm sure you can figure out how to get it to do what you want it to do... just need to be creative.

Either way though, good luck finding the right piece of gear :)
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By robthom Thu Jul 08, 2010 5:54 pm
BuleriaChk wrote:...(WHAT were they THINKING?)...



^^
This is my recurring thought regarding every roland product I've encountered in at least the last 20 years.

They keep grabbing my attention with interesting looking or sounding concepts (the cdx-1 four track+sampler) then blowing my mind with a completely wrongheaded hole in the boat (streaming cdr reading/recording instead of a hard drive!).

One of these days I'm still gonna save up and get an 808, but other than that I dont even like to ponder about roland products.

It makes my face scrunch up.
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By Sm0keydaBear Fri Jul 09, 2010 12:01 am
Yah the only thing I am seeing is recording the loops to samples or figuring out how to use the track mute. An incredibly powerful tool and yet it only takes some thought as to how to do it. I bought my MPC 500 thinking that I was going to be the best producer ever, and with that thought only made some beats that suited me so that I could figure out what I was doing and look at me now, not needing to ask questions on how to do anything lol. What I'm saying is, no matter what it is that you want to do, how you do it, is all up to you.